A young woman once told me that when she "goes to church" she raises her hands in worship and feels a sense of being all alone with God even though she was surrounded by people. She thought this was a good thing.
I was so sad to hear this since in the Word of God we are called to "gather together to edify one another." We do not worship in ritual or outward appearances but in our hearts and daily service to God. God never gave a building to meet in because our bodies are His temple. We can meet in buildings but it is human nature to elevate the place even more than elevating Christ. That special building is treated with reverence, but Christ often is not.
It makes no sense to go to gathering to "offer sacrifices to God" as was done before He died and rose from the dead. We go to receive from God what He has for us. Nothing we could do would be acceptable as a sacrifice when He already paid the best of all sacrifices, of His own Body on the Cross. Nothing we could "do" for him is worthy.
Our worship is in the heart, Spiritual and in Truth. Nothing outward could add to that.
There is no need to go to a gathering if we go there and act as though we are alone with God, we can do that at home, in the park or in our car driving somewhere. We gather with other believers to build one another in the faith.
1 Thessalonians 5:11: "Therefore, encourage (eduft) one another and build each other up, just as you are doing."
God's purpose for the gathering of believers was to build up one another in the faith, speak the Word to one another, edifying one another to be equipped for service the rest of the week while we were not in the gathering.
For years, I was discomforted by what was going on in the churches we attended, except for one, which was "the Brethren" who were closest to the Biblical model of the gathering. I didn't know all that was wrong with the mainstream gatherings, but just knew something was terribly off.
God clearly said these things;
John 4:24 states, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." This is not an outward ritual, but in our hearts, which is why he said the following:
Romans 14:4-6 "…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.…"
We come together to help one another grow; there is not only one who speaks from an elevated position, but everyone participates as led by the Holy Spirit, man, woman, and child.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "11 Therefore, encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing."
1 Corinthians 14:26-33
"26 What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to interpret;
28 but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God.
29 Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment.
30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;
32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;
33 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints,"
According to the Bible, all who gather participate; one man may lead, but all interject and engage as led by the Holy Spirit.
In the false gatherings today, those who wish to speak are silenced as the culture considers it rude to interrupt, but God tells us to be free to interrupt if the Holy Spirit leads us to add to what the speaker is saying or correct it.
Women are not to lead but are free to interject as led by the Holy Spirit. Women are forbidden from disrupting things by asking questions and chattering about things not pertaining to edification.
God said that women were allowed to prophesy, meaning speak the things of the Word, as long as she is covered.
1 Corinthians 11:10-16 " 10 For this reason a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 In any case, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman. But all things come from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace for him,
15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone intends to quarrel about this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God."
There are two separate words here for covering, one is the hair and the other is the veil over the hair; it has nothing to do with modesty or covering the hair, it has to do with the Authority that comes from Christ for each the man and the woman.
The head covering is a picture of the church for the woman and the uncovered head of the man is a picture of Christ. These practices are symbols of Authority, the man as the symbol of Christ and the woman a symbol of His church.
So many rules are followed that God never gave in the modern church gathering. Some people are elevated above others and even treated in a worshipful way, totally against the Bible.
This is why I began saying years ago, Protestants have their protestant popes and think they are different from the Catholics. When we elevate someone to a higher position because they have a degree, have been chosen as special, and are treated as an authority over the rest of the congregation, we are practicing popery.
Leaders lead by example and teaching, but only the Holy Spirit has Authority over each born-again believer.
We know that the phrase "women are not allowed to speak" must mean something other than total silence because of the verses in 1 Corinthians.
Women are commanded not to teach over men or have authority over, but this does not disallow a woman from prophesying (speaking forth the word of God) as led by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we would have to negate 1 Corinthians 11.
When we read the Scriptures, it is important to keep all passages in the context of the entire Bible. And, never forbidding any believer from expressing their heart as led by the Holy Spirit, this can even include children.
1 Corinthians 14:26 "26 What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification. "
Notice this; "brothers and sisters", each one having a psalm, a teaching a revelation, a tongue and an interpretation. EACH ONE, this suggests to me that everyone born-again has something to offer from the Holy Spirit, in an orderly fashion, not stepping out of their gender role in their interactions.
Completely disallowing someone to speak or interact is not Biblical, however, there are gender roles in leadership that a woman should not cross.
The key to it all is this; "being led by the Holy Spirit." No one can go wrong who depends on the Holy Spirit to compel them.
