![]() Yet there is work for holy women, and we read of Peter’s wife’s mother that she arose and ministered to Christ. I share the apostle Paul’s feelings when he bade women be silent in the assembly. Peter’s wife’s mother did not get out of bed and go down the street and deliver an address to an assembled multitude. Preaching on Matthew 8:14, 15, “First Healing and the Service,” Spurgeon commends the example of Peter’s mother-in-law:īut notice that what this good woman did was very appropriate. ![]() When it came to the gathering of the church, Spurgeon believed that, according to Scripture, women were not to preach. At the same time, his predominant emphasis was on calling women to engage in ministry in all the other ways that were available to them. Spurgeon believed that the preaching of the Word in the gathering of the church was restricted to men, along with the office of elders and deacons. Given his non-traditional views in other areas, what was Spurgeon’s view on women preaching? And beyond preaching, what was Spurgeon’s view on the role of women in the church? Many of the newer denominations and sects, like the Society of Friends or the Salvation Army, were drawing attention by allowing women to preach in their gatherings. While our debates may seem fresh, the question of the role of women in the church was something with which Christians wrestled back in the 19 th century. In our day, the ongoing conversation about complementarianism has brought Spurgeon back into a fresh controversy. Christ alone was the Head of the Church, ruling the church by his Spirit through his Word. So much of Spurgeon’s controversial ministry was tearing down the extra-biblical traditions of churches in his day to get the gospel out. has left to us his Statute-book, sufficient to guide us in every dilemma. Christ alone is the legislator of his church-none but he. Law-making in the church was finished in that day when the curse was pronounced on him who should take from or add to the word of God. Such necessary regulations as may be made for carrying out our Lord’s commands, to meet for worship, and to proclaim the gospel, are commendable, because they are acts needful to obedience to his highest laws but even these minor details are not tolerable if they clearly violate the spirit and mind of Jesus Christ. When we meet together in church-meeting we cannot make laws for the Lord’s kingdom we dare not attempt it. In his sermon, “The Head of the Church,” Spurgeon declared, But this commitment also meant that in areas where Scripture was clear, Spurgeon dared not trespass, no matter where his enlightened culture was going. This commitment meant that in areas where Scripture was silent, Spurgeon had the freedom to use wisdom and every available means to get the gospel out to the lost. Rather, he was committed to the teaching of Scripture. In all these practices, however, Spurgeon was not guided by a contrarian spirit or prideful enlightenment. Even among his fellow Baptists, Spurgeon adopted some unique practices, like appointing elders to serve alongside him. When his building became too full, Spurgeon moved his worship services into secular venues like the Royal Surrey Gardens Music Hall, where non-religious types felt comfortable attending. ![]() ![]() Upon his arrival in London, Spurgeon himself was at the forefront of this trend, as he rejected the traditional emphasis on oratory and rhetoric in preaching, and instead preached gospel-rich sermons in the language of the common person. Charles Spurgeon lived during the enlightened times of the 19 th century, where many challenged church traditions.
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