The Rise of Women

The women are coming. The world is changing. In America, a woman narrowly missed becoming President. Other nations have women at the helm already. Business, entrepreneurship have long been on the rise in terms of female participation. Women have dominated education for decades. It is hard to imagine a vocation in which women are not more of a factor today than they were just a few years ago. Women have entered the military in huge numbers. Women can now die for us in combat.

Is this a problem? Before their current ascent, women were equal to men in importance if not in role. What task is more unique and awesome than the bringing into the world of a new human being? Who is more important to the ongoing progress of a civilization than those who train young people in the home, one life at a time, one day at a time? Who is more important to a man than his best friend and support?

But these tasks have now been viewed as inferior, part of the servant class. Women generally want to be freed from this notion of servitude, and are hungry for power of a different sort, though their power ruled the world in just as significant a way as any man. Now women want to do the work traditionally assigned to males. They want to leave the home. They want to be somebody. And in that home, there is no one to take their place.

Children are raised by inferior parents. Grandmas were not meant to raise little ones. They do their best, but something is missing. Worse, many children are being left to raise themselves. And no child was meant to do that either. The product of chaos is in the society in which we now move.

And with women in the workplace, where do all the men find jobs? Let us give our due to women who absolutely positively must work outside the home. Our hearts go out to you. But let us be quick to add that this group is greatly inflated by situations that ought not to be. For example:

• The woman who becomes pregnant before marriage, before a man has truly committed himself to her, is setting herself up for a life outside the home.
• The couple whose material appetites are such that the desired income is too great will be causing Mom to leave her family soon.
• The restless housewife who feeds on television's fantasies of love and romance, grows tired of her husband and will eventually be out taking men's jobs .

I say all this as an observing citizen of a society which has gone into chaos. Unfortunately, however, the phenomenon of women in wrong roles has reached the church. Much of the church seems to follow all the trends of society instead of leading society to God's paths. Women teach men. Women rule men. Women are pastors.

Hear this. I know well that our Lord changed forever the status of women when He was raised from the dead and appeared to women. All the first appearings, whether by angels or Jesus Himself, were to women. The women were the ones looking for Jesus on that first day of the week. Where were the men? All the first messengers of the resurrection were women. And all the unbelief of that day was expressed by men. How God loves women. Their searching, their caring, their needing.

But nothing I have said changes the roles of women. And those roles are myriad. But they do not include leadership of men, or teaching of men in any official public way. Our women need to sit down. Those who continue ruling are encouraging others. As the world's culture changes, Heaven's is to remain the same, as a signal of an unchanging God.

I have written elsewhere on this site about the role of women. Many internet references could be offered, too. But the greatest reference I can suggest is the Spirit of God Himself as he spoke through the Apostle Paul, in reference to this very subject (I Corinthians 14:37-38):

"If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant." One other possible rendition of verse 38 is even more specific: "If anyone does not recognize this [Paul's authority], he is not recognized."

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.