By Tin-chee Lo (盧天赐)
這是一個具爭議性的問題。既然有人問我這個問題，我就直言不諱地表達我個人的觀點。既是「觀點」我就不把它絕對化，只把我的理由陳述，給讀者參考。首先讓我们考慮两処經文
(A）「凡女人禱告或是講道、若不蒙著頭、就羞辱自己的頭．因為這就如同剃了頭髮一樣。(林前11:5) 」
此經節顯然暗示女人是允許公禱或講道。「講道」英譯作「說預言」之意。聖經充滿預言，所以釋經講道就等於說預言。但女人講道有限制嗎? 有。她必須蒙著頭。然而蒙頭是甚麼意思呢？讓我們看看下一節經文。
(B) 「但女人有長頭髮、乃是他的榮耀．因為這頭髮是給他作蓋頭的 (林前11:15) 。」
「蒙著頭」不單是指「以巾蓋頭」。保羅把物質的頭巾延伸到女人的「長頭髮」。
頭巾代表順服。講道者 (不論男女) 都要順服在聖經的杈威之下。保羅把「長頭髮」同等於「頭巾」乃指「女人必須像個女人」。有些女牧師為了彰顯權柄，在講台上手舞足蹈，大聲疾呼，完全失去女人的本性，甚至近乎不合體統，這就是保羅所警告的。
由（A）和（B）我們得出這樣的結論：聖經並沒有禁止女人講道，但男女是有別的，只要她以「像個女人」的方式, 按上帝給她的恩賜講道即可。
為何會有這樣的一個問題呢？其實這問題只源於一節聖經：
(C) 「我不許女人講道、也不許他轄管男人、只要沉靜。(提前2:12) 」
另有版本譯作：
「我不允許女人教導男人或對男人擁有權威；她必須保持沉默。(提前2:12)」
「我不許」是一個強烈的字眼，但我們必須知道保羅「不允許」的是甚麼東西。中文的「講道」英譯為「教導」。難道男人不需被教導嗎？當葛培理牧師 (Billy Graham) 的事工開始之前，他受到十九世紀的自由主义神学 (Liberal Christianity) 的衝擊，使他甚為困惑，甚至對上帝失去信心。後來有位老姊妹教導他關於尊重聖經權威，並強調「耶和華如此說 (Thus saith the Lord)」的重要性，他就在某一個晚上皎潔的月光之下，重新悔改，後成為廿世紀眾所周知的偉大佈道家。這是在他自傳《Just as I Am》中所述的故事。當保羅說「不允許女人教導男人」時，他的意思是指當時 (甚至現今) 有些女人在男人面前指三指四，大不得體。「教導」也可指女人在姊妹中間，八八卦卦一些「流言蜚语」, 這當然是應該禁止的。
有些教會的章程是規定不許女人講道的。就好像「未受洗不能領聖餐」一樣，兩者雖不是聖經所禁止，但因從另一方面來看，聖經也教導教會的行事，必須有規有矩，因此，只要你是會友就應尊重教會的規章，作為順服的表達。但我不同意把規章中的「禁令」，視為聖經教義的要求 (doctrinal requirement)。如果上帝賜給姊妹講道的恩賜，我們有甚麼理由因著她們的性別而禁止她們在話語方面的事奉呢？再者，觀看教會歷史，特別是在宣教運動 (mission movement) 展開之後，女人講道在宣教職場上非常普遍，且起了至關重要的作用，這是無可厚非的。
Are Women Allowed to Preach?
This is a well-known controversial issue. Since I’ve been asked away this question, I’m not bashful to respond but to speak bluntly without euphemism about my personal opinion. Since I label it as an “opinion”, I will not make it absolute, but only state my reasons for readers to meditate. First, let’s consider two verses:
(A) 1 Corinthian 11:5
「And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head–it is just as though her head were shaved.」
This verse clearly implies that women are allowed to pray or preach in public. The English translation for “preaching” means “prophesying”. The Bible is full of prophecies; thus, expository preaching is tantamount to prophesying. But is there a limit to a woman’s preaching? There is. She must cover her head. But what does it mean to cover the head? Let’s look at the next verse.
(B) I Corinthians 11:15
「But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.
“Covering the head” does not just mean “covering the head with a scarf”. Paul extends the textile scarf to a woman’s “long hair”. The scarf signifies submission. Preachers (whether male or female) are to submit to the authority of the Bible. Paul equates “long hair” with “scarf” to mean that a woman must act like a woman. In some cases, female pastors, in order to show their authority, shout like men on the podium, completely losing their feminine nature, and even almost inappropriate. This is what Paul warns.
From (A) and (B) we come to this conclusion:
Bible does not prohibit a woman from preaching so long as she preaches in a manner compatible with a woman.
Why is there such an issue in the first place? In fact, this issue stems from only one verse in the Bible:
(C) 1 Tim 2:12
「I do not permit a woman to preach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 」
Why “preaching” and “authority over men” link together? Another version translates “preach” as “teaching.”
“I do not permit” is an emphatic phrase, but we must know what it is that Paul “forbids”. The English translation “preach” is the word “teaching.” Don’t men also need to be taught? Before Billy Graham’s ministry began, he was hit by the Nineteenth-Century Liberal Christianity, which confused him and even made him lose confidence in God. Later, an old church woman taught him about respecting the authority of the Bible by emphasizing the important and repeating phrase, “Thus saith the Lord”. He repented under the bright moonlight one night, and henceforth became a well-known evangelist in the twentieth century. This is a story told in his autobiography “Just as I Am“. When Paul says, “Women are not allowed to teach men,” the context was that there were some women back then (and even today) who would wag fingers in front of men, which was inappropriate. “Teaching” can also refer to “gossiping” among women within the church, which of course should be prohibited.
Some church bylaws stipulate that women are not allowed to preach; it is somewhat like “unbaptized are not allowed to take communion.” Although both are not prohibited by the Bible, however, from another point of view, the Bible also teaches that the church must operate in an orderly manner. Bylaws are designed for that purpose. So as long as one is holding a church membership, one should respect the bylaws as an act of submission to authority. But I do not agree with such “prohibition” is instituted in the name of biblical doctrine. If God has given women the gift of preaching, why should we forbid them from participating in the Word Ministries merely because of their gender? Furthermore, looking at the church history throughout generations, especially after the development of the Mission Movement, woman-preaching is undeniably very common and has played a vital role in the mission fields.
