THE SUBJECT OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

 

 

Introduction

 

            The topic of women in the church today is a hot subject. Most evangelical groups are quite moderate to liberal on the issue, but the Bible is clear in its teachings regarding the place and roles of men and women, both at home and in the church. A problem in the conservative evangelical churches today is that many in the congregations do not really know what the issue is and what to do about it. The Southern Baptists squabble over this issue every year at their conventions. The truth is this, women have a good and perfect role in God’s plan and design, and He did not mean to have them ruled over or walked on by men. There is no distinction between men and women with regard to their souls and beings (Galatians 3:28), but there are big differences with regard to their roles while serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

            Jesus was particularly sweet to women, and they were extremely devoted to Him. In the Gospel of Luke alone one can see this throughout. The Hebrew perspective of women in the Old Testament, however, is important when approaching the New Testament. It is evident that Israel was a patriarchal society. Men were usually the leaders of homes and the governments. Though God saw them as equal they were not held in the same high esteem as the men were. Men and women together are the image of God (Gen.1:26,27). It should be noted that the woman of Proverbs 31 led a household of servants, made clothing, and ran a business complete with a land purchase. In Deuteronomy 22:22 men and women alike were to be stoned in the case of adultery. 

            Women rose to places of leadership in Israel. Deborah was a judge who helped lead an army (Judges 4:6-9). Miriam ranked second in command with Aaron under Moses and later led a rebellion against her famous brother. Esther became the queen of Persia and bravely thwarted genocide of the Jews. Judaism did not prevent these women from taking leadership.[1]

 

Women in the Book of Acts

 

            In the book of Acts one can see that men and women were very equal in the way that they were persecuted. Men and women do not seem to have differences among them by way of God’s favor concerning the Holy Spirit. Second, it is evident that Priscilla and Aquila, though husband and wife, are not differentiated between concerning importance in their ministry. On the contrary, it could be that Priscilla was of greater importance than her husband. Third, It seems quite clear that women could prophesy given the fact that four virgin daughters did so. It appears that they spoke of Christ’s resurrection under the power of the Holy Spirit which was given to both men and women. Finally, it appears that women are the backbone of the early church ministry. They were quicker to believe and through them their families were saved too. Other observations in Acts:

·        In 1:14 the women prayed right along with the men.

·        In 2:1,4 it is clear that the women were filled with the Holy Spirit right along with the men.

·        In 2:17 Joel is recited as saying the daughters will prophesy right along with the sons.

·        In 5:1-11 Sapphira suffered the same way her husband did. There was no favoritism.

·        In 6:1-6 the unequal treatment of widows prompts men to be appointed as deacons.

·        In 8:3 Saul dragged off men AND women to persecute them; 9:2 says the same thing.

·        In 9:36-42 Peter heals Dorcas and it served as a testimony to all around.

·        In 12:12 Peter goes to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, following his release by the angel.

·        In 16:1 it is mentioned that Timothy’s mother was Jewish, not his father. 

·        In 16:13-18 a woman is saved and it follows that her family is saved as well.  Also, the demon possessed woman is healed as well that very day.

·        In 17:4,12,34 a number of “leading women” decided to follow Paul.  One is mentioned as Damaris.

·        In 18:2,18,26 Aquila and Priscilla join Paul and both have an active ministry with him.

·        In 21:9 a man had four daughters who were prophetesses.

·        In 22:4 Paul reinforces the fact that he brought BOTH men and women to be persecuted.

            It is apparent that none of these women was considered a pastor, presbyter or overseer. But this does not mean they were not recognized leaders in the early church. The women were evidently deaconesses, a term specifically applied to Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae. The women of 1 Timothy 3:11, who were to serve “in like manner” as the “deacons” of verse 10, presumably held this office, as also the “aged women” of Titus 2:3.[2]

            In Titus 2 women are given the command to teach. They were to teach the younger women to love their husbands. In this regard the women were most certainly leaders, though their limitations on teaching were only to other women. The underlying theme here is that women are leaders in the local church, but the upper management of the church is to be composed of men. They are given the titles of pastor, elder, and overseer. The women did not seem to be in competition with the men concerning these offices, and they seemed to be quite effective in their given roles.

 

Jesus and Women

 

            As stated before, the relationship Jesus had with women was incredible. They seemed to flock to him, and He obviously treated them well for them to have had the devotion they had towards Him and His ministry. There are at least five observations to be made between Jesus and women. First, it appears that though Jesus had twelve men appointed as apostles, it was the women who provided out of their means to keep this ministry going.  The women must have traveled all over the countryside just as the men did.

            Second, Jesus was not afraid to preach to women. He does not seem to be waiting for a woman’s husband to appear or her father. It did not seem to matter to Jesus who the woman was, where she was from, or what her sin might be; Jesus had dinner with and healed many women. He treated them as equals with men. Third, Jesus taught spiritual truth to women. It seems as if Jesus exalted women far above keeping house and watching children. He taught some of His most important truths to women (e.g., Samaritan woman at the well). Fourth, Jesus appears to have felt comfortable meeting with women in public. There were strong feelings among many rabbis that women should not talk to strangers in public. It was considered scandalous for an educated man to speak to a woman where they could be seen. Many leaders considered this automatic grounds for divorce.[3]

            Fifth, Jesus attracted prostitutes and other women with questionable morality. Though He did not condone their activity he did accept them as evidenced by the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 7:53-8:11) and the promiscuous woman at the well (John 4).[4]

 

Biblical Teachings on Women

 

            Among various teaching passages that speak of the place of the woman in the local church, there are three that are considered the most difficult:  1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:33-38;

1 Tim. 2:9-15. The following three are personal paraphrases, but commenting on them can sometimes take the edge off of the teaching itself. Read and studied literally, these passages speak for themselves.

            First Corinthians 11:2-16 -- “Thank you for keeping me in your prayers; I too am keeping you in my thoughts because you are continually standing firm in the beliefs which I taught to you. Please keep in mind that Christ is the leader of every man and that man is the leader of a woman and God is the leader of Christ. If a man wears a hat on his head while he is praying or teaching then he embarrasses his leader, but a woman who does not have a hat or veil on her head while praying or teaching embarrasses her leader because she is acting just like those who are rebellious and sinful. If a woman chooses not to cover her head while she is praying and/or teaching then have her cut all of her hair off. But since it is unbecoming for a woman to have a shaved head tell her to cover her head. A man should never wear a hat or veil because he is the representation and praise of God Almighty; but the woman reflects the man and everything she does and says reflects upon the man. The origin of mankind did not come from a woman, it came from a man, and the woman was made from the man. The man was not made by God for the woman’s sake, but in retrospect, the woman was made for the sake of the man. Because of all this the woman needs to have something on her head to symbolize the fact that she is in submission to man because the angels have a part in this and need to see God’s divine order at work. That being said, remember that in the Lord man is not a self-ruling entity apart from woman nor is a woman a self-ruling entity apart from man. The woman has her origin from the man and the man, though he originates from God, as do all things, has his birth through the woman. Look around you. Does it really seem proper for a woman to pray without showing submission to her husband by wearing a hat or veil? And furthermore, it is obvious that our custom is not for man to have long hair because it shames him due to its rebellious nature. On the flip side, a woman who has long hair is to be admired and praised because her hair acts as her covering and shows her to be honorable. But if someone wants to be quarrelsome tell them that we practice no other custom and neither do any of the other Christian churches.”

            Now from this passage many observations can be made. First, Paul gives the order of roles not only between a man a woman but also between the Father and the Son. As the Son submits to the Father so a wife must submit to her husband (cf. Ephesians 5:22-33). The relationship between the Father and the Son is not cultural, so the relationship between a wife and her husband, with regard to roles, is not cultural. Now with regard to wearing hats to show submission this can be seen as cultural though many would disagree. That, however, is another topic that will not be addressed here.

            First Corinthians 14:33-38 -- “God does not exist to go around confusing people. He is straightforward in what He says and what He expects of us in our churches and in our homes. All women should keep their mouths closed during the church services; they are not to teach but they are to subject themselves to teaching as the law commands. If the woman wants to be taught something that may confuse her then she should talk to her husband about the matter while at home because it is not right for a woman to speak in church; by doing so she goes outside of the authority of her husband. The Word of God did not originate with you so if you disagree then that’s your own problem. The Word of God has come to many and you are not the final authority on it. The things which I write to you can be easily discerned by those who are spiritual. These same people will recognize that what I write comes straight from the Lord and His command. If someone does not see this fact or adhere to this teaching then he will not be given his proper respect.”

            Though Paul is very straightforward here, some have relegated this difficult teaching to his own opinions and biases. That is a low view of scripture. Paul’s teaching is difficult, and it is not something to be taken lightly. It is obvious there was a problem in the Corinthian church that prompted this harsh teaching, but the principle of male leadership and female submission to that leadership is still true today.

 

            First Timothy 2:9-15 -- “Women should wear clothing that does not draw attention to themselves. No more of these hairdo’s and suggestive clothing that cause men to look at them; likewise, no more excessive wearing of jewelry, pearls, and lavish clothing. These things are not fit for a time of worship. On the contrary, let what they DO draw attention to themselves by bringing glory to God. Good works that reflect the character of a godly woman is what I am speaking of. The woman should receive her instruction from her husband and she should listen to him because he is God’s designated leader. She should be submissive to him because by doing so she is being submissive to God. Do not allow a woman to teach a class with men. By doing so she is assuming authority over that man and that is a no-no. Rather, she should be instructed by a man and remain quiet. The reason for this is because it was man who was the first of God’s creation then the woman (Adam then Eve). When the serpent came along and challenged God’s authority it was not Adam who was deceived by him -- it was Eve -- and she was very obviously deceived. This caused both of them to fall into sin against God. Women, however, are certainly not worthless. They have their glory through the bearing of children if they remain faithful in what is expected of them by way of faith, love, and self-control.”

            Paul’s teaching here is consistent with his other teachings on the same subject. They are difficult but understandable. God made woman for man, and He made man to lead the woman. Unfortunately today, many women do not marry men who follow Jesus so the roles are out of whack from the get-go. In this tragic case there are many women who are faced with no other option but to take the lead for their own sakes and for the sakes of their children.

 

Ordination for Women?

 

Some will ask, “Is okay to ordain women to the gospel ministry and yet remain faithful to Paul’s teaching?” Now ordination, by definition, means to establish as an authority. If all the passages concerning women that are written by Paul are considered, then it is safe to say, in light of Titus 2, that women can be ordained provided that their role of authority and leadership be among other women only. Even in that regard, these women must be under the leadership of their husbands and the local body of elders. Regarding church decisions, a woman’s right to offer her opinion within church leadership meetings would be okay, but a woman should never have the capability to rule over a committee within the church that makes the final decisions. Of course this seems overly harsh and archaic, but the scriptures are clear. It is just too dangerous to toss these passages out under the guise of cultural interpretation. Woman was created for man not man for woman. Men in leadership should be the standard, but women as helpmates to the men makes a very balanced model of leadership.

            As for the gifted women who can teach well in the local church and who ask to do so their role should be clearly defined. They should know that they can only teach other women. Women are needed to teach and to counsel other women, but they should be restricted from teaching or have authority over a man in the church. If this teaching were changed, and it is reinforced through creation by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11, then changing scripture to fit certain more moderate presuppositions should be the norm in biblical interpretation -- something that would plunge the Christian faith into obscurity.

 

Conclusion

 

            There are many commentaries on the subject of women in the church today. Some see these passages as primarily pertaining to the local church, that is, problems unique to the churches in Corinth and Ephesus. Others see them as cultural, given the customs of the first century Greco-Roman world. Other groups seem them as universal, that is, binding for all churches both then and now. Regardless of one’s opinion, the issue is difficult and one’s opinion is usually drawn out of one’s own experience. Being faithful to a literal teaching of the scriptures, which is the safest interpretation, would be that the teaching of women in the first century church is universal and binding for all churches both then and now. Having concluded this, it should be noted that the Bible should always be studied in view of culture and in the specific locality. These problems that Paul is attempting to alleviate by teaching women not to have authority over a man are a local situation occurring in both Corinth and Ephesus, but it appears that these same problems do, and will, occur in our day and age without the proper standard of male leadership -- not domination. It is simply too dangerous to dismiss Paul’s teaching as a local situation and allow women to lead in our churches and having authority over men. Culturally, it seems evident that women were held in a little higher regard in the first century church than many people have been taught. Certainly Jesus held them in higher esteem than He is usually given credit for. Paul’s inspired words come from God, and he refers to the order of creation and the fall -- not culture when he makes his point. Churches would do well to follow the timeless teachings of the Apostle Paul.