A Woman's Identity in Christ

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TLHKAJ

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I believe it's really important foe women to know the truth and to be able to discuss these things in a safe environment. I placed this outside the Women's Only Forum but I want to post it here so we can freely discuss it amongst women.
__________
1 Corinthians 14:2-6
[2]For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
[3]But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
[4]He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
[5]I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
[6]Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?


Acts
2:16-18

[16]But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
[17]And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
[18]And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:


____________________

Here are some of the words used and their original Greek meanings.

"sons"
Greek: υἱός
Transliteration: uihos
Pronunciation: hwee-os'
Definition: Apparently a primary word; a son (sometimes of animals) used very widely of immediate remote or figurative kinship: - child foal son.
KJV Usage: son (85x), Son of Man (with G444) (87x), Son of God (with G2316) (49x), child(ren) (49x), Son (42x), his Son (with G848) (21x), Son of David (with G1138) (15x), my beloved Son (with G27) (with G3350) (7x), thy Son (with G4575) (5x), only begotten Son (with G3339) (3x), his (David's) son (with G846) (3x), firstborn son (with G4316) (2x), misc (14x).
Occurs: 382
In verses: 348


"daughters"
Greek: θυγάτηρ
Transliteration: thugatēr
Pronunciation: thoo-gat'-air
Definition: Apparently a primary word (compare daughter); a female child or (by Hebraism) descendant (or inhabitant): - daughter.
KJV Usage: daughter (29x).
Occurs: 29
In verses: 28

Both of these have various meanings which encompass sons, daughters, and descendants (male and female).

"young men"
Greek: νεανίσκος
Transliteration: neaniskos
Pronunciation: neh-an-is'-kos
Definition: From the same as G3494; a youth (under forty): - young man.
KJV Usage: young man (10x).
Occurs: 10
In verses: 9

This word in the original Greek also simply means "a youth under 40." There is no gender specification. It's very likely that social norms of the day dictated how these words were translated.

"old men"
Greek: πρεσβύτερος
Tansliteration: presbuteros
Pronunciation: pres-boo'-ter-os
Definition: Comparative of πρέσβυς presbus (elderly);
older; as noun a senior; specifically an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively member of the celestial council) or Christian presbyter: - elder (-est) old.
KJV Usage: elder (64x), old man (1x), eldest (1x), elder woman (1x).
Occurs: 67
In verses: 67


Here again, this word when we look at the original Greek means "elder" and it can mean "old man" or "elder woman."

There are no gender exceptions where the Spirit of God is concerned.

Other points:
*A woman or young woman has to open her mouth and speak in a congregational setting in order to prophesy.
*This seems to contradict what Paul says in other passages. This obviously calls for what scripture calls "rightly dividing" the Word of God. ALL of scripture comes together to form a complete picture.
*Where does the law of God state that women are to keep silence? (Scripture, please?)

*Since this silence is not in the law of God, what law is Paul referring to?

"servants"
Greek: δοῦλος
Transliteration: doulos
Pronunciation: doo'-los
Definition: From G1210; a slave (literally or figuratively involuntarily or voluntarily; frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency): - bond (-man) servant.
KJV Usage: servant (120x), bond (6x), bondman (1x).
Occurs: 127
In verses: 119

"handmaids"
Greek: δούλη
Transliteration: doulē
Pronunciation: doo'-lay
Definition: Feminine of G1401; a female slave (involuntarily or voluntarily): - handmaid (-en).
KJV Usage: handmaiden (2x), handmaid (1x).
Occurs: 3
In verses: 3


Then, there's the husband and wife team, Priscilla and Aquila who took a man (Apollos) into the church that was in their home and (both) taught Apollos in the ways of God.

Acts 18:24-26
[24]And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

[25]This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
[26]And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

So here, we have a woman teaching a man. No mention is made otherwise, or that she was only a listener, a sidekick, or a lesser participant. She is mentioned by Paul as a helper/co-laborer and as having taught a man named Apollos. The church was in their home, and Priscilla taught in the church that was in their home, as did her husband, Aquila.

Paul commended and recommended both equally. He actually mentions Priscilla ahead of her husband, Aquila, in this verse.

Romans 16:3
[3]Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:


"helpers"
Greek: συνεργός
Transliteration: sunergos
Pronunciation: soon-er-gos'
Definition: From a presumed compound of G4862 and the base of G2041; a co-laborer that is coadjutor: - companion in labour (fellow-) helper (-labourer -worker) labourer together with workfellow.
KJV Usage: fellowlabourer (4x), helper (3x), fellowhelper (2x), fellowworkers (1x), workfellow (1x), labourer together with (1x), companion in labour (1x).
Occurs: 13
In verses: 13


Again, both genders are included equally.
 

TLHKAJ

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I would like to discuss anything that relates to our identity in Christ as a woman ...whether we are single, married, divorced, or widowed. I know this is a broad topic. I know that @3 Resurrections has some good insights to share.
 

3 Resurrections

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*Where does the law of God state that women are to keep silence? (Scripture, please?)
*Since this silence is not in the law of God, what law is Paul referring to?
This statement in 1 Cor. 14:34 was referring to the Jews' ORAL law whose "vain traditions" (as Christ once called them) had grown up in first century Israel. There were restrictions on even teaching girls from the Torah, lest they learn something that would defile them. A curse was pronounced on men who would let their daughters read the scriptures for themselves. VERY restrictive on women, so it is no wonder that such an idea of silencing women in churches was set forth in 1 Cor. 14:34-35.

However.

This was NOT PAUL who was authoring those verses restricting women from speaking in the church. These two verses (1 Cor. 14:34-35) were Paul copying a quoted excerpt from the Corinthian church's letter to himself, and answering topics which they had questioned him about. ("Now concerning the things which ye wrote unto me..." - 1 Cor. 7:1). The Corinthian church members were deluded in thinking that women were not to speak in church, and Paul immediately and firmly corrected this error by responding in 1 Cor. 14:36 with a shocked "WHAT? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?" In other words, the word of God had not come only unto the men of the church, but to the women also. Men did not hold exclusive rights to receiving the scriptures. Paul then scolded the Corinthians for their ignorance, and commanded them to "FORBID NOT to speak with tongues." The only "forbidding" being done in this 1 Cor. 14 passage was the Corinthian church men who were forbidding women to speak in church. Paul corrected them in no uncertain terms on this restriction of women in the assembly.

Several years ago I addressed this very set of 1 Cor. 14:34-40 verses, as well as the ones in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 where women were instructed to learn "in quietness" (Hesychia -a spirit of calm, not utter silence which would have used the Greek word "sige"). My comments were put in Steve Gregg's website, and I will include a link below for anyone who wishes to refer to that vigorous exchange with the men who responded to my comments there. I notice that there have been some 85,000 plus views of that post since I submitted those last replies to it back in 2019.

The title of the post is "1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Corinthians 14:33-40 revisited" in the Essays and Writings section of Steve Gregg's website. Look for my same username of 3Resurrections in this link: 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Corinthians 14:33-40 revisited - Page 5 - The Narrow Path Ministries
 
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Rita

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I was thinking about this yesterday, you know there are many debates on this subject, but what is the reality for all of us. My last church never shut the door on women being used, we had visiting women preachers, women in leadership roles , women with words from the Lord. I never felt my identity in Christ was lost.
In marriage, well my ex was non Christian so I had to juggle when I adhered or when I stood my ground- he wanted me to run the home, look after children and work full time, well I wouldn’t compromise my God given role as a mother- I worked, but around the children so I would be home when they were.
In my evangelical church days it was kind of in the middle, they didn’t have women in the higher leadership roles, and they wouldn’t have women preaching , but at the time I was growing in Christ and wasn’t really bothered by it as it was just how it had been so I didn’t question it that much.
It was only when I started studying scripture more in depth for myself that I started to see how culture, history and consequences played a part in things, and taking verses, passages and letters in context of who they were written to that I started to re evaluate many issues.
 
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3 Resurrections

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It was only when I started studying scripture more in depth for myself that I started to see how culture, history and consequences played a part in things, and taking verses, passages and letters in context of who they were written to that I started to re evaluate many issues.
ABSOLUTELY. Having direct one-on-one sessions with God's Word - sitting at His feet like Mary - truly is the "better part". For myself, the greatest aid for re-evaluating what I had formerly been taught was the use of the Interlinear version of scripture along with the LXX; daring to compare the various translations and studying the original languages instead of being forced into the King-James-Only camp that I had been sitting in since childhood. Using just these two tools opened up so much of the language of scripture for me. Frankly, this blew the doors off and totally rocked my world to the foundations. I will never be the same deluded person again. It was that revolutionary for me.

For example, the single passage in Numbers 30:15 that my parents depended upon and literally centered their whole lives around. The phrase "He shall bear her iniquity" for a husband cancelling a wife or daughter's vow was what they both used as proof that a wife was to obey even her husband's commands for her to sin, and her husband would be the one bearing her guilt for that sinful action.

Lo and behold, in the LXX, the same phrase reads "He shall bear HIS iniquity" for forcing the wife or daughter to break a vow. My parents had based their whole married life's practices and their child training on the change of a single pronoun inserted into the KJV that wasn't even supposed to be there. And all their daughters suffered from this faulty foundation as a result.

Well, they both are in glory and know better by now, that is a comfort. At my mother's funeral a couple years ago, I wrote a letter of forgiveness to her and slipped it into her coffin before they closed the lid.
 
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TLHKAJ

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For example, the single passage in Numbers 30:15 that my parents depended upon and literally centered their whole lives around. The phrase "He shall bear her iniquity" for a husband cancelling a wife or daughter's vow was what they both used as proof that a wife was to obey even her husband's commands for her to sin, and her husband would be the one bearing her guilt for that sinful action.

Lo and behold, in the LXX, the same phrase reads "He shall bear HIS iniquity" for forcing the wife or daughter to break a vow. My parents had based their whole married life's practices and their child training on the change of a single pronoun inserted into the KJV that wasn't even supposed to be there. And all their daughters suffered from this faulty foundation as a result.
I really need my Strong's Concordance (my physical book) back in my hands, out of storage. This is the kind of studying I always used to dig into. The Bible app I use doesn't do justice.
 
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Nancy

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I really need my Strong's Concordance (my physical book) back in my hands, out of storage. This is the kind of studying I always used to dig into. The Bible app I use doesn't do justice.
My Strongs that I have had since the 90's is unusable to me today, even with glasses AND a magnifying glass I cannot read any of those teeny tiny words! Lol.
 
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TLHKAJ

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My Strongs that I have had since the 90's is unusable to me today, even with glasses AND a magnifying glass I cannot read any of those teeny tiny words! Lol.
Mine was a good sized print ....if I remember right. Just need to get it out of storage. Lol
 
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Nancy

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Mine was a good sized print ....if I remember right. Just need to get it out of storage. Lol
Wow...must be a very large one with big print. My tiny worded concordance is huge!
 

TLHKAJ

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Wow...must be a very large one with big print. My tiny worded concordance is huge!
Something like 4" thick? It was really heavy ... could be a little off. lol
 
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TLHKAJ

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Are women to be the head of the households or men?
As far as women running households go, Proverbs 31 is a good place to start reading. The Proverbs 31 woman made many important decisions. It doesn't appear she had to ask her husband's approval of every decision.
 
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