CHAPTER XXXIV
SERMON—WOMENS’ RIGHTS IN THE GOSPEL
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” (Acts 2.1.)
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour our of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” (Acts 2.17. Joel 2.28-29.)
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“And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2.2-4.)
There was a wonderful excitement; the people came rushing in great multitudes from the city to see what was the matter. They saw these men and women, with their faces shining with the glory of God, all preaching at once; all anxious to tell what God had done for them and a dying world. Conviction went like daggers to their hearts. And, just as it is today, when the power of God is manifest, instead of yielding, they cried out, “Too much excitement,” and began to fight against God; they said, “These people are mad, are drunken with new wine,” and mocked them.
Peter gets up to defend the cause of Christ. He refers to Joel 2.28-29. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams, and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2.17-18. I. Cor. 14.22-26; and I. Cor. 1-5. Paul speaks as if it were very common for women to preach and prophesy.
“Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head.” (I. Cor. 11.5.) “The same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.” (Acts 21.9;
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