God created male and female essentially equal, and both together in the image of God (Gen. 1:26,27), and yet he did create two sexes, not one. Female is different from Male, yet it is the two sexes together that are the image of God. We may not fully comprehend it, but God does nothing without a reason. He created the two sexes with intention that a man and a woman should "cleave" or be united and "become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24), and it is together that God blessed them (Gen. 1:28). Notice that there is no mention of one sex leading or dominating the other at this point; rather they are told to rule over creation.

New Testament teaching blends the literal and the metaphorical senses of this fact of creation. Paul references this in Ephesians 5, where he compares the relationship of husband and wife to the relationship of Christ and the ekklesia. Note that ekklesia is a feminine noun; while it is dangerous to confuse grammatical gender with human sex, it is interesting nonetheless, especially given Paul's metaphore.¹

In 1 Timothy 2:13,14, Paul makes reference to the creation as he deals with issues of false teachers. Much has been made of the fact that he states "... Adam was formed first, then Eve." Many have said that Paul makes an appeal to the order of creation to show a natural patriarchal order to human relations. But, that is reading too much in to what Paul says, for the animals were created before humans, and yet receive no natural dominance from that fact. Indeed, as we saw above, the order ordained by God is mankind—as male and female together—over all the rest of creation. Paul seems to be simply stating the facts of creation to point out that both sexes are responsible for sin: Eve because she was deceived, Adam through rebellion. Just as both sexes are a part of the image of God in the beginning, both are a part of the fall.

Act 2:16-21 is a quote of Joel 2:28-32. Especially notice verses 17 and 18 (NIV):

   'In the last days, God says,
       I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
   Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
       your young men will see visions,
       your old men will dream dreams.
   Even on my servants, both men and women,
       I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
       and they will prophesy."

Paul explains prophecy this way in 1 Corinthians 14:2-4 (NIV): "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church." In other words, prophecy is only useful if it is done for the benefit of the church. True, that benefit could accrue from a prophetess sharing her with her husband or father to present to the church, but is that not really a technicality we might choose to uphold our scruples, while it is still the woman who is prophesying?

propheteuo (Strong's 4395) means "to prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict; to prophesy with the idea of foretelling future events pertaining esp. to the kingdom of God; to utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation; to break forth under sudden impulse in lofty discourse or praise of the divine counsels; under like prompting, to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others; to act as a prophet, discharge the prophetic office."²  This is used 28 times in the New Testament, including the Acts and 1 Corinthians passages.

The related word propheteia (Strong's 4394) means "prophecy, a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; esp. by foretelling future events. Used in the NT of the utterance of OT prophets; of the prediction of events relating to Christ's kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions pertaining to it, the spirit of prophecy, the divine mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due; of the endowment and speech of the Christian teachers called prophets; the gifts and utterances of these prophets, esp. of the predictions of the works of which, set apart to teach the gospel, will accomplish for the kingdom of Christ."³  This is used nineteen times in the New Testament, including the 1 Corinthians passage.

So we see that the words "prophecy" and "prophesy" of necessity include the concept of public communication. That Peter quotes Joel in declaring that "both men and women ... will prophesy" leaves us with a problem if we declare that women have no place in the public expounding of God's will. Indeed, God is not bound by our scruples or traditions, and uses women such as Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Anna and the daughters of Philip to declare his will to his people. If God has called women to proclaim his word, who are we to tell them they cannot?

—Thomas Dockery, Jr., Spring 2003