What does it mean when someone usurps authority? Usurp means to seize and hold an office, place, functions or powers that belong to another, by force and without any right to do so.
Imagine being a general in the military. When you come into your office one morning there is a private sitting behind your desk making all of the decisions for the war that you are supposed to be making. You have been given that place of authority by the military. You are the general, he is the private. That’s what it means when someone usurps authority. They try to take over some place of authority that has not been granted to them.
This happens all over in the world today, but it certainly is not supposed to happen in the church.
The teachings of Jesus clearly state in 1 Timothy 2:12
…But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
A woman who usurps takes authority over a man, it doesn’t matter if they are your husband or you are single. This happens all the time in the world, but Jesus doesn’t want women to ever usurp men if the profess faith in Christ and His teachings. Remember, Jesus picked 12 men as apostles. They were leading the church in biblical teachings. To pick a woman in a church to be over men in any capacity or teaching them would be to reject biblical truth. Women were supposed to teach love in the home, not the bible.
Women were created to be helpers of men, not leaders or teachers of men. A man is the head of the house hold and makes the decisions, and a woman is to follow his leadership. God blesses that. When she doesn’t, she is usurping not only him, but the commands of Christ at the same time. Men also are to lead and run the church, not women. God has forbidden their participation in those places and commanded them to be silent.
The men were commanded to teach and preach the gospel of Christ. Women are forbidden to teach the scriptures in any capacity because they are meant to help the men in the community and expecially those men in church leadership. They can help men in all kinds of sweet activities around the home, raising children, feeding hungry mouths, and other inumerable good works that show the love of christ to the needy. Men are called to teach the gospel of Christ. These are two different purposes, but to the same end.
A woman of God will be filled with good works. They may approach the men of the church and ask for finances or things to fulfill some project or good work they are endeavoring to do. They may ask for clothes for the needy, or food to donate to the hungry in the name of Christ. It’s nice to see a Godly woman asking for things to help others and show people God’s love.
Why do you think when A wife asks a loving husband if she could have some things for the children from the store, he quickly obliges her with what God has blessed him with.
Men and women are both human, but with two different functions and purposes in the church. Just like a baseball team, there are many different positions that the coach picks certain players to play. When you play your position, you can win for the entire team. You all work together, and when it goes correctly and you win, the entire team rejoices!
Imagine a catcher getting upset because he hates his position, and during a game walks up to the pitcher and kicks him off the mound. That’s usurping. The coach has already picked a pitcher, what he needs to do is catch.
Please understand me when I tell you this,..God is our coach in the church. What He says goes. He knows whats best for His team and wants them to work together in unity so the entire group can win. Jesus lays out his purposes, his postions, and the place that he wants you to play in the church.
I have always told my wife and children that if I was a woman, I would be required to do God’s will and obey men. I would have to, because God knows whats best for His team. I’m not a woman, I’m a man, which means I can’t sit on my hands, I have to do what He has called men to do, which is to preach and teach.
Many years ago I told my young bride that I would never NEVER teach. I despised teaching others. I loathed it. Interesting how love for Christ who died for our sins changes ones entire direction in life, becoming obedient to His Word, and being faithful to His calling for you.
I’m sure if I had been born a woman and became a believer in the teachings of Jesus 20 years ago, I would obey His calling for me, no matter how difficult.
After all, as a man, that’s what I did.
Eric
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 