(For my lady friends here on Facebook): Is a woman permitted Biblically to evangelize outside of her home, husband, and children? Thoughts from my recent studies on this topic: I ask you... to help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together.... -- Philippians 4:3 Commentator William Hendriksen says concerning this verse: These women were NOBLE women. Well does the apostle remember the time when they contended at his side against a common foe and in the gospel-cause. Eagerly they had worked together, and this not only with Paul but also... the rest of my fellow-workers. This does not, of course, give a woman the right to preach or take authority over a man in the church assembly for: I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. -- I Tim. 2:12 ...or to neglect the needs of her home, husband, or children for outside ministrys sake: Older women likewise... are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be... working at home,... that the word of God may not be reviled. -- Titus 2:3-4. ... or to minister out from under the authority of her husband: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. -- Ephesians 5:22-23 But Conrad Mbewe in his book Foundations for the Flock states, Women are free to participate in the evangelistic life of the church (Acts 8:4).... All we must do is preserve the created order of male headship, which when reversed may bring about our fall and its consequent judgement from God. So, it seems to me that yes, women are Biblically permitted to be about outside evangelistic efforts as long as its in keeping with the above principles. However, the question really is: when should they? When to labor as a woman outside of the home in the Gospel surely requires wisdom and prayer and thoughtful direction from the spiritual head of the home -- the husband -- as to when and how his wife should participate in outside evangelistic or even other ministry efforts. And certainly, we should also consider that different seasons of life will allow for varying degrees of time spent outside of the home in ministry or evangelism. May God grant us ladies boldness to labor in the Gospel at times to those outside of our home as well as the humility and wisdom to know when to labor for the glory of the Lord by staying at home doing the quiet, humble tasks of caring for our families. And may we always be on guard of falling into the ditch of outside ministry at the neglect of our primary ministries in our home... and the other ditch of only thinking of our own and never striving to also love our neighbor as our self.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 03:51:29 +0000
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