Women in Ministry
Can and Should Women be Preachers: A Closer Look at the Scriptures
One of the most common objections towards the Scriptures by our secular world is how masculine the nature of the Scriptures can be. There is this tendency to read the words from the Bible and draw an assertion that women are second class citizens in a male dominated world, especially according to the standards of the Old Testament. According to the Mosaic Law men from the Levitical tribe were the priest that served in the temple therefore they were to lead in all spiritual matters. When reading the law it is easy for someone to come to the conclusion that women possessed very minimal rights. After the return from exile men were designated to be Scribes then later only the men were Pharisees. A common Jewish prayer by men was, “Lord, thank you for not making me a woman.”
In today’s churches many considers themselves a New Testament church but one has to wonder, are they really living according to New Testament teachings or are they merely picking out the points they find to be relevant to their world view, especially their theological view? Let’s face the facts here, for almost two-thousand years women have continued to be viewed as second class citizens in the church. History shows that only a person who had any form of propriety in society were wealthy men. Only men from a particular stock of family were allowed to be educated and have authority. The exception were those who entered into the ministry and even among them they were required to live by strict limitations. Yet, history also shows some exceptions to the notion that women were limited in society. Women have been queens of nations, leaders in military roles, and possessed strong influence in government well before the 20th century. Such women can be round throughout history; Hatshepsut, Egypt, (1508?-1458 BC), Empress Theodra, Byzantine Empire (500-548 AD), Empress Wu Zetian, China, (625-705 AD), Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122?-1204), Joan of Arc, France (1412-1431), Queen Mary of England (1516-1558) and Queen Elizabeth of England (1533-1603), Maria Theresa of Austria (1717-1780), Catherine II of Russia (1729- 1796), Queen Victoria (1819-1901). Each one possessed a degree of influence, power, and authority in their culture during their time. However, history does not grant us any examples of women being in any leadership roles in the church after the first century.
Before I continue with biblical examples of women leaders, in the spiritual since, from the Scriptures allow me to define the term “preach” according to the Scriptures. As Christians what is the message we are to preach? It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That Jesus came to die and was risen from the dead to conquer sin and death. To preach the gospel is a responsibility of anyone who calls themselves a Christian. Paul says in Romans that the message of salvation is meant for all. How are people to know about the grace of God if someone is not sent to preach? (Romans 10: 14-15) Preaching is not merely a moment during the week where people gather to listen to someone standing behind a box telling them their understanding of what the Scriptures teach. There is also a great difference between preaching and lecturing yet they can possess similarities.
A major goal in a lecture is information--in exposing the text, I'm trying to give people as much information as possible about the text so that they will understand it. While I would naturally do application as we go along, application is not the real focus of a lecture. There is really no relationship connection in a lecture. A lecture may cause people to think but may not actually create change in a person’s life. It may influence a person in some manner but the information is left to the listener to manage on their own.
In preaching one is sharing much more than just words or ideas. When I'm preaching a sermon I feel a profound responsibility to explain and apply the text in such a way as to stir people's affections and move them toward Christ. The major goal in preaching is transformation. And because this is the case, I don't feel the burden to give people as much information as possible as I would in a lecture; rather, I feel the burden to give people the information necessary about the text so that they will see the connections to their own lives and be moved to seek God in Christ as a result. Application is a focus of the sermon. Preaching includes sharing experiences, convictions, and parts of themselves that has been effected by a greater sources, such as the word of God. Preaching involves making a relationship connection to the one that is being addressed. There is an expectation that deeper change will take place in a person’s life. Both he one preaching and the one who is listening is guided by an influence, the Holy Spirit.
I have sat through both with varying results. I have listened to good and bad sermons that to this day have made an impact on my theological views and my spiritual well being. I have also sat through lectures that today the information I have taken from them no longer apply to my current state of life.
Another term that can be used to describe preaching is to prophesy. Prophesying is not merely what people typically assume the term to be, to foretell the future events that are not yet known or to expose hidden information about someone. We see both of these examples in the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 2 a man of God rebukes Eli for the behavior of his two sons and fore told their death to be on the same day. In 2 Samuel 12 Nathan rebuked David for his sin with Bathsheba which was done in secret. To prophesy can mean this but generally speaking this is rare. To prophesy is an inspired speech which could very well be motivated by a vision or a word that is given to an individual to give warning or to redirect people to turn back to the Lord or to seek the Lord in a time of preparation. This inspiration is only given to someone by the Holy Spirit.
Now there will and have been those who have claimed to be prophets but have been found wanting and labeled to be false prophets. For what they attempted to do was to foretell future events, yet, what they prophesy did not come to pass. Usually their motivation was to gain special attention from others that will lead to being regarded as someone of profound significance. Paul warns about these types of individuals in Philippians 1.
What is the purpose of a prophet? In Ephesians 4 Paul says, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (vv. 11-14) The Scriptures use the word Prophet according to the above description 67 times. Two times this term is attached to a woman, yet, there are several examples in the New Testament where women are found to be key elements for the spreading of the gospel and as leaders in the church.
So what does Paul mean when he said, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” (1 Timothy 2:12) This is where we need to look at the rest of the text and what examples Paul is given to make his point. We also have to consider other areas of Scripture to gain a fuller understanding.
In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul is dealing with a disorderly condition going on in the church. He says, “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” (vv. 33ff-35) What tradition has done with this text is take a current cultural idea and placed that idea into the culture in which Paul was writing. Rather than understanding what was actually taking place at that time in the church people have assumed that what goes on in our culture today was taking place in their culture in the first century.
Before the first century, men and women in Jewish culture did not worship side by side. The temple was designated for men only, Jewish women were permitted to enter so far, and Gentiles were permitted to enter further back. Now that Christ had fulfilled all of prophecy he destroyed all division, especially the division of worship. Paul writes in Galatians 3, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” (vv. 23-29)
Now the disorderly conduct that was taking place in the church was causing problems. Church service in Corinth did not take place as our church service does today. In the first century church services were conducted in a manner where men and women, with their children, sat separately. Men would gather close to the individual sharing the messages while women would sit further back in the room or in an upper area of the house looking down, as black slaves did in 19th century. The disorderly conduct happened when a wife would yell out to her husband inquiring about what was said. Though these letters of Paul circulated around there is an understanding that this problem was only happening in the church in Corinth for this is the only letter Paul addresses this issue. In reading all of Paul’s letters you can get the idea that Paul had to deal with similar issues among all the churches he visited. But there are some instances where a particular church was dealing with a problem other churches were not.
So was Paul saying that women were completely prohibited from speaking in church? If so then why did he say that if a wife were to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered they dishonored herself? (1 Corinthians 11: 5) Mind you this is the same letter Paul addresses that women should keep silent in chapter 14. Is Paul contradicting himself? Look closer to what Paul is saying. Which women is Paul addressing here? He is addressing wives, not all women, “If there is anything they [women] desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home.”
Paul uses the illustration of Adam and Eve to make his point. Paul is not being chauvinistic but is laying down the foundation of authority based on responsibility. Today’s culture has a very difficult time understanding this concept. Their view is that according to the Bible women are beneath men and are to obey everything a man commands as if they were slaves. That is another issue but this is not what Paul is talking about and he gives clear reason as to why he says what he did. In the garden it was the woman who was deceived by the serpent, not Adam. In addition Paul address in 1 Corinthians 11 that man was not made for woman but that woman was made for man, to be a helper, not a servant. I’ll deal with this issue later.
So does the Scriptures prohibit women from being leaders in the church or allow them to preach the gospel? We need to take in consideration culture and direction first. The first New Testament example of a prophetess is Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. (Luke 2:36-38) She is a pre-crucifixion example of a prophetess but she is not the first. Scripture says Anna “was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Her discipline in spiritual matters allowed her to recognize the Lord when he was brought to the temple at the prescribed times.
Miriam, the sister of Aaron, was a prophetess. She is mentioned by name in Exodus 15. Could she very well be the sister of Moses in chapter 2 who watched her baby brother float down the Nile River in a basket to be fished out by Pharaoh’s daughter? In the account she is named we see the Hebrew people have crossed the Red Sea as the waters were separated by a mighty wind and the Egyptian army advanced after them. As the people gathered on the other side the waters gathered together again destroying the enemy of Israel and some of their bodies and equipment were washed ashore. This caused Miriam to be inspired to break out in song. By today’s standard Miriam would be considered a Praise and Worship leader. Usually this is not viewed as an atrocity in the church for praise and worship is not considered equal with preaching the Bible. Or is it? Despite what we think Miriam is called a prophetess.
Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophetess and she was judging the nation of Israel when she lived. (Judges 4:4) The judges during the time of Israel’s conquer and conquest of Canaan were called by God to lead the people back to him and to turn away from following false gods. Though Deborah is the only woman among the judges her actions were highly regarded by the leaders of Israel and the people. As long as the judge lived the people would keep their focus on the Lord per the direction of the judge.
During the thirty-one years of Josiah’s reign he was a God fearing man. In the eighteenth year of his rule he had his secretary, Shaphan, consult the high priest, Hilkiah, about the money that has been collected in the house of the Lord from the people in order to hire workers to restore the Temple, which had been neglected over the years. During the restoration of the Temple Hilkiah found the Torah and gave it to Shaphan, who then read the book. After reading it he went to the king with the news and read the book to the king. After the book was read Josiah ripped his clothes in distress for he knew the people were not following the commands of the Lord. He then called five men that included the high priest Hilkiah and the secretary Shaphan to go to Huldah the prophetess to inquire of the Lord “concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” Notice that Josiah did not ask Hilkiah, the high priest, for advice or direction, but ordered him to go to a woman to ask for word from the Lord. Now what she had to say was not pleasing. You can read this story in 2 Kings 22.
Now not all prophetesses were good, nor all prophets as well. The prophetesses Noadiah was not in favor of Nehemiah and his plans to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Jezebel called herself a prophetess and we know her attitude towards the prophet Elijah. In the book of Revelation John writes against the church of Thyatira for tolerating Jezebel and all that she teaches. These few examples of women exhibiting bad leadership qualities does not justify the notion that women in general should be disqualified as leaders. If gender is a precursor for bad leadership as the Scriptures provide so very few examples then males defiantly should not be leaders by that standard. Moses exhibited an example of bad leadership when he did not obey the Lord when striking the rock which lead to him not being permitted to enter the promise land. Samson was a terrible example of a bad leader for marring a Philistine woman. The high priest Eli exhibited terrible parenthood with his two sons behaving in the manner they did. David and Solomon showed examples of bad leadership. The kings of Israel and Judah were constantly going against God. There are more examples of bad leadership among men than there are among women. We cannot justify prohibition of women leading due to a few bad examples when men are constantly exposed as being bad leaders.
At the end of the gospel narratives we see that the first to share the news that Jesus is risen are women. An angel tells Mary Magdalene “go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.” (Matthew 28:7) In Mark 16 the text reads, “go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.” Luke’s account does not share any instructions given to the women but that they simply went back to the eleven with the news. John’s account provides no interaction between the woman and an angel but that they went back to the disciples in fear and with the news that Jesus’ body was taken. This is not an inconstancy but the author’s point of view to the account.
In Romans 16 Paul mentions Phoebe, who is considered a servant, in the Greek the word used is diakonon, which can also be translated as deacon. Paul continues in his instructions about her that the church is to, “welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints” or Holy ones. (v. 2) Here we see a breaking down of barriers as he continues to name women among the list of those to greet.
In Acts 21:9 we read about Phillip who had seven daughters who were known to prophesy. In Acts 2: 17-18 Peter quotes Joel 2: 28-32 with these words, “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.”
Note that the Scriptures includes women in the gift of prophesy.
In 1 Corinthians 16: 19 Aquila is named first before her husband Prisca. When a person opened their home to conduct worship they were considered the leader. In Colossians 4: 15 Paul notes Nympha that she has a church in her home.
So we have several examples of women being leaders throughout the Scriptures, and good ones at that. So what is the problem the church is dealing with when it comes to women possessing leadership roles in the church today? What is Paul stating in 1 Timothy 2: 12 when he says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” We need to go on reading the rest of what Paul is saying. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (vv. 13-14) Paul is speaking about the first man and woman and their unity as husband and wife, not as separate individuals. This is not about the role women should or should not have in the church.
As I stated above God did not create woman to be the servant of the man but to be a helper. (Genesis 2:18) The word for ‘helper’ in Hebrew means “a protector or aid.” This very well could be the case with Aquila and Prisca in 1 Corinthians 16:19 where Paul identifies them together as having a church in their home. Paul is addressing matters of responsibility, not authority. With authority there comes responsibility but one can possess responsibility yet not be in a position of authority. In the Genesis account the focus is on who was first, the person, not that the first was male, the gender identity. When it came to blame game of disobedience in Genesis chapter 3 God addresses the man first because man was in the position of responsibility, not authority because God was the one who possesses authority. Note who prescribes the consequences for the disobedient behavior and for deception.
When God placed man in the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was planted, woman was not in the picture yet. So the command to not eat of the fruit was given to Adam and the responsibility to inform the woman to not eat of the fruit was placed on Adam. This being first is not to be taken that Adam was in authority but was accountable over the one who was second, the woman. Paul points out that it was woman who was deceived by the serpent, not the man, because she received the word of God from man. This isn’t that man misunderstood what God has said. The enemy was using doubt when he questioned the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” A generalizing statement attempting to include the forbidden tree. The woman attempts to correct the serpent and repeats what may have been said to her by the man. This is the first example of what many call the “Phone Game” and usually when someone is told something by one of authority they will repeat what was said and embellish the words a bit. Adam was present at the moment but failed to intervene to prohibit such deception from happening.
Paul’s direction that a woman shall not have authority over a man and references what happened in the garden is also a reminder of what was prescribed by God while handing out the consequences of their actions. God says to the woman, “Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” (v. 16) First, her desire shall be “contrary to your husband”
The notion that women are inferior to men is clearly an unbiblical understanding of the Scriptures. This approach of interpreting and teaching the Scriptures clearly shows the infallible character of men who usurp their authority over what the Scripture say. Tradition has influenced people to continue to operate in the manner that women are limited or prohibited from having any role in the church that stems outside of ministry with other women and children. Today’s churches that do not recognize women’s role in the church are behaving no differently than the leaders of Israel in the Old Testament and the Pharisees and Scribes in the gospels. Take for example in John 8 where the woman was brought before Jesus accused of adultery. The Scribes and Pharisees knew they were in the wrong when they did not bring the man she was committing adultery with and that they did not have two or three witnesses. Their view of this woman was that she is a second class citizen of no value and could be condemned for her so called actions.
If we are to consider ourselves a New Testament church we should really consider what the New Testament is teaching us. There are clear examples of women possessing a role in the church that transcends traditional teachings. This has nothing to do with women’s lib or equal rights. This is matter that God can operate in any manner he wishes. Just as men are held to account for what they preach and teach, women are as well. To assume that allowing women to begin leading in the church will cause problem is preposterous due to the fact that men have been causing problems in the church for generations. Let’s be mindful of what Paul says about ending division, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3: 23-29)
One of the most common objections towards the Scriptures by our secular world is how masculine the nature of the Scriptures can be. There is this tendency to read the words from the Bible and draw an assertion that women are second class citizens in a male dominated world, especially according to the standards of the Old Testament. According to the Mosaic Law men from the Levitical tribe were the priest that served in the temple therefore they were to lead in all spiritual matters. When reading the law it is easy for someone to come to the conclusion that women possessed very minimal rights. After the return from exile men were designated to be Scribes then later only the men were Pharisees. A common Jewish prayer by men was, “Lord, thank you for not making me a woman.”
In today’s churches many considers themselves a New Testament church but one has to wonder, are they really living according to New Testament teachings or are they merely picking out the points they find to be relevant to their world view, especially their theological view? Let’s face the facts here, for almost two-thousand years women have continued to be viewed as second class citizens in the church. History shows that only a person who had any form of propriety in society were wealthy men. Only men from a particular stock of family were allowed to be educated and have authority. The exception were those who entered into the ministry and even among them they were required to live by strict limitations. Yet, history also shows some exceptions to the notion that women were limited in society. Women have been queens of nations, leaders in military roles, and possessed strong influence in government well before the 20th century. Such women can be round throughout history; Hatshepsut, Egypt, (1508?-1458 BC), Empress Theodra, Byzantine Empire (500-548 AD), Empress Wu Zetian, China, (625-705 AD), Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122?-1204), Joan of Arc, France (1412-1431), Queen Mary of England (1516-1558) and Queen Elizabeth of England (1533-1603), Maria Theresa of Austria (1717-1780), Catherine II of Russia (1729- 1796), Queen Victoria (1819-1901). Each one possessed a degree of influence, power, and authority in their culture during their time. However, history does not grant us any examples of women being in any leadership roles in the church after the first century.
Before I continue with biblical examples of women leaders, in the spiritual since, from the Scriptures allow me to define the term “preach” according to the Scriptures. As Christians what is the message we are to preach? It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That Jesus came to die and was risen from the dead to conquer sin and death. To preach the gospel is a responsibility of anyone who calls themselves a Christian. Paul says in Romans that the message of salvation is meant for all. How are people to know about the grace of God if someone is not sent to preach? (Romans 10: 14-15) Preaching is not merely a moment during the week where people gather to listen to someone standing behind a box telling them their understanding of what the Scriptures teach. There is also a great difference between preaching and lecturing yet they can possess similarities.
A major goal in a lecture is information--in exposing the text, I'm trying to give people as much information as possible about the text so that they will understand it. While I would naturally do application as we go along, application is not the real focus of a lecture. There is really no relationship connection in a lecture. A lecture may cause people to think but may not actually create change in a person’s life. It may influence a person in some manner but the information is left to the listener to manage on their own.
In preaching one is sharing much more than just words or ideas. When I'm preaching a sermon I feel a profound responsibility to explain and apply the text in such a way as to stir people's affections and move them toward Christ. The major goal in preaching is transformation. And because this is the case, I don't feel the burden to give people as much information as possible as I would in a lecture; rather, I feel the burden to give people the information necessary about the text so that they will see the connections to their own lives and be moved to seek God in Christ as a result. Application is a focus of the sermon. Preaching includes sharing experiences, convictions, and parts of themselves that has been effected by a greater sources, such as the word of God. Preaching involves making a relationship connection to the one that is being addressed. There is an expectation that deeper change will take place in a person’s life. Both he one preaching and the one who is listening is guided by an influence, the Holy Spirit.
I have sat through both with varying results. I have listened to good and bad sermons that to this day have made an impact on my theological views and my spiritual well being. I have also sat through lectures that today the information I have taken from them no longer apply to my current state of life.
Another term that can be used to describe preaching is to prophesy. Prophesying is not merely what people typically assume the term to be, to foretell the future events that are not yet known or to expose hidden information about someone. We see both of these examples in the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 2 a man of God rebukes Eli for the behavior of his two sons and fore told their death to be on the same day. In 2 Samuel 12 Nathan rebuked David for his sin with Bathsheba which was done in secret. To prophesy can mean this but generally speaking this is rare. To prophesy is an inspired speech which could very well be motivated by a vision or a word that is given to an individual to give warning or to redirect people to turn back to the Lord or to seek the Lord in a time of preparation. This inspiration is only given to someone by the Holy Spirit.
Now there will and have been those who have claimed to be prophets but have been found wanting and labeled to be false prophets. For what they attempted to do was to foretell future events, yet, what they prophesy did not come to pass. Usually their motivation was to gain special attention from others that will lead to being regarded as someone of profound significance. Paul warns about these types of individuals in Philippians 1.
What is the purpose of a prophet? In Ephesians 4 Paul says, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (vv. 11-14) The Scriptures use the word Prophet according to the above description 67 times. Two times this term is attached to a woman, yet, there are several examples in the New Testament where women are found to be key elements for the spreading of the gospel and as leaders in the church.
So what does Paul mean when he said, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” (1 Timothy 2:12) This is where we need to look at the rest of the text and what examples Paul is given to make his point. We also have to consider other areas of Scripture to gain a fuller understanding.
In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul is dealing with a disorderly condition going on in the church. He says, “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” (vv. 33ff-35) What tradition has done with this text is take a current cultural idea and placed that idea into the culture in which Paul was writing. Rather than understanding what was actually taking place at that time in the church people have assumed that what goes on in our culture today was taking place in their culture in the first century.
Before the first century, men and women in Jewish culture did not worship side by side. The temple was designated for men only, Jewish women were permitted to enter so far, and Gentiles were permitted to enter further back. Now that Christ had fulfilled all of prophecy he destroyed all division, especially the division of worship. Paul writes in Galatians 3, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” (vv. 23-29)
Now the disorderly conduct that was taking place in the church was causing problems. Church service in Corinth did not take place as our church service does today. In the first century church services were conducted in a manner where men and women, with their children, sat separately. Men would gather close to the individual sharing the messages while women would sit further back in the room or in an upper area of the house looking down, as black slaves did in 19th century. The disorderly conduct happened when a wife would yell out to her husband inquiring about what was said. Though these letters of Paul circulated around there is an understanding that this problem was only happening in the church in Corinth for this is the only letter Paul addresses this issue. In reading all of Paul’s letters you can get the idea that Paul had to deal with similar issues among all the churches he visited. But there are some instances where a particular church was dealing with a problem other churches were not.
So was Paul saying that women were completely prohibited from speaking in church? If so then why did he say that if a wife were to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered they dishonored herself? (1 Corinthians 11: 5) Mind you this is the same letter Paul addresses that women should keep silent in chapter 14. Is Paul contradicting himself? Look closer to what Paul is saying. Which women is Paul addressing here? He is addressing wives, not all women, “If there is anything they [women] desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home.”
Paul uses the illustration of Adam and Eve to make his point. Paul is not being chauvinistic but is laying down the foundation of authority based on responsibility. Today’s culture has a very difficult time understanding this concept. Their view is that according to the Bible women are beneath men and are to obey everything a man commands as if they were slaves. That is another issue but this is not what Paul is talking about and he gives clear reason as to why he says what he did. In the garden it was the woman who was deceived by the serpent, not Adam. In addition Paul address in 1 Corinthians 11 that man was not made for woman but that woman was made for man, to be a helper, not a servant. I’ll deal with this issue later.
So does the Scriptures prohibit women from being leaders in the church or allow them to preach the gospel? We need to take in consideration culture and direction first. The first New Testament example of a prophetess is Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. (Luke 2:36-38) She is a pre-crucifixion example of a prophetess but she is not the first. Scripture says Anna “was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Her discipline in spiritual matters allowed her to recognize the Lord when he was brought to the temple at the prescribed times.
Miriam, the sister of Aaron, was a prophetess. She is mentioned by name in Exodus 15. Could she very well be the sister of Moses in chapter 2 who watched her baby brother float down the Nile River in a basket to be fished out by Pharaoh’s daughter? In the account she is named we see the Hebrew people have crossed the Red Sea as the waters were separated by a mighty wind and the Egyptian army advanced after them. As the people gathered on the other side the waters gathered together again destroying the enemy of Israel and some of their bodies and equipment were washed ashore. This caused Miriam to be inspired to break out in song. By today’s standard Miriam would be considered a Praise and Worship leader. Usually this is not viewed as an atrocity in the church for praise and worship is not considered equal with preaching the Bible. Or is it? Despite what we think Miriam is called a prophetess.
Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophetess and she was judging the nation of Israel when she lived. (Judges 4:4) The judges during the time of Israel’s conquer and conquest of Canaan were called by God to lead the people back to him and to turn away from following false gods. Though Deborah is the only woman among the judges her actions were highly regarded by the leaders of Israel and the people. As long as the judge lived the people would keep their focus on the Lord per the direction of the judge.
During the thirty-one years of Josiah’s reign he was a God fearing man. In the eighteenth year of his rule he had his secretary, Shaphan, consult the high priest, Hilkiah, about the money that has been collected in the house of the Lord from the people in order to hire workers to restore the Temple, which had been neglected over the years. During the restoration of the Temple Hilkiah found the Torah and gave it to Shaphan, who then read the book. After reading it he went to the king with the news and read the book to the king. After the book was read Josiah ripped his clothes in distress for he knew the people were not following the commands of the Lord. He then called five men that included the high priest Hilkiah and the secretary Shaphan to go to Huldah the prophetess to inquire of the Lord “concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” Notice that Josiah did not ask Hilkiah, the high priest, for advice or direction, but ordered him to go to a woman to ask for word from the Lord. Now what she had to say was not pleasing. You can read this story in 2 Kings 22.
Now not all prophetesses were good, nor all prophets as well. The prophetesses Noadiah was not in favor of Nehemiah and his plans to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Jezebel called herself a prophetess and we know her attitude towards the prophet Elijah. In the book of Revelation John writes against the church of Thyatira for tolerating Jezebel and all that she teaches. These few examples of women exhibiting bad leadership qualities does not justify the notion that women in general should be disqualified as leaders. If gender is a precursor for bad leadership as the Scriptures provide so very few examples then males defiantly should not be leaders by that standard. Moses exhibited an example of bad leadership when he did not obey the Lord when striking the rock which lead to him not being permitted to enter the promise land. Samson was a terrible example of a bad leader for marring a Philistine woman. The high priest Eli exhibited terrible parenthood with his two sons behaving in the manner they did. David and Solomon showed examples of bad leadership. The kings of Israel and Judah were constantly going against God. There are more examples of bad leadership among men than there are among women. We cannot justify prohibition of women leading due to a few bad examples when men are constantly exposed as being bad leaders.
At the end of the gospel narratives we see that the first to share the news that Jesus is risen are women. An angel tells Mary Magdalene “go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.” (Matthew 28:7) In Mark 16 the text reads, “go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.” Luke’s account does not share any instructions given to the women but that they simply went back to the eleven with the news. John’s account provides no interaction between the woman and an angel but that they went back to the disciples in fear and with the news that Jesus’ body was taken. This is not an inconstancy but the author’s point of view to the account.
In Romans 16 Paul mentions Phoebe, who is considered a servant, in the Greek the word used is diakonon, which can also be translated as deacon. Paul continues in his instructions about her that the church is to, “welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints” or Holy ones. (v. 2) Here we see a breaking down of barriers as he continues to name women among the list of those to greet.
In Acts 21:9 we read about Phillip who had seven daughters who were known to prophesy. In Acts 2: 17-18 Peter quotes Joel 2: 28-32 with these words, “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.”
Note that the Scriptures includes women in the gift of prophesy.
In 1 Corinthians 16: 19 Aquila is named first before her husband Prisca. When a person opened their home to conduct worship they were considered the leader. In Colossians 4: 15 Paul notes Nympha that she has a church in her home.
So we have several examples of women being leaders throughout the Scriptures, and good ones at that. So what is the problem the church is dealing with when it comes to women possessing leadership roles in the church today? What is Paul stating in 1 Timothy 2: 12 when he says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” We need to go on reading the rest of what Paul is saying. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (vv. 13-14) Paul is speaking about the first man and woman and their unity as husband and wife, not as separate individuals. This is not about the role women should or should not have in the church.
As I stated above God did not create woman to be the servant of the man but to be a helper. (Genesis 2:18) The word for ‘helper’ in Hebrew means “a protector or aid.” This very well could be the case with Aquila and Prisca in 1 Corinthians 16:19 where Paul identifies them together as having a church in their home. Paul is addressing matters of responsibility, not authority. With authority there comes responsibility but one can possess responsibility yet not be in a position of authority. In the Genesis account the focus is on who was first, the person, not that the first was male, the gender identity. When it came to blame game of disobedience in Genesis chapter 3 God addresses the man first because man was in the position of responsibility, not authority because God was the one who possesses authority. Note who prescribes the consequences for the disobedient behavior and for deception.
When God placed man in the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was planted, woman was not in the picture yet. So the command to not eat of the fruit was given to Adam and the responsibility to inform the woman to not eat of the fruit was placed on Adam. This being first is not to be taken that Adam was in authority but was accountable over the one who was second, the woman. Paul points out that it was woman who was deceived by the serpent, not the man, because she received the word of God from man. This isn’t that man misunderstood what God has said. The enemy was using doubt when he questioned the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” A generalizing statement attempting to include the forbidden tree. The woman attempts to correct the serpent and repeats what may have been said to her by the man. This is the first example of what many call the “Phone Game” and usually when someone is told something by one of authority they will repeat what was said and embellish the words a bit. Adam was present at the moment but failed to intervene to prohibit such deception from happening.
Paul’s direction that a woman shall not have authority over a man and references what happened in the garden is also a reminder of what was prescribed by God while handing out the consequences of their actions. God says to the woman, “Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” (v. 16) First, her desire shall be “contrary to your husband”
The notion that women are inferior to men is clearly an unbiblical understanding of the Scriptures. This approach of interpreting and teaching the Scriptures clearly shows the infallible character of men who usurp their authority over what the Scripture say. Tradition has influenced people to continue to operate in the manner that women are limited or prohibited from having any role in the church that stems outside of ministry with other women and children. Today’s churches that do not recognize women’s role in the church are behaving no differently than the leaders of Israel in the Old Testament and the Pharisees and Scribes in the gospels. Take for example in John 8 where the woman was brought before Jesus accused of adultery. The Scribes and Pharisees knew they were in the wrong when they did not bring the man she was committing adultery with and that they did not have two or three witnesses. Their view of this woman was that she is a second class citizen of no value and could be condemned for her so called actions.
If we are to consider ourselves a New Testament church we should really consider what the New Testament is teaching us. There are clear examples of women possessing a role in the church that transcends traditional teachings. This has nothing to do with women’s lib or equal rights. This is matter that God can operate in any manner he wishes. Just as men are held to account for what they preach and teach, women are as well. To assume that allowing women to begin leading in the church will cause problem is preposterous due to the fact that men have been causing problems in the church for generations. Let’s be mindful of what Paul says about ending division, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3: 23-29)
