She
published her book defending her position of being ordained as a Minister by writing
this book:
Shall Woman Preach?: Or the Question Answered Paperback – November 5, 2018by Rev. Louisa M. Woosley (Author), Matthew H. Gore (Editor)"My chief aim has been to present biblical truths in such a form that the anxious inquirers after truth may be better able to understand the commands and will of God respecting the much-disputed question of the ordination of women."
These words were first published in 1891 and still spark interest today. Here the Rev. Louisa Mariah Layman Woosley addresses issues which were raised in the controversy over her ordination, and provides us with her own convictions that led her through the early struggles in her ministry.
Louisa M. Woosley was the first ordained woman minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and in the larger Presbyterian tradition in America. Her ministry began with her first sermon delivered on January 1, 1887, and continued for more than fifty years. She was an extremely successful evangelist and a local pastor. For twenty-five years she served as the stated clerk of Leitchfield Presbytery, and in 1938 she was elected moderator of Kentucky Synod.
Woosley's ordination by Nolin Presbytery in 1889 sparked the controversy over the ordination of women in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, an issue that continues to the present day. After her first four years of evangelistic ministry, Louisa Woosley produced Shall Woman Preach or the Question Answered, a lively record of a woman's commitment to ministry, and an affirmation of the future role of women in the church.
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But
I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in
silence. - 1 Timothy 2:12 (KJV)
Sad truth that women are disobeying God's Word.
A woman can preach outside of church, but not within, only when preaching to
other women.
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I am a Complementarian and I bought
the book in order to research her egalitarian position. I do not deny that she was
a good writer and her book is interesting but I do not agree with what she
wrote. I will be writing a book review on this blog explaining why she is wrong
on what she wrote. I will do it once a month for each chapter. I will start
with the Introduction and Chapter 1. This book review is for my egalitarian
friends to see.
NOTE: This blog post is still incomplete, it will be updated monthly.
For the introduction, she quoted
Galatian 3:28 (NKJV) - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one
in Christ Jesus.
A quote used by Jarena Lee:
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[PHOTO SOURCE: https://twitter.com/hashtag/jarenalee]
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“If the man may preach, because the Saviour died for him, why not the woman, seeing he died for her also? Is he not a whole Saviour, instead of a half one, as those who hold it wrong for a woman to preach, would seem to make it appear?” Did not Mary first preach the risen Saviour, and is not the doctrine of the resurrection the very climax of Christianity – hangs not all our hope on this, as argued by St Paul? Then did not Mary, a woman, preach the gospel? For she preached the Resurrection of the crucified son of God.” – Jarena Lee, 1836
Galatian 3:28 is speaking about salvation and it has
nothing to do with church qualifications. Christ loves both male and female but
have different roles for them to fulfill.
As for Mary and the women who spoke of the risen Saviour,
they were just announcing the Good News and not preaching. They were not being
any head of the church.
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Things Joyce Meyer Never
Said: “Turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 2:12”
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In Chapter 1, in order to refute I Corinthians 14:34 and
I Timothy 2:12, which clearly forbids a woman from preaching or being ordained.
Woosley threw the baby out with the bathwater. She wrote a similar thing to Rev
Luther Lee, who ordained Antoinette Brown Blackwell,
the first
woman to be ordained by an established Protestant denomination in United States
history.
Lee
was quoted in his September 15, 1853 Sermon:
These two texts, I believe, are all the proof there is to offset the array of texts and arguments which have been adduced in proof of the right of females to preach the gospel. If I were to say, “I do not know what they mean,” they could never disprove the fact that females did prophesy and pray in the church, and if explained at all, they must be so explained as to harmonize with that fact. Let us then examine the matter.If these texts are to be understood as a general prohibition of the improvement of female gifts in public, it must be entire and absolute, and must cut females off from all vocal part in public worship. It will preclude them from singing and vocal prayer. The expression, 16 “let your women keep silence in the churches,” if it touches the case at all, forbids singing and vocal prayer. Can a woman sing and keep silence at the same time? Can she pray vocally, and keep silence at the same time? Such then is the true issue, and as we must meet the issue before the people, it is important that it be presented to them in its true light. Singing is as much a violation of the command to keep silence as praying or preaching. We must then put locks upon the lips of the sisterhood in time of prayer, and compel them to let their harps hang in silence while we, the lords of creation, chant Zion's songs, and leave the song itself dovoid of the softer melodies which flow from woman's soul.
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34 Let your women
keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but
they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 35 And
if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a
shame for women to speak in the church. – I Corinthians 14:34-35 (KJV)
[PHOTO SOURCE: https://slideplayer.com/slide/3483889/]
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They have got it all wrong. Throughout the bible and church
history, there never was a case of woman being leaders in church. Here are
several examples:
First, Scripture itself tells us that there were no women clergy: “Let women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith. But if they would learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church.” (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) I think what St. Paul is saying here is that it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church, i.e. as clergy (since men in the pews need to be silent during the service just like women do).
Second, the Church Fathers (theologians of the early Church) were unanimously against women clergy. Note that many of these came before the doctrine of the Trinity and the canon of Scripture were formally defined by the Church (AD 325 and 393, respectively), so one cannot use the fact that they came after AD 100 to invalidate them.
Clement of Rome: Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men [not women] should succeed them in their ministry (Letter to the Corinthians 44 [A.D. 95]).
Tertullian: It is not permitted to a woman to speak in the church; but neither (is it permitted her) to teach, nor to baptize, nor to offer, nor to claim to herself a lot in any manly function, not to say (in any) sacerdotal office (On the Veiling of Virgins 9 [A.D. 207]).
Hippolytus: When a widow is appointed she is not ordained but she shall be chosen by name… Let the widow be instituted by word only and let her be reckoned among the widows. But she shall not be ordained, because she does not offer oblation nor has a ministry. But ordination is for clergy on account of their ministry. But the widow is appointed for prayer… (Apostolic Tradition1:4:5 [A.D. 215]).
The Teaching of the Apostles: We do not permit our 'women to teach in the Church,' but only to pray and hear those that teach; for our Master and Lord, Jesus Himself, when He sent us the twelve to make disciples of the people and of the nations, did nowhere send out women to preach, although He did not want such. For there were with us the mother of our Lord and His sisters; also Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Martha and Mary the sisters of Lazarus; Salome, and certain others. For, had it been necessary for women to teach, He Himself had first commanded these also to instruct the people with us. (3:6 [A.D. 225, though some scholars say it dates to the first century]).
Firmilian of Caesarea: But that woman, who previously by wiles and deceitfulness of the demon was attempting many things for the deceiving of the faithful, among other things by which she had deceived many, also had frequently dared this; to pretend that with an invocation not to be contemned she sanctified bread and celebrated, the Eucharist, and to offer sacrifice to the Lord, not without the sacrament of the accustomed utterance; and also to baptize many, making use of the usual and lawful words of interrogation, that nothing might seem to be different from the ecclesiastical rule (Fragment in Cyprian's Letters 74[75]:10 [A.D. 256]).
Council of Nicea: Likewise in the case of their deaconesses, and generally in the case of those who have been enrolled among their clergy, let the same form be observed. And we mean by deaconesses such as have assumed the habit, but who, since they have no imposition of hands, are to be numbered only among the laity (Canon 19 [A.D. 325]).
Council of Laodiceam: Presbytides as they are called, or female presidents, are not to be appointed in the Church (Canon 11 [A.D. 360]).
Epiphanius: It is true that in the Church there is an order of deaconesses, but not for being priestess, nor for any kind of work of administration, but for the sake of the dignity of the female sex, either at the time of Baptism, or of examining the sick or suffering, so that the naked body of a female may not be seen by men administrating sacred rites, but by the deaconess (Panarion 79:3 [A.D. 377]).
John Chrysostom: [W]hen one is required to preside over the Church, and to be entrusted with the care of so many souls, the whole female sex must retire before the magnitude of the task, and the majority of men also; and we must bring forward those who to a large extent surpass all others, and soar as much above them in excellence of spirit as Saul overtopped the whole Hebrew nation in bodily stature: or rather far more (On the Priesthood 2:2 [A.D. 386]).
Apostolic Constitutions: I, the same, make a constitution in regard to virgins: A virgin is not ordained, for we have no such command from the Lord; for this is a state of voluntary trial, not for the reproach of marriage, but an account of leisure for piety (8:24 [A.D. 400]).
A widow is not ordained; yet if she has lost her husband a great while, and has lived soberly and unblameably, and has taken extraordinary care of her family, as Judith and Anna --those women of great reputation--let her be chosen into the order of widows (ibid 8:25).
A deaconess does not bless, nor perform anything belonging to the office of presbyters or deacons, but only is to keep the doors, and to minister to the presbyters in the baptizing of women, on account of decency (ibid 8:28).
For this is one of the ignorant practices of the Gentile atheism, to ordain women priests to the female deities, not one of the constitutions of Christ. For if baptism were to be administered by women, certainly our Lord would have been baptized by His own mother, and not by John; or when He sent us to baptize, He would have sent along with us women also for this purpose. But now He has nowhere, either by constitution or by writing, delivered to us any such thing (ibid 9:3).
Augustine: “[The Quintillians are heretics who] give women predominance so that these, too, can be honored with the priesthood among them. They say, namely, that Christ revealed himself . . . to Quintilla and Priscilla [two Montanist prophetesses] in the form of a woman” (Heresies 1:17 [A.D. 428]).
Council of Orange: Female deacons are by no means to be ordained. If there are any who have been already ordained, [illicitly] let them submit their heads to the benediction that is granted to the laity (Canon 26 [A.D. 441]).
Council of Chalcedon: A woman shall not receive the laying on of hands as a deaconess under forty years of age, and then only after searching examination. And if, after she has had hands laid on her and has continued for a time to minister, she shall despise the grace of God and give herself in marriage, she shall be anathematized and the man united to her (Canon 15 [A.D. 451]).
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Charles
Spurgeon and Martyn Lloyd-Jones
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What is preaching? Logic on fire! Preaching is
theology coming through a man who is on fire. A true understanding and experience
of the Truth must lead to this. I say again that a man who can speak about
these things dispassionately has no right whatsoever to be in a pulpit; and should
never be allowed to enter one. - Martyn Lloyd-Jones
[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1403659]
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Last of all, I will end this post with a quote from one of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones on “Women Preachers”:
“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”– 1 Timothy 2:11-15Lloyd-Jones:In many ways the root trouble, even among good Evangelicals, is our failure to heed the plain teachings of Scripture. We accept what Scripture teaches as far as our doctrine is concerned; but when it comes to practice, we very often fail to take the Scriptures as our only guide. When we come to the practical side we employ human tests instead of Scriptural ones. In stead of taking the plain teachings of the Bible, we argue with it. ‘Ah yes’, we say, ‘since the Scriptures were written times have changed’.Dare I give an obvious illustration? Take the question of women preaching, and being ordained to the full ministry. The apostle Paul, in writing to Timothy (1 Tim 2:11-15), prohibits it directly. He says quite specifically that he does not allow a women to teach or preach. ‘Ah yes’, we say, as we read that letter, ‘He was only thinking of his own age and time; but you know times have changed since then, and we must not be bound. Paul was thinking of certain semi-civilized people in Corinth and places like that’. But the Scripture does not say that. It says, ‘Let the women learn in silence with all subjection, but I suffer not a woman to teach nor usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence’. ‘Ah, but that was only temporary legislation’, we say. Paul puts it like this: ‘For Adam was first formed, the Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding, she shall be saved in child bearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety’.Paul does not say that it was only for the time being; he takes it right back to the Fall and shows that it is an abiding principle. It is something that is true, therefore, of the age in which we live. But thus you see, we argue with Scripture. Instead of taking its plain teaching, we say that times have changed-when it suits our thesis we say it is no longer relevant’. . . .If you want to avoid terrible disillusionment at the day of judgment, face Scripture as it is. Do not argue with it, do not try to manipulate it, do not twist; face it, receive it and submit to it whatever the cost.Jones, David Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959.
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2 Now the names
of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and
Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and
Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and
Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the
Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
- Matthew 10:2-4 (KJV)
[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/164803667594637505/]
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OTHER
LINKS:
Egalitarianism:
Woman's
right to preach the gospel : a sermon, preached at the ordination of the Rev.
Miss Antoinette L. Brown, at South Butler, Wayne County, N.Y., Sept. 15, 1853 National
American Woman Suffrage Association Collection copy
Complementarianism:
Semi-Complementarianism:
Reverend
Philip North supports the ordination of women as deacons,
but does not support the ordination of women to the priesthood or episcopate.
Debates:
DEBATE:
SHOULD WOMEN PREACH IN OUR CHURCHES?
Debate - Women Preachers
Published on Jul 10, 2012
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