One of the arguments Luther Lee makes in “A Woman’s Right to Preach the Gospel” that really stood out to me was his point that God’s calling should matter more than human tradition. He challenges the belief that only men can preach simply because that had been the custom for so long. Instead, he asks people to look at whether God is clearly using and gifting women for ministry. I think that is a strong and practical argument. If someone is preaching the gospel, helping people grow in faith, and showing evidence of the Holy Spirit in their life, it seems hard to argue that God did not call them just because they are a woman.
I also liked that Lee did not base his message only on opinions or social ideas. He used Scripture to support what he was saying. He points to women in the Bible like Deborah, Priscilla, and Phoebe, who all played important roles in God’s work. He also mentions that women were the first people to witness the resurrection of Jesus and were trusted to share that news with others. That really stood out to me because if Jesus trusted women with the greatest news in history, it says a lot about how He viewed their role in ministry.
One question I still have involves passages like 1 Corinthians 14:34, where women are told to remain silent in church. From a seminar I attended at The Recovery Church National Conference, I learned that verses like this should be read alongside other passages such as 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, where women are clearly praying and prophesying in worship, as well as Galatians 3:26-28 and Colossians 3:11, which emphasize equality in Christ. It was also explained that these passages need to be understood in their cultural setting and through the lens of the priesthood of all believers found in Exodus 19:6 and 1 Peter 2:5-9. We also see examples of women actively serving in ministry, such as Priscilla alongside Aquila instructing Apollos, and Euodia and Syntyche laboring with Paul in the gospel. Another interesting point was that the Greek word often translated “head” may sometimes be better understood as “source,” which can change how certain passages are interpreted. Those ideas gave me a lot to think about and helped me see why this issue is more complex than reading one verse by itself.
Overall, I thought Lee’s sermon was bold and ahead of its time. In 1853, it probably took a lot of courage to publicly defend women in ministry. What I appreciate most is that he focused on what God is doing in people’s lives rather than just protecting traditions. That connects well with the Wesleyan tradition, which has often emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit and making room for people whom God has called.