In a social climate of complete equality in
all things, the Biblical teaching of only allowing men to be pastors and elders is not popular. Many feminist organizations
denounce this position as antiquated and chauvinistic. In addition, many
Christian churches have adopted the "politically correct" social
standard and have allowed women pastors and elders in the church. But the
question remains, is this Biblical?
The Bible's answer to this question is,
"No, women are not to be pastors and elders." Many may not like that
answer, but it is, I believe, an accurate representation of the Biblical
standard.
First of all, women are under-appreciated and under-utilized in the church. There are many gifted women who might very well do a better job at preaching and teaching than many men. However, it isn't gifting that is the issue. It is God's order and calling. What does the Bible say? We cannot come to God's Word with a social agenda and make it fit our wants. Instead, we must change and adapt to what it says.
First of all, women are under-appreciated and under-utilized in the church. There are many gifted women who might very well do a better job at preaching and teaching than many men. However, it isn't gifting that is the issue. It is God's order and calling. What does the Bible say? We cannot come to God's Word with a social agenda and make it fit our wants. Instead, we must change and adapt to what it says.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, the garden of
Eden, and Adam and Eve. He put Adam in the garden and gave him the authority to
name all the animals. Afterwards, God made Eve as a helper to Adam.1 This is an important
concept because Paul refers to the order of creation in his epistle to Timothy
when he discusses the relationship between men and women in the church context. Let's take a look.
"But I do not allow a woman to teach or
exercise authority over a man, but remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first
created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being
quite deceived, fell into transgression," (1 Tim. 2:12-14--all quotes
from the Bible are from the NASB).
This passage has several interesting areas of
discussion, but for our purpose we will focus on authority. At the very least,
there is an authority structure set up by God. The woman is not to have
authority over the man in the church, but this does not extend to the
political/economic world. In the Old Testament, Deborah was a judge in Israel
over men. Also, in the New Testament, Phoebe played an important role in the
church at Cenchrea (Romans 16). There is no doubt that women supported Paul in
many areas and were great helpers in the church (Acts 2:17, 18:24-26, 21:8-9). But what Paul is
speaking of in 1 Tim. 2 is
the relationship between men and women in the church structure, not in a social
or political context.
When we look further at Paul's teachings, we
see that the bishop/overseer is to be the husband of one wife (1 Tim. 3:2), who manages
his household well, and has a good reputation (1 Tim. 3:4-5, 7). Deacons must be
"men of dignity" (1 Tim. 3:8). Paul then
speaks of women in verse 11 and their obligation to receive instruction. Then
in verse 12, Paul says, "Let deacons be husbands of one wife . . . "
Again, in Titus 1:5-7,
Paul says, "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in
order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely,
if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who
believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must
be above reproach as God's steward . . . " Notice that Paul interchanges
the word "elder" and "overseer." In each case,
the one who is an elder, deacon, bishop, or overseer is instructed to be male
(See article There were deaconesses, so there can
be female elders and pastors). He is the husband of one wife,
responsible, able to "exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who
contradict" (Titus 1:9).
We see no command for the overseers to be women. On the contrary, women are
told to be "dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in
all things" (1 Tim. 3:11).
Why is it that it is the men who are singled out as the overseers? It is
because of the created order of God that Paul references (Gen. 1-2, 1 Tim. 2:12-14). This is
not merely a social custom that was confined to ancient Israel.
Additionally, in the over 700 mentions of
priests in the Old Testament, every single one
was a male. There is not one instance of a female priest. This is significant
because priests were ordained by God to hold a very important office of
ministering the sacrifices. This was not the job of women. Therefore, from what
I see in Genesis 1-2, 1 Timothy 2, and Titus 1, the normal and proper person to
hold the office of elder/pastor is to be a man.
What
About Galatians 3:28?
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are
all one in Christ Jesus," (Gal. 3:28).
This verse is often used to support the idea
that women can hold the offices of elder and pastor because there is neither
male nor female in Christ. The argument states that if we are all equal, then
women can be pastors.
Unfortunately, those who use this verse this
way have failed to read the context. Verse 23 talks about being under the Law
"before faith came" and how we are brought closer to Jesus and have
become sons of God by faith. We are no longer under law but grace, and we are "Abraham's
offspring, heirs according to the promise" (v. 29).2 The point of this
passage is that we are all saved by God's grace according to the promise of God
and that it doesn't matter who you are--Jew, Greek, slave, free, male, or
female. All are saved the same way--by grace. In that sense, there is neither
male nor female.
This verse is not talking about church
structure. It is talking about salvation "in Christ." It
cannot be used to support women as pastors because that isn't what it is
talking about. Instead, to find out about church structure and leadership, you
need to go to those passages that talk about it: 1 Timothy 2 and Titus 1.
Being
a Pastor or Elder is to be in Authority
God is a God of order and balance. He has
established order within the family (Gen. 3:16, 1 Cor. 11:3, Eph. 5:22-33, Col. 3:18-21 ) and the
church (1 Tim. 2:11-14, 1 Cor. 11:8-9). Even within
the Trinity, there is an order--a hierarchy. The Father sent the Son (John 6:38), and both the
Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, 15:26). Jesus said,
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of
Him who sent Me," (John 6:38).
It is clear that God is a God of order and structure.
In creation, God made Adam first and then Eve
to be his helper. This is the order of creation. It is this order that Paul
mentions in 1 Tim. 2:11-14 when
speaking of authority. Being a pastor or an elder is to be in the place of
authority. Therefore, within the church, for a woman to be a pastor or elder,
she would be in authority of men in the church which contradicts what Paul says
in 1 Tim. 2:11-14.
But
Doesn't This Teaching Belittle Women?
No, male leadership does not belittle
women. Jesus was given His authority by
God the Father (Matt. 28:18).
He was sent by God (John 6:38).
He said that the Father was greater than He (John 14:28). Did this
belittle Jesus? Of course not. Women are of great value in the church and need
to be used more and more according to the gifts given them.
Does the wife's submission to the husband
mean that she is less than the husband, less important, or belittled? Again,
not at all. Not having a place of leadership in the church does not mean a
woman is less of a person, less important to God, or inferior. All are equal
before God whether Jew, Gentile, free, slave, male, or female. But in the
church, God has set up an order in the same way He set one up in the family.
The chain of command is Jesus, the man, the wife, and the children.
What
About Women Who Say They are Called By God to Be Pastors?
There are women pastors in the world who love
their congregations and have stated that they are called by God to be pastors.
Of course, I cannot agree with this considering the previous analysis of the
Biblical position. Instead, I believe they have usurped the position of men and
gone against the norm of Scriptural revelation. Additionally, those who state
that they are called by God because of the great job they are doing and the
gifting they have received are basing their theology upon experience and not
Scripture.
The issue is simple: are they submitting to
the Word of God, or are they making the Word of God subordinate to their
desires?
What
About a Missionary Woman Who Establishes a Church?
Scripture establishes the norm. As
Christians, we apply what we learn from the Word to the situations at hand. So,
what about the situation where a woman missionary has converted a group of
people, say in the jungle somewhere, and she has established a church? In that
church, she is then functioning as a pastor and teacher having authority over
men in the church. Should she not do this?
First of all, she should not be out there
alone. She should be with her husband or, at the very least, under the
oversight of a church body in the presence of other women and men. Missionary
work is not a lone endeavor to be handled by single women. There are no
instances in the Bible of single women missionaries.
Second, if in some highly unusual set of
circumstances there is a woman in a lone situation, it is far more important
that the Word of God be preached and the Gospel of salvation go forth to the
lost than not. Whether it be male or female, let the Gospel be spoken. However,
I would say that as soon as there is/are males mature enough to handle
eldership, that she should then establish the proper order of the church as
revealed in Scripture, and thereby show her submission to it.
Does
this also mean that women shouldn't wear jewelry?
"Likewise,
I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly,
not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; 10 but rather by
means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness. 11 Let a
woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not
allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve," (1 Tim. 2:9-13).
Some argue that if we are to forbid women to
be elders, then the context of 1 Tim. 2:9-13demands that
we require women to not have braided hair, wear gold, or have costly garments.
Since no one wants to put that sort of a demand on a woman (since it is
cultural), then why should we also demand that they not be elders since it
would logically follow that it was also a culturally based admonition?
The problem here is multifaceted. First, the
objection ignores what the Scriptures plainly teach about the elder being the
husband of one wife. Second, it fails to address the real issue of Biblical
headship residing in the male. Third, it fails to properly exegete the
Scripture in question.
In 1 Tim. 2:9-13, Paul tells
us that women should be modestly dressed. He uses the example of the then
present-day adornment as an example of what not to do. This is a culturally
based assessment by Paul. Notice that Paul emphasizes good works and godliness
as a qualifier (as does Peter, see 1 Pet. 3:2). This is not a
doctrinal statement tied to anything other than being a godly woman in
appearance as well as attitude.
In verse 11, Paul says that a woman should
quietly receive instruction. Please note that the word, heµsychia,
translated “quietness” in 1 Timothy 2:11 and
"silent" in verse 12, does not mean complete silence or not talking.
It is clearly used elsewhere (Acts 22:2, 2 Thes. 3:12) to mean
“settled down, undisturbed, not unruly." A different word (sigaoµ)
means “to be silent, to say nothing” (cf. Luke 18:39, 1 Cor. 14:34).”3 Paul is advocating
orderliness, not absolute silence, in this verse.
Then in verses 12-13, Paul says, "But I
do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain
quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve." Notice
that Paul directly relates the authority issue with the created order. He does
not do this with the woman's dress code. Therefore, the dress code is cultural
while the authority issue is doctrinal since the latter is tied to the creation
order and the dress code, and authority issues are not.
Conclusion
God's Word clearly tells us that the elder is
to be the husband of one wife. A woman cannot qualify for this position by
virtue of her being female. Whether anyone likes it or not is irrelevant to the
fact that this is what the Bible teaches.
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