WOMEN SERVING AS PASTORS
THE USURPATION OF DIVINE ORDER
By: Victor T. Stephens
"People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up."
~ George R.R. Martin
OPPOSING ARGUMENTS (continued)
21) Submission for women existed only as a result of the fall.
The Claim: Some feminists allege that role distinctions of male headship and submission for women were not divinely ordained before the fall but began in Genesis 3:16. This allegedly signifies that Adam's rule over Eve is God's curse on Eve. After the establishment of the new covenant, the submission of women to male authority has been abolished. Therefore, there are no gender distinctions in the church today.
Rebuttal: Submission of women to male leadership did not emerge after the fall. Firstly, it bears repeating that Paul interprets male leadership based on the creation order (1 Tim. 2:13). Adam was created first (Gen. 2:7). Eve was created as Adam's helper (Gen. 2:18-23). Thus, we have it on the authority of Scripture itself that Adam being created first and Eve being created later indicates that Adam properly had authority over Eve at creation. Recall that there is a discernible functional role distinction within the Trinity itself. The Word of God says that "the head of Christ is God" and that Christ "will be made subject to him" [God the Father] (1 Cor. 11:3; 15:28). While men and women are equal in personhood and spirit, God has also empowered distinctive and authoritative role functions for mankind. 1 Corinthians 11:3 states,
"But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." (1 Cor. 11:3)
Secondly, the feminist interpretation of Genesis 3:16 is in error. It is not that Adam's headship and Eve's responsibility to submit were acquired on account of the fall. The fall actually corrupted the perfect relationship between Adam and Eve as well as all humankind. Before the fall, Adam lovingly exercised authority over Eve, and she respectfully submitted to him. But after the fall, this perfect relationship was shattered by sin and supplanted by a relationship of conflict and subjugation. Taking these facts into account, the establishment of the new covenant does not rid us of authority and submission.
22) The Church in Thyatira
The Claim: There is a very small segment of people who refer to Revelation 2:19-22 to support the notion that women are permitted to teach in the church. They reason that if Jesus restricted women from teaching in the church, then the church at Thyatira would have been a grand opportunity for the Lord to shut the door on the issue. But Jesus didn't rebuke the church for allowing a woman to teach, but rather she was rebuked for what she taught.
Rebuttal: Factually, Jesus' rebuke is twofold. The Lord rebukes the pastor at the Church in Thyatira for allowing a woman to teach as well as allowing her to seduce the church to commit fornication. The oldest manuscripts of the Bible say that "she teaches and seduces." For example, the KJV says in verse 20:
"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."
Jezebel was not a Christian woman, but rather a false prophet who engaged in pagan practices.
In Scripture, fornication can include both physical and spiritual immorality. It was common in pagan cultures to allow women to exercise authority over men and to adhere to various forms of sexual perversion that contradicted the Word of God. The pastor of the church in Thyatira permitted Jezebel to lure pagan practices into the assembly of believers, for which he was rebuked by Jesus.
To employ this account to promote women pastors is a very unusual and weak argument. On the contrary, many churches today are following in the footsteps of the Church in Thyatira by allowing a woman to teach, accepting homosexuality, and performing same-sex marriages, to say the least. Surely the spirit of Jezebel is still functioning within the church as well as the family structure in our present time. Willful deception and willful gullibility appear to be a joint arrangement between individuals who possess a personal agenda.
23) Most of the books of the New Testament were removed or altered.
The Claim: Some feminists claim that most of the books of the New Testament were either removed or altered by Constantine, the Council at Nicaea, and the Council of Constantinople in 360 AD. Therefore, it is very doubtful that Paul meant that women are restricted from teaching in the church.
Rebuttal: Unfortunately, there is misinformation circulating about Constantine, the Council at Nicaea, and the Council of Constantinople in 360 AD. Factually, neither Constantine, the Council at Nicaea, nor the Council of Constantinople in 360 AD removed or modified the New Testament in any way. There is no mention of such a thing happening. This is merely an unsubstantiated story and popular spurious innuendo, which has been, unfortunately, bolstered by some people. Most notable of these is Dan Brown, author of the book entitled "The DaVinci Code"... which is clearly anti-Christian.
The main point of discussion with the Council at Nicaea and the Council of Constantinople in 360 AD was the theological recognition of the relationship between Jesus and God. The Arius camp believed that they were of different essences, whereas the Athanasius camp believed that they were of identical essences. The Council concluded,
"But the name of 'essence', which was set down by the Fathers in simplicity, and, being unknown by the people, caused offense, because the Scriptures do not contain it, it has seemed good to abolish, and for the future to make no mention of it at all; since the divine scriptures have made no mention of the essence of Father and Son. For neither ought 'subsistence' to be named concerning Father, Son and Holy Ghost. But we say that the Son is like the Father, as the divine Scriptures say and teach; and all the heresies, both those which have been already condemned, and whatever are of modern date, being contrary to this published statement, be they anathema." (Source: Athanasius, De Synodis, 30; Socrates, HE 2.41.8-16).
As we see, this was not about removing or modifying books from the New Testament. If Constantine, the Council at Nicaea, or the Council of Constantinople in 360 AD attempted to remove or change the New Testament, we can be assured that this tactic would not have been endorsed by the collective church. The New Testament had already been solidly established and recognized as authoritative by the church for well over one hundred years prior to the council meeting. Moreover, there are documents accessible today that date from a hundred years prior to the time of Constantine, the Council of Nicaea, and the Council of Constantinople. If there were removals or modifications of the New Testament books, then we would see this change in the copies that pre-date the Council of Nicaea and the Council of Constantinople from those that came later. But the copies show no such removals or modifications.
That said, the idea that most of the books from the New Testament were removed or modified has no validity whatsoever. Thus, to use this argument as a means to justify women pastors has no basis in Scripture.
24) The Holy Spirit revealed to me that I should teach.
The Claim: Many women allege that the Holy Spirit told them to teach, which is further confirmed and witnessed by the fruit that was produced. Therefore, their position does not require acceptance, approval, or legal recognition from man.
Rebuttal: This claim is merely a derivative of the "Judge not"/ "Touch not the Lord's anointed" unbiblical defense. Many times, people who are in error attribute their beliefs to the Holy Spirit for the purpose of avoiding correction and rebuke. When someone lays claim to a specific truth... attributing their truth to the Holy Spirit, we cannot blindly assume that their belief is accurate. There has to be a standard of absolute truth by which a person's claim can be verified.
Anyone can claim to hear from the Holy Spirit. The standard of measurement to test one's allegation that he/she is hearing from the Holy Spirit is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit does not speak apart from the veracity of Scripture. Those who attribute their erroneous beliefs to the Holy Spirit and refuse correction (2 Tim. 3:16) actually demonstrate contempt for the Holy Spirit. First Timothy 2:11-14 clearly restricts women from teaching in the church assembly. The fact that positive results are produced from a woman teaching God's Word does not equate to authorization. Anyone who teaches God's Word in context will produce good fruit.
