The mailbag: potpourri (Women sharing the gospel) - Michelle Lesley

Excerpted from here. Our comments in bold.

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Ms. Lesley has a penchant for analyzing what Christian women can and cannot do. She has created an endless series of micro-doctrines regarding women's roles in the church, all based on a faulty interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:12: 

I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 

But she will never quote this or any Bible verse. Because of this we must deem this Bad Bible Teaching.

We discuss the issues of women and leadership here.

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Q. I wanted to start sharing the gospel in live videos on Facebook. Would doing this live fit the definition of preaching to men even if you state it’s for women or would it be best to create a private group for women only? I’ve received conflicting opinions on this before. Thank you.

A. I’m so glad you’re thinking about this and desiring to come to a biblical conclusion! That’s so encouraging!

There are two things to take into consideration here, a) what Scripture actually states, (Ms. Lesley will never tell us.)

and b) conscience, wisdom, and appearance.

Scripture does not prohibit women from sharing the gospel with others, even men. In fact, all Christians are commanded to share the gospel in the Great Commission (also click here and see #11). (This is correct, of course. It will be interesting, however, to see how she connects this to to the 1 Timothy command.)

Unfortunately, these days many professing Christians conflate evangelism with pastoring and preaching. (They do? Examples? Quotes?)

Evangelism is sharing the gospel with lost people outside the church, ("Outside the church" is not a biblical requirement.)

which all Christians are commanded to do. Pastoring and preaching is biblical instruction to saved people inside the church, which God has restricted to biblically qualified men. Evangelism and pastoring/preaching are two completely different, separate things. We have to keep our biblical categories straight. (So it appears a woman can evangelize because it isn't pastoring or preaching. Ms. Lesley keeps mentioning the Bible, but doesn't tell us where we find this idea in the Bible.

Let's see how she justifies herself.)

You’ll want to avoid using a tone and demeanor that look and sound like a pastor delivering a sermon, (1. Don't sound like you're giving a sermon.)

and you shouldn’t say things that sound like you’re lecturing men in particular about their failures or how they could be better husbands, fathers, or pastors, or things like that, (2. Don't point out men's flaws.)

but simply explaining how to be saved, in a conversational tone, to a general audience of whichever random people happen to click on your video is not biblically problematic. (3. Just deliver a general gospel message.

The bottom line seems to be that a woman can teach a man how to be saved [but that is not teaching], but cannot teach a man on his flaws so that he can repent [because that is teaching].

What a mess.)

I wrote all of the material at the What Must I Do to Be Saved? tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page, and I share it around all the time on social media. It’s no different than sharing a tract or a website or video that shares the gospel.

Now, on the conscience, wisdom, and appearance side of things, if you feel uneasy that, for example, some of your Facebook friends go to “churches” with women “pastors” and you’re concerned they would think that’s what you’re doing (which is a distinct possibility), or if you would feel uncomfortable with your live videos being available to men, or whatever the case may be, then by all means, put up some biblical fences. Go ahead and create a private group if you want. Or, start each video with a statement or graphic that says this content is addressed to women (That is, Ms. Lesley is counseling women to instruct men that what is contained in their videos is not for them. Irony Alert.)

(and re-assert that during the video with your language… “Ladies, I want you to know…” “Sisters, let’s pray…” etc.). Or maybe you present it on your regular Facebook page, and your husband (if you’re married) or another godly man or two in your life would agree to to be “on call” in the comments during the live, and if they see a man asking questions, they could dialog back and forth with him. (Apparently a question/answer is teaching a man, which is forbidden. The woman is to instruct the man to talk with another man. Irony Alert.

It has been our experience that Bible teachers like Ms. Lesley place 1 Timothy 2:12 in the context of a church service. This is where the idea of pastoring and teaching come into play. And this is how Priscilla is excused when she and Aquila teach Apollos. [Ac. 18:26]. 

Yet Ms. Lesley is concerned with "a woman" teaching "a man" in a video, not in church. Does this mean that a man can never be taught anything by any Christian woman at any time?

This is the confusion that comes from false teaching. Ms. Lesley is a false teacher.)

Thank you so much for being faithful to share the gospel!