‘The Preaching of Women.”

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 208, 9 September 1901, Page 3

‘The Preaching of Women.”

(To the Editor of the Timks.)

Sir, — Permit me to make a few remarks on the subject which bus been opened in your columns under the above heading. In the letter signed -J. Peckover, there seems to be confusion in his mind concerning the words to prophesy, to preach, lie says, as to the former, that ” it is simply another terming for preaching ! ’ Ask any first-year student of New Testament Greek and he could tell you that such a statement is altogether misleading and inaccurate. No, according to Scripture, to prophesy is one thing, and to preach is quite another thing. The words are as distinct in the original tongue as they are in the English translation. A woman might prophesy with covered head in private, hilt in the Assemblies of Saints she was commanded by the Lord to bo in Silence. A very blessed place slio has indeed in private, ail clearly laid down in Holy writ ; but in public she is !o oo “ Shame faced.” It is not a question of man’s thoughts, Imt of God's commands. In another letter signed G. 11. Wilson, were some remarks concerning Deborah, which were surely uncalled for. Slie lias a place given her in the Word of God. Notice, she is called a prophetess, hut the Spirit of God at once covers her head, as it were by saying, “ Wife of Dapidoth,” and further on it is stated that “ She dwelt under tiie Palm tree of Deborah, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment." Further, of tile w.man Jack it is written, “Then Jael Holler's wife”; she is placed again by the Holy Spirit under the one who is by God placed as head ; and in the praise ascribed to tier, notice, it says, ■* Blessed above women shall .fuel, the wifoof Hcbcr, lie, blessed shall she be above women in the tent !” Not in the public highways nor congregations of men, but in the dwellings—in the tent. Coining to Now Testament times, wo read of certain women who prophesied. fn Acts xxi, 8 and It, we read that Paul entered into the house of Philip, the evangelist, and that the same man had four daughters who did prophesy. Note here, the fatiier j evangelizes or preaches—they prophesy. Hero again, women are placed under, as it were, their father as head of that house. All this is divinely perfect, and in divine order; it is man that brings disorder into the tilings of God. Now, just one word about the Scripture quoted on the invitation card. The quotation is from Psalm 08, verse 11, and reads in the authorised version; "The Lord gave the Word; great was the company of those that published it." In the revised version, we have : “ The Lord giveth the Word ; the women that publish tlie tidings arc a great host." Now, in the original Hebrew, there is no word here for women. How then comes it that great scholars have inserted it ? This is how it hits come about; The word for host here is of feminine gender; so they have not so much translated as interpreted the word, no doubt having in mind tiie host of women led by Miriam to which this Psalm seems to refer; and others, e.g.. I. Samuel, win., (i and 7 ; "Ami it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of tiie Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women sang one to another in their play, and said Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands,” and note especially that it was to one another the women spoke—women to women. But then, the same word “ host " in the feminine gender is used in designating many other hosts, which clearly are men, such, e.g., as in Genesis xxi., 2? : “ Phicol, the chief captain of his host," aud in hundreds of other places. Finally, no negative expressions in the \\ ord can stultify positive and explicit commands to Christians, nor are we at liberty to use the word at random, but only as “ rightly dividing tiie Word of Truth.” —I am, etc., Vox