Women’s ministry and roles in the church
Before I even address this issue, I want to say at the forefront that women can be functional members of church gatherings and they can speak in the meetings, but there are parameters to this order as well and these become necessary when they overlap with the order of a family and their roles with their husbands and in relation to men in general.
I am fully aware that this understanding is not easily received by many today especially in the world we live in where women’s lib groups and the roles of men and women have blurred the harmony that can and should exist in this. But as in all things, God’s word and His order is what we should always seek to walk in.
To have woman teachers over men and leaders over all causes a hinderance to God’s order. This again sets up a one woman ministry over others. This is very similar to the one man pastor ministry over all and it has similar problems where the body is quenched from mutual edification and ministry in the gatherings. Having a male or female over all as a "pastor or teacher" creates the same error. But this is complicated if the woman is teaching and usurping and judging over the man. This error also extends to women in the gathering who may not have entered into a wrong oversight over men but simply try to judge and teach over men.
Since the very beginning after the fall of Adam and Eve God said,
“16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. “(Genesis 3:16)
This word is echoed all through the Old Testament and into the New Testament. We see Paul touch on this in relation to women when he saw a problem in the Corinthian church.
“Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”(1 Corinthians 14:29-35)
This section has been misunderstood by many and still is. If we examine this closely with the rest of scripture we will see that this section is not stopping women in Christ from speaking in a certain manner, but rather it speaks if them not speaking in judgement of their husbands and by extension other men in the meetings. It does not stop them from speaking in the spirit as we will see in this discussion.
The first consideration that Paul makes here about women in the assemblies is that ” they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law”. This law must refer to the Mosaic law and verses similar to the one we read in Genesis 3:16. Because Paul did not speak the cultures of men and their commands for the church He spoke and wrote the "commandments of the Lord" (1 Cor 4:347 KJV).
Paul began to speak about the prophets speaking two or three and the other JUDGING, this aspect of judging what is said, was not permitted for women, because it would go against the law of God and cause women to dominate and not submit to their husbands. Paul said that wives should submit to their husbands in all things,
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church..,”(Ephesians 5:22-25)
The husband and the wife are to typify Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:30-32) and to interfere with this example to the world hinders the lesson and truth if the matter.
But back to 1 Corinthians 14. We see that this judging of men in prophecy was causing some confusion in the church as Paul said, vs 33 when Paul told them that “God is not the author of confusion”. this confusion related to many aspect here but included was the woman issue of judging or questioning their husbands in the meetings. It would seem from Paul's words that a man spoke some prophecy and his wife questioned him publicaly. Sometimes questioning a person is like a judgement, For example, the wife could have said, “ how do you know that is from God it didn’t sound right? Or they could say, "but what you said goes against other teachings, are you sure God told you that? Etc." this would cause possible back and forth contention as well. Paul says for the wives to ask questions at home not in the church. In this kind of judgment of prophecy they are to be silent . To rebuke or judge their husbands would go against Gods order for the family and the man ruling over his own home, particularly those who were in oversight (1 Timothy 3:5).
But consider if a woman is over all in an oversight role, as we can see in many places today, and they had to rebuke and judge men in sin and their husbands. this causes a confusion. if the husband is under her in the gatherings and yet at the home he is the one to “rule” his own house this is a contradiction of order.We read in scripture a clear order when Paul wrote,
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;...4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Notice that the overseers ( Bishops) must rule well their own house. It does not say "if a woman knoweth not how to rule her own house." But rather "if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house". This is God's order for the home. So imagine if that same family where the man was ruling his own house and he was one of the elders in the home meeting in his house once a week, where the wife in the meeting judged him and he had to submit to her teaching over him. This would cause confusion.
Now some might say well that only relates to married couples what about single women who are not married?
Here we must use sound wisdom and examine scripture wisely. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul said to the whole church , “Let your women keep silence in the churches”. This “Your women would seem to cover all the women in the gatherings as well. Even though Paul adds more about married women, when he says after this “And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: “. But right after this statement he says. “for it is a shame for women to speak in the church”. Paul mention women in general here which would include married and single women . He didn't say let your married women keep silent in the church.
This command to the church was by extension for all women, because the married women are to be examples to the unmarried women, the older women and married ones are to teach the younger to love their husbands and to submit etc .The elder women are to be examples to the younger women in all good things teaching them by example to be keepers at home and how to obey their husbands when they do get married, if they do. Or how to behave around men in the gatherings etc.
Can you imagine if a unmarried woman took this judging role because she was not married and during a meeting she had to rebuke and judge with bold questioning a man in the meeting. But what if that man in the days following was to be engaged and then married to her? And in a few months she could not rebuke him then? This again creates confusion. Or what if a woman took this oversight role and became an overseer and judged men and then she got married and could no longer do this?
And what if an overseer had daughters in the meeting, should they also rebuke and judge their father publically? No, they should not. Or if a single woman was there and the man she was going to marry in a week was sitting by should she be able to judge him one week and then the next week when married she cannot do so? This would all cause confusion. The elder women are to be examples to the younger women in all good things teaching them by example to be keepers at home and how to obey their husbands when they do get married, if they do. Or how to behave around men in the gatherings etc.
If men were to see single women judging men in general this would not help the single women to find husbands, and to learn to submit to their husbands in all things. The men in the meeting may be turned from pursuing then in marriage because of this. No, this judging and usurping role over men should not be taken by any woman , not just married women. What if some still say, no, it is only for married women. Then you would have a gathering that is filled with single women judging men and even the married women’s husbands and yet the married women can say nothing in this matter they would be watching the single women and many times younger women, judge their own husbands and they couldn’t do this in the meetings themselves. Again all this would create confusion and disorder . But Paul speaks more about this in his letter to Timothy when he said,
“But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” 1 Timothy 2:12-14)
Here again we see that women are not to teach, and this must be understood of a teaching gift over the man, for older women can teach younger women (Titus 2:3,4) . A teacher gifting has to rebuke and correct and judge error as part of that role. Paul says clearly that this is not allowed for women over the men . They also must not “usurp authority” over the man, this word “usurp” means, “ to act of oneself, or to dominate, “. This again goes in line with Paul’s words to the Corinthians about judging men in the meetings which is similar to usurping.
Some may try to say that Paul is simply speaking here of a cultural issue and that this is not for us today. But in the same chapter a few verses previous Paul said,
“...I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not...”(1 Timothy 2:7)
Paul was not speaking the cultures of men but “the truth In Christ”. And in 1 Cor 14 he was speaking the commandments of the lord for all the churches of the saints, not just Corinth, as scripture teaches.
In this section of scripture in 1 Timothy 2:7, Paul goes back to creation to prove what he is saying, hen he refers to Adam not being deceived but the woman being deceived (1 Timothy 2:13,14) Here he is not speaking and grounding what he said on the “cultures of men”. This reference to Eve being deceived would also clarify another reason for women not dominating, judging and teaching over men. Paul’s implication, however it may sound to today’s world, is that the woman was deceived not the man implying that their may be something that the devil found in women particularly to cause such deception and to sin. Yes, men can and are deceived many times. But we must hear what scripture says and reject the modern traditions and worldly wisdom we see everywhere.Paul is clearly implying that this would be spiritually dangerous to let women teach, lead and rule over men.
But, having said this , to silence women from all speaking in any way in the meetings creates a hindrance to the body also, women can speak in God’s order.
Just as a woman judging, dominating or questioning her husband in the church is against Gods order, so also is hindering women from using their gifts and not allowing women any ministry in the church .
While women are not to take oversight over men they may still , prophesy, have a testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecy, sing in the spirit and pray and testify of the good work that Jesus is doing and many other aspects of love and encouragement in the Spirit to others in the body, do evangelism etc. All of this, as with the men as well, is to be done as they walk in the Spirit and abide in Christ leading. As we can read in scripture, Christ as the head of the body works effectually in the measure of “every part” of the body into the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:15 ,16). This working in the BODY is not just working in men, but women also . All Christians have Christ in them. It is also true as Paul said,
“...there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”(Galatians 3:28)
While this is true in the Spirit and as we are all members of the body of Christ. In the natural we are still either male or female and certain parameters apply as long as we are in this present world. But if some are contentious here and say, no there is no distinction we are not male not female, if it is a man who says this ask him is he a man or a woman? And can he give birth to children? Obviously this verse applies to the believers as they abide IN CHRIST and this is related to spiritual reality, not the physical realm. When a man or woman have a revelation or prophecy for example it is not so much them that speak but they are speaking in the spirit. Jesus said similar to the apostles when he sent them out,
“But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you”(Matthew 10:19,20)
