Years ago, I was at a church when the issue of women and ordination came up. Growing up and being a part of the Baptist church, we are conservative in our theology, using the Bible as our primary source for learning and living out our faith. For as long as there have been Baptist churches, until recently, there was never a real question about women and their role in the church. Certain things were excluded from the women, among them the matter of ordination.
I was speaking with a woman in our church who had spent several years as a missionary to South Korea. She and her husband had been commissioned as missionaries by the Southern Baptist Convention and had served on the mission field for about ten years. As the discussion of ordination was going on, I asked her about her commissioning as a missionary. She told me that the commissioning ceremony is identical to that of the ordination ceremony. In both, there is the affirmation of the call, the laying on of hands by those authorized to do so and prayers offered in support of the recipient(s). The only difference in the two is that one was open to women while the other was not.
I’ve often thought about that and I’ve listened to discussions of the roles of women and leadership in the Church. As I have looked at the Bible, I have to admit that there are plenty of verses to support the traditional view as well as the more progressive view. (NOTE: I am wary of labels, because sometimes the labels carry with them connotations that may convey the writer’s personal opinion. Here, I am using traditional to speak to that which has been the norm; progressive here means only a view that is willing to challenge the traditional thought. Please don’t read any more into the terms than that; in fact, I doubt that I will use the terms much more in this writing. GB)
In looking at the matter, I believe it is important to view what the Bible says about the place and role of women in matters of leadership. Most of what we will look at are from the New Testament, since the Old Testament really doesn’t challenge the patriarchal system of ancient times.
Something to Consider as We Begin
The idea of an historic document’s relevance to the present age is often discussed as whether the document is “living” or not. We have this debate about the U.S. Constitution. Those who insist that the document is “living” mean that the general ideas present in the Constitution are always present, and that we can “re-interpret” the Constitution to address present-day issues that were not even a thought when it was originally written. Those who disagree simply say that where the Constitution is silent on an issue, then the only way to properly address the matter is to amend the Constitution. The idea of “re-interpretation” is anathema to this school of thought.
The Bible, on the other hand, leaves no question about whether it is a living document or not. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The way I’ve always interpreted this verse is to say that the Bible is still relevant to our world today precisely because people never really change and God never changes (“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”—Hebrews 13:8). Because of the consistency of God and people, the Bible is always relevant.
The relevancy can be seen in how we alter our interpretation of Scripture with the times. For instance, slavery was never questioned in the entirety of the Bible. It was an institution that is as old as the Bible, and what instruction there is in the Bible regarding slavery is how to live the faith in relation to this practice. And yet, in our present society, there is no question that slavery is wrong and against the laws of God. There are few if any who would argue that returning America to God would also include the re-institution of slavery as a viable practice.
No, we began to consider the issue of slavery in a new light beginning in the 18th and 19th centuries. We began to look at it in light of the concepts Jesus taught and a movement began to question the validity of slavery in a Christian society. Over time, the issue grew and grew, until today we no longer even question the good or evil of the matter. Today, we use these passages that speak of slavery more in the context of management-labor/boss-employees relationships.
The “living word of God,” along with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, allows us to look at issues of the day with fresh eyes. It allows us to consider whether the practices of old are still valid in our world, and, if the practices are no longer valid, then what is the Bible teaching us about its application today?
In our nation, we are still struggling with the institutionalized racism that is present in our society. The Bible has much to teach us on this matter, but many of us are unwilling or unable to see the need to address the matter. Given time, I believe the Church can be a voice calling in the wilderness to lead our nation away from institutionalized racism into a land where all people are truly free from discrimination.
Looking at just these two examples, I think we can see that the Bible allows us to consider the role of women in leadership positions of the Church and allow us to come to certain conclusions. Towards that end, we’ll consider various verses and passages and see where they lead us.
Where We Have Been (and Many Still Are)
Virtually all the Scripture about women are found in Paul’s writings. There isn’t a lot written, but where there is can be found in his letters. Beginning with 1 Corinthians, there is much that Paul says about a woman needing to understand her place in the context of the Church.
Paul’s position can be argued that he believes women should be submissive in all matters. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now, as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:22-24). One can argue that the role of a wife in the Roman Empire and the time was to be submissive, and that Paul here simply changes the reason for submission from societal norms to one of service to Christ. It is interesting to note that the instructions to the husbands as leaders of the household are much longer (eight verses to the husbands; three to the wives), but the instruction is still the same. Wives are to have a submissive attitude.
Regarding leadership in the Church, Paul writes to the Corinthians the following: “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. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church” (1 Corinthians 14:32b-35). He writes something similar in his instructions to Timothy: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:12).
The idea that a woman is to be a submissive part of the fellowship of believers, at least in the times of worship and instruction, seems to be Paul’s position when it comes to the Church. It might be easy to read these verses and come to the conclusion that Paul didn’t think very highly of women, but I don’t think that’s the point of these passages. In the verses from 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is trying to stress the need for order in the worship of the church. The primary emphasis of the passage is the need to limit what goes on in the worship in order that the services not devolve into chaos and confusion. Paul is the same man who wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27). This verse reflects an awareness of the equality of all in the Church. When it comes to the body of Christ, we need only read 1 Corinthians 12 to see that Paul understands there is no such thing as a “second-class citizen” of the kingdom of God.
Most of those who believe these instructions are the central guide to the practices of the church regarding women limit them to co-ed worship and instruction. Such churches have no problem with women taking the lead in the education of other women and of children of both genders. And most churches will recognize that some of the greatest prayer warriors of their congregation are women. And it’s a foolish man who fails to listen to his wife in decision making regarding the family. Still, in these verses, the Bible makes it clear that leadership in the Church is restricted to men.
Where Some Are Going
Those who argue that women should have leadership roles in the church can also point to the Pauline epistles to support their position.
One of the first verses pointed to is the one in Galatians 2, with the stress that, in Christ, there is neither male nor female. Equality for all should mean that no one should be excluded from a place of service solely on the basis of gender.
As for the instructions in 1 Corinthians, it is to be noted that only three chapters before Paul’s pronouncement about women being silent in the Church, he seems to accept the place of women leading in worship. “Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved” (1 Corinthians 11:3-6). Here, the issue is not whether a woman should pray or prophesy in the worship service; only whether she should do so without her head uncovered. If it was such a big deal to Paul that a woman should have no part in the worship leadership of the Church, then why is he making this distinction? Why not simply write that women should neither pray nor prophesy?
In Romans 16:1, Paul writes, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.” The word we interpret as “servant” is the Greek word that is also interpreted as “deacon.” The word is interchangeable, so it’s quite possible that Phoebe was a deaconess in the Cenchrean church. While the role of the deacon is to be one of a servant of the church, in most churches the deacons also provide leadership and are seen in that role.
Those who point to Ephesians 5 regarding the role of a woman as that of submission point out that the verse immediately before the instructions to the wife reads, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21), and again point out the lengthier instructions to the husbands as proof that submission is not a one-way road.
Extra-biblical Thoughts
The world in which we live is different from the world in which Paul lived, particularly in Western society. Today, women have educational opportunities that were not available to women for all but most recent times. Post-high school educational opportunities really began to open up to women only beginning with the middle of the 19th century. Today in America, more college students are women than men, which indicates that the education levels of men and women are comparable if not tending in the favor of women.
In today’s world, the role of women in business and industry and politics is increasing, and women are taking more leadership roles. Granted, there is still a large glass ceiling in place, but there are cracks in the ceiling.
While I am very reluctant to say the societal norms should have a reflection in how we interpret Scripture, I am also of the firm belief that the word of God is living, and that sometimes the role of the Holy Spirit brings us to a point in history where we can look at Scripture with a fresh pair of eyes. As long as a person is open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit as He leads us into all truth and reminds us of what Christ taught, then we can know that the same Spirit that inspired Paul to write what he wrote will also inspire us to interpret the writings accurately and consistently.
One last thing regarding women and leadership positions, again returning to the Bible, Proverbs 31 describes a wife of noble character. In this Old Testament passage, it describes this woman of noble character as someone who is quite adept at marketing, manufacturing, real estate and other matters. “She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night” (vs. 13, 16-18). While this does not expressly address the role of leadership within the context of the Church, there can be no doubt that a woman such as this is highly esteemed and lauded in this passage of Scripture.
Conclusion
What is the role of women regarding leadership in the Church? It really is up to each fellowship of believers to determine its position in the matter. Coming from a Baptist background, each church is independent from the others, and each will come to their own conclusion. I would hate to see a body of churches torn asunder over the matter, and would hope that the love of Christ would be over all decisions and determinations.
My position on the matter is that I do not see that the role of women should prevent them from taking a more active leadership role in the body of believers. I have been blessed to pastor churches where I have been able to rely on the counsel and wisdom of some very godly women. If one of them had expressed to me that she believed God was leading her to pursue a position as a pastor or other leadership role, I think I would have a hard time telling her that she was misinterpreting God’s call for her life.
Ultimately, I believe very strongly that God will open the eyes of His people to His truth and one day, this issue will go the way of slavery and civil rights and other issues that became controversial for a time.
Let the living word truly guide us, and we cannot go wrong.
© 2018 Glynn Beaty