Is a woman actually supposed to submit her husband, or is that a different religion?

Sincerely,
Ladies First

Dear Ladies First,

The Scriptures do say that a woman needs to submit to her husband (Eph 5:33), but that doesn’t mean she has to submit to all men – just the man that she chooses to trust and spend the rest of her life with.  Furthermore, just as a wife has certain responsibilities to her husband, a husband is a servant to his wife.  A godly husband must love his wife as his own body (Eph 5:28).  He must also serve her with a sacrificial love, the same type of love that drove Christ to give Himself up for the church (Eph 5:25).  Marriages are built upon love and respect; they cannot function properly without a husband receiving the respect his soul desires and a wife receiving the love that her soul yearns for.  That is why it is so important that men and women marry people who will serve God and commit themselves to a Bible-guided marriage.

Why can't women be popes or nuns or whatever?

Sincerely,
Women’s Rights

Dear Women’s Rights,

Women can be nuns, but nuns are Catholic – not christian (the pope is also not a christian, but a Catholic).  In the church, the leadership is made up only of men.  Elders, deacons, and preachers are all men (1 Tim 3:1, 1 Tim 3:12, 1 Cor 14:34).  This isn't because men are better than women; it is because men and women have different responsibilities.  Being an elder, deacon, or preacher does come with honor, but it also comes with a stricter judgment (Jas 3:1, Heb 13:17).  We all have roles to fulfill in the church, and each role is different.

Having preached for the first time as a commissioned minister, I received a check for the service. I believe I should endorse the check and give it back as a ‘first fruits’ offering. As I wish to continue on this path, do you concur?

Sincerely,
It’s Harvest Time

Dear It’s Harvest Time,

You don’t have to give the money back as a contribution, but it certainly would be a blessing to do so. Whenever we give to God, we are the ones that are blessed the most (Php 4:17), not necessarily physically – but spiritually. When we give to God, we store up treasures for ourselves in heaven (Matt 6:20). Give cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7) and deliberately (1 Cor 16:2).

On a separate note, what is a “commissioned minister”? Could you show us a verse in the Bible that talks about that? Who does the commissioning? We are concerned because that terminology smacks of denominationalism and man-made religious ideas. As you are embarking on a lifetime of preaching, we would hate for you to get wrapped up in the religious confusion that is so often found in today’s churches. You will be asserting yourself as a teacher… and a teacher incurs a stricter judgment (Jas 3:1). The Bible only speaks of ministers. “Commissioned ministers”, “lay ministers”, “youth ministers”, “outreach ministers”, etc. are all man-made titles that have been added as people overcomplicate and warp the Bible. We recommend you read “Preacher Interrogation” and interrogate yourself to see whether or not you are planting a preaching career on solid Biblical ground.

In the Bible, who is responsible for most of the miracles?

Sincerely,
Keeping A Tally

Dear Keeping A Tally,

The short answer is: God.  God is responsible for ALL of the miracles in the Bible.  Anyone in the Bible that performed miracles performed them through God’s power (Acts 2:22).  As for who specifically performed the most miracles – there is no way of telling.  Even if you counted up all the miracles that we read about, it still wouldn’t answer the question because we know that there were miracles that the Bible didn’t record (Jhn 21:25).  The purpose of Biblical miracles was to bear witness to the men who were preaching (Jhn 3:2).  The miracles were proof to the people of that day that Jesus really was the Messiah and approved by God (Acts 2:22).

I'm confused about 1 Corinthians 11.  Is it saying that a man shouldn't have long hair?

Sincerely,
Buzz Cut

Dear Buzz Cut,

God designed men and women differently… this should be no surprise to anyone that has ever dealt with the opposite gender!  Men are to be the leaders in the home (Eph 5:23) and the church (Tit 1:5-6).  Women are the heart of the family (Tit 2:4-5), and men are not complete without them (1 Cor 11:12).  Both genders are equal heirs of salvation, but they are designed with different strengths and roles (1 Pet 3:7).  One way that God signifies this is by having men look different from women.  When women have long hair and men have short hair – it pleases God (1 Cor 11:14-15).  There are varying degrees of long and short hair, but ultimately – men are to look like men, and women are to look like women.  This principle is even borne out in the Old Testament (Deut 22:5).  The teachings of 1 Cor 11:1-16 are simply teaching that a woman’s long hair is a God-given covering for her head, and men are not to have that same covering due to their varying roles in leadership.