Joel Hitchcock

Your Daughters Shall Prophesy Joel Hitchcock

"Your daughters shall prophesy! The prophet Joel predicted it, and the apostle Peter affirmed it: Women have a special place in the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ... However, some verses of the Bible seem to restrict, or even prohibit women's ministry, for didn't Paul say that women may not speak in the church, and be silent?In this book, I argue in favor of unrestricted women's ministry. I will offer you overwhelming evidence that women had served as preachers, teachers, and leaders in Bible times, and may serve as such today. I also tackle the two sets of "difficult verses," and offer an alternate rendering and interpretation, namely to read, "Let your women not keep silent in the churches, for they are permitted to speak..." (1 Corinthians 14:34, ) and, "Allow a woman to study tranquilly in all submission. I do not permit [someone] to teach dominance of a woman over a man, but tranquility" (1 Timothy 2:11-12.) It is my prayer that all women that sense the call of God on their lives into the ministry will be liberated to do so. Jesus said, "Woman, thou art loosed!" (Luke 13:12.) Many wonderful women of God have served the Lord in the preaching and teaching ministry, and in the miracle ministry of signs and wonders, to whom we will always be grateful. Many other young women dream of perhaps ministering the Gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world, but they have doubts and questions. Will they be disobeying God's Word as it is understood by many, that a woman should not teach? Isn't the ministry of the Word reserved to be administered by men only?And how many women, because of this uncertainty, have just given up on the idea of sharing God's Word - the Bread of Life, to a hungry people?Women have become presidents of entire countries and executives of powerful companies. They are men's equals in mentally and emotionally. But when it comes to the ministry, they cannot preach the Word of God. Is this how it's supposed to be? I believe that God has called both men and women to proclaim the Gospel, with no distinction in whether that Gospel is in the form of inspired prophetic utterance, or in the teaching or preaching of the Word of God, nor whether the recipients of that Word are children or adults, men or women. In this booklet I am going to attempt to explain to you that the Bible does not hinder the ministry of women. On the contrary, it encourages it! However, some have employed certain obscure Scriptures to limit or even completely prohibit the proclamation of the Word by those of the female gender. In this book, I will explain the very few difficult and obscure verses, submit some alternate explanations for your consideration and also present the reader with abundant evidence in Scripture in favor of the unrestrained operation of women in ministry. I trust that this perspective will be both enlightening and liberating to you as you read...