AUTHORITY. 1st Timothy 2:12. There is an order that is often misunderstood, and many people resist following it. People tend to think someone is of lesser importance until they reach adulthood, or they judge someone as greater or lesser based on age or gender. Many also believe a person's worth depends on the work they do, the position they hold, or how much wealth they have accumulated. We know from the words of the Bible that God shows no favoritism. In every nation, the person who fears God and resists evil is accepted by Him because of their faith in Him.
Can you imagine a society entirely made up of doctors? There would be no farmers, teachers, or building contractors to meet the needs of the population as a whole. Doctors help those who are sick, in pain, or in school, which is a very small percentage of the entire population. Everyone would be doing the same things, but the most essential needs would be missing. There would be no one providing food and shelter; no one to do the heavy lifting.
Nothing would be achieved in a society where everyone is the same. An organization would produce nothing of value, and everyone would be to blame because everyone wanted to do the same thing, thinking that if it satisfied someone else, it would satisfy me. It wouldn’t be long before chaos erupts, with everyone blaming each other for not doing something to help meet their essential needs. Our Lord intends us to do whatever we are called and inclined to do, as unto Him, and do it enthusiastically with all our might. The variety of occupations, gifts, and talents creates a properly functioning society.
The same principle applies in church life, where authority is not based on skill, ambition, or self-interest. The Holy Spirit planned this in the past, and it remains relevant today. When a church gathers together as one, He gives each of us specific gifts to use. As the Divine Organizer, He determines how those gifts are used, and the person He has gifted is expected to use that gift properly and for the good of the entire congregation.
He gave speaking gifts to men to exhort, comfort, correct, and teach the Lord’s people in a public gathering how to live as representatives of our Lord in a world that is in spiritual darkness. He gave serving gifts to other believers to reach the multitudes of unbelievers and to be aware of how to meet the practical needs of the assembly of saints. When all the gifts God has given are working in harmony within the gathered company, there is proof that we are all under divine authority to fulfill God's purposes where he places us.
The males of the church are called to do exactly what God intends with the gifts and responsibilities they have received. Females, equal in every way to their persons and to their own work, must attend to their calling. For every hour of public speaking by the leaders of the assembly, there are many more hours of preparation, participation, and practical support contributed by the entire congregation of believers. The tasks that the sisters are to perform, the brothers must leave alone. The work the brothers do is theirs; God’s way is to expect each person to fulfill their responsibility for the benefit and public testimony of the church in the area where they have been planted.
Silence is a way to learn what God says when we take the time to read the scriptures, meditate on what we read, and ensure that our application of what we learn aligns with God’s will. Then, from that learning, we apply the principles to our lives for God and determine where my work fits within the objectives of the assembly I am part of. There doesn’t need to be any conflict when each of us fulfills the role God has given us. The various governing principles currently used in nations are not meant for homes or assemblies of God’s people. Authority practiced in assembly life resembles that of a caring father leading a family with love, devotion, and careful concern. A father’s joy is seeing his family live harmonious, effective, meaningful, and satisfying lives, reflecting the joy he receives from them. This is how God will govern His people in the ages to come.
There are written testimonies of several women in the New Testament. Some ministered to our Lord Jesus Christ [Lu.8:1-3] while He was engaged in His public ministry. Dorcas [Acts 9:36] served the community by doing good without asking for anything in return. Lydia was a businesswoman who [Acts 16:14] showed hospitality toward those who preached the Gospel. Priscilla and her husband [Acts 18:1-3] opened their home to the assembly and used their scriptural knowledge to assist a gifted man named Apollos. Women of Berea and Thessalonica [Acts 17:4,12] understood the Gospel message clearly. Eight women in Romans 16 are noteworthy in the divine record as those involved in the work of the Lord. Phoebe [Rom.16:1] served the saints in Cenchrea in ways that set an example for us all to meet the needs of others. There is nothing in scripture that diminishes women in any way. God first created men, which implies their original place of rank. The female depended on the man, not to act independently, but in harmony with divine order so there would be no conflicts that could lead to chaos and disaster.