Female Ministers or Priests?

[FutureAndAHope]

The bible uses the words Deacon and woman in the same passages. It is obvious from its usage that women can be deacons in the church.

1Ti 3:10-11 And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless. Women in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

Women obviously may hold position in the church. But this may be limited to teaching other women.

1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Tit 2:3-5 That old women are to be self-respecting in behaviour, not saying evil of others, not given to taking much wine, teachers of that which is good, Training the younger women to have love for their husbands and children, To be wise in mind, clean in heart, kind; working in their houses, living under the authority of their husbands; so that no evil may be said of the word of God.

 

[dqhall]

Could someone enlighten me on the history of female ordination to the priesthood or to the office of Elder/Pastor?

Thank you,

jm

God may use women. Philip's daughters prophesied. That made them prophets.
Acts 21:9 (WEB) Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

 

[Daniel9v9]

in the Didache there is no distinction between men and women in their duties.
Junia was a female apostle.
Mary Magdalene's feast day has been raised to the level of an apostle by Pope Francis. as apostle to the apostles.
It is known that there were female deacons.

Women are now firmly established in priestly roles at every level in the Anglican Church. However some provinces are yet to conform.

I think you're right in that the Didache is relatively neutral but it does read:

"Appoint therefore for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, meek men, and not lovers of money, and truthful and approved, for they also minister to you the ministry of the prophets and teachers. Therefore do not despise them, for they are your honourable men together with the prophets and teachers."

Taken together with 1 Timothy 3:2 I think it forms a pretty good picture.

 

[Ancient of Days]

God has given roles to women and to men. The bible is clear as to who should be doing what. Some folks ignore what God has to say about this and choose to go against it.

 

[Albion]

in the Didache there is no distinction between men and women in their duties.
Junia was a female apostle.

Does that mean that you think she was one of the Twelve that Jesus called personally?
Or is it more likely that the word apostle here is being used in the sense of its root meaning--an emissary or missionary? If it is the latter, the person could be of either sex but there is no reason to assume that they would have to be clergy.

It is interesting, to say the least, that on the one hand we have advocates for women deacons insisting that the root meaning of that word is "servant," meaning that it could apply to either sex...but when it comes to apostle, then we are to do the opposite! We are NOT supposed to think that the word is used in its original sense but, rather, as it came to be applied to an office in the ranks of Christian clergy.

 

[Jonathan Leo]

Gal. 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:12
Woman are not to be leaders/pastors/priests
What Galatians 3:27 means is that there is no favoritism in Christ Jesus. It doesn’t mean woman are to teach

 

[Sageykins]

Thing is we dont believe God called women to the priesthood for 1950 years of the church history without making a way for them to answer that this vocation...

It doesnt add up.

Does it add up if taken into consideration that a death sentence was placed on those who attempted to ascend above a state of complete dependence? And that it is still heard in the alleyways of christianity today? Does that make more sense to understand how Paul's words are taken out of context to the intention of God's example to all of us that He is the only Husband and we are all the His helpmeet? One look at that and we should all be ashamed at the viciousness perpetrated on females that from exampled here has still not run it's course. In the fullness of time He will return and reward and loss of reward are with Him.

 

[2Timothy2:15]

Gal. 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

The scripture you quoted is about we are one in Christ salvation. The context has nothing to do with leadership. Context is everything.

 

[GingerBeer]

Could someone enlighten me on the history of female ordination to the priesthood or to the office of Elder/Pastor?

Thank you,

jm

Female elders/priests and female bishops are an innovation. In some middle ages heresies female priestesses existed. In pagan religions before people converted to Christ female priestesses existed. In Christianity female priests and bishops are recent innovations very likely created as a response to feminism.

 

[TerryWoodenpic]

I think you're right in that the Didache is relatively neutral but it does read:

"Appoint therefore for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, meek men, and not lovers of money, and truthful and approved, for they also minister to you the ministry of the prophets and teachers. Therefore do not despise them, for they are your honourable men together with the prophets and teachers."

Taken together with 1 Timothy 3:2 I think it forms a pretty good picture.

but then the Didache does say 11:4

(ann) every apostle coming to you,
let(him/her) be received as (the)Lord:

and all through to 11:16 about apostles it uses the Male/Female form.

 

[TerryWoodenpic]

was there a female Pope?

Pope Joan, 855–857, (Ioannes Anglicus)
It is still not proven to this day one way or the other.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I think we can all look at the example Lord Jesus set in dealing with women. Look at how he related to the woman at the well. Could you really say that she was not sent to proclaim the Gospel to her town? She evangelized her whole town, men and women. My question is does it matter whether it is a man or a woman that introduces a person to Lord Jesus? I use to attend a women's Bible Study group in another city. It was for women by women, but there would always be a man present. Men always say women should teach women. But men are always present at women's functions.The last women's conference I attended had lots of men in attendance. At my church we have a women's day program every year. There are always lots of men in attendance. Another question is can men truly say they are not being taught by women if they attend these activities for women by women? As far as women pastors, elders,, can women pastor women?

When Lord Jesus rose from the grave, He appeared first to the women. He gave them a message to take to the men, who were somewhere hiding. Lord Jesus did not need the women to go to tell the men to meet Him in Galilee. He could have just appeared to the men where they were, like He did do. I guess men do not think about this.Lord Jesus gave the women a message to deliver to the men.

We have excellent women teachers today. We need to understand that right now, we are the sons of God. There is no male nor female. We are all sons of God.
1 John 3:1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Was the Apostle talking only to men? I think not.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

The scripture you quoted is about we are one in Christ salvation. The context has nothing to do with leadership. Context is everything.

Yes!We are one.No one person is more important than the other. God is not a respecter of persons.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

1 Timothy 2:12
Woman are not to be leaders/pastors/priests
What Galatians 3:27 means is that there is no favoritism in Christ Jesus. It doesn’t mean woman are to teach

So in your opinion, a woman is not to share her faith with a sin sick and dying world?

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

Here's a good article:

Women Pastors: What Does the Bible Teach?

 

[Jonathan Leo]

So in your opinion, a woman is not to share her faith with a sin sick and dying world?

No, not at all
It’s being in charge of congregations and leaders of men is what I’m talking and the Bible states. Nothing against woman in the fact that if the Bible didn’t state it, I wouldn’t be saying it

 

[SolomonVII]

I am pretty sure that history would show that the overwhelming driving force of evengelization and the process of creating Christian men from barbarians, has been women. In general, women have a way of intimately relating to the Divinity in the man Jesus, and it has been their faith that eventually brings their men to see the light too.
I don't know if there are any studies on this, but I would be surprised if that was not true.

In terms of the priesthood, Christ is the priest who offers the sacrifice at every service. When it comes to the consecration of bread and wine, who is Christ, churches tend to be very conservative in preserving the masculinity of the priest in the remembrance service. The priest is Christ, and gender is a very essential part of any person's identity. The gender of the priests helps us remember the reality of the event being reenacted in the Real Presence. Otherwise, it would be as incongruent as a film about Cleopatra being performed by Pierce Brosnan or Richard Burton. Our faith imaginations balk.

As Eucharist has become less important to many denominations over the years, it is more about the sermonizing. Those who stick to Sola Scriptura will notice the Biblical discrepancies in even this adaption. But those who are more inclined to interpretations that fit better with modern norms and sensitivities recreate the church in the image of society, and will may even ind enough orts from history to make it seem traditional.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

No, not at all
It’s being in charge of congregations and leaders of men is what I’m talking and the Bible states. Nothing against woman in the fact that if the Bible didn’t state it, I wouldn’t be saying it

You are adding to what the Bible teaches methinks.

 

[Albion]

I think your comment needs some clarification, Handmaid. In this debate, the proponents of women's ordination almost always depend upon finding a way to say that the Bible doesn't actually mean what it appears to mean, so if you are of the impression that it's the other way around, we need to hear how that is.

 

[Jonathan Leo]

You are adding to what the Bible teaches methinks.

Please do show me, I’d hate to be in error
I might learn something