Introduction
The issue of having women in the
ministry has always been a primary concern in many churches today. There are
many evangelical churches that allow having Lady Pastors, Elders, or Deacons while
others strictly do not ordain any woman leader at all. Among the strongest
Biblical sources being held on to regarding this ecclesiastical doctrine are
the accounts of the Apostle Paul when he wrote his epistles to the churches of
Corinth and Ephesus. Apparently, Pauline theology has always been part of the
discussions with regards to deciding if women will be allowed to lead in the
Church.
Paul About Women In the Ministry
"As in all the
congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They
are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says."
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
Pauline theology has been
controversial when it comes to treating women who are in the ministry. One of
the phrases in Pauline epistles that is often confused about is in 1
Corinthians 14, where he said that "women should keep quiet". If
thoroughly exegeted, one will realize that Paul was just addressing an issue
within the Corinth church that time and he was not making a universal rule for
the Church. This chapter, particularly verses 34 and 35 are usually interpreted
out of context by some churches. [1]
Remember that the phrase "no
longer male and female" that he said Galatians 3:28 will show Paul's view
of equality between men and women, though he was about having each, man and
woman, different and special ministries, as what he talked about godly characteristics
of a church leader who is a husband of one wife and so forth), and then husband
should be the head of the family and the wife should submit to him. This is not
about superiority and inferiority. These are equal ministries- husband as head
and wife in full submission and children under them. Hence, Paul was not
against having women leading in the ministry.
To understand better if Paul was in
favor or against having women in the ministry are these women whom he himself
has discipled to lead in churches that he planted over the years of ministry in
Europe.
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe,
a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a
way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for
she has been the benefactor of many people, including me…Greet Priscilla[2] and Aquila, my co-workers
in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the
churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them . . . Greet Andronicus and Junia,
my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the
apostles, and they were in Christ before I was . . . Greet Tryphena and
Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis,
another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. [3] Rom. 16:1-12
We cannot give an accurate number of
women in the ministry from Paul's planted Churches but aside from those
mentioned above, there are also Prisca, Nympha, Mary, Lydia who were heads of
house churches. If Paul has charged these women in the name of Jesus to be
leading in the ministry, then we can say that there is no problem having women
as a pastor, deacon, or an elder in the church then and now. It has always
something to do about the needs of the church and of course, the leading of the
Holy Spirit in the congregation.
Problem in the Ephesus
1 Timothy 2:11-12 was intended to
instruct the church in Ephesus regarding how women (and even men) should behave
in the church, based on the bigger scope- whole chapter 2- being the
"Instructions on Worship". [4]
The first pastoral letter to Timothy
by Paul was written around AD 65, after Paul's 1st imprisonment. During those days,
one of the problems in the church was the different (or perhaps disrespectful)
behavior of women in the church. It was supposedly because of the rising ego of
women caused by the prevalent idolatry towards a Goddess named Artemis (Diana-Roman
equivalent) as mentioned in Acts 19. Hence, the strong personalities of some
women then have been making trouble in the church, making worship services unpeaceful
and disappointing to others. Some women talk to their husbands during worship
like asking things, interrupting them in every way and whenever they feel like
doing it. They seem to, in some point, dominate their husbands.
This problem, as Paul viewed it, had
to be solved by instructing women to keep silent or learn in silence, and submit
to their husbands. Paul said he does not permit the woman to talk in the church
but this does not mean that women are not permitted to preach nor lead in the
church. He was addressing an issue about a particular woman in the church who
has been a problem to the congregation but he did not name her in the letter.[5] This is not the first time
that Paul did it as he also wrote epistles to other churches addressing issues
with individuals without mentioning their names.[6]
As per Paul, there is always the
right time to talk. Hence, women should stop talking during worship, as their
voices cause disturbance in the church. It has been said that in the early churches,
women and men usually have separate designated places to sit on. Therefore,
when a woman wants to ask something to his husband, she tends to shout towards
her husband the question, which awkwardly puts up an annoying scenario inside
the church during worship.
Obviously, the plight was over then, hence the
solution given by Paul was for that time as well, and not for us today. Again,
it is a matter of context.
Jesus' View According to
the Scriptures
Jesus himself was not against women being leaders in
the Church. Remember there were five people under His feet when He was on the
cross, and four out of those five were women. The first disciples whom Jesus
appeared to when He resurrected were also women (Magdalene and Mary). And the
first evangelist that He had was the Samaritan woman by the well. And this may
sound out of context but the only 'DNA' Jesus had was of a woman, which was of
Mary’s.
Jesus surely does not want women
today to be in silence or remain to be mere attendees and constant listeners.
As He wants the church to be organic, women in the ministry are also expected
to grow and become instruments for the advancement of the Kingdom. Jesus has given the commission to everyone not
just to men.
The Lord acknowledged women in the ministry
many times as we look at the accounts in the New Testament or even in the Old
Testament like Deborah, the only woman judge then, and Esther, the queen who
represented the Jewish people during the Assyrian rule.
God did not say "I will use men
only in my kingdom", but clearly, He wants everyone, men and women, to
work with Him as He does His will on earth. 1 Peter 4:10 says that "Each
one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God's grace in its various forms.".. and all, men and women,
are parts of the body of Christ, as said in 1 Corinthians 12. Either men or
women, can speak and teach in the church, as long as it's according to God's
call and purpose.
Conclusion
Realizing
from this position paper, I am looking closely to my own church as well. Being
an independent church, we are still small in number and there are not a lot of
men in the church. In our context, women usually lead Bible studies and
outreaches. Even the educators are mostly women not to mention majority of the
elders/council are women as well. If we will wait for men to come to church and
become leaders, it will take months or years for them to commit. But the needs are
so great so churches like us do not have a choice but to tap the only resources
that we have, and these are the women who have been discipled and are committed
to serve the church and the Lord.
Personally,
I do not see any problem having women leading in the church but I respect
ministers and churches who strictly have men alone lead the church. For as long
as we all serve the Lord with all our heart, mind, body and soul, and we commit
our whole selves to the great commission to reach our Jerusalem, Judah,
Samaria, and the ends of the earth, then I believe the Lord recognizes that in
spite of the flaws that we have in the organic church, that is still in the
process of perfection.
Other online sources read for this position paper:
https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/675/article/women-and-paul
https://www.bible-bridge.com/pauls-view-of-women/
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29513427
https://directionjournal.org/9/1/role-of-women-in-church-pauline.html
[1]
Loren Cunningham, et.al., Why Not Women? Seattle, WA, 2000.
P185-185. “Keep in mind that this verse is part of a passage that concludes a
seven-part series on ministry in the church, as outlined at the beginning of
chapter 12. Paul didn’t toss out haphazard ideas. He was a controlled, disciplined
writer and nowhere more so than in this intricate passage. Any understanding of
this verse regarding women keeping silent has to be viewed in the context of
what has gone before. This includes 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, which as we’ve seen
before strongly affirms men and women praying and prophesying in public
gatherings of the church.”
[2]
Ibid. Paul was preaching about silencing women in the church, where Priscila
was a founding leader, where she spent years of leading along with her husband
Aquila. The same church where Apollos was corrected for his errors in
leadership. “Was Paul, who had asked the church in Rome to receive the woman
minister Phoebe with all due honor, now contradicting himself telling Timothy
never to allow women to be leaders in the church? P.207
[4]
Ibid. “…Paul used a mini-chiasm (in this passage in 1 Timothy).. He began
talking about women in general, then switched to a particular woman, then
switched back to women in general,” p.207
[5]
Ibid. p.213. “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do
not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man;she must be
silent..”
[6] (1)
A man in Corinth committing incest. 1 Cor.5:1 (2) Titus being instructed by
Paul to warn a divisive person once, and then for the second warning without
positive response, he should let the person be as he has nothing to do with him
anymore. Titus 3:10-11.
