In this post I continue to focus on bible teacher and author Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth. She is a member of the Board of Reference of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and has written a book called "Lies Women Believe."
Some further statements from that book are as follows
Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth: "The Scripture is clear that a married woman's life and ministry are to be centred in her home. This is not to suggest that it is necessarily wrong for a wife and mother to have a job outside her home - unless that job competes with or diminishes her effectiveness in fulfilling her primary calling at home. The truth is that God gave to the man the primary responsibility to be the "breadwinner" for his wife and children." (p.127)
Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth; "In the apostle Paul's first epistle to Timothy, we are reminded that childbearing is a basic, God-given role for women.... A woman's willingness to embrace, rather than shun, her God-given role and calling ("childbearing") is a necessary fruit that will accompany genuine salvation - it is proof that she belongs to Him and follows His ways." (p.171)
My Comment
Scripture does not make it clear that a married woman's life and ministry are to be centred in her home. Instead, in Genesis 1:26-28 God gave both the man and the woman the task of ruling over creation. They were to fulfill that task as equal partners. We have examples of couples working together as equal partners in the New Testament such as
Priscilla and Aquilla who pastored a church together (Romans 16:3-5a) Andronicus and Junia who were apostles (Romans 16:7)
Furthermore, Paul mentioned a number of women co-workers such as Mary (Romans 16:6), Tryphena, Tryphosa and Persis (Romans 16:12).
He mentioned as well some women overseers such as Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11) and Nympha (Colossians 4:15)
Jesus had a number of women disciples who left home to travel with Him such as Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, the mother of Zebedee's sons (Matthew 27:56), Salome (Mark 16:1) and Susanna (Luke 8:1-3).
No doubt, these women had households to take care of but they are not mentioned in connection to their homes, only in connection to their ministry.
As for the man being the main "breadwinner", God gave to both the man and the woman the task of ruling over Creation in Genesis 1:26-28. That will have meant they both worked in the Garden together. That is confirmed when God tells the woman in Genesis 3:16 that it will be more challenging for her to work the soil because of the curse that is about to be placed on it as we know from the CORRECT translations of Genesis 3:16a which is as follows
I will surely multiply your toil (related to the soil) and I will multiply your conception. With effort you will bring forth children. You will turn to your husband. And he will rule over you
Examples of women as "breadwinners" are: Caleb's daughterAcsah (Joshua 15:18b-19); The Proverbs 31 Woman (Proverbs 31:16-18a); Lydia (Acts 16:14); Priscilla (Acts 18:2-3).
As for Paul's first epistle to Timothy, Nancy is very likely referring to 1 Timothy 2:15
But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
Nancy has made the gospel a gospel of works since she insists that women are to be willing to embrace childbearing as proof that they are saved. This is a very interesting statement coming from her since she was a single woman until 2015 when she married at the age of 57 and has never borne any children. Moreover, there are many women who, though married, have not been able to bear children. Would that mean they could not be saved? Of course, not. Nancy completely misunderstands this verse, as do many other bible teachers, causing much damage to the body of believers.
This verse is a correction to false teaching that had entered the church in Ephesus through one or more false female teachers. Part of their false teaching was that marriage and motherhood were obstacles to a close walk with God. Paul is correcting that teaching by stating that marriage and motherhood are blessed by God as the Creator and does not prevent any woman to have an intimate relationship with God as long as her relationship with God is based on faith, love and holiness.
P.S. My apologies for the sentence "This is unbibiblical council and should be ignored by any woman" in my previous post which should read "This is unbiblical counsel and should be ignored by any woman."
Read Part Seven HERE
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