In 2017, Tina Englebart wrote and had published in The Journal, a series of well-written articles on women in ministry and speaking in church.
Corinthians 14:34-35. Here are the two verses in the King James Version. “Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience [Gr. hupotasso], as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home; for it is a shame [Gr. aischros] for women to speak in church” (Emphasis added).First, some observations: The italicized phrase “they are commanded” was an addition by the translators; it is not in the original Greek. Further, hupotasso is more correctly translated “submission” rather than “obedience.” And the word translated as “shame” in verse 35 is the Greek word aischros— the same word translated as “ filthy” elsewhere, as in “ filthy lucre” (1 Timothy 3:8).Most churches, and most Churches of God, and Mr. Mokarow say this means women must be silent in the church. UCG specifically said in their paper “The Biblical Role of Women”: “‘ Women should not speak,’ ” that is, preach or teach before the congregation” (emphasis added). It is interesting that women are allowed to sing before the congregation, which is not exactly being silent. …There is only one law that specifically forbids women to speak in the assembly — and that is the Oral Law of the Jews, later written down and known as the Talmud.What a shame that our churches, in imposing the silence injunction on our women, are actually following the dictates of the Talmud instead of the Apostle Paul!
These comments sent our self-appointed prophet, Bob Thiel, into a major meltdown. Thiel likes nothing better than to mansplain to women why they are not worthy of doing anything in the church. Only masculine he-men like him are to do the work of the church.
Let me make a few points.
First, while Tina Engelbart is entitled to her opinion about what she thinks the Greek means, the reality is that there is no record of Christian women preaching in either the New Testament nor in early Christian writings. While it is possible that the apostate Simon Magus may have had a female preach, and maybe did some other apostates, people who understood koine Greek at the time apparently did not feel that the Apostle Paul was allowing women to preach.
Second, UCG is correct that women should not be preaching. This is confirmed by the following passage that is in the Bible (hence, even allowing for a different translation of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, this is not something only to be derived from the Talmud as Tina Engelbart indicates):
11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. (1 Timothy 2:11-12).
Third, as far as the Talmud goes, Tina Engelbart needs to consider that the Jews DID allow women to sing and hence the prohibition they had related to women speaking before the assembly did not include singing. That is the same in the Christian church as well.
In the (improperly named) Continuing Church of God we do not believe that women are to preach.
These comments made by Tina were rehashed by the discredited prophet yesterday due to the Pope's recent announcement that women could perform liturgical duties in the church, i.e. serve in positions of service and read scriptures. That disgusted apostate Thiel to no end. How dare women read bible verses to men! How dare they!
Women have a certain place in the improperly named "continuing" Church of God and that mainly is in the kitchen, performing secretarial duties, singing occasionally, and do a little writing. The Bobster writes these because this is what his wife is doing for him now. Since he only has 99 caucasian members in the entire North American Continent, his wife has to step up to the plate and do Bobster's dirty work as he is too busy waving his hands and bouncing in his chair and/or posting to his countless blog and news sites where he spreads his disjointed message across on.
In the Continuing Church of God we do not believe that women are to preach nor to read services (although if there are no men available, they can read announcements, etc.).
Women have other roles. Some are deaconesses. Some, for the CCOG, edit, manage websites, manage Facebook pages, do translations, assist with festival planning and coordination, maintain our online radio presence, and/or host groups where we have no males. They also sing, provide music, help put together items related to the Study the Bible Course, and do some writing.
It should come as no shock to those of us on this blog that there are women in the church, and some who post here, that are more Biblically literate about scriptures that the Great Bwana is. They put him to shame.
Perhaps it is time for Bobiniah to repent of his mansplaining and let women preach in his church. They would do a FAR better job and might actually be more interesting than Bobiniah leading them to draw in new members for him. But no, women have a certain place in the improperly named "continuing" Church of God and they need to acknowledge that.
