Men and Women Roles in Ministry
By Delvin Arnold
Much has been said regarding men
and women and their roles in the Church of Jesus Christ. There is an ongoing
debate and will be until the rapture of the Church particularly regarding women
serving as Pastors, Elders, and Bishops in the Church today. While the primary
focus of this manuscript will be on the roles of men and women in the local
church, a subtopic will focus on women in scripture that have left a lasting
legacy. Is scripture clear regarding the roles of men and women in the public
assembly or is it silent? What determines truth, a person’s subjective
“revelation” of what they believe God told them, or the authoritative word of
God?
These questions the writer
believes have to be answered in order to logically come to grips with an issue
that’s staring the church in the face today like a bully in the street.
The first thing that we need to
do is define some terms.
Pastor – The Greek word is poimēn. Literally means one who tends herds of flocks.
Metaphorically it’s in reference to Christian pastors who feed and oversee
Christ’s flock. His role is to provide tender care and superintendence; to teach.
This responsibility is given to elders
of the church.
Bishop – The Greek term is episkopos. This is where we get the English word
Episcopal or Episcopalian. This is a compound word, epi means over, and skopeō
means to look or watch. A bishop is one who oversees a flock or an assembly of
believers.
Elder – The Greek word is presbuterion. This is where we get the English word
Presbyterian. This has several meanings; an assembly of aged men. Positionally,
means elders or bishops in a local church. The presbytery. Their functions were
to be overseers of the churches hence the term a bishop is applied.
Deacon - The Greek term is diakonos. This means a person who
does servile work. The term deacon has a wide range of responsibilities tied to
it. A woman named Phoebe in Romans 16:1 was called a deacon[i]
(unofficially) in the church at Cenchrea.
It seems she had the gift of Helps (I Corinthians 12:28). Paul commended
her for faithful service to her local church. In Romans 16, she was being sent to
the saints in Rome to provide assistance.
For some reason there are those
that believe Phoebe was a pastor. There
is no indication of that in the text. Phoebe also could not hold the office of deacon. Only qualified men
could hold that office (I Timothy 3: 8-13).
It’s clear the office of Pastor, Bishop and Elder are
used interchangeably. Deacons serve a very important role in the church also,
however with less authority. The term deacon today has been given an elevated
status, sometimes it seems on par with that of an Elder, Bishop, Pastor but
should not be when one carefully reads I Timothy 3:8-13.
A deacon is not a Pastor. He is not dispensing doctrine or
overseeing an assembly of believers. They’re more in a
secretarial/administrative assistant capacity to the leaders of the church and
to fellow believers.
Those that support women in roles of authority are who we call Egalitarian meaning they believe in equality and authority of women in the church, including ordination as Pastors. Egalitarians believe that Galatians 3:28 is their saving grace. It reads, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female (emphasis added), for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.
From this passage, they have
concluded this proves women have the
authority to become Pastors in the church for we are all one in Christ Jesus
right? This passage has been grossly misapplied. Galatians 3:28 has nothing to
do with a woman’s role in ministry. It is explicitly dealing with soteriology,
the doctrine of salvation. Paul the apostle is declaring that no matter your
ethnic, socio economic status, gender, whether slave or free, salvation is
available to all kinds of people. Every person that comes to Jesus, has to come
the same way, by grace through faith. This makes us all one equal body. A
woman’s position of leadership in the church is not addressed in this passage.
Egalitarians also love to cite
passages in the gospels such as the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in John 4.
Or the women that supported Jesus in his itinerant ministry (Luke 8:1-3). The woman
with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25; Luke 8:44). The Canaanite woman of Tyre and
Sidon who’s daughter was healed of demon possession (Matthew 15:21-28), et al.
The point of them citing these
passages is that Jesus highly regarded women. That’s a no brainer. He loves all,
and came to save them. He had to reveal to them who He was so that they would
believe in Him for their salvation. Jesus loves all people, even His enemies
because He knew their fate if they refused to believe in Him.
Because Jesus cared for women and
treated them as equals with men is not segue and license for women to ascend
into pastoral ministry. These are dots that scripture has never connected.
The insatiable desire for some women who
believe they have been called to pastoral authority has caused many congregations to bend
their knees in surrender to this trend and has also caused them to become staunch opponents of only biblical male leadership
in our churches.
For example, the percentage of
females serving as pastors in protestant churches doubled from 1999 to 2009;
from 5% to over 10%.
The Egalitarian movement (if one
permits the expression), is gaining speed like a mighty locomotive. Let’s be
real, does anyone want to get in the way of a massive vehicle like that? For
those who love God and his word, we have to. The word of God has far more power
and force than any heresy in His church.
Scripture is clear in regards to
the differing roles of men and women in public worship. Let’s explore these
passages and carefully break down what they mean, but before that, let’s define
the meanings of the ministry gifts to the church.
Apostle – The Greek term is apóstolos. Means one sent forth.
“Apo” means from and “stello” means to send; A messenger. It speaks of the original 12 disciples chosen
by Jesus Christ himself; Speaks of Paul the Apostle who was converted on the
Damascus road (Acts 9:3-6). The 12 Apostles including Paul were unique in their
office. They were 1) called by Jesus
himself. 2) They received direct revelation and recorded scripture (of course
not every one of them recorded scripture yet this feature marks an original Apostle).
3) They saw the resurrected Lord. 4)
Their apostleship was accompanied with signs and wonders (Acts 2:43). In a
broader sense, Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25), Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14) were
called Apostles. Some unidentified men are called Apostles in 2 Corinthians
8:23. None of these men had the authority the original Apostles did. The latter
were messengers of the church, but not hand picked although they were servants
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prophet – The Greek term is Prophētia. The Hebrew word is Nābi.
The role of the Prophet was to
be the mouth piece of God. They were to declare a word to the people in their
own time and were also used to foretell of future events – to prophesy. Scripture
is silent on the method in which O.T. Prophets received God’s word, but true
Prophets did not speak in the name of the Lord unless commanded to so by the
Lord himself. Since God was speaking
through them, their words were one hundred percent accurate.
Primarily in New Testament times
to prophesy means to declare the counsel of God. Meaning one is expounding on
revealed truth. He is forth telling. This word sometime had predictive prophesy
in it. Any believer can prophesy in the church, but that doesn’t mean they are
a Prophet (I Corinthians 11:5). Prophets in the first century were foundational
like the Apostles, but with less authority. This is evident by what Paul
commands in I Corinthians 14:29-30, “let two or three of the Prophets speak,
and let the others judge, but if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let
the first keep silent”. The Prophets were allowed to prophesy in service as long
as the other Prophets judged their doctrine. But, if some nearby had a word,
they were to hold their peace. From the narrative it appears the worship
services in the first century very interactive. Many participated in leading in
their assemblies with the truth. The
word(s) spoken were to bring edification, exhortation, and comfort. This also
proves the Apostles had supreme authority in the church. Paul gave instruction
to the Prophets, not the other way around. Only the Lord himself commanded the
chosen Apostles.
Evangelist – From the Greek word Euangelistēs. Meaning one
that brings good news; mainly the message of the gospel. Paul commanded Timothy
to do the work of an Evangelist (II Timothy 4:5). Evangelists are missionaries,
itinerant preachers. They are to preach the gospel to the lost.
Office of Pastor was defined
earlier in the article.
Teacher – The Greek word is didaskolos. Teacher is very synonymous with Pastor, one
who instructs, dispenses doctrine. Please understand, not every Teacher is a
Pastor, but every Pastor must be a Teacher.
Now, the question I want to
present is this, did any women in the bible fill any of these offices? There is
no mention of female apostles although some will argue that Pricilla the wife
of Aquilla who explained the word of the Lord to Apollos with her husband more
accurately (Acts 18:26) may have been. If we use the qualifications listed
above in defining an Apostle called by Jesus Christ, then she does not fit the
bill; she was not an eyewitness of Jesus resurrection. No signs or miracles
were performed by her hands (or any woman in scripture for that matter). She
was not handpicked by Jesus to be an Apostle.
There is one Prophetess mentioned
in the New Testament in Luke 2:36 named Anna. She was a very aged woman; some
believe to be at least 100 years old. It was customary for a young girl to get
married around 13 years of age in the Hebrew culture. That being the case the
text says she was married for seven years and her husband died which would have
made her 20 years old at the time of his death. Being a widow for 84 years of
her life would make her 104 years old. She was a devout woman who served God
night and day with fastings and prayers at the temple. She may have had some
type of living quarters there because the text says she did not depart from the
temple (Luke 2:37). Ana was indeed a teacher of truth (Luke 2:38), but never declared
new revelation like the Apostles and Prophets did.
The other Prophetesses mentioned
in scripture are Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron who never gave a
recorded prophetic word (Exodus 15:20), Deborah who was the only female judge
amongst 13 male judges in Israel who gave a prophetic word to Barak before
going into battle (Judges 4:4), and Huldah who was a Prophetess (2 Kings 22:14).
It is the author’s conclusion there
are currently no Apostles or Prophets for they were foundational to the church
and we can’t lay another foundation (Ephesians 2:20). I know many disagree for
there are those that are convinced these offices are operative today since
there are no explicit texts that designate their cessation. This is indeed true,
however when one carefully studies scripture as a whole in this matter, the
implications seem to speak very loudly to them being no longer around because of
the nature of their office; the canon of scripture is complete. God by the Holy
Spirit transmitted his infallible word through the men of old and those of the
first century. There is no more direct revelation to receive from God, we have
the more sure word of prophecy in our hands and hearts (2 Peter 1:19). I
implore the reader to carefully judge these things, and draw your conclusions
from scripture.
Women have and do evangelize
locally and in different parts of the world for they have been commanded to do
so like the rest of us (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16; 14-18; Luke 24:36-49; John
20:19-23; Acts 1:9-11). Their desire to serve God is admirable, but even this
should not be a solo effort.
Remember, Jesus sent out his
disciples two by two (Mark 6:7).
Women
of note in scripture
This part of the article will give
marvelous accounts of women who are examples in scripture.
1. In
Titus 2:3-5 it says regarding the older women, “The aged women likewise that they be in behavior as becomes holiness
, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.
That they may teach the young women (emphasis added) to be sober, to love their
husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home,
good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed”.
So, here we see
the role of the older women, the first thing we notice is she is to be
virtuous. She is to be holy and practice holiness. She is to speak what is
right and to remain sober minded so that she can teach the younger women to
follow her example. The older woman of God has to be a source of wisdom, and a
symbol of faithfulness and dependability. This is vital in our churches and society
when we see older women of virtue. The person that does this is as important as
any Teacher in the church. This type of woman is an evangelist of sorts to
women and is an asset to the body of Christ. For if she’s a teacher of good
things, she will preach the greatest good; the good news of the gospel.
2. In
2 Timothy 1:5 we read of the faith of two women, Lois and Eunice, Timothy’s
grandmother and mother. These were the holy women who taught young Timothy the
scriptures from his youth (2 Timothy 2:15). We see in this account that women
could teach a man (a man-child at the time) the word of God, but obviously it
wasn’t in a public or pastoral capacity. This form of teaching is just as vital
as a Pastor standing in the pulpit declaring the message of truth publicly to a
congregation. It’s equally as God honoring. The word that Lois and Eunice
taught Timothy led him to salvation and no doubt help to prepare him for
pastoral ministry once he encountered the Apostle Paul (Acts 16:1).
3. In
2 John, the Apostle commends the “elect lady” that some of her children are
walking in truth. The lady is never identified which may have led some to
believe that the phrase “elect lady” may be a metaphor for a local church and
“her children” being the congregation. No one knows. What would be more
accurate is that it is referring to an actual lady and her children. John is
writing to a friend and praising her for her faithfulness and the steadfastness
of her children.
We see again
this woman positively impacting the kingdom of God, and passing those virtues
down to her posterity. A wonderful demonstration of love and obedience to God;
it caught the attention of the Elder John that he made note of it. We all need
to follow her example.
4. In
the Old Testament we read of a wise woman named Abigail who advised David not
to kill her foolish husband Nabal when David sent his men to Nabal for support
and he refused, treating David’s men rudely. David heeded the advice of Abigail
(1 Samuel 25:23-35).
5. When
David became king, he was advised and rebuked by a woman of the city of Tekoa
in his dealing with his estranged son Absalom, (2 Samuel 14:13-25).
6. In
Genesis 21:9-12 we read, And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the
Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking young Isaac. Wherefore
she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son. For the son of this
handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing
was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son. And God said
unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and
because of thy handmaid. In all that
Sarah saith unto thee,
hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is
thy seed.
We see here that Sarah is upset that Ishmael is making fun of Isaac and demands to Abraham that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away. Sarah’s advice is good and the Lord commands Abraham to listen to his wife which Abraham does.
7. Esther is a symbol of self sacrifice, courage and heroism. She is willing to die to save her own race from evil Haman by appearing to the king unannounced to prepare a banquet and plead for the life of her people (although she was the Queen) which was unlawful in Persia. (Esther 4:10-17; Chapters 5-8).
8.
The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah
feared God when commanded by Pharaoh to kill the Hebrew male children because
they multiplied so greatly; they refused to heed the king’s command. As a
result, the Lord dealt well with the midwives (Exodus 1; 15-20). This is a
magnificent account of what I call righteous defiance before the king and
loving obedience to the Lord.
9. Hannah
in her distress petitioned the Lord for a son and her prayer is answered; the
judge Samuel. She vowed that he would serve the Lord all the days of his life
which He did. Hannah in I Samuel Chapter 2 breaks out in a doxology of praise
to God for who he is and His great power (I Samuel chapters 1&2). Hannah
realizing that Samuel was the Lord’s son ultimately, imitated God’s love by
giving her son back to the Lord that He first gave to her. God gave her His
best by giving her Samuel when she was barren, and in an act of reciprocating
love, gave her best back to God, by giving her son to the Lord. A tremendous testimony
and legacy Hannah left which has
transcended to the present time.
10. Mary
believes the word of the Lord when visited by the Angel Gabriel that she would
be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:38) despite the stigmas. This is a testimony to
Mary’s great faith. She also knew publicly that being pregnant without being
married was disgraceful, and could cost her life; at the very least dissolution
of her betrothal to Joseph. In verses 46-55 Mary bursts forth in praise to God.
Her words are what are called in Christendom the Magnificat because she begins by saying, “My soul magnifies
the Lord” (Luke 1:46).
11. Sarah
exhibited great faith by gathering strength to conceive and bear Isaac in her
old age when she was beyond the age of child bearing; convinced that God would
remain faithful to His word and fulfill his promise to her (Hebrews 11:11).
These fourteen accounts in scripture (and the women mentioned before) clearly show the reader how significant a wise woman’s counsel, teaching, faith, heroism, advice, love and obedience are vital in the kingdom of God. A woman’s assistance in biblical history centuries ago and now are crucial to the health and prosperity of the church. Even the author was saved because my aunt took my brother and me to a gospel play in 1980 that dramatically portrayed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My own mother preached the gospel to her older brother my uncle shortly before his death which I was told led to his repentance and salvation. Tremendous acts of righteousness by the women just mentioned and the ones in my own family.
12. Female disciples of Jesus supported Him with
their substance; Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and many others (Luke 8:2).
Some of these women Jesus cast out demons and witnessed other miracles along
with hearing His dynamic teaching.
13. Mary the Mother of Jesus and John were at the foot of the cross when Jesus was dying. Other women were standing afar off obviously lamenting the crucifixion of their beloved savior (Luke 15:40; John 19:26-27). Who is obviously missing are the disciples. Remember they forsook Jesus and fled in the garden because of fear for their lives ( Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). The women were more courageous than the men ( his own disciples) in this instance when it really mattered the most.
13. Mary the Mother of Jesus and John were at the foot of the cross when Jesus was dying. Other women were standing afar off obviously lamenting the crucifixion of their beloved savior (Luke 15:40; John 19:26-27). Who is obviously missing are the disciples. Remember they forsook Jesus and fled in the garden because of fear for their lives ( Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). The women were more courageous than the men ( his own disciples) in this instance when it really mattered the most.
14. Jesus
appeared to Mary Magdalene first after his resurrection. Her love for her
savior brought her and other women to the tomb to anoint is body. The disciples
didn’t believe her. She told them Jesus had risen from the dead. Matthew
28:10; Mark 16: 10-12; John 20:17.
These fourteen accounts in scripture (and the women mentioned before) clearly show the reader how significant a wise woman’s counsel, teaching, faith, heroism, advice, love and obedience are vital in the kingdom of God. A woman’s assistance in biblical history centuries ago and now are crucial to the health and prosperity of the church. Even the author was saved because my aunt took my brother and me to a gospel play in 1980 that dramatically portrayed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My own mother preached the gospel to her older brother my uncle shortly before his death which I was told led to his repentance and salvation. Tremendous acts of righteousness by the women just mentioned and the ones in my own family.
The help of women is
only evil spoken of when it goes beyond the bounds of what the bible
proscribes.
So next, we must discuss what a woman’s
prohibitions are in the public assembly and why.
In I Timothy 2:8-13 it reads, I will therefore that men pray everywhere,
lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that
women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not
with braided hair, or gold or pearls, or costly array. But (which becomes women
professing godliness) with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all
submission, and I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was
created first, then Eve.” (Italics
added).
The scripture continues in I Timothy 3:1-7, “If a man
desires the office of bishop (or overseer), he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober
minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not
violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous. One
who rules his house well (if a man
does not know how to rule his own
house, how can he take care of the
church of God?); not a novice, lest being
puffed up with pride he fall into
the snare and condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of
the devil.” (Italics added).
For the qualifications for the office of Deacon I Timothy 3:8 says, “Likewise the deacons be grave, not double
tongued, not given too much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre. Holding the
mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. And let them first be proved, and
then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Even so must their wives
be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the
husband of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they
that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree
and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (Italics added)
Also in
Titus 1:5-9 Paul instructs Titus to appoint elders in Crete and surrounding
cities listing their qualifications: if a
man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful
children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be
blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick tempered, not given
to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is
good, sober minded, just, holy self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word
as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both
to exhort and convict those who contradict (Italics added).
The preceding texts clearly
describe the qualifications to be a Bishop/Elder/Pastor/Deacon in the church. These
positions are the Officers or official positions in the Church. If one is reading
the texts objectively, it is clear God has charged qualified men for headship. A man of God doesn’t automatically get
to serve in this capacity if the preceding criteria have not been met. The lists
of prerequisites are very stringent and rightfully so for one to be in this
coveted position in the church. A man MUST be of impeccable character;
obviously fallible, but above reproach within and without (or outside) of the
church.
James said it this way regarding
teachers, “My brethren, be not many masters/teachers knowing that we shall
receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1). If you desire this office, make
sure you’re up to the task. Carefully examine yourself and the scripture to see
if you meet the demands of leadership in the church.
An important point to make clear,
where the passages in I Timothy 3:2, 8 and Titus 1:6 said the man that desires
the office of Bishop/Pastor/Elder/Deacon must be the husband of one wife is not
to the exclusion of the unmarried man such as a man who became a widower in
ministry (or a widowed man prior to ministry), or a single man that has never
married. The scripture is saying, if the
man is married, and he’s being examined for leadership, he must be the husband of one wife; meaning he only has one wife
currently, he is a one woman man. Some believe the man could only be married
once, meaning he can’t be divorced (see end note).[ii]
He is faithful to his wife which speaks to his moral character. If he has
children, they must be well behaved. If
the prerequisite for headship was for married men only, Paul himself would have
been disqualified for leadership. He makes it clear he was not married in I
Corinthian 7:7-9. A man should not be disqualified for leadership because he is
unmarried. A man is not automatically qualified for leadership because he is
married. His marriage may be good, but his young children may be delinquent
which could mean he may not be a good father. Does anyone desire that type of
leadership, one unable to rule in his own house?
Now, why did Paul tell Timothy
who was the Pastor of the church at Ephesus to not allow a woman to teach or
exercise authority over a man? I would
say for most the answer is hidden in plain sight. To discover the answer, we
have to go all the way back to the book of beginnings or origins, the book of
Genesis.
Before the fall of mankind, God
established an order for his first institution of all, the family. Since Adam
was created first, and then Eve, headship in the home belongs to the man. For
it was the man God presented all the animals to and he named them. It was to
the man God commanded to take care of the garden, and warned him directly not
to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis
2:15-17:19-20). The woman most glorious position in all of creation was to be a
helper, and assistant suitable or complimentary to man. For that is why woman
was created for the man (I Corinthians 11:9) Woman completes man and vice versa.
Some believe that when Adam and
Eve fell he became the head of his wife. This is untrue. Man was always the
head of the home. But as a result of sin and the fall of man, the creation order
between men and women would forever be strained, imperfect, volatile, and
hostile. We see the ongoing degeneration of the male female relationship as
time goes on due to the hardening and darkness of one’s soul. No doubt many relationships
to some degree or another have reached dismal, and would daresay diabolical
proportions due to the fall of man.
In Genesis 3:16 we read that God
tells the woman, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception. In
pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and
she shall rule over you.”
So, in Genesis 3:16
the woman’s desire is not necessarily a desire to please her husband all the
time. When sin is present (and it is always to some degree or another), it is an
evil inclination to rule over him as evidence by Eve usurping Adam’s authority
when she listened to the serpent instead of harkening to her husband who was
her protector and head (Genesis 3:6). The writer has to feel somewhat sorry for
Eve in that she was deceived by the serpent, Adam was not, he willfully
disobeyed, and plunged the whole human race into sin. (I Timothy 2:14). It
never excused her culpability to obey God’s word and submit to her husband’s
rule.
God said the husband would rule over his wife.
The word rule in the Hebrew is mâshal. The word means to have
dominion, govern over, and cause to rule. Have power. Because of sin, the woman will continue to
usurp man’s authority as opposed to a willful, submissive heart and the man
will volley back with domineering, often brutal overlord-ship toward the woman
instead of tender loving leadership. As the contemporary vernacular goes,” It’s
the battle of the sexes”.
We’re at war, a
gender war in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Most do not see it. It’s
subtle, veiled to the unsuspecting yet it is right before their eyes.
We’re
in trouble until we can return to Eden (so to speak), less the serpent.
All the preceding was generated so the reader can realize that men are to be the leaders in the church due to the creation order. Just like Adam was the head of his wife, in like manner the man/husband is the head of the woman/wife in the church. God has deemed it so. We see the tragic results when the roles are reversed; sin has permeated the whole human race. And just like Eve usurped Adam’s authority in the garden, women have usurped the man’s position in the church, and in both scenarios man has permitted it, surrendering his God given charge to lead. As Eve harkened to the voice of the evil one no doubt women and men are doing the same today in the church. Any wonder why scores of churches are dysfunctional? Many have been listening to the words of the evil one and not to the words of God.
So, to sum up the
matter, men are the Teachers, Pastors, and Overseers in the public assembly.
Women/wives are to exercise quietness in church and learn with all
submissiveness. The word quietness is the Greek word hēsuchios which means to
be tranquil; Quietness from speaking. This does not mean women can never open their
mouths in the assembly. It means she has to know when to speak, and not usurp
the authority of her husband or the leadership. Women are allowed to pray or
prophesy (I Corinthians 11:5). The word permit in Timothy 2:12 is the Greek
word epitrepō.
This is a compound word. Epi means
“to” and trepō means “to turn to”.
Paul is saying to Timothy that he is not turning to or allowing women to teach
or exercise authority over men. In the same verse the word authority is the
Greek word authenteō. This word defines someone working on their own
authority which is why Paul says that women are not to exercise power, dominion
over their husbands or the pastor/elder/bishop in the public assembly. This is
indeed a perversion of the Lord’s government in HIS church. Women are not to be autonomous in public
worship; meaning they cannot do whatever they want. This type of behavior
unchecked produces chaos. It’s the
responsibility of the male leadership to make sure all is decent and in order
(I Corinthians 14:40).
The Pastor’s chief
responsibility is this, “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, serving
as overseers not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain, but
eagerly nor as being lords over them entrusted to you, but being examples to
the flock” (I Peter 5:2-3). The Pastor is to be tender loving, guiding, and nourishing to the flock God has entrusted
to him.
Men are not
essentially more intelligent than women. We’re both made in God’s image and
share in the grace of life (I Peter 3:7). Spiritually we are equals. In
authority we are not in the church. We are different in form and in role. In
some tasks, we’re fellow workers, but not all. God made no mistakes in what He
originally set in motion. We need to honor God’s design for us.
Conclusion
The views expressed
here have been carefully thought out. This article is by no means an exhaustive
how-to on how men and women are to conduct themselves in public worship. My
goal was to do my best to exegete the text of scripture in this area. Hopefully the narrative is fair, honest and
balanced. With any biblical commentary
the matter is open ended, but here is where I’ve decided this offering
must rest. For those of you who
will read and disagree with this material, I invite you to become like the
noble Berean, to search these things whether they be so (Acts 17:11). My intent
is not to change the mind of the reader, but to provoke, and stimulate thought
on the matter; for one to conduct their own research. If there be any praise in this effort, any
virtue, the glory goes to God. The mistakes are mine.
Women shouldn’t view
their subordinate role as if they are second class citizens in the church.
Their role is actually an exalted position. Women weren’t highly regarded in
the first century, so for them to be able to learn God’s word was a blessing as
it should be now. This shows equality with men. Instead of women focusing on
what they’re prohibited from doing, they should focus on what they can do in
God’s kingdom. For any woman that reads this article, please focus on the cloud
of witnesses the author lauded the women for mentioned earlier and their
commitment to the Almighty. That beautiful legacy is an example for all of us,
and is continuing to this day.
Final thoughts: When
it comes to women in roles of authority, the Lord has deemed it prudent to
disallow women from pastoral leadership; this would include women as “assistant pastors”. Some male Senior
Pastors believe it is okay for women to serve as under shepherds to them. In
this way, he “covers” the women with his
“senior authority”. To the writer this is a machination that some churches
employ to ordain females in leadership – it’s not biblical. It still puts women in authority over men; but
more in a clandestine way. This method has worked like a magic casting a spell on
the laity so they are none the wiser.
God help us!
Like I expressed earlier, from creation God
has set his rank and file in the home and His church. Someone has to lead and
someone has to follow. God chose men to lead. As a result, that leadership
should be defined by loving, sacrificial service[iii]
to the parishioners under their care; being an example. The husband at home must behave the same. The
headship motif in the home and in the church are inextricably linked.
There are some that
say the issue Paul addressed to Timothy was a cultural issue and not a matter
that applies to the church now (i.e. I Timothy 2:12). It is also assumed some
women in that church were disruptive in the service and had to be regulated. The
thought is mere conjecture yet possible. The matter of women not teaching or
usurping authority in the church is a principal matter that applies now. Was it
just in the Ephesian church where this command was given? No. Paul gave this
same command to the women at the church in Corinth (I Corinthian 14:34-35). Once
again, the matter of headship goes back to creation, and if Adam and Eve had
never sinned, she would still be subordinate to her husband. That has never
changed. Paul makes that clear.
We cannot allow our subjective experiences be the determiner of truth. If God has prohibited something in his word, and for one to say God called them[iv] to such-n-such and it’s contrary to truth, that person is not abiding in truth because they are turning God into a liar. God forbid! Let God be true (and He is), and every man a liar (Romans 3:4).
It is trite of anyone
to say that men are chauvinists when they say that women are prohibited from pastoral authority. Those type of
sentiments are contemporaneous with the culture and not based on the clear
teaching of scripture which has to be our final authority. The person’s
contention isn’t with men, it’s with the word of God which goes against the
dictates of our carnal minds. We want to do things our way and expect God to
bless us.
We must began to
think biblically.
So for the woman
desiring pastoral ministry it’s not a question of ability, education, or giftedness, but of allowance.
It’s not about desire
and sacrifice, but of obedience (I Samuel 15:22).
Fulfill your ministry
in the role(s) God has designed for you and be the blessing God has created you
for.
Men are charged to do the same.
End Notes
[i]
The popular versions of the bible use the word servant instead of deacon or
deaconess in regards to Phoebe in Romans 16:1 except in the Amplified (AMP),
New International Version (NIV), and New World Translations (NLT) of the bible.
The following versions use the word servant instead: (KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV,
ESV, ASV, CEB, WEB, GNB, RV1885, NET, DARBY1890- Uses term minister which is
equivalent to servant).
[ii]
This statement isn’t true. A Christian can
biblically divorce for two reasons, 1) if his wife committed adultery
(Matthew 19:9). 2) If she is an unbelieving spouse and desires to leave. The
bible says for the sake of peace, let her depart. The divorced Pastor under
those circumstances can marry again in the Lord (I Corinthians 7:15). As long
as he continues to uphold all the virtues that brought about his ordination, he
should be able to continue to serve in leadership although he’s no longer
married.
[iii]
Jesus Christ is the head of His church, but was defined by His loving service
to all. For He said, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and
give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). The higher the office one
holds in the church, the greater the service one should render, leading by example. This should be the men.
[iv]
Another popular view the writer is sure
that swirls around is that since there are more women in the church than men on
any given Sunday, that gives women license to engage in pastoral ministry;
using the excuse women have to take on the role since there is such a scarcity
of men. No doubt uninformed and spiritually puerile minded men have acquiesced to
this current trend. The Lord’s hand is not crippled or shortened that He will
not raise up qualified men to govern in the body the Lord Jesus shed His blood
to purchase. It’s God church, and He will add those He prepares for leaders in
His government. Lack of patience in God on those women and their inherent
wicked propensity to usurp authority no doubt hinders His plan to the extent
that God allows yet the Lord’s work carries on still.
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