I appreciate what you have to say there, George. Especially as a man who is a believer and the subject is on women and their being equally able to be called to minister. I am not even religious, but it sure puts a different spin on what I learned in the Family.

> Huldah was a contemporary of Jeremiah.
> People didn't tell her to sit down and be
> quiet, because "we already have a male
> prophet". Her gift and calling would
> have been recognized BY MALES IN AUTHORITY
> as legitimate and God-given, and she would
> have proven herself IN THE CONGREGATION
> before she would have been allowed to be
> considered a prophet(ess).

> Church tradition calls Mary Magdalene
> "the apostle to the apostles",
> since she was the first to witness to them
> of the Resurrection. In the New Testament,
> Mary is given the ultimate honor in giving
> birth to the Messiah and Anna prophesies
> over the Christ child and His family.
> Another Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus,
> is honored by Jesus for her choice to sit at
> the feet of the Rabbi (something that only
> males were generally allowed to do, because
> it meant that they themselves were in
> training to be rabbis/teachers) rather than
> to do her traditionally-ascribed duty as
> hostess. In Acts and in the Epistles,
> Priscilla instructs Apollos (and is
> seriously considered by some as the possible
> author of the book of Hebrews); Junia is
> called a "notable apostle" (Romans
> 16:7); Phoebe, as a leader (diakonos) of the
> church at Cenchrea, is personally entrusted
> to deliver Paul's letter to the Romans
> (16:11,27).

> Why would Paul place women in positions of
> great responsibility and then (SEEM TO) say
> in 2 or 3 isolated verses that they are not
> even to open their mouths, much less to
> teach a male. Unless the Bible utterly
> contradicts itself, there MUST be cultural
> considerations or very specific situations
> that led Paul to make certain exclusions at
> different times. If he is at all consistent
> in his preaching and practice, these
> apparent contradictions CANNOT BE general
> prohibitions against women speaking or
> leading.

> Maybe I ought to be silent on a women's
> board, but I feel that Woodie would agree
> with me that it's God's gift and calling --
> discovered through proper study -- that
> ought to be our bottom line; not gender.