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You will notice that woman has been given a restriction on what she can do in the church. This doctrine could be rooted from the very long history of mankind, and St. Paul made reference to the first man and woman that God created. St. Paul said, “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.”
What does that mean? A woman should not be a teacher to a man because Adam was first formed than Eve. Besides, Adam was not deceived while Eve was deceived. Therefore, the Bible does not permit a woman to teach, or to have dominion or jurisdiction over a man. But is the woman also prohibited from preaching? As far as the Bible is concerned, to teach and to preach are two different things. A teacher is different from a preacher. Let us read what Titus 1:9 says, “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”
Teaching is different from preaching; a teacher is different from a preacher. A preacher is dependent on the teachings that a teacher will impart to him. A preacher simply derives his preaching from a teacher that is why, we could see that a teacher has a greater responsibility than that of a preacher. If we may make a comparison, the teacher is the mastermind, while the preacher is just an accomplice. And for a preacher to preach very well, a good teacher is needed. In other words, in the Bible, a preacher is different from a preacher. In Romans 12:4-8 it says, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members are of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching: Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity: he that ruleth, with diligence, he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.”
St. Paul showed us that teaching is different from exhorting, or preaching. The Bible said that the women are forbidden from teaching and from having leadership over a man. But we cannot read any verse that forbids a woman from preaching. Let us go over once again to the verse that prohibits a woman from teaching and from becoming a leader (in religion). I Timothy 2:11-12, “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.”
These verses mention two prohibitions to a woman. She is prohibited to teach and to rule over a man. But does the Bible prohibit a woman from preaching? I Corinthians 11:4-5 says, “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head, But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with his head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that even all as if she were shaven.”
Man is forbidden to cover his head whenever he prays or prophesies. Please take note, St. Paul said “every man”. That is without exemption. “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.”
On the other hand, if a woman is praying or prophesying, with her head uncovered, she is dishonoring her head. Therefore, a man should pray and prophesy with his head uncovered, while a woman should pray and prophesy with her head covered. A woman can pray to God and she can prophesy provided that her head is covered.
Take note also that, according to the Bible, prophesying is both a right of a man and a woman. It’s just that a woman is given a specific requisite – her head must be covered. Why? I Corinthians 11:7-10 says, “For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.”
Here, we could see the discrepancy between a man and a woman in the sight of God. What does the Apostle Paul mean? Let us continue in I Corinthians 11:14-16, “Doth not even nature itself teach you that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.”
In the Church of God, one of the doctrines that we observe is that a woman should have long hair because God gave her long hair for a covering. On the other hand, the man is prohibited from having long hair because if a man has long hair, it is a shame unto him. I Corinthians 11:14 says, “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?”
Actually, even if we apply this in our day to day life, it does not really make a man look good if his hair is long. As mentioned by St. Paul, that is one of the lessons that nature is teaching us. “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory unto her: for her hair is given her for a covering.” A woman’s long hair is her covering; it is her veil. In other words, a woman’s long hair is a sign that she is under the jurisdiction of man. As written in I Corinthians 11:7, “For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God.”
A woman’s long hair signifies that she is under the jurisdiction of a man serving God, and this man, in turn, is under Christ’s jurisdiction.
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Bible
Apostleship
and the Rightful
