Biblical Headship and delegation

[robertcolumbia]

I recently attended a service in which the pastor's wife delivered the sermon in the presence of her husband, who clearly approved of her doing this. I'm not actually certain if she wrote the sermon herself or if she was just delivering something her husband had written.

How does everyone feel about this? Is it right for a husband or father to delegate his patriarchal responsibility and authority? Under what conditions is it acceptable and under what conditions is he demonstrating a lack of leadership?

[emilyg]

I am not sure, my hubby and I were just speaking of something smiliar the other night. When a woman is told not to teach a man (about biblical things) and a wife teachers her husband something (like I have done on many occassions), am I sinning? Should I just let him not understand something? Or is this protected under our close marital bond? Does God allow it within families, but not within church? I don't know.....

[Brother Ben]

1Cor.14
[34] 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.

1Tim.2
[11] Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
[12] But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

My family and I would have gathered our things and quietly left the church, perhaps for good.

Emily, you asked:

When a woman is told not to teach a man (about biblical things) and a wife teachers her husband something (like I have done on many occassions), am I sinning?

I think by the phrase in, "keep silence in the churches," is the determining factor. A sister is to cover her head when she prays and prophesies. To prophesy is to share the faith. But, she is told not to do it in the churches, that she not usurp the authority example God is setting.

Also:

Eph. 5
[21] Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The word submitting is a military phrase which means, "getting in the line of authority," i.e., the Private submits to the Sargent, who submits to the Major, who submits to the Colonel, who submits to the General. Though they all take their proper place in the chain, the wise general asks the Sargent what he thinks is the best plan of attack. Thus it is never wrong for the husband to take godly advice or counsel from his godly wife.

Bro. Robt., you asked:

Is it right for a husband or father to delegate his patriarchal responsibility and authority?

Only in areas that are not specifically intended for the husband or father. For example, husbands are to provide for their families by the sweat of their brow. Wives are to be keepers at home. A reversal of this would be to undo the scriptural pattern set by God.

Under what conditions is it acceptable and under what conditions is he demonstrating a lack of leadership?

Perhaps an acceptable example would be having the wife teach the devotional to the children because he was out of town for work or very ill. The flip side to this would be, he has her do it because he is spiritually lazy and lets her do it because he's watching the BOX! (I won't call it the idiot box. Oops!) ;D

[emilyg]

Nov 15, 2011 16:49:09 GMT -5 Brother Ben said:

Emily, you asked:

When a woman is told not to teach a man (about biblical things) and a wife teachers her husband something (like I have done on many occassions), am I sinning?

I think by the phrase in, "keep silence in the churches," is the determining factor. A sister is to cover her head when she prays and prophesies. To prophesy is to share the faith. But, she is told not to do it in the churches, that she not usurp the authority example God is setting.

Also:

Eph. 5
[21] Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The word submitting is a military phrase which means, "getting in the line of authority," i.e., the Private submits to the Sargent, who submits to the Major, who submits to the Colonel, who submits to the General. Though they all take their proper place in the chain, the wise general asks the Sargent what he thinks is the best plan of attack. Thus it is never wrong for the husband to take godly advice or counsel from his godly wife.

thank you for your input My hubby agrees, that it is okay within marriage and even for a woman to witness to a lost man (family member). I know I would witness to my dad or brother, their salvation is more important to me than my gender...if that makes sense.

[Brother Ben]

God is not hung up on gender, he is just specific about his BODY the church. It must be done decently and in order. So, he sets orders. Here is a godly team:

Acts 18
[24] And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
[25] This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
[26] And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Notice that? They took him and taught him the way of God more perfectly. This godly, bold, teacher of God was taught by a husband and wife tag team!

[rachel4]

I think in the area of the kids' schooling it can be an area of delegation. Our children are homeschooled, and I am their teacher. My husband works, he provides our family with the ability to homeschool. He does keep up on what they are doing through our conversations and talking with them, but obviously he cant' be at work and teaching them at the same time (not in his field, anyway), so he has delegated that responsibility to me.