Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
When it was clear to me that God had called me to be a minister, I said to God: "Then You are going to have to explain the following scripture to me."
I Cor. 14 ... Paul says concerning the gathering of the church
... 34Let 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. 35And 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.
After asking God to explain this to me, I had the following impression: "Look at what these women were doing."
Then when I looked again at I Cor. 14, I realized these woman were "asking questions" ... thus
interrupting the flow of the Spirit of God which would certainly have
been inappropriate at church and would have to be stopped.
One
time I visited a non-denominational church group. As pastor spoke, one
woman, in the group jumped up and began running around the room with
hands in the air. The people in the group and pastor laughed as if this
was of Holy Spirit. I was horrified. I knew this was not Holy
Spirit. Some people seem to think Holy Spirit is crazy. That is not
true. Holy Spirit teaches us. And Paul warned us that in the gathering
of the church all things must be done to edification. This woman's
actions were in no way edifying to the church. I did not return to that
group.
Also Paul says, concerning the gathering of the church ... 40 Let all things be done decently and in order. I Cor. 14
It is out of order for a woman to speak at gathering of the church, asking questions. Even in the "Sunday school class" this should be out of order. In the home Bible study, this should be out of order. The gathering of the church is for the Spirit of God to speak to the church through whomever God wills and share things that edify the church and testimonies of what God has done in his life.
If a woman (or anyone else has a question) ask God at home ... or as Paul says, Let that woman ask her husband at home. (if the husband is of God) It is a shame for a woman to interrupt the flow of the Spirit of God this way at the gathering of the church.
But if the leader asks for people to share what they have been shown by God, certainly a woman can share.
At one time, I attended a Sunday school class. As the teacher taught the class, God would give me various words of wisdom, often about an illness which I assumed to be going on with someone in the class.
At the end of his teaching, Don never failed to say, "Does anyone have a word from the Lord?" Then I would speak the words God had given me while Don was teaching. This happened every time we met. The same thing happened in the prayer group I attended but I don't remember the leader of the prayer group extending the invitation to speak like Don did. And the pastor never extended this invitation to speak from the Lord at the regular service, but he should have done this.
Acts 13 ... 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. 16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
This openness in the synagogue at that time amazes me. I've never heard this done today at the main church group service. It is all preplanned, leaving no room for the Holy Spirit to speak through anyone other than those few approved people on the platform. In Acts 13 we see them inviting unknown and unapproved men to speak exhortation to the people. How wonderful!
More concerning women speaking in the church ... God took me to the story of Philip who had 4 daughters who did prophesy. God used this to show me women speaking properly in the NT church.
Acts
21 ... and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which
was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9 And the same man had four
daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
Prophesy is for the church. In order to prophesy these 4 daughters would have to speak to the church.
Therefore I saw a proper way for women to speak in the church and an improper way for women to speak in the church.
Certainly a woman should be rebuked for improper action in the gathering of the church. Interrupting the church or Bible classes by asking questions is an improper act.
If she has questions do as Paul said and ask her husband at home. For
it is a shame to interrupt the spirit of God in the church with
questions. And it is good if she takes her many questions to God and
wait on God to bring answers to her. This is what our little church
group does. If we have a question, we ask God.