Can Women Be Pastors?

[Your Brother In Christ]

 

[fm107]

1 Timothy 2:12
I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.

1 Corinthians 14:34
Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.

Don't need any interpretation here, it's black and white.

God does not contradict himself.

 

[S.O.J.I.A.]

this should probably be in the "controversial Christian theology" section.

anyway...I say no.

*release the hounds*

 

[South Bound]

No. Women cannot be pastors by any Biblical criteria of that office.

Yes, I know there were women judges in Israel and women who contributed to the early church and women who were evangelists.

But none of those women were pastors, so don't waste your breath.

Likewise, it is not misogynist or sexist or patriarchal to say that women have a vital role to play in the life of the Church, just not in the pastorate.

 

[tturt]

posted: "Don't need any interpretation here, it's black and white."

No, it doesn't need interpretation, it was Paul's opinion - "I" like you said, it's in black and white.

 

[Greg J.]

The verse is:

I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (1 Timothy 2:12, 1984 NIV)

I find that people can't evaluate my interpretation as long as they still think Scripture says:

I do not permit a woman to be a pastor; she must be silent. (The Greek word for pastor means shepherd.)

For those interested, study what the spiritual difference is between having a title that implies authority, being granted actual authority, and actually exercising that authority.

 

[AJTruth]

My opinion no.

Genesis 3:16
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.

I believe this scripture shines some light on the OP question as well as other scriptures posted.

 

[RaymondG]

If we are on the literal, milk, level, we read it as is and apply it to our carnal minds and the flesh. In this case, we say 3 little pigs really built houses and if you are born a female, you should not talk in the church buildings.

If we want to try to get to the meat....think a little spiritual....we might consider other options. What if pigs dont build houses and the story was to convey the importance of building on a strong foundation?

What if women was a play on emotions...e.g. while in church preach the word, lay aside all emotions and speak the truth.

Or what if women is a play on your higher subconscious mind....who is in fact subject to the lower mind....which makes the statement true: what a man thinks (with his conscious mind) so is he?

We miss the vase majority of the teachings by only applying our wisdom to it. which is foolishness to God.....

 

[Goodbook]

Is this needing any advice are you struggling with this?

Sorry. Pastors can be either sex because pastoring isnt limited to men, but men actually need men to teach them cos 1) many wont listen to women..this isnt a failing on womens part but because men can be a bit thick!
2) men learn differently.

There is order in the church and women who are pastoring will find they have a hard time of it in terms of authority but again as someone said its Pauls opinion which can be valid as a general rule of thumb. But women in quietness and meekness can be immensely influential in other ways.

The thorny bit is whether Paul was referring to unregenerate i.e not born again christians women who were entering the church and being noisy. I imagine the corinthian church to be in a bit of chaos and timothy being called to minister to an unruly crowd filled with vociferous women!

 

[Joined2krist]

Since women are vessels of the Holy Spirit of course we can be Pastors too.

 

[Greg J.]

Btw,

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. (Titus 2:3, 1984 NIV)

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

My wifes mother is a pastor. Do I think they can be one? I don't see why not. Like anything else people can twist scripture to fit their views.

 

[All4Christ]

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[fm107]

posted: "Don't need any interpretation here, it's black and white."

No, it doesn't need interpretation, it was Paul's opinion - "I" like you said, it's in black and white.

Let's rip out of the Bible all Paul's letters to the churches, after all it's just his opinion.
Let's rip out the books John wrote, James, Peter - only opinions after all?

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed

 

[DukeJohn]

posted: "Don't need any interpretation here, it's black and white."

No, it doesn't need interpretation, it was Paul's opinion - "I" like you said, it's in black and white.

I think you might be mistaken, God inspired every word in the Bible, It wasn't just Paul's opinion, but God's command.

 

[Goodbook]

There is now an egalitarian christians forum in the faith groups.

Go and discuss it there. Think there may even be women pastors posting! This forum is advice.

I think some people confuse pastors with teachers. They actually are two different roles.

 

[All4Christ]

Actually, a debate about this would be more proper for Christian Philosophy and Ethics rather than the Egalitarian forum. That particular forum is a similar to the faith group Forums, in that you can't debate against Egalitarian Christianity.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I think it is possible for God to put some women into leadership positions, but more or less it will be the exception rather than the rule.

If we can accept, at the least, that there are Christian Prophetesses (as well as Deborahs in Israel), I think we can occasionally make room for the woman who truly feels called to pastor a church, assuming she actually holds to bona-fide Christian truths rather than selling-out to libertarian predilections.

That's my feeling about it. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong.

Peace,
2PhiloVoid

 

[Avniel]

No. Women cannot be pastors by any Biblical criteria of that office.

Yes, I know there were women judges in Israel and women who contributed to the early church and women who were evangelists.

But none of those women were pastors, so don't waste your breath.

Likewise, it is not misogynist or sexist or patriarchal to say that women have a vital role to play in the life of the Church, just not in the pastorate.

Unfortunately I have to agree with you. South bond not surprised.....some people believe this because of God's will and some people are accustom to a lazy way thinking that allow them to place traits on individuals based on their appearances. You're from the south I'm sure you understand.

I think there's a difference between being a Christian that believes in the word of God and rejoicing due to the ability to lawfully remain control. One comes from a certain type of privilege and out while the other is more so an attempt
To keep women in bondage.