Authored By :
Bill Kochman
Published On :
April 26, 2012
Last Updated :
April 26, 2012
NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.
A Summation Of My Position, Ye Are All One In Christ Jesus, Is Excluding Women From Communion A False Doctrine Invented By Misguided Men, The Apostle Paul's Advice: Let Your Women Keep Silence In The Churches, Excluding Women Contradicts Spirit of Unity And Inclusion In New Testament, Appreciate Christian Women Of The First Century, Suggested Reading List
In summation, if the aforementioned women believed in Jesus Christ, were loved by Christ, had their lives transformed by Christ, followed Christ, were baptized in His Name, labored in His Name, risked their lives and died for His Name, were used as examples of patiently waiting for His Return, and are mentioned by the Lord as partaking in the Rapture, then in my view, to teach -- without any solid Scriptural proof whatsoever -- that they should not partake of the Bread and the Wine in the Lord's Supper -- or Communion -- is not only an injustice to them, but it contradicts the very spirit of acceptance, unity and inclusiveness that is clearly revealed in the previous Scriptures.
Stated another way, in my opinion, to adopt such a position creates an imbalance in our understanding of the proof that we do find in the New Testament. Why allow women to so fully engage in our Christian faith, only to deny them in this one thing? It does not make sense in my view. As the Apostle Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Galatians:
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:27-28, KJV
If we are truly all one in Christ, and if God the Father only sees whether or not we have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb, then who are men -- whoever they may be -- to invent a false doctrine which purposely excludes women in this way? Yes, while I can offer no proof, I do suspect that this false doctrine of excluding women from partaking of the Bread and Wine was probably invented by men somewhere. For what reasons I honestly do not know.
As I considered this matter further, I began to wonder what Scriptural proof such misguided people might possibly try to use in order to try to validate their wayward position. The only verses that I could think of -- and they are not really even related to this subject -- are the following ones where after discussing the Gifts of Tongues, the interpretation of Tongues, and the Gift of Prophecy, the Apostle Paul explains the position of women in a local fellowship gathering:
"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, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
1 Corinthians 14:34-35, KJV
As you may possibly know, the previous verses have caused a lot of trouble for some modern Christians, and have been at the center of controversy as well. If you are interested in learning my personal views concerning them, I invite you to read "Women Shepherds, Pastors and Teachers: A Biblical Perspective". But insofar as our current discussion is concerned, I really don't see how anyone could possibly use them -- assuming that this is even the case -- to insist that women should not take part in Communion -- that is, the Bread and Wine -- during a time of Christian fellowship, at mass, or in whatever the setting may happen to be.
As I have already stated, based on the Scriptural evidence I have shared in this article, it is my personal view that to do so is to contradict the spirit of unity and inclusion that we find in the New Testament. Whether or not you agree with my position, it is my hope that at the very least, you will have gained a new appreciation for the women who were a part of the life of Jesus Christ and His Apostles and Disciples. They were in large part responsible for helping to keep alive and preserve our faith, so that it would survive until this current day. No doubt, there are many other women whose names are not mentioned in the New Testament, who deserve this same honor as well.
With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!
For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.
A Treasure in Earthen Vessels: God's Promise of the Spirit
Mary Worship, Christianity and Roman Catholicism
Lying Wonders of the Endtime
Where Are The First Century Churches?
Women Shepherds, Pastors and Teachers: A Biblical Perspective