The Role of Women in Ministry

The Role of Women in Ministry

            There are explicit instructions that both define and limit women’s ministry throughout Scripture. In 1 Timothy 2:11-15, "[11 ] Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. [12 ] I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. [13 ] For Adam was formed first, then Eve; [14 ] and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. [15 ] Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control." Paul gives some direction regarding church practices when the church is assembled together. Specifically, three prohibitions are established: (1) women are to remain silent, (2) women are not permitted to publicly teach, and (3) women are not permitted to exercise authority over men in the church.

            Because the roles of pastor, elder and overseer all require teaching and exercising authority in the church, women are plainly disqualified from any role of authority. Paul also argues this case in 1 Cor 14:34-35, saying “[34] the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak . . .”

            Paul communicates the source for these prohibitions in 1Timothy 2:13-14, (1) being the order of creation and (2) being the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Paul supports his case with the laws of nature and creation. Paul’s argument is not that Adam was made first, but that Eve was formed out of him--was made out of one of his ribs.  Paul adds that woman was formed for man--for his service, help and comfort; and here lies the strength of the apostle's reason. The woman was made for the man, not the man for the women (1 Cor 11:9). The woman was deceived--not Adam, and Paul references this to support the case that women are not designed for leadership because they are more susceptible to deception.

            Paul continues in 1Timothy 2:15, “Yet she will be saved through childbearing.”  Here, Paul gives the main purpose of God’s design of women in creation is “childbearing.” Childbearing is to be the woman’s primary focus as the man and woman together work to take dominion for the glory of God (Genesis 2).

            Just as we have seen the restrictions and limitations upon women’s ministry in the word of God, we also find many encouragements for women to serve the Lord.

            In Titus 2:3-5, Paul gives an outline as to what women are to teach and where the context of this teaching should be done. Women are to teach what is good (vs3), and the drive of all teaching should be to prepare women to be keepers/workers in the home.  The ministry that should be carried out through the local church is older women teaching younger women how to love their husbands, to love and train their children, to be kind, pure, to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine, and submissive to their own husbands.

            Women are very important in the church.  Let us consider some of the ways in which women have been vehicles for God’s will: it was a woman that brought Jesus into the world, and many women assisted Jesus during His earthly ministry (Lk 8:3-2-3).  It was a woman who anointed Jesus for His burial prior to His death (Matt 26:6-13).  It was mostly women who stood at the cross (Matt 27:55-56), and it was women who first came to the empty tomb and first believed the resurrection and reported it to the Apostles (Matt 28:1-8).

            Any deviation from the biblical pattern outlined by Scripture will lead to apostasy and a total departure from the word of God.  Paul warns that if we depart from older women teaching younger women in the ministry then we will cause the unbelieving world, “to blaspheme or revile the word of God” (Titus 2:5).

            The authority of Scripture makes it very clear that women have a great opportunity to serve Christ in His Church, to strengthen the home, and influence society through raising children for the next generation. If we depart from the sufficiency of Scripture, from the laws of nature and from God’s creational design, then we will destroy the very structure that God has established.

     

Tregg Istre