“‘Your Daughters Shall Prophesy:’ Phoebe Palmer’s The Promise of the Father (1859)—A Manifesto for Equality in Chrstian Ministry,” an address by Harold Raser delivered to the chapel at Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) on March 10, 2003.  Dr. Raser is the Professor of the History of Christianity at NTS.

"YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY"
PHOEBE PALMER'S THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER (1859)—
A MANIFESTO FOR EQUALITY IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

The theme for our chapel services this entire week is "women in ministry." Throughout the week we will be acknowledging and celebrating in various ways our Nazarene heritage of Godcalled and gifted female ministers.

This heritage makes us somewhat unique among the various branches of the Christian Church. We are not alone, certainly, in acknowledging that God calls and gifts women, as well as men, for ministry.  But, the Church of the Nazarene, and other "holiness" bodies, have been pioneers in this area, affirming God's call to women, and welcoming them into the ranks of its clergy long before most older denominations.

The question we may ask is, "how come?"  Why has the Church of the Nazarene been a "pioneer" in affirming that God calls women to serve as ministers in Christ's Church?  Why has the Church of the Nazarene consistently stood apart from many of its contemporary "Evangelical" cousins on this matter, some of which, influenced by "Fundamentalist" forms of Christianity, have embraced a theology that explicitly (and even militantly) denies that God calls and gifts women as ministers?

Part of the answer, at least, may surprise us. It is suggested in the following quotation from Donald W. Dayton, an historian of the American Holiness Movement:

It was . . . the denominations produced by the mid-nineteenth century "holiness revival" that most consistently raised feminism [i.e., female equality] to a central principle of church life. This movement largely emerged from the work of Phoebe Palmer. . . In the midst of [her prodigious efforts as a revivalist and humanitarian] she published a 421-page defense of the right of women to preach entitled The Promise of the Father.  This work argued from the account of Pentecost and became the fountainhead of innumerable such arguments developed through the remainder of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth (Dayton, Discovering an Evangelical Heritage, 96).

So part of the answer to the question, "Why does the Church of the Nazarene affirm that God calls and gifts women for ministry?" is because of our debt to Phoebe Palmer.  The fingerprints of this remarkable woman can be found nearly everywhere in the holiness tradition. In fact we, as Nazarenes and "holiness" believers, are to a great extent the "children" of Phoebe Palmer.  Perhaps as Paul said about Abraham—"those who believe are children of Abraham" (Galatians 3:7)—we might say of Phoebe Palmer—"those who love and seek after holiness are children of Phoebe."

Most of us here no doubt know something about the life and work of Phoebe Palmer.  We know about the Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness, the thousands of miles she traveled preaching and teaching in churches, camp meetings, colleges and seminaries, the nearly 20 books she wrote or edited, her distinctive way of teaching about Christian perfection and entire sanctification, and her work with the poor, orphans, prisoners, and as a benefactor of what was called at the time "foreign missions."

What we may not know so well is the book mentioned by Donald Dayton, The Promise of the Father, which Phoebe Palmer published in 1859. Dayton is exactly right that this book is the "fountainhead" of innumerable arguments set forth ever since in defense of women's right—and obligation—to exercise their Godgiven gifts in ministry in the Church of Jesus Christ. In fact, to read this book is to encounter in some form nearly every contemporary biblical, theological, and historical argument made on behalf of equality in Christian ministry.

The book arose out of Palmer's own experience, and the experience of women she met in her many travels.  Her own experience was of course as a woman in a "man's world." As a popular traveling "evangelist" in the mid-19th century, she occupied a role shared by no other woman of the time.  She undertook such a nontraditional role because she was persuaded that she had a calling from God to do so. This sense of calling sustained and energized her throughout more than thirty years of public ministry.

Even though Palmer did not publish her book until 1859, she already had the heart of it in mind several years earlier. However, at that point she was only intending an article, not a 421-page book.  In late 1856 she wrote in her journal:

Last night I wrote, as the caption of an article I intend to write . . . “has the spirit of prophecy fallen on woman? . . . The promise of the Father has either been fulfilled, or has not . . . ‘And it shall come to pass, after those days, that  I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.’”  And did one of that waiting company wait in vain; or did the cloven tongue of fire appear to all, and sit upon each waiting disciple, irrespective of sex? Surely this was that spoken of by the prophet Joel; and thus has the Holy Spirit expressly declared, through Peter [referring to Acts 2:14-21]. The dispensation of the Spirit was now entered upon . . . Male and female were now one in Jesus Christ. The Spirit now descended alike on all.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak as the Spirit gave utterance . . . etc., etc. (Wheatley, The Life and Letters of Mrs. Phoebe Palmer, 496-497).

The "etceteras" were responsible for expanding the proposed article into a lengthy book whose publication less than three years later added significantly to Phoebe Palmer's already sizeable reputation.  Though carefully developed in the book, Palmer's basic ideas on the subject are already evident in this brief 1856 journal entry.  Her main thesis I would call the "Pentecostal Thesis," or the "Argument from Pentecost."

In The Promise of the Father it runs like this: the present age is the "age of the Holy Spirit" which was inaugurated at Pentecost with "signs and wonders" (Acts 2), the chief of these being the power to "prophesy." Palmer understood "prophesy" in a very straightforward sense—it is to "herald" the "glad tidings of [Jesus] to others" or to proclaim "to every creature . . . the love of God to [humanity] through Christ Jesus” (Palmer, The Promise of the Father, 37). This power was given at Pentecost to all believers, both women and men. In fact, this gift of power and its granting to females as well as males is "a marked specialty of the Christian [i.e., Holy Spirit's] dispensation" or era (Palmer, Promise, 14, 23; notice the subtitle of the book is "A Neglected Specialty of the Last Days").  Given this fact, churches that forbid the ministry of women scorn one of God's primary means of calling the world to salvation in the "last days."

The presence of female "disciples" at Pentecost and their "baptism by the Holy Ghost" along with male disciples was not accidental.  Palmer emphasizes that numerous female disciples had gathered in response to Jesus' postresurrection command to tarry (Luke 24:49), demonstrating once again their exemplary faithfulness to Jesus, a faithfulness which was also shown in Jesus' final hours when his male followers all but abandoned him. It was as a reward for such faithfulness that Jesus gave to his female followers the privilege of first carrying the news of his resurrection.  Palmer writes (referring to Jesus' post-resurrection encounter with female followers recorded in Matthew 28):

Behold the first heralds of the Gospel of a risen Saviour! The first commission ever given to mortals, directed from the newly risen Head of the church, is now being given to these affectionate, unflinching female disciples, who, with undaunted step, had followed the Man of Sorrows through all his weary pilgrimage here on earth.  Blessed daughters of the Lord Almighty! now is your constancy rewarded (Palmer, Promise, 18-19).

Subsequently these faithful women, along with male disciples, were endowed with power for the purpose of bearing witness, and Palmer has no doubt that they "preached" and were instrumental publicly in the conversion of three thousand people on the Day of Pentecost. "Not alone did Peter proclaim a crucified, risen Saviour [on the Day of Pentecost] but each one, as the Spirit gave utterance, assisted in spreading the good news . . . Unquestionably, the whole of this newly baptized company . . . male and female, hastened in every direction, under the mighty constrainings of that perfect love that casteth out fear, and great was the company of them that believed" (Palmer, Promise, 22).

If this was so at Pentecost, the "birth" of the Christian church, as it were, should it be different now? Palmer asks.  And her answer is a firm "NO." The example of Pentecost is a pattern established for the duration of the "Spirit's dispensation," i.e., it is a model for the Church until Jesus comes again.

Yet Palmer recognizes that things are different, and because they are, she believes, the contemporary Christian church is weakened and guilty before its Lord.  According to Palmer, "the attitude of the church in relation to this matter is most grievous in the sight of her Lord, who has purchased the whole human family unto himself, and would fain have every possible agency employed in preaching the gospel to every creature" (Palmer, Promise, 70). Churches that restrict the public ministry of women cut an arm or a leg off the body of Christ that was intended to be fully utilized in making Christ's presence known in the world.

Referring to this mutilation of the Church, Palmer asks: "If the Spirit of prophecy fell upon God's daughters, alike as upon his sons in that day, and they spoke in the midst of that assembled multitude, as the Spirit gave utterance, on what authority do the angels of the churches restrain the use of that gift now?" (Palmer, Promise, 70).

This of course leads Palmer directly to the socalled "problem passages" of the New Testament—e.g., 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, "Let your women keep silent in the churches;" 1 Timothy 2:12, "But I suffer not a woman to teach," and the like. Such passages as these are, Palmer acknowledges, usually the "authority" to which church leaders appeal when they forbid women to use their God-given gifts in ministry.  At first glance such passages appear to argue against the example of Pentecost.  Palmer is convinced, however, that rightly understood, these passages do not conflict with the example of Pentecost.  And in addition, she points out the several places in the Pauline letters that refer to, and endorse ministering women.

In the case of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 ("Let your women keep silent in the churches"),  Palmer argues that this prohibition must be interpreted in its historical setting.  The passage must also be set alongside all other biblical passages having any bearing on the matter of women ministering ("comparing scripture with scripture" she calls this).   "What serious errors in faith and practice," she writes, "have resulted from taking isolated passages dissevered from their proper connections to sustain a favorite theory!" (Palmer, Promise, 49-51).

When 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is carefully examined in its proper historical context, and "comparing scripture with scripture," it is clear to Palmer that it addresses specific "unseemly practices" in the local congregation which Paul intended to proscribe for that congregation at that particular time.  This was never meant as a general proscription for all churches, and certainly not for all time.  Palmer writes, "Surely it is evident that the irregularities here complained of were peculiar to the church at Corinth, and in fact, we may presume, were not even applicable to other Christian churches of Paul's day, much less Christian churches of the present day" (Palmer, Promise, 6).

Further "comparing scripture with scripture," Palmer surveys other New Testament passages that touch on female ministry and finds that most all endorse it.  There is, for example, Romans 16 where Paul himself recognizes women workers in the church, commending Palmer's namesake "Phoebe," who is a "servant (or 'deacon') of the church." There is also Acts 18:26 where Priscilla is described as teaching a man, Apollos, the Christian faith, and so on. After surveying a number of such portions of scripture Palmer concludes that there is no sound biblical warrant for denying women a place of ministry in the church.  Such denying has been done only because of the influence of the "Man of Sin" and ignorance.

Once Palmer has grounded her argument in scripture, advancing her "Pentecostal Thesis" and explaining those passages often appealed to in order to prohibit women from ministering, Palmer then develops an argument from history. Simply put, God has historically used women to do important work, and God's people (i.e., today the Christian Church) have, at least at times, recognized and accepted this. Among those examples cited by Palmer is the Old Testament  "judge," Deborah, and the prophetess, Huldah; the New Testament female disciples of Jesus; the "Samaritan woman," called by Palmer the "first apostle for Christ in Samaria;" an early church "deacon" or "servant of the church" like Phoebe, commended by St. Paul; women who bore witness in the early centuries of the church mentioned in the writings of post-biblical leaders like Justin Martyr; the women preachers in Methodism in Wesley's day; and even Palmer's contemporary, Queen Victoria of Great Britain, the head of the Church of England, as well as the political sovereign of a great empire (Palmer, Promise, 54-59, 107-109, 115-118).

Another line of argument pursued by Palmer in The Promise of the Father is an argument from inconsistent practice in the churches. Here Palmer holds that the churches that deny women a voice do not consistently practice what they preach. If women were truly to "keep silent," she suggests, they would not be able to participate in any public worship exercise whatsoever, and yet no church that Palmer knows of goes that far.  With evident relish she observes,

If the apostle intended to enjoin silence in an absolute sense, then our Episcopalian friends trespass against this prohibition at every church service, in calling out the responses of women in company with men in their beautiful church liturgy, and when they repeat our Lord's Prayer in concert with their brethren.  And thus do they trespass against this prohibition every time they break silence and unite in holy song in the church of God of any or every denomination (Palmer, Promise, 56; it is interesting to note that the book is dedicated to an American Episcopalian friend of Palmer's).

Finally, Palmer appeals to the fact that devoted Christian women testify to a divine calling to minister, and give evidence of giftedness for ministry when they are given opportunity to do so.  The largest portion of the four hundred plus pages of her book, in fact, is taken up with summaries, or verbatim accounts taken from various sources, of women effectively conducting ministries of all sorts in Palmer's own day. Here she includes reference to her own call, and the ways in which God has blessed and honored her efforts to be faithful to that call.

Clearly Palmer believes that this is one of the strongest cases that can be made.  When one has lifted up the precedent of Pentecost, analyzed the relevant biblical passages, surveyed history, and all the rest, the final "proof" that the "promise of the Father" is being fulfilled by the Holy Spirit being "poured out upon God's daughters" enabling them to "prophesy," is "to lay before the reader instances in confirmation of the fact" (Palmer, Promise, 71).

In large part due to the ideas laid out in The Promise of the Father combined with the compelling example of Phoebe Palmer's own life and ministry, the holiness movement never seriously questioned the proposition that God calls and equips women for ministry in the same way that God calls and equips men. For most of the "holiness churches" of the 20th century this has seemed almost "selfevident," although we are increasingly being pressured to explain and defend our heritage today.

Our "mother," Phoebe Palmer, has given us a "goodly heritage" and also valuable resources with which to uphold it.  We owe her a large debt of gratitude. Thanks be to God for this faithful daughter of Christ, mentor to us all and symbol of a great host of graced, gifted, and faithful women who have answered God's call to serve in Christ's Church, who are now answering, and who will yet answer in time to come. Christ calls them; the Church needs them!!

WORKS CITED

Dayton, Donald W., Discovering an Evangelical Heritage (New York: Harper and Row, 1976).

Palmer, Phoebe, The Promise of the Father; or, A Neglected Specialty of the Last Days (Boston: Henry V. Degen, 1859).

Wheatley, Richard, The Life and Letters of Mrs. Phoebe Palmer (New York: Palmer and Hughes, 1876).

Harold E. Raser
Professor of the History of Christianity
Nazarene Theological Seminary
March 2003