Join us in a study led by Flagstone leadership that will involve a deep dive into the Word in order to discover together the true meaning and intent of scriptures and to determine if there are insights that enable us to pursue and fulfill our mission to an even greater extent. Our first topic will be the role of women in the church.

Women in Church - Class Guide Download

9/11/2022 – Tools for Better Insight

Are there some instructions and commands in scripture that apply to all Christians and all churches at all times in all cultures? Are there some instructions and commands that only apply to a certain group of Christians in certain cultures under certain circumstances? No matter what criteria we use to determine if certain commands in the Bible are “essential” or “negotiable,” most of us are somewhat inconsistent in how we apply that criteria. As we begin our study of the role of women in churches, we want to share some practical tools and some insights that can help us determine the original meaning of a certain scripture and how those words apply to us today.

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9/18/2022 – Women in Scripture + Context

As we look at women’s roles in church as defined by scripture, it’s important for us to get a clearer picture of how women were viewed and treated over the different centuries that the Bible was written. What was life like for women living in Bible times? Was there a difference between mankind’s view of women and God’s view?

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9/25/2022 – Head Coverings

In 1 Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul spends quite a bit of time talking about head coverings. But who is supposed to have their heads covered and why? And what, if anything, do head coverings have to do with what women are able to do in the church?
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10/2/2022 – 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 (Pt 1)

1 Corinthians 11 seems to allow, even endorse, women praying and prophesying publicly, as long as they have their heads covered. But then 1 Corinthians 14 says that women are to be silent in the church. Is the Bible contradicting itself? Did Paul change his mind in the middle of writing his letter? Or is there something else being addressed? We need to dive more deeply into 1 Corinthians 14 and see if we can get a clearer picture of what the Bible says about women speaking in church.
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10/9/2022 – 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 (Pt 2)

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14 that women are to be silent in the assembly. Is he talking about all women everywhere at all times? Is he talking about certain situations? Could he just be talking to a specific group of women? Or could there even be something else going on that he’s addressing? We’re trying to get a clearer picture of what Paul intended in his original letter so that we can get a clearer picture of how to apply those words today.

10/16/2022 – 1 Timothy 2:11-15

Many people see the instructions Paul gives to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2 as instructions about worship, including how women are to conduct themselves. But is Paul actually talking about the worship assembly in this text? And how does his message here coincide with what he says in 1 Corinthians?

 

 

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10/23/2022 – 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Pt 2

We continue our discussion of 1 Timothy 2. Is Paul addressing all women in a worship assembly, or is Paul talking about husbands and wives in a marriage relationship?

10/30/2022 – 1 Timothy 3:11

In the middle of addressing character traits for elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3, Paul mentions character traits of a certain group of women. The two dominant perspectives on the identity of these women is that either they were wives of deacons or they were female deacons (deaconesses). So what role did these women fill in the church? And what does that mean for women in the church today?

11/6/2022 – Looking Forward

Our leadership summarizes the previous weeks’ classes, shares where this study originated, and shares some of their vision for the future of Flagstone based on what we’ve learned from this study.