Brother Tom, are you saying that the body of Christ doesn’t exist? I’m confused.
I am a Christian, part of the body of Christ, and I win people to Christ all the time. I don’t see myself as dysfunctional – a bit sarcastic at times and prone to eating too much on the weekends – but not dysfunctional.
And, baptism IS a Christian (synonymous with church) ordinance.
Anyway, my whole point is that, if women are allowed to witness and lead people to Christ, why the hiccup on letting them do something infinitely less important than salvation – baptism? What are we afraid of?
We have to be sure we let Scripture talk to us and not let our prejudices (in this case our traditional ecclesiology) color our interpretation of Scripture. The great commission (all 5 times it is given) was to all Christians. And all Christians are expected to fulfill the whole commission (Eph 4:11-12).
And, Brother Bob, of course women can preach the gospel, they do it everyday and God honors their efforts with people saved all the time. Preaching the gospel is simply telling people about Jesus. The woman at the well (John 4) preached the gospel. And that whole “husband of one wife” thing is a red herring. First, the Greek is “one woman man” and second, there is also a list of requirements for a deaconess in the same passage (1 Tim 3:11).
You need to tell the Lord to remove this part from scripture, that it is a "red herring".
Titus:
5: For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7: For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8: But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9: Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
The bottom line: there is NO Scripture that forbids a woman from leading others to Christ, from baptizing or from discipling. The only thing women are barred from doing is pastoring a congregation.