Women in Ministry

The wrong doctrine of believing that women are not allowed in pastoral leadership is primarily based on two scriptures AND on an incorrect assumption of the role of "pastor" in a church.

First Scripture Passage

1 Corinthians 14:34: "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says."

This passage has been used to keep women from preaching in what we now call the worship or church service. Here are the problems with this interpretation.

The New Testament Churches did not have multiple, specific ministries as we do now, i.e. they did not have women's ministries, men's ministries, Sunday School, youth groups, etc. They had ONE SINGLE kind of gathering (perhaps weekly, perhaps more often) where the entire congregation came together. This is important because we see EARLIER in chapter 11 where Paul gives instruction about women who are prophesying. Well, where would they prophesy? Since there were not gender-exclusive (men only or women only) meetings during the N.T. church, Paul COULD NOT have been talking about women simply teaching (or prophesying) to other women. He had to be talking about what happens when the entire church gathers. And how can a woman prophesy and remain silent? Thus, Paul's admonition in chapter 14 has something other to do than with women preaching. (And, of course, one of the most common interpretations is that women were yelling across the room to their husbands with questions and this was disrupting the service).

Second Scripture Passage

1 Timothy 2:12: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence."

The biggest problem with this scripture is our entire manner of interpretation WHICH INCLUDES our interpretation of what Church is. Matthew 28:19-20a says ""Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." Why is this important? Because Yeshua [Jesus] tells us to make DISCIPLES. In Hebrew, this word is TALMIDIM (singular=talmid). A talmid was a person who learned from his teacher [rabbi], but not only intellectual knowledge, but actually imitated his teacher's behavior, what his teacher wore and ate, even how his teacher taught others. Yeshua commands us to be TALMIDIM. Even Paul tells us to imitate him as he imitates Christ. In other places, Paul tells us to imitate Christ. Why is this important? Because the entire concept in 1 Timothy has to do with talmidim (normally translated as "disciples"). In this verse--if I were to use contemporary venacular--Paul is telling Timothy that he [Paul] doesn't allow women to MENTOR men. We are not allowed to have personal, one-on-one discipleship experiences with men. And having worked in churches for many years, I can see why. Unnatural and sinful relationships often develop when men try to disciple women and vice versa. HOWEVER, this does not refer to PUBLIC TEACHING (preaching, etc.) which was done by MANY women in the First Century Church including Lydia, Priscilla, and probably the Elder Lady referred to in 2 John.

The third problem is our understanding of "pastor." Nowhere in scripture is a one-person-in-charge church established. There are two types of leadership, which are supposed to function concurrently. The first are the five-fold offices: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. These are given for the edification (the spiritual instruction and maturing) of the Body. Notice that there isn't one office -- PASTOR -- but FIVE!! They all have different functions and different reasons for existing. Sometimes I've known people to operate in perhaps two of the offices (though more usually it's one office with spiritual gifts in another area), but I've never known ANYONE to operate in all five offices at once. (In fact, I think that would be impossible). BTW, there are absolutely NO scriptural mandates against women being ANY of these five offices. IN FACT, there are many women prophets throughout the Old and New Testaments.

THEN, there are the bishops/elders and deacons given for the church administration and ministry. Now we know that there are deacons and deaconesses. Very few churches restrict women from that role. So the question comes about bishops (since there is no overt reference to women bishops). The ASSUMPTION is since the scripture talks about being the husband of one wife, this restrict women from this role. NOT SO! This admonition is because ONLY MEN were culturally and legally allowed to have multiple wives. Paul was restricting leadership of the church to GOD'S PLAN for marriage--one man and one woman. Too much has been interpreted in this passage, making it "say" what it was never intended to say.

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c. 2000 Robin L. O'Hare. All Rights Reserved.