Teaching The Word of God & The Sunday School
by Don Snow
As the
apostle Paul prepared Timothy to teach
the gospel of Christ to
the world, so
Timothy was to prepare other men to teach: “And the things that thou hast
heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who
shall be able to teach others also.”
(2 Timothy 2:2)
Let me
firmly establish that I believe in
the teaching of God’s
Word, and this article was
written in love to encourage every
reader to investigate the Word of
God and obey it - “If
you love Me, keep
My commandments.” JESUS
(John 14:15 & John 15:10)
After Jesus was raised to life,
following a brutal beating and unmerciful death on a Roman cross, He came to His chosen apostles and affirmed in Matthew 28:18 - 20, “All authority has
been given to Me in heaven and on
earth. Go therefore and
make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to observe all things that I
have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age ” (‘world’,
Ref. # 165).
Then in Mark 16:15-16 the Lord says, “Go into
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who
believes and is
baptized will be
saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
Later, Peter, an apostle of the
resurrected Savior, declares in Acts
10:42, “And He commanded us
to preach to the people, and to
testify that it is He who
was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.”
From these few
verses of scripture we learn that Christ declared that
His Word be taught throughout the
world - in order to
give all mankind the choice of
believing & obeying Christ
for salvation and eternal life, or
rejecting Him and His Word.
GOD’S METHOD OF
TEACHING HIS WORD.
Since the Old Testament is
referred to as “a shadow
of good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1), let
us see what
God instructed them to do. In Deuteronomy 31:11-13, Moses by God’s instructions wrote the Torah (the Law of the Lord and
Moses): “When all
Israel comes to appear before the LORD your
God in the
place which He
chooses, you shall read this
law before all
Israel in their hearing. Gather
the people together, men and
women and little
ones, and the
stranger who is within your
gates, that they may
hear and that
they may learn to
fear the LORD your God and
carefully observe all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known
it, may hear and learn to
fear the LORD your God as
long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess." (NKJV).
And in Nehemiah 8:1-3,
“Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and
they told Ezra
the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of
Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel.
So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on
the first day of
the seventh month.
Then he read from it in
the open square
that was in
front of the Water Gate from
morning until midday, before
the men and women and those who
could understand; and the
ears of all the people
were attentive to the Book of the Law.”
Also in Joshua 8:35, “There
was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which
Joshua did not
read before all the assembly
of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who
were living among them.”
In
the previous scriptures we see in the Old Testament that
God wanted His word taught to His people, and the strangers (‘foreigners’). In the New Testament we learn that Christ commands that His gospel
message be taught to all people, and
He gives several scriptures to regulate the pattern for public teaching in
the church. In
Acts 14:27, “ Now when
they had come and
gathered the church together, they reported all
that God had done with
them, and that He had opened the door of
faith to the
Gentiles.”
-
Acts 15:30, “So when they were sent off, they came to
Antioch; and when they
had gathered the
multitude together, they delivered the letter.”
-
Acts 20:7, “Now on
the first
day of the week,
when the disciples
came together to break
bread, Paul, ready to depart
the next day, spoke to them and continued
his message until midnight.”
-
I Cor. 11:20, “Therefore when you come together in one place,
it is not to eat the Lord's
Supper.”
-
I Cor. 11:33, “Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one
another.”
-
I Cor. 14:23, “Therefore if the
whole church comes together in one
place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are
uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?“ See verses 24-33 when a church teaches in foreign languages.
-
Hebrews 10:25, “not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some, but
exhorting one another,
and so much
the more as
you see the Day
approaching.”
The church is defined as: “a
gathering of citizens called
out from their homes into
some public place; an assembly” Ref. # 1577). Since the
church is: “the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15), may
Christians divide the
public assembly into
separate classes and teach?
May women teach? Let’s review
these issues more closely.
INTRODUCTION TO SUNDAY SCHOOL
Most encyclopedias will
provide the history for Sunday Schools, but here
is a brief
history taken from
THE WORRY
CLINIC,
by Dr. George W. Crane.
“Robert Raikes, born in 1735, was a
famous British newspaperman whose
contributions to our
welfare rival those of John Peter Zenger.
Mr. Raikes published the
“Journal” and, like all true
journalists, was vitally interested in social conditions.
He
pioneered the movement to
improve the conditions in the jails of England. Then his
attention shifted to the
children of his city of Glouchester. Most of
them worked from
dawn to dark, six days a week. And they could not read. For our public school system
didn’t originate for another century.
Only the children of the
wealthy were tutored in reading.
So Robert Raikes asked the youngsters of
Glouchester if they
would like to come to school
on Sunday to learn how to read.
And they shouted with joy at
this chance. They showed
none of the
grumbling of some modern children who
gripe about our
wonderful, free public schools. So, in the year 1780 Robert Raikes hired some
women teachers and
on Sunday they opened a free school.
Since the Bible was the most famous and most available textbook to
use, they employed it
as their reading book. This first venture was called Raikes’ “ragged school,” since the children who attended were in
tatters and rags. But the
movement spread like wildfire. The
Queen of England heard about the
idea and gave it her support. And John Wesley backed it, too. In fact, Wesley brought the
Sunday School idea
to America, where the
Methodists pioneered a
definite plan of
Sunday schools right after
the Revolutionary War. Other
denominations soon followed their
example, until nowadays
Sunday schools are operating all
over the world as a standard part
of religious education.
But please remember that this remarkable educational
innovation was due to the forward thinking of
a newspaper publisher.”
-
End of Article.
It was
very thoughtful and praiseworthy for Mr. Raikes to
teach these poor children to
read. However, the church of the
Lord had existed more
than 1800 years before
this “educational innovation”
became an additional method by
which the church
was to be
taught. In the
Old Testament it
gives this warning in
Deuteronomy 5:32,
“Therefore you shall be careful to
do as the
LORD your God has commanded you;
you shall not turn aside to
the right hand or to the left.” Likewise,
in the New
Testament it reads
in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be
diligent to present yourself approved
to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Yes, one can
just as easily go
too far to
the Right of God’s
Word, as to the Left. [And right here one might wish to read 2 Thess. 2:10-12].
So that
I won’t be
misunderstood, let me state a few
points. I wish to
emphasize that EVERYONE needs to
study the Bible. God warned in
Hosea 4:6, “My
people are destroyed for
lack of knowledge. Because you have
rejected knowledge, I also will reject you
from being priest
for Me; Because you
have forgotten the
law of your
God, I also will forget
your children.” [In Christ, all
obedient Christians are
priests in the family of
God (I Peter 2:5-10;
Revelation 1:6].
In 2 Peter 3:15-16 the
apostle advises everyone to
“consider that the longsuffering of
our Lord is salvation--as also
our beloved brother Paul,
according to the wisdom given to
him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking
in them of these things, in which are
some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people
twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the
Scriptures.”
IS
SUNDAY SCHOOL PUBLIC OR
PRIVATE TEACHING?
In
the New Testament the Apostle Paul
writes in Acts 20:20, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto
you, but have shewed
you, and have taught you publickly, and
from house to house.”
The Dictionary defines “Public” - “the people
as a whole, community at
large. A specific part
of the people; those
people considered
together because of
some common interest or
purpose. In
public, openly, not in private or in secrecy.”
“Publicly”
is
Greek Ref. # 1219.
Strong’s Greek Dictionary says: “in public - common, openly, publickly.” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
defines it - “belonging to the people or state, in public: Acts 5:18, Publicly, in public places, in view
of all: Acts 16:37, 18:28,
20:20.”
Yes, it is obvious that the
church’s method of
teaching in Sunday school
classes is public
and church arranged, and
financed by the church. However, over the
past several years
I have had supporters of
Bible classes in churches tell me that Sunday school classes were
like “Public Rest Rooms - Public but Private.”
THE CHURCH AND
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Some people may deny that
Sunday schools are a part
of the church and
public teaching. However, if
Sunday school classes are
NOT a part of
the church, then
why do churches contend for
them? Why do
churches support them and advertise
them?
Why does the
church invite
everyone to attend
the classes using
flyers, signs, posters as
advertisements?
In most cases, the elders
and deacons try
to oversee and regulate the Sunday school operation.
It is
reasoned by some that
nowhere in the Bible is
the church directly FORBIDDEN to
use this method
of teaching. This is
true. But does
this type of
“reasoning” give anyone a
license to use
it? There is
a pattern of divine worship
and teaching in
the blood-sealed Testament of Christ, and we
need to respect that
pattern regarding public assembly for
worship to God
(Hebrews 8). We need to
do only that
which has
been
revealed by Divine
Authority.
In Deuteronomy 29:29 it
reads, “The secret
things belong unto
the LORD our God: but
those things which
are revealed belong
unto us and
to our children for
ever, that we may
do all the
words of this
law.” {Please read I
Corinthians, chapters 2 & 3}
ARE CHURCH SUNDAY
SCHOOL CLASSES IN
THE BIBLE?
1. “All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the
man of God may
be perfect (“complete”
- Ref. # 739), throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II
Timothy 3:16-17). Since scriptures do
not furnish the
method and order
for Sunday school classes, is it
really a good work in the
Lord’s church?
2. Jesus said in Luke
8:11-15, “THE WORD
OF GOD IS
THE SEED OF THE KINGDOM.” God’s “SEED”
was sown by the
church for over 1800 years and never
produced a Sunday school class in
the church. It was
the sown “seed” of
Robert Raikes for
social education that prompted the
Methodists to introduce this
new method into
the public church assemblies in
the early 1800's, after the Revolutionary War of 1775 - 1783.
3. “If any man speak let him speak as
the oracles (‘utterances of
God through Christian teachers’- Ref. # 3051) of
God” (I Peter 4:11).
One cannot speak “as the oracles of God” and
talk about the work being done in Bible school classes of
the
church.
From the records of
history it is
shown that Sunday school is
a human institution, trying
to do the
work of the
church and the
home. Let us remember that
it is the charge of
parents to teach
their children (Ephesians 6:4;
Colossians 3:21; 2 Timothy 1:5; Hebrews 12:9-10). Parents, are
we failing in
our responsibilities? And, the church
has the duty
of teaching the public assembly (I Corinthians 14:23-25) - “men, women, children &
strangers” who need
to obey the
gospel of Christ, and
those who have
obeyed the Lord’s
gospel message for
salvation, discipline,
and maturity as
children of God (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Peter 3:18). Have we forgotten that
individual studies may be
done “house to house” or privately?
Of course, people are quick to point out that in Sunday
school classes the Bible is taught, that classes
are endorsed by
leading men of the
nation, that there
is a class
for every age, that
classes help everyone to
learn of Christ
and that they
help develop Christian character. Can all of these
not be done in the public assembly and from house to house or private
meetings? “Are church
Sunday school classes from
heaven or from men?” -
What do the scriptures say?
Just as we’ve
asked “Are church
Sunday school classes from heaven or
from men?,” we could also
ask “Are the following ideas and
doctrines from heaven
or from men?” - Holy Water (first used after 120 A.D.); Purgatory (first mentioned after 220 A.D.);
Sprinkling & Pouring water as a substitute for
baptism (used after 250 A.D.);
The Pope and his stately position & authority
(introduced after 296 A.D., made
firm after 533 A.D.); Instrumental music (first
used in Christian worship after 666 A.D. and very
much practiced in churches today);
Mass (first observed
after 350 A.D.); Infant baptism (first
practiced after 370 A.D.); Sale of Indulgences (first introduced about
814 A.D.);
Individual breads, wafers and
individual cups of
varied drink elements used
in the Lord’s Communion
(introduced after 1800 A.D.). Are these and other
man-made doctrines “from heaven or
from men?” - (Matthew 21:23-27)
Let me repeat...if a thing doesn’t follow
the pattern in
the scriptures or
it violates command, order, or direct instruction from
the Word of
God, then we should leave it alone regardless of
how sentimental it is to us. The Bible tells all
believers to “obey God
rather than men” (Acts
5:29). It
warns of the coming of “grievous wolves” (Acts 20:29-30), and alerts to
the destructive doctrines of
“false teachers” ( 2 Peter 2:1-22; Mark 7:6-7; Gal. 1: 6-10; 2 Thess. 2:1-17; 2 Peter 3:14-18; Jude 1:3-4.)
MAY WOMEN TEACH?
The present day Sunday school
movement, which began in the 1800's A.D.,
usually permits women
to teach and to
usurp authority in churches
that use the public class system of teaching. In
I Cor. 14:33-35, “For God
is not the author of confusion, but of
peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them
to speak; but they are commanded to
be under obedience, as
also saith the law. And if
they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to
speak in the church.” This word ‘shame’ is
defined in Greek Lexicons as:
“base, dishonorable, a disgrace’.
Also, verse 34 describes women
in the churches - “not
permitted unto them to speak...” - “as also saith the law.” This word
“law” helps to explain
Genesis 3:16, after Eve sinned:
“To the woman He (Jehovah
God) said: "I will greatly multiply your
sorrow and your
conception; In pain
you shall bring forth
children; Your desire
(longing) shall be for your husband, And he shall rule
(have dominion) over you." So a woman is
not to play
the part of a man in the things of God.
In past
years, I’ve heard some
religious people, who support
church sponsored Sunday schools,
reason in this manner: “Since
women are to
ask their husbands at
home, and single women
don’t have a
husband, then SINGLE
WOMEN are helpless in
asking questions of
their husbands. Therefore, the
scriptures in I Corinthians
14:33-35 are old
fashioned and useless, and only
applied in Paul’s
day.” This argument against I Cor. 14:33-35 seems to have
carried over until
today. Recently, by
coincidence, while surfing my television channels, I
heard Joyce Meyer, a woman
preacher on public
television, declare that I Cor. 14:33-35 was a
custom in Paul’s day, and his
statements in these scriptures only
applied then. The
custom has changed, and these
verses no longer apply today.
However, Paul
states in verse 37 of I Corinthians 14, “If any man
think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him
acknowledge that the
things that I write unto
you are the
commandments of the
Lord.” Yes, the Eternal Lord and
Creator gave the commandment - John 1:1-14; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:1-29.
Whenever women (married or single) teach in the public church assembly
or church Sunday school classes, -
they violate a command of
God, not a custom
- (“for it is
a shame for women to speak in the church”). In I Timothy 2:11-12, “Let the
woman learn in silence with
all subjection. But I
suffer not a woman to teach (‘to
instruct, deliver didactic discourses’ Ref. # 1321) nor to usurp authority over the
man (Ref. # 831, ”to govern
or exercise dominion over
one”), but to be in silence.” Notice: There are two
things that a woman is forbidden to do “in the church”. (1) She may not teach,
and (2) she may not usurp authority over the man.
There are some people who have argued that a woman may teach “as long
as she does not usurp authority over the man”. That is not what this
scripture says. Why are women not to
teach in a public, church assembly?
Paul answers this
question in I Timothy
2:13-14, “For Adam was first
formed, then Eve. And Adam was not
deceived, but the woman being deceived was
in the transgression.”
The man (Adam) was first in the
creation before the
woman (Eve), both being made
in the spirit image of God (Genesis 1:27). “For
man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman,
but woman for the man.” (I Cor.
11: 8-9). Also the woman being made
from a rib of
man (Genesis 2, verses 18-24) was first in
being deceived
by Satan and
first in committing sin (Genesis 3).
Although Adam was
not deceived, but
did sin, man
was given the work
of eldership and/ or overseer in
the Lord’s church (I Timothy 3:1-13
and Titus 1:5-9). And so,
it would
be
wise for one
not to rewrite the Word
of God to
suit himself (Galatians 1:6-10; II Timothy 2:15). No doubt, a
single woman could
privately ask an elder,
a preacher, her
father, or any bible -studied man
any question(s) since “it is
a shame for
women to speak (‘used in
the N.T. of teachers’, Ref. # 2980) in the
church.” ( I Cor. 14:34-35).
Does man have
the authority to change God’s Word? I have had religious people
tell me that
men in their
congregation give
women the right
to speak and teach in the church, as well as the right to be elders
(?) & deacons (?). WOW!
This
kind of reasoning defies
both Ephesians 1:22-23 & Colossians 1:18 which
declare that Christ “is the head of
the body, the church: who is
the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.” The Apostle John
indicated that men defied Christ
in his day - Third John v. 9,
“but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them,...” Who should have the ‘preeminence’ (‘first place’,
Ref. #’s 4409, 5383 ‘authority’)
in the Lord’s church?
Concerning whether a woman has the right to
be an elder or bishop (‘overseer’, Ref # 4245; # 1985) or
a deacon (‘servant, attendant’ - Ref. # 1247), the
Bible reads in I Timothy
3:1-13 that one
of the conditions was
that he be “the husband of one wife.”
Christ’s judgment gets
very direct & serious in Matthew 7:21-23. To “many”
Jesus will say
“I never knew you: depart
from Me, you
who practice iniquity“ (‘vice, lawlessness,
violation of one
without law of
God’, Ref. # 458).
When considering whether women
CAN or CANNOT
teach, nor usurp authority over
men in the public church assembly, the question is
often asked: “Can women
sing in the church assembly?” (Eph. 5:9; Col. 3:16).
Without
going into an
extensive review, singing is
not teaching as
spoken in these
verses. If singing were
teaching, then each person would
have to sing
“solo” or “one person
at a time” - (I Corinthians 14:29-33).
Another question emerges from Titus 2:3-5 which reads, “The aged women likewise,
that they be in
behaviour as becometh
holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober (Ref. # 4994,
“discipline, correct, make of sound mind”) to love their husbands, to
love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to
their own husbands, that the word of God be
not blasphemed.”
Based on other scriptures in
the Bible, this teaching by women
is not to
be done in the public church
assembly, “for it is a shame for
women to speak (Ref. # 2980 - preach, speak, talk”) in the church.” However, privately a woman
may teach anyone, even a
man (Acts 18:26), and the apostle Paul outlines both public and
private teaching (Acts 20:20).
In
Acts 18:26 the scripture tells of
a certain Jew named Apollos, mighty in the scriptures but knew
only the baptism of John: “And he began to speak boldly in the
synagogue: whom when Aquila
and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him
the way of God more perfectly.”
This scripture has reference in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Ref. # 4355, as: “to take to one’s self - Acts 17:5; Acts 18:26.” Note that
“take to one’s self” is of a
private nature.
PRIVATE (OR HOUSE-TO-HOUSE) ASSEMBLY?
Let’s consider PRIVATE or FROM
HOUSE-TO-HOUSE teaching. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary reads: “Private: (a)
intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class. (b) belonging to or concerning an
individual person, company, or
interest (a house). (c)
restricted to the individual or arising independently of
usual institutions.”
“From house to house” Acts 20:20 - Ref. # 3624, Thayer’s Lexicon defines it: “in a household assembly, in
private.”
Strong’s Greek Dictionary - “of uncertain affinity; a dwelling; by implication, a
family: - a home, house(hold), temple.”
In
the early days of the Lord’s church, they didn’t
have buildings erected for “the called out” public
worship, and so they were compelled
to, sometimes, meet in their private
dwellings for public worship (Romans 16:3-5; I Cor. 16:19; Col.
4:15; Philemon 1:1-2), as
well as other buildings and places
(Acts 5:42, 20:7-12). However, the
word of
God
deals with two types of teaching: Public and Private. A building or dwelling
does not determine whether teaching (or
anything) is public or private. It’s whether the assembly:“belongs to
the people or state, open to all
the public” - or - “intended for
or restricted to the
use of a particular person, group, or class, a
household, or private.”
When people consider the
difference between Public
and/ or Private teaching, it seems that some FABRICATE definitions -
giving personal opinions to
the meaning of both
words. I have known a few people who say that, in a
private Bible study, or house-to-house study
of the Bible, only
two, three, or few people (no
more than two or three families) can
come together and
do this type
of private teaching and studying. And more
than three families coming together in
a private home or building to study
the Bible - IS WRONG.”
Well, let’s see how the Word of God describes a Private Assembly:
In Matthew 24:3 it
reads (KJV), “And as
he sat upon the mount
of Olives, the
disciples came unto him
PRIVATELY
saying, ‘Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the
sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines Privately, # 2398, part 2 as: “private, severally, separately, apart.”
-
Mark 6:32, “And they
departed into a
desert place by
ship
PRIVATELY.”
-
Luke 9:10, “And the apostles, when they
were returned, told Him all
that they
had done. And
He took them,
and went aside
PRIVATELY
to a desert
place belonging to
the city
called Bethsaida.”
-
Acts 23:19, “Then the chief
captain took him by the hand, and
went with
him aside
PRIVATELY, and
asked him,
What is that thou
hast to tell
me?”
-
Galatians 2:2, “And I went up by
revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but
PRIVATELY
to
them which were
of reputation, lest by
any means I should
run, or had
run, in vain.”
In
Acts, chapters 10 & 11, it tells of the Apostle Peter, and six (6) Jewish brethren going to a
Gentile’s house. In preparation of
Peter’s arrival, Cornelius
had called together his relatives and close
friends (Acts 10:22-24).
While some people try to reason
that this was a public church Sunday school
class, it is
obvious it was a private
gathering by Cornelius, since he was
told to send for Peter: “Who shall tell thee
words, whereby thou and all
thy house shall
be saved.” (Acts
11:13-14). How many
people were there
in that private gathering of
kinsmen and near friends, invited by Cornelius? We are
not told. But it
certainly was quite
a number of people. Obviously, not
2 to 6 people, nor two or three families.
It is also reasoned by
some people that when Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:26) took Apollos “unto them, and expounded unto him
the way of God more perfectly”
this was an example of
a public church Sunday school class, with
a woman teaching. No, “to one’s self (or
private nature),” is
not an example of
public church Sunday school classes, with women teaching.
Next, it is pointed out
by some that
there were several women ‘prophetesses’
mentioned in the Old Testament Law. And in the New Testament of
Christ there was Philip, an evangelist, who had “...four virgin daughters, who did
prophesy” (Acts 21:9,
Ref. # 4395 - “foretelling future events
pertaining esp. to
the kingdom of God” - Thayer’s Lexicon. Also Strong’s Lexicon: “to foretell events, divine, speak
under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office,- prophesy”).
It is
then reasoned by some
people that these
scriptures are examples of
public church assemblies and/
or Sunday school classes with women teaching.
But one needs
to show the
scripture(s) that reveal
these women divinely teaching Publicly. While women
may teach privately, yet where
in the scripture(s) does it
teach or suggest that any of these
women prophesied publically - whether in
the O.T. Temple, or in the Lord’s Church assembly?
Now, there is no question that women are just
as smart and
intelligent as men (or as senseless
and silly as men), which is not
the question.
While some societies and
men mistreat women,
yet God loves women (John 3:16), and
all men & women should read Ephesians, chapter
5; Colossians, chapter 3; and Titus, chapter 2.
In fact, in describing a virtuous woman (Proverbs 31:10-31) it
reads, “She is
like the merchant ships; she brings her food from afar.” “She considers a
field and buys it.” “She opens her mouth with wisdom, And
on her tongue is the law of kindness.” “She watches over
the ways
of
her household, And does not
eat the bread of
idleness.”
And in Acts 16:14, it tells of Lydia, who was in
the business of selling purple
fabrics. However,
“it is a
shame (Ref. # 149, ‘base, dishonorable, shameful’)
for women to speak (“teach, preach, or be teachers - Ref. # 2980”)
in the church.” - a commandment of
the Lord.
Of course, most Bible preachers
and teachers won’t tell
you this. I wonder why??
CLOSING THOUGHTS.
In the Word of God, no restrictions are
placed upon the Christian man
as to where
he may teach.
However, the man
is to be
controlled and governed by
the Word of
the Lord, as well as to use
wise judgment in
teaching the Lord’s
truth (John 1:14, 14:6),
“rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 3:16). “For ye
may all prophesy (Ref.
# 4395, ‘teach,
refute, reprove, admonish, comfort’ ) one by
one, that all
may learn, and all may be
comforted” (I Cor. 14:31).
But a
man may teach
both publicly & privately
(Acts 20:20).
A
woman, however, is limited to
the place she
may teach - privately. Simply stated, where a
woman may teach
she may teach
anyone, even a
man. But
where
a woman may
not teach, she
may teach no one - not even a
child, another woman, nor a man. In recent
years, society has
gone beyond the
Word of God and
argued that I Corinthians 14: verses 34-35 and I Timothy 2: verses 11-14 were
just referring to social customs -
and the customs have changed. But the
apostle wrote in I
Corinthians 14:v. 37 “...the
things that I write unto you are the
commandments of the Lord.”
From the time
Sunday schools were given
birth in denominations during the early days of the 1800's,
they have fostered divisions in
the church, promoted women
preachers, women elders,
women deacons, and created many other
kinds of man-made creeds, doctrines,
and
titles.
Many churches now own and operate child care centers, nursing homes, hospitals, sports centers, and so forth. While Christians may
individually own and operate businesses, yet
the Lord’s church
was not established for
that purpose. In fact,
some churches claim
that they are
not about religion or
worship to God, they’re about
getting together to have
fellowship, subsidies, and
good times. However, in
I Timothy 3:verse 15 this
statement is made:
“so that you
may know how
you ought to
behave (‘conduct,’ Ref. # 390) yourself in
the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the
truth.”
The Lord’s church
has the responsibility to
teach the Word of God .
This helps to sustain one’s
spiritual life and
eternal salvation. But the Lord’s church has
no right to invent an unscriptural method
for teaching children and adults. The church
Sunday school bible classes will not qualify as
being private, nor fit
the pattern of
God’s Word as the
private work and
teaching by an
individual.
In fact, James records in
chapter 3: verse 1, “My brethren,
let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall
receive a stricter judgment.”(NKJV). Let’s have
love for the Lord and
His Word of truth and teach it
in love (Eph. 4:15), but
know that:”we shall
receive a stricter judgment (‘condemnation’ -
# 2917).” In Christ’s love,
Don Snow
[I
wish to thank Brother in Christ, Jerry Cutter
(from an article “Teaching” in The Proclaimer of Truth - dated February 1, 1960), and my son-in-law, Bro. Mark Grant
for some scriptural thoughts presented in this report.] - Don
Snow