women for pastors

²⁴Now a certain Jew named Apollo, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man who was powerful with the Scriptures, arrived at Ephesus. ²⁵He was learned in the Way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching the things that are of Jesus, but knowing only the baptism of John. ²⁶And so, he began to act faithfully in the synagogue. And when Priscilla and Aquila had heard him, they took him aside and expounded the Way of the Lord to him more thoroughly.

¹Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is in the ministry of the church, which is at Cenchreae, ²so that you may receive her in the Lord with the worthiness of the saints, and so that you may be of assistance to her in whatever task she will have need of you. For she herself has also assisted many, and myself also. ³Greet Prisca and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, ⁴who have risked their own necks on behalf of my life, for whom I give thanks, not I alone, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

³⁶So now, did the Word of God proceed from you? Or was it sent to you alone? ³⁷If anyone seems to be a prophet or a spiritual person, he should understand these things which I am writing to you, that these things are the commandments of the Lord. ³⁸If anyone does not recognize these things, he should not be recognized. ³⁹And so, brothers, be zealous to prophesy, and do not prohibit speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰But let everything be done respectfully and according to proper order.

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither servant nor free; there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you are Christ’s, then are you the offspring of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

¹⁶But if anyone has a mind to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor does the Church of God.

⁷Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and fellow captives, who are noble among the Apostles, and who were in Christ prior to me.

¹⁹The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you greatly in the Lord, with the church of their household, where I also am a guest.

¹Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ. ²Now I praise you, brothers, because you are mindful of me in everything, in such a way as to hold to my precepts as I have handed them down to you. ³So I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ. But the head of woman is man. Yet truly, the head of Christ is God. ⁴Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraces his head. ⁵But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered disgraces her head. For it is the same as if her head were shaven. ⁶So if a woman is not veiled, let her hair be cut off. Truly then, if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off, or to have her head shaven, then she should cover her head.

¹After these things, having departed from Athens, he arrived at Corinth. ²And upon finding a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with Priscilla his wife, (because Claudius had ordered all Jews to depart from Rome,) he met with them. ³And because he was of the same trade, he lodged with them and was working. (Now they were tentmakers by trade.)

⁸and all women shall take husbands from their same tribe, so that the inheritance may remain within the families,

¹³Then, on the Sabbath day, we were walking outside the gate, beside a river, where there seemed to be a prayer gathering. And sitting down, we were speaking with the women who had assembled. ¹⁴And a certain woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple in the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened. And the Lord opened her heart to be receptive to what Paul was saying. ¹⁵And when she had been baptized, with her household, she pleaded with us, saying: “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, enter into my house and lodge there.” And she convinced us.