WOMAN AS A CO-WORKER by M. W. HOWARD

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 18, 1868

WOMAN AS A CO-WORKER.

By M. W. HOWARD

“JOSEPH was warned by a dream. He never seemed to get beyond this. Mary was in a higher sphere. An angel spake to her.”

Without quite approving the expression (for I disfavor whatever savors of modern Spiritualism, like “higher sphere”); I have quoted the above, since in its restricted sense it is correct, as a stepping-stone to the enunciation of some thoughts that from time to time have found lodgment in my heart, regarding one—a woman who in these latter days is favored of the Lord above others. As I have been led to meditate upon the mission and responsibility of her who is thus favored in the cause of present truth, it has come to be a conclusion of my mind, that it is not so far aside from the order of God’s original appointments as we at first supposed.

When our minds become directed to a particular subject, how readily ideas and illustrations will converge or concentrate upon that subject. And thus as I reflected upon that conservatism which so readily takes fright at the prominence accorded to a woman, I was convinced that the conservatism should be in another direction, as I read the account in Acts xviii, beginning at the 18th verse:

“And Paul tarried yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed into Lydia, and with him Priscilla and Aquila.” What, Paul leave the brethren and take with him as traveling laborers a man and his wife? Yes, for so the sacred record stands. And again he wrote: “Help those women who labored with me in the gospel.” In Rom. xvi, 3, he speaks of them as his helpers in Christ Jesus. As in verse 12 he speaks of other two who labored in the Lord, and also of the “beloved Persis who labored much in the Lord.”

But to return to our narrative, Acts xviii, 19. “And he came to Ephesus and left them there. . . . And a certain Jew named Apollos, . . . an eloquent man mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue; whom, when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him to them, and expounded unto him the way of the Lord more perfectly.” Here is the simple record. Nor do we glean from what follows that this servant of God, this minister of the gospel, felt any depreciation of his self-esteem, or was held in less repute by the brethren for having been “instructed in the way of the Lord more perfectly” by such instructors.

M. W. HOWARD.

Malone, N. Y., July, 1868.