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
THE CONTEXT OF 1 TIMOTHY 2:11-14 AND 1 CORINTHIANS 14:34-37
The proper exegesis of Scripture is required to bring truth to this controversial issue. When people take the Word of God out of context, distorted interpretations and biased viewpoints arise. If we understand what Scripture says using correct exegesis, the ability to discern those who deviate from biblical truth will grow.
That said; let's now engage in a careful contextual analysis of this topic by examining two key passages that link the headship principle with the authority of male pastors. The first passage will be 1 Timothy 2:11-14.
"Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression." (1 Tim. 2:11-14)
Many people, especially secular feminists, seem to take issue with authority and distinctive role functions between men and women. We should understand that there is also a discernible functional role distinction within the Godhead. 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). Jesus points out, "I and the Father are one... Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." But He also states, "By myself I can do nothing... the Father is greater than I." (John 5:30; 10:30; 14:9; 14:28)
While men and women are equal in personhood and spirit, God has also empowered distinctive and authoritative role functions to mankind. As Christ is functionally subordinate to God The Father, the woman is functionally subordinate to the man.
"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. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man."
(1 Cor. 11:3, 7-9)
Now... 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and First Corinthians 14:34-37 indicate that God has established an authority structure and role distinctions within the church. In his instructions to the church (1 Tim. 3:14-15), Paul states that women are restricted from teaching and exercising authority over men (1 Tim. 2:11-14). He says,
"Let a woman learn
(Greek "manthano")
in silence."
In the church, the woman's role is to be a submissive learner, not an authoritative teacher. The word
"silence" (Greek "hesuchia") in 1 Tim. 2:11 does not mean complete silence (Greek "siopao"). It means maintaining a composure of quietness and peacefulness. That is diametrically distinctive to teaching and having authority over men in a church assembly.
In 1 Timothy 2:13, Paul refers back to the beginning when God created Adam and Eve. He says that God formed Adam first. As the first in the creation order, Adam stood as the natural head. Later, during the creation process, God formed Eve from one of Adam's ribs to serve as a helper, not someone to exercise authority over him. The concept of this verse is to illustrate the correlation between Adam and Eve (the creation order) and the relationship between men and women in the context of a church assembly. Thus, the theological foundation of headship in the home and church begins with the man. The firstborn headship principle is also found in Colossians 1:18:
"And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” (Col. 1:18)
It is clear from Scripture that the family structure serves as a paradigm for church structure. In essence, the church is a spiritual family of believers. Consider the following passages:
1) "to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." (Gal. 4:5-6)
2) "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food." (James 2:14-15)
3) "Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel." (1 Cor. 4:15)
Paul refers to the church as "God's household" (1 Tim. 3:15). There are many other Scripture references that demonstrate the church as a spiritual family.
The parallel between the church and the family exemplifies the foundation for determining leadership roles in the church. Just as a husband leads and has authority over his wife, so too do male pastors lead and exercise authority over women in a church assembly. However, ordainers of women are devoted to the abolishment of biblical male leadership. They continuously fail to acknowledge Paul's association of the first family (Adam & Eve) with that of the church. As a result, they assume church functions are fashioned after secular establishments in the context that positions are appointed on the grounds of capability and proficiency regardless of gender.
Now... in 1 Timothy 2:14, Paul states that Eve was deceived, not Adam. This means that women, in general, are more vulnerable to Satan's deceptive tactics than men, and only in the context that they are the "weaker vessel" (1 Peter 3:7). When a wolf seeks out its prey, it generally attacks the most suitable target, which is usually the weaker animal. Similarly, rather than approaching Adam directly, the serpent approached Eve (the weaker target) with his appealing temptations and falsehoods. Needless to say, Eve became prey to the serpent's deceptive tactics.
"Her very excellences in other respects --- excellences connected with the finer sensibilities and stronger impulses of her emotional and loving nature --- tend in a measure to disqualify her here…. Eve, affecting to play the master, and to decide the question for herself and her husband, soon gave proof of her incompetency; she was overreached by a subtler intellect than her own, and induced under specious pretext, to prefer an apparent to the real good." (Patrick Fairbairn, "Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles," Grand Rapids: Zondervan, pages 129-130.)
While Satan did not approach Adam directly, he used Eve as his seductive agent to tempt Adam, the head of the family, to fall into sin. And Adam was the one who God held ultimately responsible (Gen. 3:7, 9; Rom. 5:12-21). Authority and leadership are entrusted to those whom the Lord regards as accountable.
Paul's exhortation to "keep silent" can also be found in 1 Corinthians 14:34-37.
"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. Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command." (1 Cor. 14:34-37)
Although women have spiritual gifts, they are restricted from authoritative and/or disruptive speech in the church assembly. Their role function is to be in a state of respectful submission as the law says. Paul is alluding to God’s divine and ordained authority structure in Genesis 3:16. The creation account demonstrates a ranking order before the fall (1 Tim. 2:13); and as aforementioned, an authority structure eternally exists within the Godhead. When God created Adam, it was he who represented the human race, not Eve (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:22).
Now, women are also restricted from asking questions publicly in the congregations. Someone may ask, "Why is asking questions prohibited as well?" If we carefully consider it, the mere act of publicly questioning others can be viewed as a form of teaching. And some women in the assembly may stealthily attempt to circumvent Paul's preceding prohibition.
Even today, people search for loopholes and schemes to bypass laws which they find unappealing. For example, some male pastors allege they can dismiss 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-37 by giving a woman permission to teach under their authority. However, if the Word of God states that a woman is prohibited from teaching or exercising authority over a man, then it is inapplicable for any “pastor” to use this line of reasoning to justify a woman teaching in a church assembly. This type of rationalism, which undermines the authority of God's Word, usually stems from ignorance and weak men who succumb to manipulative feminist seductions.
In any case, Paul nullifies such a potential strategic attempt by restricting women from asking questions outright. If a woman had an inquiry, she was required to ask her husband at home. Someone may ask, “Well, what about unmarried women or widows?” That is a good question; but we should understand that Paul is not trying to tackle every case, but simply lay down a natural principle. If a woman does not have a husband, she could ask another male figure (father, brother, etc.). The primary point to bear in mind is that a woman's flagrant failure to adhere to God's divine order in the church is considered as "disgraceful."
Paul was typically very straight forward in his teachings. He was a strong man of God who would prefer to be scripturally correct than politically correct. In 2 Corinthians 11:1-15, he reprimanded the Corinthian church for tolerating false teachers (2 Cor. 11:4). In his visit to the church in Galatia (Gal. 4:16), his plainspoken style had caused offense.
“Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth.” (Gal. 4:16)
Many times, people do not take kindly to the disclosure and expression of truth. In the words of George R.R. Martin.
"People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up."~ George R.R. Martin
In any event, there was likely some antipathy against Paul’s politically incorrect teachings in this account (see also 2 Peter 3:15-16). Similar to today, the church in Corinth was out of order, and they probably took issue with his instructive and corrective disciplines. To challenge any bickering, Paul employs some satire in verse 36 by querying, “Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?" To put it another way, did the Corinthian Church know more about the scriptures than Paul, an apostle?
In association with his instructions, Paul says in verse 37, “If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command." What Paul is saying here is that his teachings are not his own concepts or interpretations, but commandments from the Lord.
But despite the positive and clear-cut precepts that support male pastoral leadership and the lack of biblical precedent for ordaining women, there is still much repugnance to this point of observation, particularly by enraged feminists who view 1 Timothy 2:11-13 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-37 as impediments to women in authoritative positions in the church. In a bid to maintain their views, they have raised many counter-arguments in an attempt to evade, discredit, or reinterpret some of Paul's teachings. In 2 Peter 3:15-16, let's take a look at what Peter has to say about those who take issue with Paul:
"... as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures." (2 Peter 3:15-16)
Take note of what Peter says of Paul, "these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures." Peter's statement is clearly accurate as it relates to pro-women ordainers who attempt to discredit Paul's teachings on the restriction of women pastors in the church. These individuals are "untaught" and "unstable" in their ways, and they will never acknowledge the truth. Paul knew this, which is why he says in 1 Corinthians 14:38, "But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant."
The Bible emphatically stresses the significance of respecting the functional role distinctions of men and women established by God at creation. Since God's Word makes it plain that women who teach are committing "disgraceful" acts, we should seriously consider the moral implications of failing to respect and adhere to the instructions Paul gave to the church.
Other Noteworthy Points to Support Male Leadership
1) Although Jesus had many women followers, He appointed no women apostles. They were all men.
2) Only a man can be the "husband of one wife" and "rule his own house well". (1 Tim. 3:2-4; Titus 1:6)
3) In the Old Testament, there were no women appointed as priests. All the priests were men. (Ex. 28:1)
4) Only masculine names are to be found in the genealogies of Genesis, chapters five and ten.
5) Only men received the sign and seal of the covenant. (Gen. 17:10)
6) Abram is called, not Sarai. (Gen. 12:1)
7) Only men were commanded to appear before God. (Ex. 23:17; Deut. 16:16-18; Neh. 10:36)
8) The wife is under her husband's authority. (Num. 5:19; Eph. 5:23-24; 1 Peter 3:1)
9) All the scriptures were written by men.
10) Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, was a man, not a woman.
11) Not one woman baptized someone else.
12) There is not one instance in the Bible where a pastor shares authority with his wife.
13) Adam was created first and represented humanity, not Eve. (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:22; 1 Tim. 2:13)
14) Christ is portrayed as the second Adam, not the second Eve. (1 Cor. 15:45)
