Raising the Dead

[If you prefer, you may listen to the audio version of this article or download it here].

I want to talk to you about raising the dead. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). He said we would do the works He did and even greater works than these we would do (Jn 14:12). He said, "You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it." (Jn 14:14). So that includes raising the dead, since Jesus and the apostles did this, as well as the prophets Elijah and Elisha. 

 

- One of our past students did raise the dead once, which I have written about. (link)

- And one of my friends in Bulgaria raised her husband from the dead. (link)

- The wife of Daniel Ekechukwu in Nigeria brought her dead husband to the Reinhard Bonnke crusade meeting in an ambulance after he had been in the morgue. The people in the lower floor of the church, beneath the sanctuary, prayed over him in his coffin and the Lord raised him to life. (link)

- Henry Gruver's daughter raised her father from the dead when he was killed in a serious auto accident where he had a hole in his head (link). And they went to his other daughter's wedding immediately afterward.

I will talk more about those later. But first, it's important to look very carefully at how Jesus did it and how the apostles did it. Here are some biblical examples that we should study and be prepared to follow the biblical approach the Lord and his apostles used to raise the dead by faith in the name of Jesus!

Old Testament Examples

Let's look first at a few examples from the Old Testament.

Widow of Zarephath’s Son: Raised by the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:17–24).

After the boy died and the mother cried out to Elijah in grief, he said “Give me your son,”  

“He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.” 

The prophet brought the boy to his own room in the woman’s house where he was a guest, and laid the boy on his own bed. So we see the seclusion from the woman’s fear and any unbelief that she had. We also see that the boy’s body was now in contact with the bed the prophet slept on, so there was a point of contact with something that had been in contact with the anointing that was upon the prophet.

“Then he cried out to the Lord, ‘Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?;” (v. 20)

The prophet prayed a desperate prayer to the Lord.

“Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, ‘Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!’” (v. 21)

The prophet prayed to the Lord explicitly asking Him to let the boy’s life return to him.

The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. (v. 22)

It was a simple process with great faith and a miraculous result. 

Shunammite Woman’s Son: Raised by the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:18–37).

A major key to this miracle was the faith of the boy’s mother. She went to the prophet and was determined to reach him at any cost. When she did, she had faith that he could heal her son. Although the prophet sent his servant with instructions to lay the prophet’s staff on the boy’s face, that was not what the mother had faith for and not the way the Lord chose to raise the boy. So the prophet traveled with the woman to her house.

“He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord.” (v. 33)

Notice that he shut the door so that he was alone in the room with the dead boy, and notice how he first prayed to the Lord, which is a key in other examples of raising the dead. 

“Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm.” (v. 34)

The prophet made direct contact with the dead body, even matching up the parts of his own body with the boy’s. This began the process of the boy’s spirit returning to his body, evidenced by the warmth that returned.

“Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.” (v. 35)

Perhaps he continued praying, but also gave some time for the body to warm up. But since the process was still not complete and the boy had not returned to consciousness (i.e., awoken from the sleep of death). Elisha repeated the process he did at first, using direct, body-to-body contact. This was done by faith in the Lord, and could be likened to laying on of hands in the New Testament, using the prophet’s body as a point of contact for the power of God to flow into the dead body. 

Man Raised in Elisha’s Tomb: A corpse touched Elisha’s bones and came to life (2 Kings 13:20–21). 

The anointing that was still on the bones of Elisha the prophet caused a man’s spirit to return to his corpse. The bones were a point of contact, just as our hand can be, or a piece of clothing we have worn, such as the aprons that touched the apostle Paul’s body were a point of contact that brought miraculous healing to those who touched them.

New Testament Examples (by Jesus)

Now let's look at how Jesus raised the dead and learn from His approach.

Widow of Nain’s Son: Jesus raised a young man from the dead during his funeral procession (Luke 7:11–17).

This was an act of great compassion on the part of our Lord, because the woman did not even ask for help. But the Lord knew that she had lost her only son, and being a widow, would be destitute without anyone to support her, not to mention her magnified grief of being left all alone without her closest loved ones. So the love that was in the heart of Jesus was a key to this miracle and any raising of the dead.

“Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’” (v. 14)

Some versions call it a bier and some translate it coffin. The Greek word is “soros” meaning a “coffin” or by analogy a “bier”. A bier is a stand or portable frame used to support or carry a coffin, casket, or shroud-wrapped body during a funeral service or viewing. Whether it was a coffin that he touched or a bier, we see the key being his point of contact that he made with that which was holding the body of the dead man, allowing the power of God to flow through his hand into the body. In addition to that point of contact, He simultaneously spoke to the young man by faith as if he were simply asleep, and with authority commanded him to arise by saying, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 

“The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (v. 15)

There was no great fanfare. It just instantly happened once the man’s spirit returned to his body at the Lord’s command. 

Jairus’ Daughter: Jesus raised the twelve-year-old daughter of a synagogue leader (Mark 5:35–43, Luke 8:41-55).

The father of the girl had faith that the Lord could heal his daughter, even though she was obviously dying; so this important ingredient of faith, which is necessary for any miracle, was already present at the beginning. As Jesus went with him, and was delayed by the healing of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, a man came and reported that the girl had died; but Jesus ignored the man, and told the father not to be afraid, but only to believe. So this demonstrates the need to reject all bad reports from other people, maintain your faith, and encourage the loved one not to be afraid, but simply to believe the Lord for a miracle. Fear is the enemy of faith, so everyone needs to focus on not being afraid and just believing God. 

When Jesus went to raise the little girl from the dead, he took only the 3 closest disciples (Peter, James, and John) with him and closed the door. He put the mourners outside. He was not going to do this with the atmosphere being heavily laden with a sense of hopelessness or bring anyone with him into the room that may have some unbelief. 

Lazarus of Bethany: Jesus raised his friend Lazarus after he had been dead for four days (John 11:1–44).

Jesus first made sure that his apostles and the immediate family had faith, which is why He told His apostles that Lazarus was asleep and that it was for the glory of God. It’s also why He asked the dead man’s sister Martha if she believed that her brother Lazarus would rise from the dead, and it’s also why He told her that He is the resurrection and the life.  He said that anyone who believes in Him would live even though he dies, and whoever lives by believing in Him would never die. So He made proclamations of truth pertaining to resurrection of the dead in order to build up their faith. He also demonstrated sympathy and compassion for the grieving loved ones, as we see in the way He spoke with the sisters of the dead man and the way he wept. 

Before Jesus actually raised Lararus, He first prayed to the Father in heaven for the power to raise him from the dead, giving thanks that the Father had heard him. He then had them roll away the stone, so that Lazarus could come out when the Lord called him forth and perhaps also so that Lazarus could hear him calling. He called Lazarus’ name and commanded him with authority to come forth. Once he came out of the tomb, he directed the bystanders to take off his grave clothes.  

Our Lord Jesus explained how He was able to raise the dead. He said: "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it." (Jn 5:21).

New Testament Examples (by Apostles)

Next let's learn from the way the apostles raised the dead.

Tabitha (Dorcas): Raised by the Apostle Peter in Joppa (Acts 9:36–42). 

Peter responded to a request by the friends of the dead woman to come immediately. They showed him the things she had made when she was alive. The fact that they did these things indicates that they had faith for her to be raised from the dead, otherwise their actions would be pointless. So he didn’t have to do much to build their faith, since it was already evident. Peter went into the room alone, closed the door, got down on his knees and prayed for the power to raise her from the dead, then looking at the woman, he simply called her name and told her to "Get up." This is similar to the way Jesus raised the little girl, closing the door behind him, calling her name, telling her to get up. And likewise when he raised Lazarus, he called his name and gave a simple authoritative command for him to come forth.

Eutychus raised from the dead: Raised by the Apostle Paul after falling from a window during a long sermon (Acts 20:7–12). 

Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” We don’t know exactly what he prayed or said to the young man. But we can assume he was praying in his heart as he went down the stairs to the young man’s dead body. We can also assume that when he put his arms around the young man laying on the ground that he may have spoken the name of Jesus and called the man’s name. We don’t have that specific info, so we can only deduce it from other passages about the way the Lord and Peter raised the dead. This particular example has similarities to the way Elijah the prophet stretched himself out on the dead son of the widow of Zarephath. 

Extrabiblical Examples

Lastly, at the opening of this article, I mentioned four modern examples of raising the dead, although I have listened to testimonies of many, many more than that. But let’s look at some of these extrabiblical examples and see what we can learn from them. 

Boy raised from the dead in Uganda: One of our past students raised the dead once, which I have written about. (link)

This former student of mine in Uganda, whose name is Justus, testified about the miracle saying, “As l ministered to the family from Rev 5:5, the [dead] boy began to sweat. Life came back [into him], when I was holding up the boy on my chest.”

He was ministering to the grieving family from a verse that tells us not to weep, because Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and He is able. It says, “Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” That’s a powerful verse about the triumph of Jesus Christ. Since He has triumphed over death, hell, and the grave and has overcome the world (1 Co 15:55-57; Rev 1:18; Col 2:15; Jn 16:33), He is easily able to raise the dead.

He was not only showing love and compassion to the parents by comforting them from Scripture, but also for the dead boy, by holding his cold corpse in his arms. He was also building up their faith in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, because of His complete victory, and encouraging them not to weep.

Bulgarian pastor raised from the dead: And one of my friends in Bulgaria raised her husband from the dead. (link). 

My Bulgarian friend, whose name is Zlatka, had just been informed by the doctor who had been operating on her husband, Haroutyun, that her husband had died. She didn’t feel well. In fact, she almost died of shock right on the spot, but the Holy Spirit came upon her with power and she said, “I demand he come back to life in the name of Jesus!!” At that same moment, he came back to life. They saw his pulse in his neck! 

The Holy Spirit came upon her with power and she made a bold declaration of faith in the name of Jesus, demanding that her husband come back to life. 

Nigerian pastor raised from the dead: Daniel Ekechukwu in Nigeria was raised from the dead at a Reinhard Bonnke crusafe in Nigeria.

The wife of Daniel Ekechukwu in Nigeria brought her dead husband to the Reinhart Bonnke crusade meeting in an ambulance after he had been in the morgue. The people in the lower floor of the church, beneath the sanctuary, prayed over him in his coffin and the Lord raised him to life. (link).

While he was dead and experiencing hell, his wife was crying out for God to bring him back to her.  She got his corpse out of the morgue, where he had been for three days after being embalmed, and brought it by ambulance to a meeting being conducted by evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke. Through the prayers of some pastors and others in the basement of the church, Daniel was raised from the dead. 

His wife was praying to the Lord for her husband to be raised to life. She had faith in Him to do it. She acted on her faith by bringing his body in an ambulance to a Christian evangelistic crusade to be prayed for, and he was indeed prayed for by a number of people while still in his coffin. 

Her faith was so great that she intended to bring the coffin right down the aisle to the preacher to do a miracle in front of the entire congregation, but the security guards would not allow it, so she was redirected to bring the body downstairs to a room where others prayed for him while massaging his dead body. So tenacious faith, laying on of hands, and prayer to God were key aspects in this miracle. 

American preacher raised from the dead: Henry Gruver's daughter raised her father from the dead when he was killed in a serious auto accident where he had a hole in his head (link). And they went to his other daughter's wedding immediately afterward. 

While his body was laying dead on the ground with a hole in his forehead next to the wrecked vehicle that he was thrown from when it crashed, after all attempts by the forest rangers to resuscitate him using CPR, his fifteen-year-old daughter, who stood beside his corpse, said this: “Devil, that’s my Dad! You can’t have him. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Even though his spirit was already soaring through the stars of the galaxy on his way to heaven, his spirit immediately returned to his body and he came back to life. 

His daughter obviously exercised faith, and in the name of Jesus rebuked the devil, which was a spirit of death, refusing to let him have her father. In this case, perhaps we could call it "Raising the Dad."

Bonus Testimony! British Pastor Raised from the Dead: Rod Lewis was raised from the dead by his wife Pauline shouting the name of Jesus repeatedly (Link). On the third time she did so, he returned from heaven back into his body. Since then, he has raised others from the dead. In one instance he laid hands on the dead man's head with anointing oil, rebuked the spirit of death in the name of Jesus, and commanded it to take its hands off the dead man. Then he commanded the dead man to come back into his body, calling him by his name. Immediately the man returned to life.

When to Raise Someone from the Dead

You may be wondering how we can know when it's appropriate to raise someone from the dead, since everyone must eventually die sometime (Heb 9:27). You may be thinking that perhaps it was God's will that the person died at the particular time he did. Therefore, please let me give you a guideline to help you know when to attempt to raise the dead. Unless you know for certain that the person was a believer in Jesus Christ, who was ready to meet his Maker, and who finished his work on earth for the Lord (Phil 1:23-26; Ac 13:36; Col 4:17), then you should assume that it was NOT his time to die, and he qualifies as a good candidate to be raised from the dead.

Who Should Raise the Dead?

If you are thinking that one must be very strong to raise the dead, I can assure you that it does not depend on our own strength. When you are weak, then He is strong. His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9b,10b). God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Co 1:27b). It's not your strength that enables you to raise the dead; it's His power made perfect in your weakness. 

Maybe you are thinking that this is only for certain people with a gift of raising the dead. If so, then let me remind you that Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (Jn 14:12). Since Jesus raised the dead, then if you believe in Him, you will do the same thing and even greater things than that. If you don't believe that, then you make Him out to be a liar. He also said, "All things are possible for him who believes" (Mk 9:23). "All things" includes raising the dead. for you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil 4:13). And remember that the Lord is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), so this is not just for some believers.  

However, it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the Father and His Son Jesus Christ raise the dead through willing, Spirit-filled vessels (Jn 5:21). Therefore, it's best to first be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire before you attempt to operate in this realm (Mt 3:11; Lk 3:16; 11:13:24:49; Ac 1:5,8; 2:4, 38; Jn 7:38; 20:22), because you will need to have a powerful anointing from the Lord, without which you will have limited success. If you have not received this anointing, then please pray and ask the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Please see Baptized with the Holy Spirit and The Holy Fire Series. 

Closing Words 

Some of the key points here in these biblical and extrabiblical testimonies are the need for faith in our own hearts, faith in the heart of the grieving loved one(s), encouraging them not to be afraid or to weep but to believe, as well as praying first for God’s power, closing the door to shut out any unbelief or hopelessness, speaking the person’s name while looking at them, boldly and directly rebuking the devil or spirit of death in the name of Jesus, refusing to accept the person’s death, operating in love, and authoritatively commanding them by faith in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit to get up. In some instances a point of contact may be used such as laying on of hands or putting arms around the dead person, but it is not always necessary. 

We also as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ should all be prepared to raise the dead whenever it may become necessary to do so. We must gird our mind for action, remaining prepared at all times, because we never know when the need to do so may arise. 

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, Persecuted or Popular?, and Having a Servant's Heart. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Ministering from the Overflow

Dear friends,

Let me encourage you today from Scripture. David said, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." (Ps 23:5). In other words, the Lord His Shepherd had blessed him with more than he needed and more than he could contain, so that he overflowed.

The same is true in our lives, when we come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He blesses us with more than we need and more than we can contain -- more love, more joy, more peace. more of His presence, etc. -- so that we overflow. His anointing and His blessings are literally overflowing in our lives. And it is out of that overflow that we are able to minister to others, which is especially important for us to understand as ministers of the gospel. 

To illustrate this, picture a teacup in a saucer. You pour tea into it until it reaches the brim and you keep pouring until the tea overflows the cup, collecting in the saucer beneath the cup. The contents of the saucer that overflowed from the cup are what we call the overflow. 

Now consider that overflow to represent the overflow of God's anointing and blessings in your life. It is out of that overflow that you should minister to others. If you try to minister to others from a place of emptiness, you will have nothing to offer and nothing to give. You will be striving. That's why it is important to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be continuously filled on a daily basis (see Baptized with the Holy Spirit). That's why your personal time with the Lord is so important and must be guarded along with your heart, because if you become drained or your heart becomes weighed down with dissipation (i.e.., the scattering, wasting, or gradual disappearance of energy, resources, or substances), you will have nothing to give to others. 

But when you minister from the overflow, you will always have something good to give to others, as long as what fills your heart is good. That could be an exhortation (word of encouragement), a teaching, a prophecy, your time, godly counsel, a listening ear, a gift of some kind -- monetary or non-monetary (eg., clothing, food, other goods), love, kindness, some kind of help, or hospitality. Whatever you give, let it be from the overflow in your own life.

Jesus said that from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." (Lk 6:45). This teaches us that spoken words reveal whether a heart is filled with goodness or evil, as the mouth inevitably overflows with what is stored within.

Living Waters Flowing from Within You

The Lord also said, "'Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." (Jn 7:38-39). Once again, He promised there would be a flowing of His Spirit through us, indicating the way in which we are to minister through the overflow of the Spirit.

Closing Words

The Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, promised to give us abundant life, and that is the life that is so full that it overflows (John 10:10). Stay close to Him, guard your heart, stay in the Word and in prayer daily, and continually be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that you are always in that place of enjoying the abundant life, and then you will always have overflow to share with others and from which to minister to them.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, Persecuted or Popular?, and Having a Servant's Heart. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

How to Preach and Teach the Word

While many books have been written and courses have been taught on the subject of Homiletics, or sermon delivery, the purpose of this brief article is not meant to duplicate those or be an exhaustive reference on the subject. Instead, it is meant to be a brief bit of guidance for those who are new to preaching and teaching the Bible. However, though it may be brief, it is meant to provide the most important points you need to know, especially from the Lord's perspective, from one who has been preaching and teaching the Word for nearly forty years. 

The most important sermon preparation is the preparation of the preacher. Here are some of the most important preparations of the preacher:

A Deep, Personal Relationship with Jesus

You must first know the Lord for yourself in a very deep and personal way, before you can expect to speak for Him. So you need to get saved, becoming born again, and spend plenty of quality time with the Lord daily in prayer and Bible reading. Your constant daily attendance upon God’s Word in your private time and your daily prayer life is your preparation for your public preaching and teaching. To have prayed well is to have studied well. 

Constant study of the Word of Truth

As I have just stated, it's very important to constantly study the Word of God to show yourself approved, so that you can correctly handle the Scriptures. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15).  It's vitally important that you maintain both a sound doctrine and a godly life: "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (1 Tim 4:16). For more on this, see Read the Bible for All Its Worth!

Don't Seek to Become a Pastor or Teacher

Don't seek to become a pastor or teacher, as pastors are accountable before God for the souls of all the people under their care. They will stand before God one day and give an account not only for themselves but all the sheep in their flocks. "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." (Jas 3:1)

Speak to Bless, Not to Impress

The whole purpose of the five-fold ministry gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers is to equip the saints for works of service. So when you speak for the Master, don't seek to impress people or receive any praise from them, but to bless them so that they may be prepared to do the works the Lord created them to do (Eph 4-12-13).

As Jesus said, "He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him." (Jn 7:18). Therefore, don't speak on your own to gain honor for yourself, but speak for the honor of the Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Spirit-filled Life

It's important that you receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, according to Acts 1:4-5 and 8, as well as Acts 2:1-4 and 38 (cf., Mt 3:11, Lk 3:16, 11:13, 24:49; Jn 7:38). Be being filled with the Spirit daily (Eph 5:18). The Greek in this verse is a continuous action of being filled, not a one-time thing. I cannot emphasize enough the importance not only of being Spirit-filled, but also Spirit-led (Rom 8:14), Spirit directed, and Spirit-controlled (Rom 8:6) at all times and lead one's life in this fashion.

Receiving a Message from the Lord

You should pray and ask the Lord, “Please give me a message for the church. What would you say to this particular church at this time, Lord?” Your constant prayer should be, “Make me a mouthpiece for you, Lord. Bring forth your oracles from my lips.” 

The Importance of the Unction of the Holy Spirit

It's important to be prepared. You should have some notes from your study throughout the week, and then you can create a rough, short outline to use when you preach, which highlights key points and verse references you will speak about. You can use these notes as a guide to remind you of what you intend to say, but don't be bound to your notes when you speak. 

Let the Holy Spirit flow through you. And if the Lord changes your message just as you are getting up to speak, be prepared to let go of your notes and your message and let the Holy Spirit speak things through you that you had not even planned to say. Before you begin speaking for God, you should always pray first. Ask the Lord, “Please let the unction (anointing) of the Holy Spirit come upon me now Lord as I proclaim your Word.” 

Topical Message or Exegetical One

You can deliver either a topical message about a given topic the Lord has given you to preach on (eg., Doing the Will of God, or Walking in the Spirit), or you can deliver an expository message whereby you preach in a line-by-line fashion from a passage of Scripture, explaining each verse, one at a time. If you choose to deliver a topical message, it should be directly based on the Scriptures and using the Scriptures to deliver the message. You should not preach your own opinions or without using the Bible.  And avoid using a single verse merely as a spring board to jump off into sharing your own thoughts without coming back to the Word.

Make your point, make it well, drive it home, but be concise. 

The Goal of all Preaching and Teaching

Your goal is "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph 4:12-13). Ultimately you are to seek to present everyone to the Father perfect in Christ. As Paul said, "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." (Col 1:28). 

Use Illustrations

It's often helpful to support your points with an illustration or two from the Bible based on stories about Bible characters (eg., Jesus, Peter, Paul, Samuel, David, Elijah, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Joshua, etc), which helps make the point of the message more clear to the listener. 

Closing Words

I hope this brief bit of guidance has served to better equip you to speak for the Master. As you may have noticed, most of what I shared was about preparing the preacher, rather than preparing the sermon or delivering it. While delivery is important, it will be hollow and empty without the power of the Holy Spirit. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, Persecuted or Popular?, and Having a Servant's Heart. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Pros, Cons, and Purpose of Structure

I want to share a very important point with you about structure. In this article, I will cover some of the pros and cons of structure, as well as the purpose of it. Structure is important in a church, but there should only be enough structure to support life. The whole purpose of structure is to support life, but if there is too much structure, it will have the opposite effect, killing whatever life was there to begin with. 

Take for example the human skeleton, which is a type of structure that God created to support human life. A human skeleton is very beneficial, in that it provides support and stability to the body, without which we would be blobs of flesh on the floor unable to stand up, move around, open our mouths, or do anything. We would be helpless and useless. So we can all agree that structure is a good thing. But if we have too much structure, then it becomes detrimental to life. For example, if you were to put an adult human skeleton on a baby, its weight would crush the baby and destroy its little life. That is why the Lord in His wisdom has so designed it that at every stage of human growth from an embryo in the womb, to infancy after birth, to childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood, the human skeleton is only big enough to support the life, but not so big as to crush the life. 

It's the same way with the Body of Christ. As we plant churches and build, let us be very careful that in seeking to bring structure that we do not create too much structure. For it is possible to create more structure than is needed to support the life of the Body, thus having the opposite effect than what is intended and destroying the newly planted church. Therefore, the amount of structure should only be in proportion to the life of the Church, and as the life grows, so does the structure grow proportionally.

The types of structures that can be helpful are discipleship structures for example, like Life Transformation Groups (LTGs) and leadership structures like elders to oversee the fellowship. As a church grows, we can also implement leadership and accountability structures, such as boards of directors, boards of deacons, or committees, such as missions committees. We can build organizational structures as the staff grows. We may also find it helpful to create program structures to support various programs like children's ministries, homeless ministries, or other such programs. Some house churches eventually become large enough to need public buildings, which are a type of physical structure. All of these structures are fine in their proper place and at the proper time. But let's keep it healthy and not add any more structure than is necessary. 

That's why we should always remember what the core of the Church is. The core of the Church is the minimum (core) requirements in order for it to still be considered the Church in the sight of God. The core of the Church from a biblical perspective is present whenever two or three people are gathered in Jesus' name (Mt 18:20), who are carrying out the Great Commandment (Mk 12:29-31; Lk 10:27-28) and the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-18). Let's always remember that, so that we don't lose sight of what the minimum is for the Church to exist in any given place, and be sure that any structure we create does not become detrimental to it. 

Let us remember that the Body of Christ, the Lord's Church, is an organism, not a machine or a business. We must never try to run the Church like a business or operate it like a machine, but instead always use the organic principles found in Scripture and in nature. Let us always remember that when our Lord described what the kingdom of God is like, he used a lot of organic things, like seeds and yeast, to do so. Therefore, we should seek to operate as Jesus did, according to the organic principles He laid out for us and that He and His apostles demonstrated by their example. 

I'm afraid that many churches today have too much structure and very little life. They may be running like a finely tuned machine, but they are missing some of the basic elements necessary to be considered the true Church. For example, if they are not loving God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, then they are no longer the true Church, at least not a healthy one. This is essentially what the Church in Ephesus was rebuked for by the Lord in Revelation 2:1-7. Likewise, if a church is no longer loving their neighbor as themselves, then they are not a healthy church. and the same can be said of a church that is not obeying the Great Commission by helping to complete it. It doesn't matter how much structure they have, including a large staff, a great big, beautiful building, or a board of directors made up of prestigious members of the community, because if the basic life of the church is impeded, suppressed, hindered, missing, or found lacking in any way in the sight of God, then they are no longer healthy and pleasing to Him. In some cases, their structure may have become a burden to the members of the church, like a yoke of slavery (e.g., see Unbiblical Hierarchy of the Church of England). 

Let us not forget that Jesus didn't die to save the structure, but rather His people that He created in His own image. Let's be careful that as we plant churches we only create enough structure in each fellowship to support life, and not more than is necessary.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV. Image taken from Organizational Physics may be subject to copyright, used here per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as Unbiblical Hierarchy of the Church of England, A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, Persecuted or Popular?, and Having a Servant's Heart. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Women Teaching Men

I originally conducted this study and wrote this White Paper in 2016, but didn't publish it. I knew that it tended to be a controversial topic, and I didn't want to offend anyone unnecessarily. However, I recently received a request from a woman for Scriptural guidance regarding ministry, and I shared this with her privately. Afterward she felt that it was helpful, and that it may also help someone else if I publish it. My adult daughter Faith also agreed that it would be worthwhile to publish this study. 

As you read it, please note that I sought to say only what Scripture says and not go beyond that by getting into my opinions. I wanted to avoid putting any unnecessary restrictions on women, but only that which is imposed by Scripture. In a few instances I gave some clarification, which I hope you will find useful.

Mighty Women of God in History

In the church, God has used many women powerfully over the last two centuries, who were undeniably gifted.  The list includes names like Aimee Semple McPherson, Maria Woodworth-Etter, Alice Belle Garrigus, Marie Burgess, Kathryn Kuhlman, Catherine Booth, Amy Carmichael, Alice Reynolds Flower, and Mae Eleanore Frey.  In fact, I personally attended an outstanding Bible School founded by a woman named Christine Gibson.  She was a woman of faith who walked intimately with the Lord Jesus.  He used her to establish a school of the prophets that later grew to become a Bible school that would send forth men and women to bring the light of the gospel to dark places all over the world.  I sat under some excellent female teachers while I was there in Bible school, and I am thankful for their ministry to me.

So my purpose here is not to question whether God gifts women for ministry or whether God calls women into ministry.  The question is whether women in ministry should have positions of authority over men and whether they should teach men.  

I am approaching this topic prayerfully and sincerely with an open mind.  However, I should first state what is not going to be my primary basis for determining the heart of God on this matter.  It’s not going to be my experience.  While our experiences do color our beliefs and understanding of God, they can be misleading.  My own personal experience does not always represent God’s way.  It is not going to be based on my opinion, since my opinion is subjective and limited to my perspective.  My understanding of God’s heart on the matter is also not going to be based on culture, since cultures vary from one people group to another throughout the world.   While there is room for cultural differences in the church, our distinctive cultural practices must always be based on the Word of God.  The Word of God is the only objective source we can turn to, so while I will take into account my personal experiences, as well as history and various cultural practices, this study attempts to find out what the Bible says about the topic.

Paul’s Instructions for Church Order

One of the first passages that comes to mind is the apostle Paul’s first epistle to Timothy, in which he wrote: “Women should listen and learn quietly and submissively.  I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.  For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve.  And it was the woman, not Adam, who was deceived by Satan, and sin was the result.  But women will be saved through childbearing and by continuing to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.”  1 Tim 2:11-15.   New Living Translation

First of all, before going any deeper into what these individual verses mean, it’s important to note the wider context.  Immediately following this short section is Paul’s guidance to Timothy on selection of those who would exercise authority as church elders.  He wrote: “It is a true saying that if someone wants to be an elder, he desires an honorable responsibility.  For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach.  He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, peace loving, and not one who loves money. He must manage his own family well, with children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?”  1 Tim 3:1-5 New Living Translation  

Paul stated that women should listen and learn quietly and submissively.  The words listen, learn, quietly, and submissively connote a receiving of instruction rather than a place of giving it.  This is pretty straightforward and easy to understand.  The question is whether Paul intended this as a matter of church order or for the home.  I think in light of the wider context mentioned earlier, it’s clearly about church order. 

The next verse clarifies further that this was Paul’s intent.  When he stated, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them,” he was not talking primarily about proper order the home, but about church order.  While Paul exhorted husbands to love their wives and wives to submit to their husbands, he was not there in the home with them disallowing anything.  Yet here he states that he does not let women teach men or have authority over them.  It’s evident from this that he was referring to church order, in which the instruction of men was not allowed to come from the women.  And those in authority were not to be women.  There is really no other way to understand this passage plainly than in this manner.

In fact, later in the passage he explicitly states his reason for writing this to Timothy, “I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, so that if I can’t come for a while, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Tim 4:14-15)  New Living Translation.  When Paul states “so that” in verse 15, it is to give a reason for his writing this epistle.  So there can be no doubt that Paul wrote this so that people will know how to conduct themselves in the household of God.  Then for those who would question the wisdom in Paul’s instructions for church order, he explained that Adam was made first and then Eve.  This is just as it appears – a clear and direct reference to the order in which God created man and woman.  Man was created first.  He does not assign a greater value to the man, but simply states the order in which God created man and woman.  

I observe that Paul prefaced his comments about Adam and Eve by using the Greek word “gar”, meaning “for”.  The NIV translates the passage like this: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (1 Tim 2:13).  From a grammatical perspective, the relationship between that word and the context immediately surrounding it is a “cause” or “reason” relationship.  In other words, in referring to Adam being created first, Paul is giving a reason or cause for his preceding direction about not allowing women to teach or have authority over men.

Then I observe in the text a continuity relationship between these initial comments about Adam being first in order of creation before Eve and the phrase that follows it regarding which of the two was deceived.  He states, “And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the women was deceived and became a sinner” (2 Tim 2:14, NIV).  The continuity between this phrase and the preceding one leads me to believe that it is also part of his reason for not allowing women to teach or have authority over men.  

Then I observe within verse 14 a contrast relationship.  In other words, he states who was and was not deceived, setting the two in stark contrast to one another.  The one to be deceived by Satan was the woman, not the man.  Why did the inspired apostle contrast Adam and Eve this way in this context?  In doing so he showed that Eve’s ability to be deceived by Satan led her to become the first sinner, and that Adam did not have this weakness.  

Next I observe a repetition of the terms men and women in this passage.  Paul initially referred to women and men saying he did not allow women to teach men or have authority over them.  Then he repeated these terms when referring to the first man and the first woman.  Why did he use this recurrence of the same terms here?  He did so because the comments about Adam and Eve related to men and women in the church.  He used this historical precedent dating all the way back to the Garden of Eden -- not as a value judgment of one gender being better than the other -- but rather as his reason for not allowing women to teach men.  This inherent weakness of the woman to be deceived and then to lead man into sin was Paul’s premise for not allowing women to teach men or have authority over them.  

In fact, in the broader context, Paul warns of false teachers when he states, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons.”  (1 Tim 4:1)  Finally, Paul states “But women will be saved through childbearing and by continuing to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.”  We should observe that Paul is setting up a contrast in the use of the Greek word “de” that we translate “but”.  The lifestyle depicted here by the apostle is in contrast to one of teaching and having authority over men.  The acts of childbearing, walking in faith, love, holiness, and modesty are quite contrary to being in a place of leadership over men.

So for me, a simple reading of these verses leads me to see clearly that Paul’s intent was for men to be the ones teaching women and not the women teaching men.  This is not a difficult passage with symbolism or vagueness. It’s written very plainly and there is no mistaking what was meant by it.  So the only thing one can do is to either accept this as the divine order or to find reasons to reject it as such.

I mentioned earlier that Paul’s larger context dealt with direction for church oversight.  After stating his direction for women in the church, he moved right into stating that it is honorable for any man who desires to be an elder (3:1).  Before we assume that the term “man” here is gender neutral, he makes it clear that an elder must be faithful to his wife.  This literally refers to being a one-wife-man.  Is this qualification one that a woman can meet?  Could it simply be referring to the quality of faithfulness to one’s spouse? I don’t think it is, if we consider that Paul goes on next to state, “He must manage his own family well.”  This makes it very clear that his direction for elders is not gender neutral.  There are plenty of passages in the Word that clearly lay out God’s plan for man to be the head of the household.  Since this qualification for an elder includes managing one’s own household well, it stands to reason that only men can meet it.  Paul himself asks the question, “For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?” (3:5). 

Must Women Remain Silent in Church?

As I have already mentioned, the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.” (1Ti 2:11-13)

He also wrote to the Corinthians, “The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.” (1Co 14:34)

So does this mean that women are not allowed to say anything in church?  Paul’s prohibition of women speaking in church and requirement that they remain silent must be interpreted in light of what he wrote to the same Corinthian church with these words: 

“But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.” (1Co 11:5). 

So Paul allowed that as long as a woman is properly attired, she is permitted to pray and prophesy in the church.

The Latter Day Outpouring

In fact the prophecy of Joel foretold that when God poured out His Spirit at Pentecost, both the sons and the daughters, male and female, would prophesy.  “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” (Joe 2:28-29).  And on the day of Pentecost, Peter affirmed that the baptism with the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. He quotes the prophecy saying, “but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel…” (Act 2:16)

On that day, the Lord poured out His Holy Spirit on men and women alike and they all spoke in tongues.  This is one of the distinctive marks of Pentecost.  We know that the evangelist Philip, who lived in Caesarea, had four unmarried daughters prophesying.  (Acts 21:9).   We know that prophecy is one of the many gifts God has given to both men and women in the church.  Prophecy is always a matter of speaking to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.  There is no prohibition from Paul against this, no law against it.  It’s different from teaching doctrine or breaking apart the Word of God in a manner meant to instruct men on the meaning of Scripture.

I don’t think this means that God does not call and gift women as teachers either.  However, the teaching they do should not be to men, if we are to take Paul’s injunction plainly as he states it.  So that leaves every other opportunity open to women to teach that does not involve teaching men or having authority over them.

Preaching

One distinction that should be made is between teaching and preaching.  In our modern culture, these words are used almost interchangeably.  The similarities between these are that they both involve a gift of speaking for God from the Scriptures.  However, they have different meanings and serve different purposes.

One of the Greek words used for teaching is didasko, which means “to give instruction” (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Tim 2:12; 4:11).  Another word is paideuo, which also means “to instruct and train”.  Then there’s katecheo, which means “to teach” (1 Cor. 14:19).  All of these convey the sense of explaining to others the meaning of something or showing them how to do something.  

On the other hand, “preaching” has a different connotation.  One of the Greek words is euangelizo, from which we get our English word, “evangelism”.  This verb is almost always used of “the good news” about Jesus, the Son of God, as proclaimed in the gospel.  It means, “to bring, or declare, good or glad tidings” (Acts 13:32; Rom. 10:15; Heb. 4:2).  Vines Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words states that in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament), the verb euangelizo is used of any message given to cheer the hearers (e.g., 1 Sam. 31:9; 2 Sam. 1:20).

Another Greek word is kerusso, meaning “to be a herald,” or, in general “to proclaim”.  Some examples given by Vines Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words are Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:45; Luke 4:18; 12:3; Acts 10:37; Rom. 2:21; and Rev. 5:2.  Other variations of these words include proeuangelizomai and prokerusso.  

So preaching is more proclaiming and declaring the good news, while teaching is giving instruction and training.  While I could not find a single example in Scripture of a woman preaching the gospel, Paul’s direction about women teaching men does not refer to women preaching, in other words proclaiming the gospel.  The closest example I can find would be the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well.  She went into her town and testified to the people of the man who “told her everything she ever did”.  The Scripture tells us “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony” (John 4:39).  

Therefore, while I can find no Biblical references to women preachers, there is no reason to believe that women should not preach the gospel.  Many have in modern times resulting in many coming to Christ.

Legalism

Is this teaching about women not being allowed to teach men or have authority over them a type of legalism? In order for it to be legalism, it would need to be a rule set up that defines the criteria by which one can be saved.  That’s the true meaning of legalism, if we look at Scripture. In the Bible, a legalistic person was always someone who thought there was something a person had to do in order to truly be saved.  In some instances it was circumcision (Gal. 6:12-15).  But Paul made it clear that Jesus plus anything equaled nothing at all.  Those who depend on anything in addition to Jesus for their salvation either have never known the Lord or have fallen from grace and have nothing at all.

No Male or Female

To the Galatians, Paul declares, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28).   Does this mean that there is no difference between the male and female gender?  No, there’s still order, or else everything we’ve just studied about Paul’s epistle to Timothy must be thrown out.  

In the context of his epistle to the Galatians, Paul was not talking about church order or the roles of men and women, but rather their equal standing before God in Christ with respect to salvation.  He was emphasizing that it is through faith that we are sons of God, no matter what our race, gender, financial status or occupation (Gal. 2:28).  The key in determining whether one is an heir of Abraham is whether the person belongs to Christ (Gal. 3:29).   So by no means is Paul saying this to mean that there is not a proper order for men and women to function in their God-given roles.

The Godly Women in Timothy’s Life 

We find in Paul’s second epistle to Timothy that godly women played a key role in Timothy’s life.  Paul wrote to him, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Tim 1:5).  Do you see the repetition here?  A sincere faith first lived in Timothy’s grandmother.  That same sincere faith also lived in his mother and also in Timothy himself.  Why did Paul use this repetition here?  I believe he was showing the spiritual imprint these women left on this young man of God.  

There can be no doubt that these women influenced Timothy from his days of childhood through their own personal faith in Jesus.  This is important to point out, because Timothy became who he was in Christ as a direct result of the ministry of these women.  It shows the great value of child bearing and godly parenting.  The faith of his mother and grandmother was reproduced in him.  Timothy went on to be an elder and to pastor the flock of Christ.  In fact, he was eventually martyred for his faith, as so many faithful ministers have been throughout the centuries.  Women had a very profound impact on his life, and indirectly through him they had an impact on those to whom he ministered as an elder.

New Testament Women in Service to Our Lord

There are many examples in the New Testament of women in ministry.  First of all there is Mary Magdalene and the other women whom the Lord appeared to after His resurrection, telling them to bring word to the apostles that He was risen. Likewise, the Samaritan woman made public proclamation of Christ as a witness (Jn 4:29).

Another example is when Priscilla and Aquila explained the way of God more accurately to Apollos.

“Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” (Act 18:24-26)

And in Paul’s letter to the Romans he wrote: “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus…” (Rom 16:3).  He referred to Priscilla as a fellow worker in the same sense as Aquila was.  In fact he mentioned her name first.

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul also wrote: “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.” (Rom 16:7).  Junias, who was a woman, was an apostle.

There were also two women named Euodia and Syntyche, who shared in the gospel cause with Paul. In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul wrote: “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Php 4:2-3)

To sum it up, I would like to share an excerpt from John Bunyan’s book, The Pilgrim’s Progress: 

“For as death and the curse came into the world by a woman, so also did life and health: 'God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.' I will say again, that when the Saviour was come, women rejoiced in Him before either man or angel. I read not that man ever gave unto Christ so much as one penny; but the women followed Him, and ministered to Him of their substance. 'Twas a woman that washed His feet with tears, and a woman that anointed His body to the burial. They were women that wept when He was going to the cross, and women that followed Him from the cross; and that sat over against the sepulchre when He was buried. They were women that were first with Him at His resurrection-morn, and women that brought tidings first to His disciples that He was risen from the dead. Women, therefore, are highly favored, and show by these things that they are sharers with us in the grace of life."

Old Testament Women of Faith

We would not do this study justice if we did not note the mighty women of God in the Old Testament.  Among them were Deborah and Esther.  If we read these passages, there can be no doubt that God used these women in prominent positions of influence.  To be the judge of all Israel or the queen is obviously a place of great influence.  Does this somehow mean that God’s order for the church is for women to be in leadership over men after all?  I don’t think so.  All Old Testament Scripture must be read in the light of the New Testament revelation with Paul’s inspired direction to Timothy being the greatest specific revelation we have to date on the matter.  Therefore, I view the Old Testament examples of women in leadership not as normative, but rather as extraordinary circumstances that required an unusual approach by God.  

The days of the judges were among such times.  The nation at that time was caught in a relentless cycle of sin, oppression, repentance and deliverance and the judges God raised up were part of His plan to deliver His people.  Deborah’s function was one of prophetess (Judges 4:1).  She was primarily holding court under a palm tree, deciding disputes, when an extraordinary situation required an unusual approach.  She had a prophetic word from the Lord for Barak to go and conquer Israel’s enemy, Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army.  It was only when Barak refused to go on this mission without her that she agreed to do so (Judges 4:8,9).  However, she was quick to point out to him that the honor would go to her, not him, in that God would hand over Sisera to a woman.  If this were normative, there would be no need for her to mention it.

If we look at the situation with Esther, once again the nation of Israel was facing annihilation from their enemies.  Evil Haman had a plot to rid the earth of the Jews and God had raised up Esther for such as time as this.  She was chosen as King Xerxes' wife and it was through that intimate relationship that she rescued her people from peril.  

But neither of these was by any means a model for New Testament church leadership.  They need to be seen for what they are – remarkable, true stories of faith and victory where women were used in quite unusual ways by the Lord in central roles of great importance.  

Even today there are such instances all over the world where God still chooses to do things this way.  Women are among the vessels he uses mightily to bring salvation and deliverance to people throughout the earth.  As we know, in certain closed countries, there are women pastors who at great risk to their lives are leading underground church movements that are growing astronomically.  Is this God’s norm that we should seek to model our churches after when there are qualified men who desire to be elders?  I don’t believe so.  I believe that once a group of believers has been established through the proclamation of the gospel, as long as there are such qualified men, they should be the first choice to manage the household of God.  If qualified men do not exist in a particular area, then it would seem appropriate that one of the primary prayer and ministry goals of any woman stepping into that void should be to raise up such male leadership to do so.

Divine Order

The fact is that many women are quite capable and in some cases may actually be able to do a better job of teaching or leading than some men.  Does that mean that because they can do so that they should do so?  I don’t believe it does.  God’s ways are higher than our ways.  We may be capable of gossiping, but this doesn’t mean we should.  The same could be said for anything outside the boundaries of our loving Heavenly Father.  

It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, as discussed earlier.  Adam and Eve were capable of eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but God had placed that off limits by telling them not to eat of it.  From the earthly human perspective, the fruit of that tree “was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6).  There was not a single reason to believe that this should be off limits, except that the Lord God had said so.  Ultimately, it was Eve who ate of it first and gave some to her husband, and sin was the result (1 Tim 2:14).  We are told that this happened because of deception.  

There are many things that we as men and women can do but must not do, because the Lord has revealed His higher way.  “My ways are not your ways,” says the Lord.  “My ways are higher than your ways.”  And in one of the proverbs it says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”  

Conclusion

There are some conclusions we can draw from all this.  When we take into account history, all of our personal experiences, and the various cultural practices of women in the Church, we ultimately need to subject them all to the Word of God.  In this study, we learned that first, God anoints, calls, and gifts women to serve in His house in many wonderful ways.  These include bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble, prophesying, proclaiming the gospel, healing, miracles, and exhortation.  None of these should be prohibited.  In fact, there should be great freedom in the church for women to function in the gifts God has given them.  

Second, the Lord does gift women in the area of teaching.  Some of the ways they can exercise their gift without teaching men is to instruct and train other women and their own children.  Third, the latter day outpouring of the Holy Spirit is for men and women, children and adults.  Fourth, the basis for the believer’s salvation is irrespective of gender.  Fifth, Paul’s restriction of women teaching men or exercising authority over them was not a basis for salvation, so it cannot be considered legalism.  Sixth, there are examples of Old Testament women with unusual leadership roles, as well as modern day examples in the 19th and 20th centuries.  But these are not meant to be a model for New Testament church leadership or a reason for women to teach men. 

Finally, but most importantly, it’s not God’s plan for women to be in authority over men or to teach men.  While this may not be the way that seems right to man, it’s God’s higher, divine order that leads to life.  Those who follow it, no matter what their personal opinion about it, will be blessed if they do. 

Attribution Notice: Image of Deborah may be subject to copyright, used courtesy of Zack Donaldson at zackdonaldson.org per Fair Use Act for educational and copyright purposes only. Scriptures mostly taken from New American Standard Bible copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures may be taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as The Priesthood of All Believers, A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, and Persecuted or Popular?, You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

The Great Shepherd of the Sheep

The Lord Jesus identified Himself as the Good Shepherd, saying, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (Joh 10:11, NIV). The apostle called him that great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb 13:20). He is the one that King David wrote about in Psalm 23, when he said:

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psa 23:1-6)

Let's unpack this psalm together.

The Lord is my Shepherd
The Hebrew says, "Yehova Rohi" meaning Yehova (or the Lord) is my Shepherd. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, then He is the Shepherd that you follow, and you realize that He is the One who laid down His life for you on the cross and paid the price for sin. You believe that He rose from the dead and that He lives in your heart. He is the Lord of your life, which means He makes the decisions. You enjoy all the blessings that brings, which the psalmist goes on to enumerate.

I Shall Not Want
This is another way of saying I shall lack nothing. When the Lord is your Shepherd, He provides for all your needs, so that there is no lack.

Green Pastures (Rest)

David said, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Lying down speaks of rest, and green pastures for us as sheep speaks of having plenty to eat as we graze at His feet. The Lord wants us to operate from a place of rest, and He makes us lie down in beautiful, fertile green places where life abounds, which are a lovely place to be. He is so wonderful to take care of us the way He does.

Still Waters (Refreshment and Restoration)
David said, "He leadeth me beside the still waters." When I read this I think of waters that are flowing gently and quietly, not turbulently. Or I think of the kind of waters where the surface is clear and placid, still and tranquil, reflecting the sky, the trees, and the mountains around it. When the waters are still like that and you come up alongside them, you can drink and find refreshment. It's a beautiful place to be, and you can drink of the living waters to your heart's content.

That's a place where the Lord restores your soul. David said, "He restoreth my soul." We all need these times of restoration, because we go through things in life that wear us down, test us, try us, and can leave us feeling anxious, frustrated, or weary. I'm glad that the Lord leads me beside still waters and restores my soul there.

Paths of Righteousness
David said, "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." As I follow Him, He leads me in paths of righteousness, which result in me experiencing His righteousness in my life by faith. It also means that I am led to practice my righteousness according to His Word (Mat 6:1). The path of righteousness is the path of life that leads to heaven. It grows brighter and brighter like the light of dawn until it reaches the full day (Prov 4:18). That means my life will reflect His righteousness more and more the longer I walk with Him. He leads me that way for the sake of His name, so that He might receive the glory, by enabling me to walk in righteousness, holiness, and truth.

Thou Art With Me
David said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." At times we all have to go through valleys in life, some of which can be rather dark or even cast shadows over us, and eventually we all have to go through the valley of the shadow of death. There are low points in life and sad times, too. There may even be sickness or close scrapes with death for us or our loved ones. In fact, sometimes we experience the loss of our loved ones. Certainly there is that appointed time for each of us when we too must die and then face the judgment (Heb 9:27).

But we never have to go through any of these experiences alone, because the Lord is right there with us always. We can say to the Lord as David did, "Thou art with me," because Jesus promised us, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb 13:5). He also said, "And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Mat 28:20).

That's also why we fear no evil, even though there are times that may seem scary, because the devil is trying to frighten, threaten, and intimidate us. But if the omnipotent Lord whose name is above all names is with us, we have nothing to fear, because He is watching over us and defending us. He carries both His rod and His staff in His strong hands to protect us from those ferocious wild beasts. For that reason it's comforting to me to know that He carries His rod and His staff, but there are even more reasons why they are a comfort to me as well.

Every sheep that passes under the rod is counted and watched over with great care. The rod that comforts me also represents the Lord's discipline in my life. The shepherd uses the rod and so does the Lord to bring discipline, so that He may lovingly bring me back into line when I go astray. It's called the rod of correction (Prov 13:24; 29:15). He reminds us,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

  because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (Heb 12:5-6, NIV)

The staff or "shepherd's crook" comforts me, because He uses the staff to direct me where I should go and to redirect me when I wander or stray. It's a comfort to know He is taking the lead to keep me on the path of righteousness. And He always brings comfort to me whenever I need it, especially when I go through the valleys. I can say with the apostle:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." (2 Cor 1:3-5, NIV)

A Table Prepared Before Me
David, said, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." The picture here is one of the Shepherd preparing a meal for the sheep while there are lions, tigers, wolves, and serpents all around. Even in the presence of my enemies, the Lord prepares a table. They look on as I eat to my heart's content. While they would like to eat me for lunch, they stand back and watch me enjoy what the Lord my Shepherd has provided for me.

Eating can put animals, especially sheep, into a vulnerable position, because while they are looking down at their food, a predator could sneak up and pounce on them. But I don't have to fear what man may do to me or fear the devil, because I know the Lord my Shepherd, who laid down His life for me on the cross, prepares a table for me right in front of my enemies, so that I may feast on His abundance without a single care or worry. He will show the wicked that He loves me and is with me all the time, taking good care of me. He's got my back at all times. This is a sign of His goodness to me that my enemies may see it and be put to shame.

Anointed with Oil
David said, "Thou anointest my head with oil." The picture here is the Shepherd pouring oil on the sheep's head to bring healing to a wound, such as a scratch from a close scrape with the enemy that happened during an attack, or perhaps sustained from getting tangled up in briers through its own waywardness. When David said the Lord anointed his head with oil, this speaks to me of the anointing of the Holy Spirit that He pours out upon me and in my life. The Holy Spirit is so precious and His ministry in my life is indispensable, because He brings healing, comfort, guidance, wonder-working power, and guides me into all truth.

Overflowing Cup

David said, "My cup runneth over." This speaks to me of how the Lord gives me such an abundance that it overflows in my life like a cup that is filled to the brim and then He keeps adding more. This speaks to me of the abundant life that Jesus promised when He said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (Joh 10:10). There's not only enough for me, but for everyone around me who comes into contact with the overflow. By the way, I think that we should minister to others from the overflow in our lives, not from a place of lack. The Lord gives us so much that there is plenty to go around for everyone to enjoy. If you are not experiencing His overflow today, then let me encourage you to connect with Him and receive a fresh infilling with the Holy Spirit. If you have never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, then you have never known what it's like to receive the anointing with oil or to have your cup overflow quite like this. Take the time to seek the Baptism with the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised (Lk 24:49; Ac 1:4,8; 2:4), and you will never regret that you did.

Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me
David said, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Since the Lord is my Shepherd, His goodness and mercy always follow me. Even when I sometimes fail, I am reassured of His loving goodness and mercy to me, so that I can get up and keep on going. His mercy follows me, because "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 Joh 1:9, NIV). His goodness follows me, because "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28, NIV).

A wonderful illustration of this is the true account of how my friend Michael Thomas Sambo miraculously escaped from terrorist assassins that kidnapped him, and was taken care of by two angels called goodness and mercy. Perhaps you have never thought before of goodness and mercy as two angels, but that is what their names were. You can read about that in my article Angelic Escape from Terrorist Assassins.

Eternal Life in the Shepherd's House
David said, "I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." This is what I am able to look forward to all because of Jesus' finished work on the cross. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, because He promised to give eternal life to those who believe in Him. He said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." (Joh 10:27-29, NIV). He also said, "“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and he who lives by believing in me will never die." (Joh 11:25-26, NIV).

A Special Blessing for All Sheep
I hope this has encouraged you in your walk with the Lord today. In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, Jesus has overcome the world! Now I pray this blessing upon all the Shepherd's true sheep who have read this post:

"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Heb 13:20-21, NIV)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version. Other quotes from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as Fullness, Baptism with the Holy Spirit, A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, Persecuted or Popular?, and Having a Servant's Heart. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org