He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Acts 18:26 ESV

Entering (Tiptoeing or striding you decide!) into day two of this area, I confess that I may be inadequate to debate all the details of where women fit in with leadership in the church. What I can do is share both from my personal experience as well as from a biblical basis, as to why women need to be included in some leadership roles in God’s church. Yes, Paul does say that he wants women to be silent in the church (1 Corinthians 14:34), but I promise to address that on day three. Today let’s simply take a deep breath, step back and look at the New Testament church as a whole. What we will find is that there were definitely times when women are speaking and in today’s verse, Priscilla, together with her husband Aquila took aside Apollos. This man Apollos was one of the preeminent leaders of the Greek church and one whom the Apostle Paul considered an equal to himself and to Peter (see I Corinthians 3:5). Together this godly couple, pointed out some things that Apollos needed to learn and he willingly listened. Notice, the verse doesn’t say that Aquila took him aside, but that together as a team, they both explained the word of God to him. Their teaching was not just an interesting detail but something that was vital for Apollos to learn about the gospel, so that he could fulfill his own calling. Now if a woman could be included in teaching a great leader like Apollos, then surely women have a role to play today that we should not overlook.

Secondly, not only as in today’s verse, may women assist their husband in shepherding God’s flock, but they are also called to share their own special testimony of what God has brought them through. Let’s return to yesterday where we looked at the life of Corrie Ten Boom. Beginning in the 1950’s, she travelled all over the world speaking about God’s grace and forgiveness based on her life experience at the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany during World War Two. Corrie, not only wrote extensively, but had a film made of her time at the camp made called, “The Hiding Place.” Or what of the writing and speaking of Lisa Beamer, whose husband Todd died in the downing of flight 93 on 9/11? Should she have spoken at the Wheaton College chapel in 2021? In our own fourteen years of service on the staff of a Brazilian church, my wife and I were often blessed by the ministry of the pastor’s wife. She held the title of “Pastora”. When she spoke, it was almost always about developing an intimate relationship with God in prayer, which was something she had learned from the hours she spent on her knees interceding for others. So as I end today, my prayer is that these insights will do more than ruffle feathers or stimulate debate. I sincerely hope that they will all look more deeply into the wonderful complexity of the subject of women in leadership roles. If we are careful, prayerful and open to all the counsel of God’s word on the subject we just may open a door for more of what God has for all of us in His church today! Now, stay tuned for day three!