The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-04-19
WOMEN AS RELIGIOUS TEACHERS OF
PREACHERS.
Bible Authority for the Same
By Rev. L. B. Bouchelle, M. D.


After the Savior had finished-com.
pleted-the plan of salvation, and as
cended to the place whence He came
lin an upper room in Jerusalem were
assembled about one hundred. anc
twenty persons, male and female, wait
ing for the descent Of the promised
Com forter, the Holy Spirit. "Ano
thew were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with othel
tongues, as the spirit gave them utter
snce." Acts, II a. "And they were
alp'-citizens and visitors at Jerusa'
lem-"amazed, and were in doubt, say
ing to another, What meaneth this
Others mocking, said, These men are
full of new wine" Whereupon Peter
tarose and said, "This is that which
was spoken by the prophet Joel" as
previously quoted. (Acts, II: II, Il
l6.)
Let it be remembered that the women
present shared equally with the men
in the endowment of the Holy Spirit.
So it is seen that from the advent till
the day of Pentacost women were in
spired, and labored in the Masters
vineyard.
Furthermore, Paul tells US (Acts xxi
81 that Philip had four daughters
virgins, which did prophesy." Does
it not astonish and grieve those who
oppose women preachers and preach
ing, that Paul did not there and then
silence those four virgins from their
holy work? But God had laid His
hands-His Spirit-upon them, and
Paul had not the audacity of some OF
his modern adnirers-to oppose What
God had done. :.
Let it be remembered, too, that in
the Instances cited from the Bible In
the preceding part of this article,
widows, wives, virgins and handmade.
ems were all called to the good work.
, From the highest to the humblest
walks of life they were taken. Truly.
,"God is no respector of persons" d"
Praised be his name for it.
1t goes without saying that the
scriptures are their own best Inter
nreters. Those who oppose women
preachers rely exclusively on four ut
tenances of Paul for comfort and sus'
tenance. These utterances will be al
luded to again.
If God called four women out OF one
family, is it not natural to suppose that
He called very many out OF other IAN ,
lilies, when the harvest was white, ana
the iaborers are few2 Let Paul still
further speak to the question at issue:
In Romans, sixteenth chapter, he is
speaking-in most of the cbapter-of
his co-workers in the gospel. Among
these he enumerats not less than ten
,DOnnen. and commands Phebe, the SER
want of the church which is at Cen
chrea-who dares say she was not the
pastor of said church-first OF all.
And, when he wanted messenger
an angelic bear this letter to the 10
mans, he slected, according to the best
Iauthority known, this woman-Sister
Phebe. And when she arrived at
Rome, is it not easy to infer that she
read it to the church? And if diff
culties were found by Romans IN un-
derstanding its full meaning, VINO was
more likely to be called upon for ln1or'
nation and explanations were needeu,
can hardly be denied, for it is to-day
conceded to be the most difficult ol
all Paul's writings to be comprehend-
ed. -,
AS Paul is still on the stand we will
hear still more from him on this Vita
tonic. In first Corinthians, eleventh
chapter. fifth verse, he-Paul says
WBut every woman that prayeth OF
prophesieth with her head uncovered
dishonoreth her head :'-manlfestly
alluding to the social customs OF the
age. but not q word of censure fol
tSeir nraving or prophesying. He ev.
identity approved their work, but rec
commended eXpediency in its eXecu
ton.
In PHILIPPIANS, fourth chapter ano
third verse, he says: Help those
women which labored with me in the
gospel.n Does he not here frankly ac
knowledge both their service. d"a m
approuai? But he has just four times
and that is all there is OF 1t IN the
Bible-spoken against their mInlste
rial work-no, not ministerial, oy any
means. In one of the four passage:
alluded to he speaks of woman as
learner. In another as an ansptre1
and in all of them only ugring then
to the observances of the 2)r0pr1etae'
and customs of the times. But there
is no we'll established disapproval o
their exercising their gifts and graces
according as God had dealt To them
the measure of faith.
Now, let all the instances cited IRON
tle Old and New Testaments be bal
. anced against the four deliverances 0
. Paul, and who can gainsay scriptura
precept and example for women II
preach? =,
Among the many specious 90
F iections to woman as = preacher j
named the unseemlines of the thing