Chapter 5

Go Tell My Brothers

I need you to really understand the Body of Christ and see it from the perspective that if you are married, your wife was given to you as a helpmeet. In the traditional churches in the United States, the mainstream, traditional apostolic and Pentecostal churches, the husband is the pastor. When you go into these churches, you can immediately tell who the pastor’s wife is. She is that homely, little woman with a little hat on her head sitting in the corner displaying little or no life, having no part in what her husband is doing. God gave her to him as a helpmeet that he refuses to allow her gifts to come forth, aiding him in ministry. The sad part is that most men in that situation prefer it that way and most of these men in that situation fall into sinful ways. God is trying to correct this because it is first a gender issue, and He is taking His body back from man’s ideologies and from man’s doctrines. In doing so, He wants us to bring the creation, husband and wife, back together.

They were given dominionship. When you have a wife, she is supposed to work with you in whatever you do . . . especially in the church. If she does not know how, then you are supposed to train her and lead her. Contrary to popular thought, some people have an erroneous interpretation of a woman in ministry. Because you may see some women in ministry in such abusive situations, it does not mean women are abusive. The average woman wants to work with her husband in ministry. When there is the reverse of that, when the man is in ministry and his wife is not in ministry, she almost moves to a place where she hates the church. She doesn’t want to be there.

She doesn’t like half the saints because they treat her like her husband treats her. Because he treats her as if she is insignificant, a nobody and this is how others then treat her. In order for us to move forward now we have to go back into our homes and undo the wrongs in our houses because that is our first evangelistic crusade. If we cannot go back and rectify those situations, God says we are not worthy to work inside His house. God gave Adam and Eve dominionship. When He made Adam, God called them Adam and visibly had He then only made man. Eve was in Adam when God formed him. Even though Eve was Adam’s wife, and the wife must be in submission to her husband, the power God gave him and her together to subdue the earth did not change. He told them both to subdue the earth and gave them both dominionship over the fish of the sea, the fowls of the air and everything that crept upon the face of the earth.

They had the same dominionship and were both capable of working in the same arena. But in order for them to subdue planet Earth, they could only do it under the power of God. Men operate as if the power of the woman comes from the man. That’s erroneous. Not only do they operate as if the power of the woman comes from the man, they operate as if the authority for her to operate comes from the man.

A man is under the erroneous interpretation that his wife can do nothing except what he tells her to do. This has nothing to do with submission. God created both of you. If He wants to use your wife, you shouldn’t have a problem with it. If you see God using your wife, you should be pleased. The power for your wife to operate and have authority comes from God and not from you. This is going to be a hard saying for some because it attacks man’s ego and destroys it. Some men are under the erroneous perception that God cannot instruct wives to serve Him unless you give your approval. On the contrary, we found out that God will call wives to do Him a service, won’t say anything and won’t even ask your permission. If she obeys God, He will then come back and deal with you later. Consider Joseph and Mary. God waited until Mary was showing before He ever spoke to Joseph. He knew He was obligated to tell Joseph, but He wanted to show man something. God wanted to show man that, “I am your Creator and her Creator and the authority comes from me. It does not come from you. She is to operate in the arena where I placed her. You are not the one who determines where she operates. If I tell her to do something she is supposed to do what I say. If she obeys Me, I will deal with you. I will let you know it is I.” In the past God has gone into some homes and because He began to use some women in His service, the men had a problem with it.

The husbands, the pastors and even the men in the church have had a problem. God will perform miraculously through that woman and they will even know what she is doing is of God, but because of their theology, their pride, they will refuse to accept her and will feel threatened. This mentality came out of slavery and has carried over into the church. In America, when Blacks started being placed in the corporate positions and on corporate jobs, the high paying positions were given to the black woman first. One of the reasons the black woman was elevated over the male came about because of the double minority.

Certain quotas had to be met and she was not only black, but a female and because of this double minority, she had the advantage over the man. Consequently, the black woman began to earn more than the black man allowing her to be somewhat independent of some of the captivities she was under in the house. The man became disturbed by this, but he was only a captive of his own mind by his attitude toward his woman. God wants to move man’s ego out of the way. Both man and woman are His creation. What He sees is one flesh. God does not see male or female in Christ. He is not a respecter of persons. If He asks us not to see one another after the flesh, He does not see us after the flesh. As far as God is concerned all flesh is the same and He is not concerned with gender. This is one of the issues God wants you to settle in your spirit.

1 Corinthians 11:1-2

1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

Paul is answering a letter the Corinthian elders wrote to him. Corinth was a most rebellious church. The Judaizers had come into their work there and tried to bring the Christians back into Judaism. These customs they were writing to Paul about were Judaic and hedonistic customs.

1 Corinthians 11:3

3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

The first thing Paul is doing is meeting them right where they are. He is rehearsing what they believe. When you look for the word “woman” it means the same as “wife.” He is not talking about the head of every woman is man, because some women do not have a husband. If she does not have a husband or a father, then who is her head? Any man who comes along and says I am your head? No, Jesus Christ is her head. You have to keep this is in the context it was written. He is saying the head of Christ is God, the head of Christ is the man and the head of the wife is the husband. The question is whether a woman should keep her head covered when she prays and prophesies in the church. Prophesying encompasses a lot of things: teaching, preaching and foretelling the future.

1 Corinthians 11:4

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

If a man comes into church praying or prophesying and has something over his head, the scripture says he is dishonoring his head because his head is Christ. One of the reasons he uses Christ is because Christ is relative to the anointing. With the anointing doing the work of the ministry, he has Christ on his head. It is not feasible for him to put a covering over his head because of Christ. The power of God is his covering.

1 Corinthians 11:5

5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

They believed when a woman came into the church praying or prophesying (doing the work of the ministry), she should have something over her head because she was a married woman. When you cover your head it means you are in submission to your husband, you are under the authority of your husband. This applies when she goes out in the street. Notice that the Jewish women cover their heads to show they are married women and under authority. The single, virgin women cover their heads to show that they were under authority of their fathers. That was a Jewish custom. They said it is not good for women to be in the church prophesying without a covering over their head. When her head was covered and she was ministering in the church, it told others her husband or her father allowed her to perform this ministry.

1 Corinthian 11:6-7

6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

Your wife is your glory . . . not every woman. God is given glory by all the creation that is in submission to Him. Those out of submission do not glorify God, only those in submission to God glorify Him. Your glory comes from the woman who is in submission to you, your wife.

1 Corinthian 11:8

8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

This was the Adamic belief system that God handed down. Paul was writing that what they are saying is true, but showing them the significance of what they were saying.

1 Corinthians 11:9-10

9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

Paul says, “When I look at the Adamic creation, that’s where you are.” The man is not of the woman, but the woman is of the man. The man did not come out of the woman, the woman came out of the man. She is supposed to be subordinate to him. For her to put this little thing on her head . . . angels do not understand this. If she operates in spiritual things, the angels need to recognize a power that allows her to operate in the spiritual arena they dwell in. They are her ministering spirits. If she is a lawful operator in the Spirit world, she has to have power on her head. Her husband does not give her power and neither does this little cloth. Her power is the same as his. Christ must be on her head just as He is on the man’s. That’s the only thing the angels recognize. The angels recognize the power of Christ. Paul says because she was made for man to be his helpmate and his helpmate in spiritual things also, she has to have power on her head too.

This is that power that only comes from God that the angels will recognize that God Himself had authorized. It is the same thing God did in the Garden of Eden. He did it in the church. He gave them dominionship. He gave Eve the same power He gave Adam, and it did not change the fact that Adam was her head. Her head, Adam, was not able to give her power to operate. It took God to give her power inside creation. Her power and authorization to work, did not come from Adam.

Marriage was an institution of the flesh. Adam had dominion over her body as it related to her being his wife. But when it came down to what she could do for God, God is the one who authorized and empowered her. Nobody selects people to work for God. God selects His own servants and does not give that authority to man. You do not know who to pick. God is the one. He said many are called but few are chosen. So you cannot choose what your wife does for God. God is the one who chooses what she will do because He is the one who has to anoint her and equip her to do the work. Whatever she does for Him, she is going to do it in the presence of holy angels. These angels are going to operate according to the power of God on her head.

1 Corinthians 11:11

11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

If there was not a woman, there would be no man. You all need each other, period. Origin does not matter, and who comes first in God is of no significance. He is talking about servitude to God, your place in Christ and that there is no gender in Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:12-13

12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

People read this wrong. When you start telling them about the loosing of women, they are going to take you to these types of scriptures. You need to know what they mean and how to explain them.

1 Corinthians 11:14-16

14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

There is no custom that a woman has to walk around with a veil over her head to show she is under man’s power. She is under the power of God, and I would not let her operate if she did not have the power of God. They have the same power men have. So if she walks into church with nothing but her hair to cover her, God gave her that to cover her head in the natural. In the Spirit world, He gave her His power.

1 Timothy 2:9-15

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

He is talking about a domestic situation. The word “silence” means submission-that she is not to officiously meddle in the business of the man. In other words, in the household the man is the final authority. If he says we are going to do something, then he is the final authority on that issue. “She should learn in silence,” means she should not argue with him. She can tell him her suggestions, but is to operate in submission to what he says. She is to respect him as her husband and as head of the home. There are some times when a man may do things that are detrimental to the household and she has a right to say, “Honey, I don’t think you should do that. That’s not God.” Do not come to your husband authoritatively. That is not your place, he is your head. Come to him in humble submission. If he does not hear you, or what you are telling him of God, God will deal with him. Just keep flesh out of the way. Do not rise up in anger or in negative character.

Do not war against the character of Christ. Be silent and in submission. Carry a sweet and humble spirit even if he is doing something you do not think he should. Remember, even in being silent and in submission, there are still boundaries. When it comes down to being silent and in submission, the husband does not have power over the wife’s conscience. He does not have the right to tell her to do anything she feels is not God. If it defiles her conscience, she has the right to say no. You must always obey your God and He will straighten out your husband, father or your pastor. Just obey God.

The husband does not have authority over his wife’s conscience, only her body. When he talks about “I suffer not a woman to teach, not to usurp authority over a man,” he’s talking about a wife to teach or instruct her husband as it relates to the business of the house. He is supposed to be the instructor in the house. The word “usurp” means to seize by force. She is not to seize her way by force or adversity. She is supposed to stay in submission. If she is righteous, God will vindicate her righteousness.

1 Corinthians 14:34

34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

This also was another of their issues. Paul was not telling the women to keep silent in church, the elders were saying this. He repeated their question and then gave them the answer. The issue was: “women need to shut up in the church and not say anything.” Here was a group of Christian elders who were trying to bring the women, who had been liberated from the law, back under the law. This was pure corruption and apostasy.

1 Corinthians 14:35

35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

In Judaism, women did not talk in the synagogues. They were not even allowed to come into the same room with the men in the church. The women were separated and even had to strain to hear what was being said. Can you imagine Paul bringing anybody under the law? If he did that, he would be rebuilding the things Christ had abolished.

1 Corinthians 14:36

36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?

God had made His whole creation free and now you want to take half of the creation putting it back into bondage so you can reign supreme. You men feel you cannot feel like men unless women are in bondage. Paul said, “Did you start this thing? When the Holy Ghost came out of heaven, did it just come to you, man? This thing did not come out of you, and it did not come to you only. If any man think himself a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. If any man be ignorant, let him stay ignorant.” Paul said, “I am not saying anything else about this. God will deal with you where you are. God brought His whole creation out of bondage and you are not going to put it back under bondage.”

1 Corinthians 12:18

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

This includes the wife. He set her to operate in a place that pleases Him, not you. God chooses all of us according to our several abilities. He gave all of us a measure of faith to operate according to our submission to Him. Some of you may have wives, mothers or sisters who are in submission to God more than you are. God is going to use the vessel that is in submission to Him, regardless of its gender.

1 Corinthians 12:19-21

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

Those members in the Body that seem to be more feeble are necessary. The weaker parts are necessary. The male factor in the Body of Christ is not feeble in the natural. You already have honor.

1 Corinthians 12:22-23

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

Many still believe it is not honorable for a woman to be preaching the gospel, but it is honorable for a man; that it is not common for a woman to preach the gospel or be the pastor of a church, but have no problem with a man preaching the gospel, pastoring a church or calling himself an apostle, so God had to temper the Body so it would not be one-sided or have any schisms. The woman has no honor as a pastor or an apostle among men. So God have her more honor in the Spirit. God had to put more grace on women and give them more power.

1 Corinthians 12:24

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked . . .

God says the part that is uncomely, that’s the one I have to bestow more grace upon. That is why you see women coming forth now with the power of God. Men are dishonoring them but God is honoring them. Men are disgracing them, saying all evil about them, calling them Jezebels and witches but God has given them the power of the Holy Ghost. He is giving them revelations the man has to come and hear. In some cases, He is using some women to give them revelation from heaven because He made some of us apostles. The apostle is the one responsible for setting the order in the Body.