Corvinus 4B—Easter: Women sent as first preachers… but afterwards?

      This continues from Part 4 [Table of Contents in Part 1] in a short series on Antonius Corvinus, a reformer who suffered much for his faith, even death as a Lutheran martyr. — This concludes the Easter sermon with the portion dealing with the proclamation.  What surprised me at first was that Corvinus not only tells us that women were the first sent to proclaim the resurrection, he highlights this — he does not hide this fact. This puzzled me and I wondered how Corvinus would finish this sermon.  Would he leave the matter open?… that one could conclude that women today have the divine right to preach to the congregation?  Read the following and find out. — Excerpted and translated from the 1899 CPH book edited by Prof. A. L. Gräbner. pp. 103-109:

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[Proclaim His resurrection: first preachers sent by angel were women!]

Third, the women were dispatched by the angel to proclaim the resurrection of Christ, not only to the disciples in general, but also to Peter in particular, who was in great distress because of his fall. From this we learn how necessary the sermon of the resurrection is and what a miserable thing it is when the glory of that resurrection is not recognized. The dear apostles, who because of their sins were in great sorrow from the fear of death, no one could satisfy them but the sermon of the resurrection of Christ. Who can deny that they would not all have done as Peter did, if only they had been asked as he was [to deny Christ]? Have they not forsaken Christ and fled from him? But if they have fled, they have sinned, as Christ also says, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night” [KJV, Matt. 26:31] He that is offended in Christ has sinned, as it is written, “Blessed is he that is not offended in me.” [Matt. 11:6] Well then, if there has been sin, there has also been fear and anxiety of death, and God had to comfort these sorrowful consciences by the sermon of the passion and resurrection of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ; as if the angel should say to the women: Go unto the afflicted Apostles, and tell them that Christ hath overcome <109> sin, hell, and the devil, and is risen from the dead, that they only may be comforted; for it is now fulfilled which the prophet Hosea said before, Death is swallowed up in victory. “Death, where is your sting? Hell, where is your victory?” Yes, tell them, Christ Himself would proclaim these things to them in Galilee, and would be seen there, only that they might be comforted, and not doubt His resurrection. Behold, the angel thus teacheth these women doctrines, and sheweth them things which they should preach unto the apostles. Notice, however, that the women are to do a priestly ministry. God has ordained them as priests through His Son and our High Priest Christ. He that believeth on Christ, and hath received the Holy Spirit by his word, belongeth, whether he be man or woman, unto that company of whom St. Peter said, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” 1 Pet. 2:9. Hanna, the prophetess, also performed such a priestly office. The four daughters of Philip also prophesied in this way. But that St. Paul commanded the women in the church to be silent [1 Cor. 14:34] is not because the women should not confess Christ, but that everything should be done honestly and properly, and the women should keep silent where there are men who can teach in the church. In sum, we all, men and women, must confess that we have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

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We find out that Corvinus is also a Scriptural, as well as an evangelical, preacher. He explains the difference between the two texts, one showing women sent to preach and the other forbidding them to speak in a congregation, with the observation that the latter are "where there are men who can teach in the church." Women can thank Corvinus for showing that they too can proclaim His resurrection in the proper setting. — In the next Part 5 of this "Corvinus" series…