WHO IS A WISE WOMAN 2 ?

MEMORY VERSE: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 13-18

Who is a wise person? A wise person is someone who wins souls for Christ. Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” A wise woman is a woman who wins souls for Christ. Whenever we talk about soul winning many think it is for brothers only. My dear sister in the Lord, the work of evangelism is for everyone – brothers and sisters. Christ categorically said that whoever is not winning souls with Him is working against Him. Luke 11:23 says, “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.” We are either gathering with Christ or scattering what He is trying to gather. Many of us find it easy to invite our friends to our birthday parties, marriage ceremonies, wedding anniversaries, etc, but we find it hard to invite our friends to church. A wise person not only wins souls for Christ, they also do follow up. John 15:16 says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” A wise woman bears fruits for Christ. After winning souls for Christ, we must ensure that those we have won for Christ remain in Christ – our fruit must remain. Have you checked on that brother who was not in church last Sunday? How about that sister who has been missing for two weeks? How about that family that has stopped coming to church, have you gone to look for them?

Who is a wise person? A wise person is a builder not a destroyer. A wise woman builds her house. Proverbs 14:1 says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” The house being referred to here is her household – her husband, children and other members of the family. A wise woman acknowledges the fact that her husband comes before the kids. One of the ways a wise woman builds her house is by laboring in the place of prayer for them. There is nothing wrong in working to bring home some income as a woman, but this should not be an excuse for not praying. Wise women don't compete with their husbands. They support their husband's vision and stand by him. A wise man also appreciates a praying wife. Asides praying for her household, she trains her children to respect and honour their dad. A wise woman does not report her husband to her children. A wise woman works with her husband not against her husband. She knows that if her husband succeeds, then she too has succeeded. There is a popular saying: ‘Behind every successful man, there is a strong, wise and hardworking woman’. A wise woman pays attention to the diet of her family. Sugar kills !

QUESTION: When was the last time you prayed for your husband?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

DOES '1 TIMOTHY 2:12' FORBID ALL WOMEN FROM TEACHING.

MEMORY VERSE: But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 1 Timothy 2:12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 110-115, Proverbs 23

1 Timothy 2:12 says: “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” The issue of women teaching in the church is the most hotly debated issue in the church today. It is very important not to see this issue as men versus women. There are women who believe women should not teach and that the bible places restrictions on the ministry of women, and there are men who believe women can serve as preachers and that there are no restrictions on women in ministry. This is not an issue of chauvinism or discrimination. It is an issue of biblical interpretation. Does ‘1 Timothy 2:12’ forbid all women from teaching? No!

Women are allowed to teach women in the church. Titus 2:3-5 says: “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior 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, 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.” Women may teach men in the assembly. Colossians 3:16 says: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Paul was speaking to the church, which includes men and women. Priscilla, a woman, was involved in teaching Apollos - a man. Acts 18:25-26 says: “This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing 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.” ‘1 Timothy 2:11-12’ does not forbid a woman from asking or answering a question in a public adult Bible study or during Sunday school.

The two functions – teaching and exercising authority – mentioned in ‘1 Timothy 2:12’ are the function of the elder. It is not a problem for a woman to minister in hundreds of ways in the church but the office of leadership and teaching of men is preserved for spiritual and godly men. A woman ‘teaching and exercising authority’ over a man has the sense of usurping authority. However, she is not usurping authority – when teaching the youth, or even teaching from the pulpit, or running a ministry – as long as there is a man over her. There ought not be a woman that is the head of the church, or women on the council, because then they would be in a position of ultimate authority, which this supposedly restricts. The argument that she may not teach anything in any way (i.e. read scripture, ask or answer a question in a Bible class) in the presence of a man because she would be doing some teaching, is not consistent with the teaching and admonishing (Colossians 3:16) which she does in songs and hymns and spiritual songs in the public church assembly.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: it is true that women preachers are a sign of the times, but more one of the abdication of responsibility by men than of anything else. Men need to stand up and be counted. They need to wake up and take their rightful position before God as leaders.

PRAYER POINT: Father, we come against every spirit causing division among the body of Christ.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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