Week 36: Listen to HER

By www.Remnant7.com

I have a dear friend, Barbara Calloway, a prophetess. While preaching the gospel in London, an individual repeatedly posted negative comments simply because she was proclaiming God’s Word in the pulpit as a woman. Because she is dear to my heart, and because I understand God’s revelation concerning the full Truth, I have something to say to both men and women who misinterpret, misunderstand, and misuse God’s Word to belittle, silence, oppress, and suppress women in local assemblies.

From the opening pages of the Bible to the birth of the early church, God consistently entrusted women with His words and work. They were not merely observers in His story; they were leaders, prophetesses, teachers, financiers, missionaries, and protectors of the covenant.

Yet throughout history, their voices have often been minimized or silenced by culture, tradition, male-dominated societies, and misinterpretation of certain biblical passages. So truthfully, I’m writing this devotion for all my sisters in the faith. Let your haters read, and weep!

The testimony of Scripture tells a very different story from the pessimistic opinions of those who do not fully know the God of the Bible. God never hesitated to raise up women as His spokespeople, shepherds, and leaders.

And when we listen carefully, we discover a truth the Bible quietly proclaims again and again: true women of God cannot be silenced.

Women Who Carried the Voice of God

Rachel the shepherdess of Israel, according to Genesis 29:9, is one of the earliest images of a woman in leadership. Scripture tells us plainly: “Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd.” She was the fifth shepherd mentioned in the entire Bible.

Throughout Scripture, shepherds become a symbol of spiritual leadership. Moses was a shepherd. David was a shepherd. Ultimately, Christ would be called the Good Shepherd.

Rachel’s story quietly reminds us that God was already placing women in roles of responsibility and trust within the covenant family.

Miriam, the prophetess led worship, according to Exodus 15:20. After the Red Sea miracle, it was Miriam who led Israel in worship. Scripture calls her a prophetess, one who speaks the words of God. She stood alongside her brothers Moses and Aaron as one of the leaders of Israel. God’s voice did not come through men alone; it also came through the prophetic voices of women.

Deborah was a Judge of Israel, according to Judges 4–5. She was a prophetess, a judge, a military strategist, and a national leader. When the army hesitated, Deborah summoned Barak and commanded him with the word of the Lord. Because he hesitated, she told him the honor of victory would go to a woman, and it did. Deborah proves something unmistakable: God is never reluctant to place authority in the hands of a faithful woman.

Ruth was a faithful Moabite, according to Ruth 1–4. As an outsider to Israel, through her courage she became the great-grandmother of King David. The kingdom of God has never been restricted by gender, ethnicity, or status. In Christ, there is neither male nor female.

Queen Esther saved a nation, Esther 4:14, when genocide threatened the Jewish people, God positioned Esther in the royal court. Her courage before the king saved an entire nation. Mordecai’s words echo across history: “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther reminds us that sometimes God raises women into places of influence to protect His people.

Other Women Who Walked With Christ

The ministry of Jesus crushed cultural expectations. In a society where women were often excluded from religious leadership, Jesus welcomed them as disciples and partners in ministry:

Mary Magdalene was the first witness of the resurrection. Joanna helped finance Jesus’ ministry.

Susanna was a supporter of the mission.

Mary of Bethany sat at Jesus’ feet as a disciple.

The Samaritan woman became the first evangelist to her town.

Women were not merely recipients of Jesus’ teaching. They were messengers of it. The first proclamation of the resurrection, the cornerstone of the Christian faith, was delivered by women. How could this not matter to you?

Women Who Labored in the Gospel With Paul

The early church continued this pattern. The apostle Paul worked closely with women who played essential roles in spreading the gospel:

Phoebe, in Romans 16:1–2, called a deacon and patron of many believers.

Priscilla, in Acts 18:26, helped teach Apollos; her name appears before her husband’s, indicating prominence.

Junia, in Romans 16:7, is called “outstanding among the apostles”.

Euodia and Syntyche, in Philippians 4:2–3, co-laborers in ministry who contended alongside Paul.

Why Did Paul Tell Women to Be Silent?

Two passages are often misunderstood: 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 and 1 Timothy 2:11–12. Context matters. There was chaos in Corinth. Church gatherings in Corinth had become disorderly. People interrupted one another, shouted prophetic messages, and spoke in tongues without interpretation. Paul called certain groups to temporary silence, not just women, but including some women disrupting the service. The issue was order, not the permanent silencing of women, especially since he acknowledges women praying and prophesying publicly (1 Corinthians 11:5).

Only people who lean into chauvinistic, male-dominated interpretations of Scripture try to silence the voices God Himself has called.

False Teaching in Ephesus

In Ephesus, some women were spreading false doctrine influenced by pagan teachings. Paul temporarily restricted teaching until they were properly instructed. Even the command to “let a woman learn in quietness” was revolutionary, it recognized her right to learn and be trained in a structured setting. Paul was protecting the church from doctrinal confusion, not silencing women permanently.

The Spirit Cannot Be Silenced

On the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted the prophet Joel in Acts 2:17, “Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.”

Daughters, women, females, do not allow the enemy to silence you. The Spirit of God is poured out on both men and women. The gospel did not create silence; it created voices. Voices of prophecy. Voices of leadership. Voices of courage.

So What Does This Tell Us About Jesus?

Jesus consistently elevated those whom society tried to diminish. He spoke with women others ignored. He taught women others excluded. He trusted women others dismissed.

And when the greatest news in history—the resurrection—needed to be announced, Jesus chose women as the first witnesses.

The kingdom of God is not built on the silencing of voices. It is built on the faithfulness of those willing to speak when God calls them.

To My Brothers

Do not let cultural language shield you from the heart of God. We are told bishops must be men, as if God’s authority depends on male leadership. Yet the Church—Christ’s bride—is described in feminine language. If the most sacred body in creation is feminine, how can tradition claim women cannot lead, teach, or speak? This teaching contradicts the underlining foundation of theology. It collapses in the face of God. It defies the Scripture. It demolishes history. Just as the bride is indispensable to Christ, women are indispensable to God’s work. To silence them is to miss His heart.

To my sisters in the faith, I say: do not shut up or sit down when God has called you to:

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isaiah 58:1).