“Should Women Be Pastors?”
Spiritual Leadership in the
Church Series
1 Tim 2:12
THEME: the church is to conduct its services with order. This includes women teaching ministries, but not assuming the role of a pastor of the congregation.
RELEVANCE: A desire to see God honored and glorified through a church's ministries will settle most debates that are rooted in self-centered approaches to the Bible. Women and pastoral ministry are no different! Church is where Christ is exalted and not people seeking power and positions to highlight themselves.
INTRODUCTION:
“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40) is a basic principle for the conduct of the ministry of the church.
Women pastors represent modern feminist beliefs, advocating for gender equality within a church. Their roles challenge scriptural basis that prescribes church leadership to qualified men. These women typically believe the Bible supports women’s church leadership, underlining ministry as non-gender exact.
However, the Bible is explicitly clear on this subject beyond any legitimate doubt.
MESSAGE:
Show Submission Through Respecting Authority (1 Tim. 2:12–13).
Once more we have a restriction that reinforces consistency and proper order for the ladies in the church. Immediately, these provisions safeguard the best interest of the women in the congregation and still apply to us today. God is always cognizant of correct order in the church and respecting His authority.
1. Women Are Not to Pastor, But They Are to Teach. (1Tim. 2:12) This is Not a Ban on Teaching ministries. While we have a restriction, it does not prohibit women from teaching altogether but rather addresses specific roles within the church—pastoral leadership.
A. Women Are Permitted to
Teach.
o Older
women being experienced and generally more seasoned should teach the younger
women (Titus 2:3–5).
o Timothy
was taught at home by his mother and grandmother (2
Tim. 1:5; 3:15).
o Paul did not forbid the women to pray or to prophesy in the Corinthian Church (1Cor. 11:1-5). Prophesying is not quite the same as our "preaching" or "expounding the Word." A person with the gift of prophecy proclaimed God's message, in this case to another woman, when the Spirit gave it.
B. But in Their Teaching
Ministry, They Must Not “Lord It Over” Men.
o There
is nothing wrong with a godly woman instructing a man in private (Acts 18:24–28).
o While
the New Testament does not permit women pastors (1 Tim
3:2), women in the early church who had the gift of prophecy were
allowed to exercise it with other women.
o They were also permitted to pray in the public meetings of the women (1Cor. 11:1-5).
C. She Must Not Assume
Authority in the Church and Try To Take The Place of a Man.
o Women
were not permitted to usurp authority over the
man (1 Tim 2:11-15) or to judge
the messages of the other male prophets (1 Cor 14:27-35).
If they had any questions, they were to ask their husbands (or other men)
outside of the church meeting.
o She should exercise “quietness” and help keep order in the church.
D. The Woman’s Role in the Church is Largely One
of Submission.
o 1 Cor. 11:3, But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
1. Submission is a Key to
Harmony in Relationships.
Submission
is a crucial element in the smooth functioning of any business, government, or
family. God ordained submission in certain relationships to prevent chaos.
It
is essential to understand that submission is not surrender, withdrawal, or
apathy. It does not mean inferiority, because God created all people in his
image, and all have equal value.
Submission is even a mutual commitment and cooperation.
2. Biblical
Submission is Based on Valuing One Another as Equal Persons.
God
calls for submission among equals. He did not make the man superior; he made a
way for the man and woman to work together.
Jesus
Christ, although equal with God the Father, submitted to him to carry out the
plan for salvation. Likewise, although equal to man under God, the wife should
submit to her husband for the sake of their marriage and family.
Submission between equals is submission by choice, not by force. We serve God in these relationships by willingly submitting to others in our church, to our spouses, and to our government leaders.
3. Biblical
Submission is Choosing to Obey and Glorify God First in our Relationships.
God
created lines of authority for his created world to function smoothly.
Although
there must be lines of authority, even in marriage, there should not be lines
of superiority. God created men and women with unique and complementary
characteristics. One sex is not better than the other!
We must not let the issue of authority and submission become a wedge to destroy oneness in marriage. Instead, we should use our unique gifts to strengthen our marriages and to glorify God.
E. What About When the Leadership Does Not Deserve Respect?
1.Those In
Authority Are Worthy of Respect (because of the position).
o 1 Samuel 24:5-6, And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. [6] And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.
o David
had great respect for Saul, although Saul was trying to kill him.
o Although
Saul was sinning and rebelling against God, David still respected the position
he held as God’s anointed king.
o David
knew he would one day be king, and he also knew it was not right to strike down
the man God had placed on the throne.
o If he assassinated Saul, he would be setting a precedent for his own opponents to remove him some day.
o Rom 13:1-7 teaches that God has placed the government
and its leaders in power.
o We
may not know why, but, like David, we are to respect the positions and roles
of those to whom God has given authority.
o There is one exception, however. Because God is our highest authority, we should not allow a leader to pressure us to violate God's law or requirements.
2. Those Who Are
Faithful to God Are Clearly Worthy of Respect.
o Acts 5:17-18, Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, [18] And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. (See also Heb. 13:7, 17)
o The
religious leaders were jealous -- Peter and the apostles were already
commanding more respect than they had ever received.
o The
difference, however, was that the religious leaders demanded respect and reverence
for themselves; the apostles’ goal was to bring respect and reverence to God.
o The apostles were respected not because they demanded it, but because they deserved it.
F. How Can a Person Earn the Respect of Others?
1. We Must Become People of Integrity to Win The Respect Of Others.
o
“The dictionary defines integrity as “the
state of being complete, unified.” When I have integrity, my words and my
deeds match up. I am who I am, no matter where I am or who I am with.
Sadly integrity is a vanishing commodity today. Personal standards are crumbling in a world that has taken to hot pursuit of personal pleasure and short cuts to success.” ---Maxwell, J. C.
2.
People Will Follow Those They Can Trust; Those Who Are Real.
o “The more credible you are the more confidence people place in you, thereby allowing you the privilege of influencing their lives. The less credible you are, the less confidence people place in you and the more quickly you lose your position of leadership.” ---Maxwell, J. C.
o “Trust
is the foundation of leadership. To build trust, a leader must exemplify these
qualities: competence, connection, and character. People will forgive
occasional mistakes based on ability, especially if they can see that you’re
still growing as a leader. But they won’t trust someone who has slips in
character. In that area, even occasional lapses are lethal. All effective
leaders know this truth.” ---Maxwell, J. C.
CONCLUSION:
The modern feminist movement is embarrassingly
riddled with stark contradictions and faulty logic. There is no wonder these
adherents do not respect the Bible or anything else that challenges their lust
for complete equality. Unfortunately, most women pastors embrace feminist theology seeking
to reinterpret the Bible to promote their idea of gender equality. Furthermore,
secular feminists advocate for the ordination of women, impacting many denominations. This really is not about a Bible mandate or exclusion, it is more a matter of accommodating feminist theology to raise women's rights to all places of power. A faithful handing of the Bible will settle this issue
for anyone really focused on pleasing God and not themselves.
