What Does the Bible Say About Women Pastors?

[Raphael Jauregui]

Deacon was. "Apostle" means only one who is sent forth.

Surely none of us thinks that someone who's called an "Apostle" in the New Testament but isn't one of the Twelve isn't being added to their number like Matthias.


Of course not. All the Biblical qualifications for those offices are explicitly for men and history records that only men were so ordained.


There are none, however.

Not one of the women you mentioned in your post was ordained a deacon, priest, or bishop.

I disagree; women are listed as holding the same positions that, when those words are used for men as you confirmed, no one questions. Also, there are not only 12 bishops today. We have many more; the office of 'apostle' and 'episkopos' have grown into the episcopate we see today.

Historically, there is evidence of women being ordained. We see frescoes of women presiding over the Agape feast or early Eucharist. We also see frescoes of women with the title 'episkopa' or bishop today.

 

[Raphael Jauregui]

I doubt most people will see it that way. But if you see it that way, then do you believe all the content of 1 Timothy other than then the author's name and the author's use of fabricated personal details is true?

Authors write with pseudonyms all the time. In the early history of the Church, if you wrote in the tradition of someone else, you could name your work in their name to honor their tradition.

 

[Mark Corbett]

Authors write with pseudonyms all the time. In the early history of the Church, if you wrote in the tradition of someone else, you could name your work in their name to honor their tradition.

Raphael, as I mentioned in comment #8, the early church did NOT take a positive view of writing in an Apostle's name. Here's part of that comment:

Serapion, a second century bishop in Antioch, wrote:

We, brethren, receive Peter and the other apostles as Christ himself. But those writings which falsely go under their name, as we are well acquainted with them, we reject, and know also, that we have not received such handed down to us. (I found this quote on pp. 68-69 of The Early Christian View of the Pseudepigraphic Writings)​

 

[Raphael Jauregui]

Raphael, as I mentioned in comment #8, the early church did NOT take a positive view of writing in an Apostle's name. Here's part of that comment:

Serapion, a second century bishop in Antioch, wrote:

We, brethren, receive Peter and the other apostles as Christ himself. But those writings which falsely go under their name, as we are well acquainted with them, we reject, and know also, that we have not received such handed down to us. (I found this quote on pp. 68-69 of The Early Christian View of the Pseudepigraphic Writings)​

Thankfully, Serapion is not and was not the final say on anything and their opinions did not and do not dictate truth.

 

[bekkilyn]

Rebecca,

Thanks for sharing your experience and your thoughts.

You seem to feel that the only alternative to surface literal/superficial methods of scripture interpretation are methods which end up undermining the truthfulness and authority of God’s Word in significant ways.

There are plenty of theologically conservative Bible scholars who interpret the Bible using their brains and considering the context. And yes, some of them are women.

But when applied to Paul’s prohibition on women serving as elders in churches, notice how far a view like yours must go. The view which you seem to be supporting actually says that the Bible is WRONG when it prohibits women from serving as elders based on the account of the creation and fall.

Once you believe that the Bible is simply wrong in some of what it teaches, you have departed do far from my own view that I admit it will probably be difficult for us to discuss specific points of doctrine. We don’t share enough common ground.

Nope, I don't believe that the Bible is wrong or that God is wrong, but I do believe that *people* often look at scripture through very dark and narrow lenses, and then decide to use it to try to put limitations on other people in God's name.

Once you put scripture into historical context and recognize that Paul is addressing specific issues in specific churches, you come to understand that Paul is not making all these general prohibitions he's often accused of making. He's also the one who has stated that there is no male or female in Christ. I've actually come to like Paul quite a bit over the years.

I disagree; at least in my catholic, lower case 'c', understanding of Scripture, the offices of deacon and apostle were a type of early ordination. In fact, in catholic traditions, we receive our concept of ordination from the laying on of hands and by pointing out to the early Church offices mentioned in Scripture.

When that person is a man, nobody has an issue. As soon as a woman is shown to be in the exact same position and situation, suddenly, it may be more 'general' and not an ordained position. However, Phoebe, Priscilla, and Junia are all mentioned as holding the same positions of males that we do agree were the earliest 'prototypes' if you will of ordained people.

Interesting how that happens, eh? Kind of makes you wonder what the real agenda is.

 

[Albion]

I disagree; women are listed as holding the same positions

No. That's not so. Nowhere in the NT is any woman described as holding one of the clerical positions in the early church.

 

[Sammy-San]

Let's correct that. Women in leadership, yes. Women in "ministry?" Well, ministry has a number of different meanings. BUT Women as clergy--deacons, presbyters, bishops? No.

That's where the advocates of Women's Ordination falter and have to turn to generalities such as arguing that God loves everyone, that the Jews at that time were sexists (so what does that say about the authority of Scripture?), or that God's opinion changes with the times.

Is that why no women wrote the Bible?

 

[Mark Corbett]

Is that why no women wrote the Bible?

As far as we know (we don't know who wrote some of the books) all the authors of the Bible were men. This does seem to be part of a pattern of male leadership in the home and in the church which God established.

 

[JackRT]

Is that why no women wrote the Bible?

Not all Bible scholars are sure of that.

 

[Mark Corbett]

Not all Bible scholars are sure of that.

Jack, you're correct that we cannot be certain that no book of the Bible was written by a woman because we do not know who wrote some of the books. However, of the over 30 named authors in the Bible, all of them are men. We can be sure of that much.

 

[JackRT]

Jack, you're correct that we cannot be certain that no book of the Bible was written by a woman because we do not know who wrote some of the books. However, of the over 30 named authors in the Bible, all of them are men. We can be sure of that much.

Can we really? The gospel writers were only named about a century after they were written largely on the basis of legend. Many of the epistles were not written by the person named. There is much to be uncertain about.

 

[Mark Corbett]

Can we really? The gospel writers were only named about a century after they were written largely on the basis of legend. Many of the epistles were not written by the person named. There is much to be uncertain about.

I always feel sad when I read of a Christian who has such a low view of God's Word. As for me, I'm convinced that the Bible is entirely true. This includes a belief that the books which identify their authors were written by those authors.

There's not much point in my debating a doctrinal issue like whether or not women may serve as Senior Pastors with someone who believes the Bible is largely legends and full of deception. You did not say "full of deception", yet that is the result, intended or not, of denying that the named authors of books of the Bible actually wrote those books. Most of the epistles not only name their authors but often give biographical details of the author's situation.

With a view of Scripture like yours, why would you even care what is written in 1 Timothy about women teaching men God's Word in the church?

Your last sentence about not being certain about some things which are in the Bible reminds me of something someone else said:

"Did God really say . . .?" (Genesis 3:1)​

 

[Sammy-San]

I always feel sad when I read of a Christian who has such a low view of God's Word. As for me, I'm convinced that the Bible is entirely true. This includes a belief that the books which identify their authors were written by those authors.

There's not much point in my debating a doctrinal issue like whether or not women may serve as Senior Pastors with someone who believes the Bible is largely legends and full of deception. You did not say "full of deception", yet that is the result, intended or not, of denying that the named authors of books of the Bible actually wrote those books. Most of the epistles not only name their authors but often give biographical details of the author's situation.

With a view of Scripture like yours, why would you even care what is written in 1 Timothy about women teaching men God's Word in the church?

Your last sentence about not being certain about some things which are in the Bible reminds me of something someone else said:

"Did God really say . . .?" (Genesis 3:1)​

Is this explanation bibical?

Women pastors / preachers? Can a woman be a pastor or preacher?

The fact that Eve was deceived is also given in 1 Timothy 2:14 as a reason for women not serving as pastors or having spiritual authority over men. This does not mean that women are gullible or that they are all more easily deceived than men. If all women are more easily deceived, why would they be allowed to teach children (who are easily deceived) and other women (who are supposedly more easily deceived)? The text simply says that women are not to teach men or have spiritual authority over men because Eve was deceived. God has chosen to give men the primary teaching authority in the church.

 

[Mark Corbett]

Is this explanation bibical?

Women pastors / preachers? Can a woman be a pastor or preacher?

Thanks for the link! I feel the link, including the video in it, does an excellent job addressing the same question as this thread: "Can a woman be a pastor or preacher?"

 

[Sammy-San]

Thanks for the link! I feel the link, including the video in it, does an excellent job addressing the same question as this thread: "Can a woman be a pastor or preacher?"

What about this explanation? They don't agree.

Can Women Be Pastors?

Women are more susceptable to deception because she is the weaker vessel, and Satan knew this, which is why he chose to trick Eve instead of Adam. Adam transgressed as Eve did, but the difference is that Adam knew full-well what he was doing when he ate that fruit, but Eve was deceived by Satan's words. Still today, Satan uses men and women alike to tug at the heart strings of women with new-age false doctrine, and the Bible warn us about the deception of the heart:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
-Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things, so because of that, women become more prone to that deception because they are designed to be tender and gentle of heart. That tenderness and gentleness is a great asset in certain situations, especially during times of injury and illness, but when it comes to truth and Biblical division, it can be a hurdle.

 

[Halbhh]

When I discuss women pastors in this blog, I am referring to women in pastor positions which involve teaching men in a group and/or exercising authority over the whole church, including men. This would include all Senior Pastor positions. I am not addressing women serving as a pastor over women’s ministries or children’s ministries, which I believe the Bible allows.

I am convinced that the Bible does not allow women to serve as pastors. There are three main reasons. Each reason provides strong evidence on its own, and when combined these three lines of evidence leave no reasonable doubt about the Bible’s position on this issue.

1. The Consistent Biblical Example

In the Bible, all the examples of people who were called by God to teach gathered groups His Word were men.

In addition to offering sacrifices and serving in the temple, God assigned the priests to “teach the Isrealites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses” (Leviticus 10:11). The Old Testament priests were all men.

The twelve apostles were called to teach God’s Word. They were all men.

We don’t know with certainty who God inspired to write some of the books of the Bible. But the Bible names many of its own authors. Of the approximately 30 named authors of the Bible, every one of them is a man.

In fact, there is not a single, clear, explicit positive example anywhere in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation of a woman teaching the gathered people of God.

What about Deborah, you ask? No, the Bible only says she judged by sitting under a tree and settling the disputes of people who came to her. I’m not saying it’s impossible that she taught gathered groups God’s truth, but the Bible does not explicitly state this.

What about women prophets? No. There are women prophets in both the Old and New Testament. However, the Bible consistently separates the role of prophecy and the role of teaching. In the New Testament, if any prophecy was given in a church meeting, the prophecy was to be evaluated by others (1 Corinthians 14:29). During this evaluation, the women were to be silent (1 Corinthians 14:34).

What about Priscilla? No. Along with her husband, she privately taught Apollos, which is different from teaching the congregation as a pastor.

There really is not a single example in the Bible of a woman serving in a role that is equivalent to the job of a Senior Pastor. Was this merely an accommodation to cultural norms? No. Jesus Himself appointed the twelve apostles, and Jesus had the authority and courage to go against cultural norms, and He often did! Many women were among Jesus’ followers, and they serve as very positive examples and effective, powerful witnesses. However, for the role of teaching the whole church His truth, Jesus chose twelve men.

#2 The Church is Like the Family

The Bible clearly and repeatedly teaches that the husband is the head of his family. The Bible teaches this by teaching that children should obey their parents, and by teaching that the husband is the head of his wife (Ephesians 5:23). This truth is also seen in the verses which instruct wives to submit to their husband’s leadership (Ephesians 5:22, 24; Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1).

It makes sense that leadership in the family prepares one for leadership in the church, which is God’s family. In fact, the Bible makes good leadership of one’s family a requirement for pastors:

1 Timothy 3:4-5 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

The church IS family, so it is appropriate that since God appoints men to lead in their families, He also appoints men to lead in His churches, which are our spiritual families.

#3 The Explicit Teaching of the Bible

The wording and context of 1 Timothy 2:12 are so clear and simple that this verse should settle the dispute about women serving as pastors. The context of this verse is a letter with instructions about conduct in a local church (1 Timothy 3:14-15). Just four verses after 1 Timothy 2:12, Paul begins to give instructions for choosing elders (whom the Bible also calls pastors or overseers in other places). So this verse does not mean that women cannot teach men math or physics or history, and it doesn’t even mean that a woman can’t teach a man something from the Bible in a private setting. It means that women can’t teach men in the gathered church setting as a Senior Pastor does. I’m not saying this is the only application, but it is certainly the primary application.

Those who come from an egalitarian viewpoint have endlessly attacked this verse by combinations of distorting its obvious meaning and denying its Biblical authority. Then, after endless attacks, they basically say, “This verse is so controversial, we shouldn’t base our conduct on it”. In this way they undermine not only this specific teaching, but the authority, clarity, and trustworthiness of God’s Word in general.

One of the most common attacks on this verse is to claim that it was only meant to apply to a specific situation in Ephesus, where Timothy was instructing the church. However, the reasons Paul gives for His instruction in 1 Timothy 2:12 are found in the next couple of verses and have nothing at all to do with a local situation in Ephesus:

1 Timothy 2: 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.

Since Paul bases His instructions on events related to the creation of Adam and Eve and their fall, his instructions must apply to all of us.

Finally, in addition to 1 Timothy 2:12, two other verses state that overseers/elders must be the husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6). Obviously only a man can be a husband.

Please Don’t Distort this Biblical Teaching

I’m not saying women cannot or should not be very active in many different types of ministries. My wife and I were blessed to serve the Lord for 14 years in Indonesia. We have often said that one of our most fruitful investments during that time was pouring our lives into, discipling, and training three Indonesian Christian ladies. One of these ladies was the only person we sponsored to attend Bible college. Sponsorships for Bible College was not our main focus, but we saw her potential. All three women have continued to play leadership roles in very challenging ministries since we left. That those roles do not involve teaching a gathered church or exercising authority over men does not diminish their value.

Conclusion

The direct teaching of Scripture, the Biblical role of men as the head of their families, and the consistent example of the whole Bible, all demonstrate that only men should serve as pastors.

Two notes:
1. Feel free to copy and use the graphics in this article.
2. This is a lightly modified version of an article originally posted on my blog.

Mark, early on I ran into the graphic that "0" women were teaching God's gathered people.

But....I had not that long ago actually been reading the book Judges, so I've read not isolated verses in Judges, but instead read through fully.

Sincerely, I'd think Deborah, as a prophet and Judge, really was teaching the people, God's chosen, Israel. Now, I'm open to learn more on this. I'm not even slightly in favor of any conclusion, but to learn.

I have learned that I have to read entire books to understand certain things in them.

Because of reading through full books as my normal way to read, I also can see how Paul wrote for slaves to remain slaves and then wrote the surprising 1 page letter Philemon later.

But, instead of thinking Paul outright contradicted his own instruction about slaves....I was finally able to see 1 Corinthians chapter 8 answers this and more.

Right? It may help you to know I don't have a settled view on this. See? I'm not arguing to try to defend a point of view. I see the word as superior to my points of view.

But, I've read 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and I've read Philemon, and I see what Paul is after.

Paul wants us to do whatever it takes to help those of weak faith. Since a women's lib would have destroyed many men of weak faith, women needed to remain in traditional roles, that much is clear.

But I'm not presuming that's all there is. It's just that much is clear, from Paul.

So, applying that, then....how do you consider 1 Cor 8 when Paul says for slaves to remain slaves?

Should slaves right now just remain slaves?

We know from 1 Cor 8 it is not necessary here in the U.S. at this time. They can escape. If they run away, it's not against Paul's teaching. Because today in the U.S. if a slave escapes that will not cause some people of weak conscience to fall away from faith.

 

[Halbhh]

What about Deborah, you ask? No, the Bible only says she judged by sitting under a tree and settling the disputes of people who came to her. I’m not saying it’s impossible that she taught gathered groups God’s truth, but the Bible does not explicitly state this.

You'll have to revise this if you read through Judges, such as chapter 4.

 

[Mark Corbett]

Mark, early on I ran into the graphic that "0" women were teaching God's gathered people.
But....I had not that long ago actually been reading the book Judges, so I've read not isolated verses in Judges, but instead read through fully.
Sincerely, I think Deborah, as a prophet and Judge, really was teaching the people, God's chosen, Israel.

Your feeling that Deborah was teaching God's people is possibly correct, and is consistent with the OP where I wrote:

"What about Deborah, you ask? No, the Bible only says she judged by sitting under a tree and settling the disputes of people who came to her. I’m not saying it’s impossible that she taught gathered groups God’s truth, but the Bible does not explicitly state this."

However, it is far from certain that Deborah was teaching God's people, and it is especially far from certain that she was teaching gathered groups which included men (which would be similar to what a Senior Pastor of a church does today). Being a "judge" in the Book of Judges did not entail teaching. Samson was a judge. We have no reason to believe he taught. Othniel was a judge, and there is no indication he taught. In fact, in general it is not at all clear the teaching was a normal part of the roles of the judges in the Book of Judges. These judges typically were used to deliver Israel from enemies using military means.

As far as being a prophet, this might mean she taught groups of people. Some prophets did. But the role of prophet is NOT the same as the role of teacher. Sometimes the roles overlap, sometimes they do not.

If you feel that Deborah taught groups of people God's Word, I cannot say categorically you are wrong. She might be the one woman in the whole Bible who did so. But the Bible does not say that she taught groups of people. And so I still maintain that, as far as what the Bible specifically tells us, there are zero example of women teaching God's gathered people in the Bible.

 

[Halbhh]

Your feeling that Deborah was teaching God's people is possibly correct, and is consistent with the OP where I wrote:

"What about Deborah, you ask? No, the Bible only says she judged by sitting under a tree and settling the disputes of people who came to her. I’m not saying it’s impossible that she taught gathered groups God’s truth, but the Bible does not explicitly state this."

However, it is far from certain that Deborah was teaching God's people, and it is especially far from certain that she was teaching gathered groups which included men (which would be similar to what a Senior Pastor of a church does today). Being a "judge" in the Book of Judges did not entail teaching. Samson was a judge. We have no reason to believe he taught. Othniel was a judge, and there is no indication he taught. In fact, in general it is not at all clear the teaching was a normal part of the roles of the judges in the Book of Judges. These judges typically were used to deliver Israel from enemies using military means.

As far as being a prophet, this might mean she taught groups of people. Some prophets did. But the role of prophet is NOT the same as the role of teacher. Sometimes the roles overlap, sometimes they do not.

If you feel that Deborah taught groups of people God's Word, I cannot say categorically you are wrong. She might be the one woman in the whole Bible who did so. But the Bible does not say that she taught groups of people. And so I still maintain that, as far as what the Bible specifically tells us, there are zero example of women teaching God's gathered people in the Bible.

Ok. She instructed Barak, but he's not a gathered group, but only a leader. She was instrumental, central....but not necessarily a teacher.

The song of Deborah and Barak in chapter 5 does seem to be teaching people, but....it's not quite the same as sit down and be instructed.

So I agree with you on that, that it's not all the way to being something similar to a Rabbi. She's a prophet.

So, later those in the position of teachers would perhaps her words to teach, hers along with other prophets.

Still leaves the other question about instructions to slaves and the 1 Cor 8 message for us to digest.
Thus the instruction to women also, compared to what happened in Philemon then.

 

[Hal A Peno]

jmn