# What Do We Do With Anna?



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Sep 1, 2009)

No not Scottish Lass 

But Anna the Prophetess? 

Luke 2:36-38



> 36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.


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## OPC'n (Sep 1, 2009)

Hahaha! I did think you meant Scottish Lass!

What do you want to do with her?


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## he beholds (Sep 1, 2009)

I know that we'll all agree that any woman is allowed to do what we see Anna doing (praying, fasting, witnessing, etc.), but why is she called a prophetess? Could it perhaps have been like a lowercase prophet rather than a Prophet? I do believe that women can have the spiritual gift of prophecy (teaching), and so could be called a prophet (as in, someone who teaches). But she could not be a Prophet (the role, or a Shepherd).

Though I don't think it is safe or wise to call a woman a prophet today, since we do not think of it as merely teaching.


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## cbryant (Sep 1, 2009)




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## he beholds (Sep 1, 2009)

Madcow said:


> Hahaha! I did think you meant Scottish Lass!
> 
> What do you want to do with her?



I really did think so, too!


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## Classical Presbyterian (Sep 1, 2009)

I think we should assume we know that she in no way could have been teaching men anything. 

(I'm ducking now...)


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## OPC'n (Sep 1, 2009)

Classical Presbyterian said:


> I think we should assume we know that she in no way could have been teaching men anything.
> 
> (I'm ducking now...)



I have to agree and I'm not ducking...


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## he beholds (Sep 1, 2009)

Classical Presbyterian said:


> I think we should assume we know that she in no way could have been teaching men anything.
> 
> (I'm ducking now...)





> and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.



None of those all were men???


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## mvdm (Sep 1, 2009)

We do no more with her than what Calvin did: acknowledging the bestowing of the Spirit upon her as a beautiful sign/testimony/token of the coming Christ, testifying of her wonderful piety, all in the midst of the dead religion of the time. In other words,, we shouldn't read INTO the text a normative example for *ecclesiastical office*. 

Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 1 | Christian Classics Ethereal Library


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## Mushroom (Sep 1, 2009)

Speaking of Him does not necessarily imply teaching. I speak of Him with every other believer I meet, but I don't presume to teach, just rejoice together over His immeasurable grace.

If any sort of teaching is inferred from the word prophetess, then by the balance of scripture we must conclude that it was the teaching of other women or children only.


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## busdriver72 (Sep 1, 2009)

> we shouldn't read INTO the text a normative example for *ecclesiastical office*.



Good statement.


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## he beholds (Sep 1, 2009)

I think a woman can teach a man about Christ. I don't think she should be an authority figure in his life, but if I have a friend who knows less than me but is a guy, I would gladly teach him anything he wanted to know, if I knew it. That would not place me in authority over him.


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## busdriver72 (Sep 1, 2009)

I know it's Old Testament, but since Anna was before the New Covenant and the church, what about....

JDG 4:4-5 ¶ Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.


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## Classical Presbyterian (Sep 1, 2009)

busdriver72 said:


> I know it's Old Testament, but since Anna was before the New Covenant and the church, what about....
> 
> JDG 4:4-5 ¶ Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.



For me, it means that God is sovereign enough to work in any manner He so chooses. And this also means that He is fully capable of lifting up women to prophesy and lead when necessary.

We can avoid this reality if we want, but we lose the witness of the whole of Scripture. Anna and Deborah may not be _normative_ examples for the people of God or a statement about church offices, but they are there in the Bible. We ignore them at our peril.


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## satz (Sep 1, 2009)

I don't see any problem in accepting she was teaching men with full authority, something which I believe is certainly implied by the word prophetess. 

It would be a special situation that was brought about by God imparting to her the gift of prophecy or supernatural revelation, and is hence not in contradiction to the rest of the new testament which is regulating normal new testament practice. It would also not be an issue in our day since the gifts have long passed away.


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## Contra_Mundum (Sep 1, 2009)

Besides the texts referenced, these:
Exo 15:20 And Miriam the *prophetess*, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; 

2Ki 22:14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the *prophetess*,


Could be related to this class of servant:
Exo 38:8 He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the *ministering women* who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

1Sa 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the *women who were serving* at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 

Perhaps they had special (ordinary) ministry unto other women. Makes sense to me.


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