Women and the Church

Can women teach in the church?

I have been asked this question from two categories of people…

Those who want an answer…

And those who want an argument.

It has the potential of being one of the most divisive topics in the body of Christ.  The enemy has used this one for centuries and looks for every opportunity to bring in the spirit of Jezebel the second he sees the opening.  I believe that it is because people are not prepared to give a Biblical response that demonstrates the love, grace, and liberty we are to experience in Christ while staying aligned with the word of God.

I will not seek to be politically correct.  Only Biblically correct.  I just ask that whichever category you fall into (answer or argument) that you demonstrate grace and patience with me as I share what the Lord has strongly impressed upon my heart.

The following verses are the most liberating verses for women in all the Bible.

“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.  But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” 1 Tim 2: 11-12

Yes… liberating.  That means it frees them.  It liberates them. 

How?

Because this verse has nothing to do with what people have typically assigned to it.

When we think “teach” we think of the teachers we had in school.  We think about subjects like math, science, English, and religion.  We think one dimensionally about the word.

But the word doesn’t just have one dimension.  We must understand the other uses and dimensions of the word or words.

In order to fully understand this verse and what it is saying we need to look at the context of the passage, the actual verse itself, and the words that are being used.

We start in reverse with two quick definitions that we need to grab hold of:

Learn:  to retain and put to use; to place oneself under authority

Teach:  to transfer experience or knowledge; to exercise authority

As far as the verse itself… it is important to note that it uses a parenthetical phrase to specify the use of the word preceding the phrase.  Why, because the verse uses a word that has a dominant or popular meaning, and a less dominant but specific meaning.  In this verse the words are used not in the dominant or popular so the phrase is necessary for clarification.

The context falls into the greater context of the letter to Timothy which sent to him in order to instruct him in how the body of Christ is to be governed.  Paul is shown Tim where responsibility falls in the Body.

When we use all of these we will find the following: that this verse is supporting other verses in scripture that put the accountability (not just the responsibility) of governing on men, it is speaking of governing the Body of Christ, not transferring experience from one person to another.

Let us take another look at the verse in light of what we have discovered.  We’ll break it down…

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 

In matters of the law and governance within the Body of Christ… Let the woman place herself under authority

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

Again, emphasizing the parenthetical phrase…

But I suffer not a woman to teach ( to usurp authority over) the man, but to be in silence. 

                In matters of the law and governance within the Body of Christ… A woman is not permitted to exercise the authority of the man.

You may still disagree.  And you may still be wondering  why I say that the verse is liberating at all when it seems to take authority away from them. 

With authority comes accountability.  And specifically, within the context of law and governance it is important to realize that as soon as a person makes a law or exercises authority in the law they are bound by the law they have made or used.

The Lord wants women to be free… not bound.  He holds men accountable just as he held Adam accountable for Eve. 

We learn in scripture that as the man is to the woman, so Christ is to the church. (Ephesians 5:23-24)

Jesus was held accountable for our sins so that we could be free.  Man, as the head, is held accountable so that woman can be free.

Paul was writing to Timothy exhorting him to be a man of God.  He is telling Tim not to place the responsibility of men on women.

Other places in scripture where we see the word “teach” are not gender exclusive and speak more toward the meaning of transferring experience or knowledge.

For instance:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”  Matt 28:19  (mathēteuō: make disciples)

 “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, [To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:4-5 (Sōphronizō:  restore, disciple, mentor)

Not to mention that in Ephesians 4:11 which is also not gender specific it mentions teachers as one of the five-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit, which are gifts to the Church.

So, with all of that, if someone asked me if women are permitted to teach (even men) in the church and they meant transfer experience or knowledge to others, I would answer, “only where they had experience or knowledge.”

However, if they meant it in the context of exercising authority and responsibility in matters of law and governance within the Body of Christ I would say, “Christ has not burdened them with that responsibility and so neither will I.” 

Of course, this conversation often leads to women speaking in the Church, and pastoring in the Church.

And the same two groups ask that question as well.

I’ll take that conversation up here.

Can Woman Speak in Church?

Can women speak in the church?  Great question.  Strongly related to the question, “Can women teach in the church?”  Let’s take a look at the verse that gains the most publicity on this.  I want more than anything for men to take their place in the Body of Christ so that women can experience the freedom that God wants for them.

“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. 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: 34-35

Ok… some basics…

Words often have more than one meaning.  This is why context is so important.

We need to exercise discernment when looking into a topic as controversial as gender roles, not because we cannot trust the Word of God, but because we need to be prepared for the question.  As I mentioned above, the question, “Can women speak in Church?” usually comes from two kinds of people… those who want and answer or those who want and argument.

Unfortunately, my experience has been more that latter.

So we must season our response with salt.  We must also realize that there are people giving the right answer on the wrong basis because they “feel” like it is good.  At the same time there are people giving the wrong answer on a correct basis.  The difference is typically in understanding the “why?” in the understanding.

I believe it all makes sense when we rightly divide the Word of truth.

So let me start with a few questions… because I don’t know where you particularly stand on this topic.

1.       Do you think women should go to Church?

2.       Do you think women should listen at Church?

3.       Do you think women take something away from the sermon and apply it to their lives?

If you answered “yes” to these questions then you must realize two things:

1.       You can’t go to something that you are

2.       You are in direct contradiction to the verse in question (1 Corinthians 14:35) if…

You think that it is speaking about “Church on Sunday” or the “assembling of ourselves (the saints) together.” Hebrews 10:25

If you hold that verses 34 and 35 are talking about the Sunday sermon then you are saying that women shouldn’t learn anything at Church, but only at home.  Why even go?

These two verses speak of the assembly of the Body of Christ for governing purposes.  Just as with the passage in 1Timothy 2 on women teaching, this verse is both for the protection and liberation of women as well as the charge for men to be accountable.

When the rules were being laid down, when discussion on governance or discipline within the Body of Christ was being exercised women are to keep silent.  Those who speak judgment are bound by that judgment (Luke 6:38) and that responsibility rests upon the men. 

In this context we see that if a woman is present and she questions the rules/law/governance she is to keep silent in the assembly and speak to her husband in private at home about it.  By doing so she is then protected from the condemnation or accountability of that judgment.

“It is a shame for women to speak in the church.” This verse can be interpreted, by using the context we have been discussing, to me that when a woman speaks during the assembly it dishonors her, it causes undo questioning or suspicion to come upon her.  

Whenever anyone enters into the debate/argument/discussion in a “legal” proceeding they become part of the trial and therefore open to questioning, investigation, prosecution.

If God intended for women to bear this responsibility he would not have called it the sin of Adam, but the sin of Eve.  Paul echoes this understanding again in his letter to Timothy when he is discussing “teaching” in 1 Timothy 2:13-15 and goes to the legal grounds of women having already received their “redemption” from this responsibility in childbearing.  He is not speaking of salvation from sin, but from being “saved” from the responsibility of carrying judgment.

If you add to this argument that that we are all called to preach (Mark 16:15) and that there were women prophets and judges, and that we are all called to a royal priesthood… you can conclude, as I do, that these verses continue to support the responsibility of governance within the Body of Christ to be on men.

Of course, this discussion usually moves on to whether or not woman can be pastors.

Let’s discuss that here.

Can women be pastors?

Before we can answer that question we have to get one thing straight: what is a pastor?

The word pastor means to provide for and protect.  The word in the Greek that is translated only once in the new testament as pastor is poimēn.  All of the other times it is used it is translated shepherd.

The one time it appears in the KJV as pastors is in Ephesians 4:11-12 where we read, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

This is considered by some to be the five-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit.  It is not gender specific.  This verse alone would imply that women could be pastors, since there is no gender exclusion.

So why then all of the debate within the Body of Christ over whether or not women can be pastors?

Well, it is because the enemy has gotten in to the vernacular of the Body with the definitions of the world. 

A pastor is not the same thing as a bishop.  In the New Testament when it speaks of the governance of the Body of Christ it describes two offices: the Bishop, and the Deacon. 

While pastors provide for and protect, bishops rule and govern.

Jesus is a model for the male leader of the church to be both the pastor and the bishop. (1 Peter 2:25)

Both bishops and deacons must be married men.  As we have seen, these offices are established for the protection and freedom of the flock.  Women are not to hold these offices because the office represents the position of authority in the Church.  The authority comes with the accountability.  Church polity (see morehere) is set up to reflect the relationship we have with the Lord. 

What the world would have us believe is that pastor = bishop.  Why?  Because the enemy knows very well that women, every day, everywhere provide and protect their families, children, and in many cases their husbands.  So they are pastoring and Ephesians 4:11 says that a pastors are a gift to the church.

What the spirit of Jezebel would do is usurp the authority of the bishop, moving women out from the alignment and covering designed by God so that they are unprotected and exalt the church (and specifically women) above the Lord.  In essence, if the devil can convince women that they are to be in the office of a Bishop, in a position of ruling and governing, they become bound by the law and choose to be slaves to it rather than to Christ.

A feminist spirit would want to be in charge of the church… and so they would equate pastor with bishop and act as Jezebel did coveting and abusing the authority that belonged to the king.  However, a woman with a servant’s heart would provide for and protect those she was capable of simply because it was given to her by God. 

People function as a pastor.  It is a role.  It is a ministry.

But only men can hold the office of a Bishop or Deacon.

So my answer to the question as to whether women can be pastors… certainly.  But they cannot be Bishops or Deacons.

Those responsibilities fall to the men.

Unfortunately, because of the division within the Body of Christ and the predominantly Roman Catholic use of the term Bishop, Pastor is the common title used.

So no matter what titles we use, for the safety and covering of the flocks, we must make sure that the positions of authority that are set to rule and govern are filled only by men.

I firmly believe that godly women will appreciate this and gladly align with a church that strives to let them exercise the freedom Christ died to give them.