The Bible
and Spirit of Prophecy on
The Special Ministry of Men and Women
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"The
opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or
decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are
the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one
nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point
of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we
should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its
support."—Great Controversy, 595. [All emphases in quotations
are ours.]
Section
1
WHAT THE BIBLE
SAYS
The Bible has many passages dealing with the special
work of women. We need only consider the work of Jochebed, the mother of
Moses, and Hannah, the mother of Samuel—in order to realize the
immense influence and value of the ministry of women. Many other noble
and God-fearing women are mentioned in Scripture, because of the work
they did, while large numbers of other outstanding women, such as the
mothers of Enoch, Elijah, and Daniel are not mentioned. Several times,
we are told in the Spirit of Prophecy, that the special work assigned to
women is greater than the special work assigned to men. Men work with
the present generation, but one of the several special ministries of
women is to train the next one.
As there are certain things which men are not
qualified to do, so it is with women. In no place in the Bible do we
find a woman being ordained, serving as an elder, pastoring a church, or
baptizing.
Later in this tract, we discuss the important work
which women can do both outside the home and in the home. They have an
important ministry in the church and community. They also have an
important ministry to children. The very broad work they are able to do
is far more influential than that which men can do.
Consider this: Children constitute at least one half
of the world’s population. In addition to working with children, women
are able to carry on a special ministry to women which men cannot do.
That is another quarter of the world’s population. Men may imagine
they are managing the adult world; yet, as far as ministry goes, they
are only able to directly help the smaller part of the people in the
world. They do not have as large a field of ministry as do women. Men
and women are equal in the sight of God, but different in the duties
assigned to each.
At this juncture, let me say that we are here
primarily discussing the role of women as church leaders. We are not
saying they cannot start businesses and manage the men workers under
them, or manage home operations as mothers generally do.
One might wonder why, in the Biblical pattern, women
are not to be priests, pastors, or kings; yet they can be prophets. A
prophet gives advice and counsel, but does not rule. He never gives
orders—with the authority of civil or church government behind him. So
it was with "Deborah the prophetess" (Judges 4:4; cf.
all of chapters 4 and 5); so it was with Ellen White. Both were
messengers sent from God, neither was a president or king. Neither ruled
the denomination, nor even a single local congregation. A prophet does
not have earthly authority to enforce his or her decisions. Deborah was
the only judge in Israel who did not serve as a military leader. The
Lord instructed her to call Barak to do that. She was only an adviser.
Indeed, Barak was reproved for not being willing to go to battle without
her accompanying him. The Biblical pattern is always consistent, and we
find the same in the life and ministry of Ellen White.
Here are seven special passages in the New Testament
which are sometimes referenced in the ongoing controversy over women’s
ordination:
Ephesians 5:22-33
Colossians 3:18-19
1 Peter 3:1-7
1 Corinthians 11:3, 11-12
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
1 Timothy 2:11-14; 3:2
Titus 1:6
We do not have space in this brief study to provide
more material from the Bible. But we have noted underlying principles.
—
SECTION TWO —
WHAT THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY
SAYS
1 - THE SPECIAL MINISTRY OF MEN
IN THE EARLIEST TIMES—"In the beginning
the head of each family was considered ruler and priest of his own
household. Afterward, as the race multiplied upon the earth, men
of divine appointment performed this solemn worship of sacrifice for
the people."—Story of Redemption, 50.
"The dedication of the firstborn had its origin in
the earliest times. God had promised to give the Firstborn of heaven
to save the sinner. This gift was to be acknowledged in every household
by the consecration of the firstborn son. He was to be devoted to the
priesthood, as a representative of Christ among men."—Desire
of Ages, 51.
FROM MOSES TO CHRIST—"By divine direction
the tribe of Levi was set apart for the service of the sanctuary. In
the earliest times every man was the priest of his own household.
In the days of Abraham the priesthood was regarded as the birthright of the
eldest son. Now, instead of the firstborn of all Israel, the Lord
accepted the tribe of Levi for the work of the sanctuary . . The
priesthood, however, was restricted to the family of Aaron. Aaron and
his sons alone were permitted to minister before the Lord; the rest
of the tribe were entrusted with the charge of the tabernacle and its
furniture, and they were to attend upon the priests in their
ministration."—Patriarchs and Prophets, 350.
"The government of Israel was characterized by
the most thorough organization, wonderful alike for its completeness and
its simplicity. The order so strikingly displayed in the perfection and
arrangement of all God’s created works was manifest in the Hebrew
economy. God was the center of authority and government, the sovereign
of Israel. Moses stood as their visible leader, by God’s
appointment, to administer the laws in His name. From the elders
of the tribes a council of seventy was afterward chosen to assist Moses
in the general affairs of the nation. Next came the priests, who
consulted the Lord in the sanctuary. Chiefs, or princes,
ruled over the tribes. Under these were ‘captains over thousands, and captains
over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens,’
and, lastly, officers who might be employed for special duties.
Deuteronomy 1:15."—Patriarchs and Prophets, 374.
IN THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES—"The church
must flee to God’s Word and become established upon gospel order,
which has been overlooked and neglected. This is indispensably necessary
in order to bring the church into the unity of the faith. I saw that in
the apostles’ day the church was in danger of being deceived and
imposed upon by false teachers. Therefore the brethren chose men who
had given good evidence that they were capable of ruling well their own
house and preserving order in their own families, and who could
enlighten those who were in darkness. Inquiry was made of God concerning
these, and then, according to the mind of the church and the Holy Ghost,
they were set apart by the laying on of hands. Having received their
commission from God and having the approbation of the church, they went
forth baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
and administering the ordinances of the Lord’s house."—Early
Writings, 100-101.
"The entire body of Christians was not called to
vote upon the question. The ‘apostles and elders,’ men of
influence and judgment, framed and issued the decree, which was
thereupon generally accepted by the Christian churches."—Acts
of the Apostles, 196.
TODAY IN THE HOME—"The father, who is
the priest of his household, should conduct the morning and evening
worship."—Child Guidance, 521.
"You have not zealously performed your duty to
your children. You have not devoted sufficient time to family prayer,
and you have not required the presence of the entire household. The
meaning of ‘husband’ is house band. All members of the family
center in the father. He is the lawmaker, illustrating in his own
manly bearing the sterner virtues, energy, integrity, honesty, patience,
courage, diligence, and practical usefulness. The father is in one
sense the priest of the household, laying upon the altar of God the
morning and evening sacrifice. The wife and children should be
encouraged to unite in this offering and also to engage in the song of
praise. Morning and evening the father, as priest of the household,
should confess to God the sins committed by himself and his children
through the day . . This rule of action, zealously carried out by the
father when he is present, or by the mother when he is absent, will
result in blessings to the family."—2 Testimonies, 701.
TODAY IN THE CHURCH—"The Lord God of
heaven has chosen experienced men to bear responsibilities in His
cause. These men are to have special influence . . The Lord has
not given men or women liberty to advance ideas that will bring
commonness into His work, removing the sacredness that should ever
surround it. God’s work is to become increasingly sacred to His
people. In every way we are to magnify the exalted character of the
truth. Those who have been set as guardians of the work of God in our
institutions are ever to make the will and way of God prominent. The
health of the general work depends upon the faithfulness of the men
appointed to carry out the will of God in the churches."—9
Testimonies, 264.
Another of many quotations which could be cited would
be 5 Testimonies, 617-618.
2
- THE SPECIAL MINISTRY OF WOMEN
OUTSIDE THE HOME
"Eve had been perfectly happy by her husband’s
side in her Eden home; but, like restless modern Eves, she was
flattered with the hope of entering a higher sphere than that which God
had assigned her. In attempting to rise above her original position, she
fell far below it. A similar result will be reached by all who are
unwilling to take up cheerfully their life duties in accordance with
God’s plan. In their efforts to reach positions for which He has not
fitted them, many are leaving vacant the place where they might be a
blessing. In their desire for a higher sphere, many have sacrificed true
womanly dignity and nobility of character, and have left undone the
very work that Heaven appointed them."—Patriarchs and
Prophets, 59.
"Women who are willing to consecrate some of
their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit
the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the
poor. They should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on
of hands. In some cases they will need to counsel with church officers
or the minister; but if they are devoted women, maintaining a vital
connection with God, they will be a power for good in the
church."—"The Duty of the Minister and the People,"
Review, July 9, 1895.
"Those women who labor to teach souls to
seek for the new birth in Christ Jesus, are doing a precious work. They
consecrate themselves to God, and they are just as verily laborers for
God as are their husbands. They can enter families to which ministers
could find no access. They can listen to the sorrows of the
depressed and oppressed. They can shed rays of light into the
discouraged souls. They can pray with them. They can open the
Scriptures, and enlighten them from a ‘Thus saith the Lord.’
"—Manuscript Release #330, in 5 Manuscript Releases, 327.
"You are to do your duty to the women who labor
in the gospel, whose work testifies that they are essential to
carrying the truth into families. Their work is just the work that
must be done, and should be encouraged. In many respects a woman can
impart knowledge to her sisters that a man cannot. The cause would
suffer great loss without this kind of labor by women. Again and again
the Lord has shown me that women teachers are just as greatly needed
to do the work to which He has appointed them as are men."—Manuscript
142, 1903; Evangelism, 493.
"In the various branches of the work of God’s
cause, there is a wide field in which our sisters may do good service
for the Master. Many lines of missionary work are neglected. In the
different churches, much work which is often left undone or done
imperfectly, could be well accomplished by the help that our sisters, if
properly instructed, can give. Through various lines of home
missionary effort they can reach a class that is not reached by our
ministers. Among the noble women who have had the moral courage to
decide in favor of the truth for this time are many who have tact,
perception, and good ability, and who may make successful workers. The
labors of such Christian women are needed."—Review and Herald,
Dec. 10, 1914; Evangelism, 466.
"In the various lines of home missionary work,
the modest, intelligent woman may use her powers to the very highest
account. Who can have so deep a love for the souls of men and women for
whom Christ has died as those who are partakers of His grace? Who can
represent the truth and the example of Christ better than Christian
women who themselves are practicing the truth?"—Review and
Herald, Dec. 10, 1914; Evangelism, 466-467.
"Woman, if she wisely improves her time and her
faculties, relying upon God for wisdom and strength, may stand on an
equality with her husband as adviser, counselor, companion, and
co-worker, and yet lose none of her womanly grace or modesty. She may
elevate her own character, and just as she does this she is elevating
and ennobling the characters of her family, and exerting a powerful
though unconscious influence upon others around her. Why should not
women cultivate the intellect? Why should they not answer the purpose of
God in their existence? Why may they not understand their own powers,
and realizing that these powers are given of God, strive to make use of
them to the fullest extent in doing good to others, in advancing the
work of reform, of truth and real goodness in the world? Satan knows
that women have a power of influence for good or for evil; therefore he
seeks to enlist them in his cause."—Good Health, June, 1880;
Evangelism, 467.
"Wonderful is the mission of the wives and
mothers and the younger women workers. If they will, they can exert an
influence for good to all around them. By modesty in dress and
circumspect deportment, they may bear witness to the truth in its
simplicity. They may let their light so shine before all, that others
will see their good works and glorify their Father which is in heaven. A
truly converted woman will exert a powerful transforming influence for
good. Connected with her husband, she may aid him in his work, and
become the means of encouragement and blessing to him. When the will and
way are brought into subjection to the Spirit of God, there is no limit
to the good that can be accomplished."—Manuscript 91, 1908;
Evangelism, 467-468.
"Our sisters, the youth, the middle-aged, and
those of advanced years, may act a part in the closing work for this
time; and in doing this as they have opportunity, they will obtain
an experience of the highest value to themselves. In forgetfulness of
self, they will grow in grace. By training the mind in this direction,
they will learn how to bear burdens for Jesus."—Review and
Herald, January 2, 1879; Evangelism, 468.
"If women do the work that is not the most
agreeable to many of those who labor in word and doctrine, and if their
works testify that they are accomplishing a work that has been
manifestly neglected, should not such labor be looked upon as being as
rich in results as the work of the ordained ministers? Should it not
command the hire of the laborer? . .
"This question is not for men to settle. The
Lord has settled it. You are to do your duty to the women who labor in
the gospel, whose work testifies that they are essential to carrying
the truth into families. Their work is just the work that must be
done, and should be encouraged. In many respects a woman can impart
knowledge to her sisters that a man cannot. The cause would suffer
great loss without this kind of labor by women. Again and again the Lord
has shown me that women teachers are just as greatly needed to do the
work to which He has appointed them as are men."—Manuscript
142, 1903; Evangelism, 493.
"The Lord has a work for women as well as men to
do . . Women may take their places in the work at this crisis, and the
Lord will work through them. If they are imbued with a sense of their
duty, and labor under the influence of the Spirit of God, they will have
just the self-possession required for this time. The Saviour will
reflect upon these self-sacrificing women the light of His countenance,
and this will give them a power which will exceed that of men. They
can do in families a work that men cannot do, a work that reaches
the inner life. They can come close to the hearts of those whom men
cannot reach. Their labor is needed.
"A direct necessity is being met by the work of
women who have given themselves to the Lord and are reaching out to help
a needy, sin-stricken people. Personal evangelistic work is to be done.
The women who take up this work carry the gospel to the homes of the
people in the highways and the byways. They read and explain the Word to
families, praying with them, caring for the sick, relieving their
temporal necessities. They present before families and individuals the
purifying, transforming influence of the truth. They show that the way
to find peace and joy is to follow Jesus."—6 Testimonies,
117-118.
3
- THE SPECIAL MINISTRY OF WOMEN
INSIDE THE HOME
"Woman
should fill the position which God originally designed for her, as her
husband’s equal. The world needs mothers who are mothers not merely in
name but in every sense of the word. We may safely say that the
distinctive duties of woman are more sacred, more holy, than those of
man. Let woman realize the sacredness of her work and in the
strength and fear of God take up her life mission. Let her educate her
children for usefulness in this world and for a home in the better
world.
"The wife and mother should not sacrifice her
strength and allow her powers to lie dormant, leaning wholly upon her
husband. Her individuality cannot be merged in his. She should feel
that she is her husband’s equal—to stand by his side, she
faithful at her post of duty and he at his. Her work in the education of
her children is in every respect as elevating and ennobling as any post
of duty he may be called to fill, even if it is to be the chief
magistrate of the nation."—Adventist Home, 231.
"The king upon his throne has no higher work
than has the mother. The mother is queen of her household. She
has in her power the molding of her children’s characters, that they
may be fitted for the higher, immortal life. An angel could not ask for
a higher mission; for in doing this work she is doing service for
God. Let her only realize the high character of her task, and it will
inspire her with courage. Let her realize the worth of her work and put
on the whole armor of God, that she may resist the temptation to conform
to the world’s standard. Her work is for time and for eternity."—Adventist
Home, 231-232.
"The mother is the queen of the home, and the
children are her subjects. She is to rule her household wisely, in the
dignity of her motherhood. Her influence in the home is to be paramount;
her word, law. If she is a Christian, under God’s control, she will
command the respect of her children."—Adventist Home, 232.
"Mothers, to a great degree the destiny of
your children rests in your hands. If you fail in duty, you may
place them in the ranks of the enemy and make them his agents to ruin
souls; but by a godly example and faithful discipline you may lead them
to Christ and make them the instruments in His hands of saving many
souls."—Adventist Home, 238.
"Her work [the Christian mother’s],
if done faithfully in God, will be immortalized. The votaries of
fashion will never see or understand the immortal beauty of that
Christian mother’s work, and will sneer at her old-fashioned notions
and her plain, unadorned dress; while the Majesty of heaven will write
the name of that faithful mother in the book of immortal fame."—Adventist
Home, 238.
"The whole future life of Moses, the great
mission which he fulfilled as the leader of Israel, testifies to the
importance of the work of the Christian mother. There is no other work
that can equal this. . . Parents should direct the instruction and
training of their children while very young, to the end that they may be
Christians. They are placed in our care to be trained, not as heirs to
the throne of an earthly empire, but as kings unto God, to reign through
unending ages."—Adventist Home, 238.
"Let every mother feel that her moments are
priceless; her work will be tested in the solemn day of accounts . .
Then it will be found that many who have blessed the world with the
light of genius and truth and holiness owe the principles that were the
mainspring of their influence and success to a praying, Christian
mother."—Adventist Home, 239.
"The sphere of the mother may be humble; but her
influence, united with the father’s, is as abiding as eternity. Next
to God, the mother’s power for good is the strongest known on earth."—Adventist
Home, 240.
"The mother’s influence is an unceasing influence; and if it
is always on the side of right, her children’s characters will testify
to her moral earnestness and worth."—Adventist Home, 240.
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