I'd agree with @geralduk's assessment of the original post - we can't explain these things to unbelievers. The world cannot understand the things of God, as we learn from 1 Corinthians 1 and 2. That said, it's very important that we have this discussion and that we're firmly established in the truth of scripture. This is one of the principles of the faith which the enemy - particularly in recent times - is keen to have us give up. In Christendom, it's quite widely been given up. The issues of politics, humanism, and feminism have already been mentioned, so I won't cover that ground again. Suffice it to say that worldly and antichristian influences have been allowed in, concerning the place of women in the assembly. Far too often, when professing Christians (and even, sadly, real believers) are challenged about these things, they fall back on these worldly ideas and arguments. The simple understanding of the plain language of scripture is complicated by man's thinking. One of the worst examples of this is the claim that men (as in, males) aren't qualified to address this issue - this is 'feminist' thinking as its darkest.
The scripture says this: "for it is a shame for a woman to speak in assembly." (1 Corinthians 14:35). This is not, as some claim, a specific instruction to the Corinthians due to local conditions. It's a general, unvarying principle. It would the same in Rome, in the assemblies of Galatia, in Ephesus. An instruction is given, that women should be silent, and then a reason is given as to why that is comely. Brethren, we have to be simple in our understanding of scripture and take God at His word.
The matter of women not being permitted to teach men is another general principle. "... but I do not suffer a woman to teach nor to exercise authority over man, but to be in quietness; for Adam was formed first, then Eve: and Adam was not deceived; but the woman, having been deceived, was in transgression." - 1 Timothy 2:12-14. It can't be argued that this instruction only applied in a specific place - it was written to Timothy, not to an assembly. The underlying principle is universal: Adam was formed before Eve, Eve was deceived.
The departure from the simplicity of scriptural truth in Christendom allows the infiltration of these modes of thinking. What we have in Christendom today are countless organisations called churches, which are set up by man, not by God. These man-made organisations are given names other than the name of Christ, so that believers are gathering to the Church of Such-and-such, or the So-and-so Church, and not to His Name. Because these are man's organisations, set up without any trace of scriptural authority, the Holy Spirit is grieved - the Spirit who is the energy and organisation of the Church has been overlooked in favour of man's efforts and organisation. So we have a formalisation of the positions of authority in the Church - pastors are chosen by the congregations (something never contemplated in scripture), elders are chosen by the congregations (something only done by the apostles in scripture), offices are created for music pastors and children's pastors (again, unscriptural). These offices of the church are filled by man's appointment, and the officers are paid a wage (not an idea we find in scripture). And so we have such a wholesale departure from the word of God that the door is wide open to worldly ideas and worldly principles - man's mind having been so widely relied on. If a salaried position in an organisation is advertised, how can an organisation discriminate against certain applicants? How can a woman be excluded from an office? How can a person who is wilfully pursuing a sinful lifestyle be excluded, if they're doing nothing wrong in the eyes of the law of the land? How can a person who is not even a believer be refused? They can, in most places, but for how long?
These infiltrations of the enemy and failures of God's people are nothing new, as we can see from the history of the testimony. But rather than just accepting the situation we find ourselves in as if nothing can be done, it's our solemn duty before God to humble ourselves, and earnestly and open-heartedly seek His mind for the present day.
The scripture says this: "for it is a shame for a woman to speak in assembly." (1 Corinthians 14:35). This is not, as some claim, a specific instruction to the Corinthians due to local conditions. It's a general, unvarying principle. It would the same in Rome, in the assemblies of Galatia, in Ephesus. An instruction is given, that women should be silent, and then a reason is given as to why that is comely. Brethren, we have to be simple in our understanding of scripture and take God at His word.
The matter of women not being permitted to teach men is another general principle. "... but I do not suffer a woman to teach nor to exercise authority over man, but to be in quietness; for Adam was formed first, then Eve: and Adam was not deceived; but the woman, having been deceived, was in transgression." - 1 Timothy 2:12-14. It can't be argued that this instruction only applied in a specific place - it was written to Timothy, not to an assembly. The underlying principle is universal: Adam was formed before Eve, Eve was deceived.
The departure from the simplicity of scriptural truth in Christendom allows the infiltration of these modes of thinking. What we have in Christendom today are countless organisations called churches, which are set up by man, not by God. These man-made organisations are given names other than the name of Christ, so that believers are gathering to the Church of Such-and-such, or the So-and-so Church, and not to His Name. Because these are man's organisations, set up without any trace of scriptural authority, the Holy Spirit is grieved - the Spirit who is the energy and organisation of the Church has been overlooked in favour of man's efforts and organisation. So we have a formalisation of the positions of authority in the Church - pastors are chosen by the congregations (something never contemplated in scripture), elders are chosen by the congregations (something only done by the apostles in scripture), offices are created for music pastors and children's pastors (again, unscriptural). These offices of the church are filled by man's appointment, and the officers are paid a wage (not an idea we find in scripture). And so we have such a wholesale departure from the word of God that the door is wide open to worldly ideas and worldly principles - man's mind having been so widely relied on. If a salaried position in an organisation is advertised, how can an organisation discriminate against certain applicants? How can a woman be excluded from an office? How can a person who is wilfully pursuing a sinful lifestyle be excluded, if they're doing nothing wrong in the eyes of the law of the land? How can a person who is not even a believer be refused? They can, in most places, but for how long?
These infiltrations of the enemy and failures of God's people are nothing new, as we can see from the history of the testimony. But rather than just accepting the situation we find ourselves in as if nothing can be done, it's our solemn duty before God to humble ourselves, and earnestly and open-heartedly seek His mind for the present day.
