If Women Can't Have Authority Over Men in the Church, Why Are They Expected to Teach in School?

Is a woman allowed to teach your male child/relative...

There's your answer. Teaching children and teaching men within a local church are two totally different things. Ideally (and according to Scripture) men should also be teaching older children and young adults in Sunday school classes.

Re: Hebrew ezer kenegdo. In Genesis 2:18, the word "helpmeet" does not occur. The Hebrew expression ezer kenegdo appears, meaning "one who is the same as the other and who surrounds, protects, aids, helps, supports." There is no indication of inferiority or of a secondary position in an hierarchical separation of the male and female "spheres" of responsibility, authority, or social position.

The word ezer is used twice in the Old Testament to refer to the female and 14 times to refer to God. For example, in the Psalms when David says, "The Lord is my Helper," he uses the word ezer.

Click

and click again.

Hello,

I've seen the debate over whether or not women can be pastors/lead in the church many times, and have gone through many Bible studies in which this is discussed and examined. I also grew up in a church that did NOT believe women could hold positions of authority, unless it was as a deaconess to younger women in the church.

This is NOT meant to be a debate over whether women can be pastors at all.

Rather, I once read a post that addressed something that really sparked my interest, seeing as I grew up in Christian schools.

* If women are not allowed to speak or be leaders/teachers in the church, why are women relied on to teach Sunday School, vacation Bible school, and in Christian schools and colleges (such as what I grew up in)?

* Why do many of these tasks (geared toward children and young adults) seem to automatically be deligated as "women's work"? And yet, I would guess most parents in the churches I grew up in would not bring their kids to Sunday School if the entire Sunday School staff was all men.

I am certainly NOT saying ANYTHING against men who work in ministries that serve children--I'm just saying that when I've asked some parents how they would feel about dropping their kids off with an all-male Sunday School/children/teen church staff, they're don't seem to be entirely comfortable with the idea. But maybe this is only in the churches I've been in?

I have to wonder why it's so often thought that it's perfectly fine (even expected, and a spiritual duty) for women to teach and lead children, and young adults, but not full-grown adults? (I don't meant this as a debate or a criticism, but as an honest question.)

* Does that mean that once her students turn 18 (or 21, or whatever age is defined as being an "adult"), any spiritual leadership and authority she had over them the day before their "adulthood" birthday is now null and void, and does a male studen now automatically have spiritual authority over her, even if she's twice his age?

* If so, why are women allowed to teach at Christian colleges?

* And if a woman loses any spiritual authority over a man when he comes of age, what is being taught in churches to reinforce this? Are young men told that they now have spiritual leadership and authority over the women in the church once they turn that age?

* Will the men of the church tell their wives that they must follow and submit to the spiritual lead of any 18-year-old (or whatever the age of adulthood is seen as) on the ministry staff?

* Why is this topic never addressed whenever it's said that women can't hold positions of spiritual leadership in the church?

I would really like to see this discussed, as it always seemed to be glossed over.

Is a woman allowed to teach your male child/relative, but does he then have spiritual authority over her in the church once he becomes an adult?

Could you lead me to any passages that forbids women from teaching any young man that has just become a legal adult? I would be curious to read them myself.

It is interesting to note that it was Paul who said that he does not permit women to speak in church but nowhere does it say that God does not permit it. I believe that Paul was merely stating his personal preference based on the culture and traditions of that era. What is it scripturally, that makes a man eminently more qualified to hold positions of leadership in a church setting than a woman? A lot of Paul's writing is obviously his own personal opinion but perhaps not binding in a spiritual sense in all instances and situations.

I don't think it's an issue of quality. Moses was set apart to do one thing,Aaron another and Moses argued that Aaron spoke better than him. God settled this and Moses did one thing and Aaron another. Every one Paul,Abraham,Peter,Noah,Elisha,Sarah,Mary ect.ect. were given a certain role. What's wrong with being a woman and performing the role God ask? I find it difficult to be a man but I think God knew best and that I would not do the things a woman does by nature very well.

It is interesting to note that it was Paul who said that he does not permit women to speak in church but nowhere does it say that God does not permit it. I believe that Paul was merely stating his personal preference based on the culture and traditions of that era. What is it scripturally, that makes a man eminently more qualified to hold positions of leadership in a church setting than a woman? A lot of Paul's writing is obviously his own personal opinion but perhaps not binding in a spiritual sense in all instances and situations.

As you have written this, there is indeed nothing wrong with both women and men performing the roles that God gives them. The problem is when men try to dictate the roles that women may perform and restrict them thereby.

I think that's correct in that mankind several years back set fort laws that curbed many peoples thinking as to equality in the work places and changed the roles of men and women.

It did not take long for junk food type foods to become popular that could be just tossed into the oven(to tired to cook after work),then the microwave to make it even quicker. Divorce rates began to increase and children grew up in single family environments and now we have an genneration of young adults where most men cannot repair a lawnmower or check their tires and women who cannot follow a recipe to cook. So you are correct I think all the evidence supports the danger of man(kind) dictating roles on the family structure.