The Role of Women in the Church
Mike Johnson
The role of women in society has changed dramatically in recent years. Some changes that have taken place have been good, but many have not been. Societal changes eventually filter into the church. Renewed discussion is occurring on this issue, and some are contending for an expanded role for women in the church. Among many denominations, women preachers are commonplace. In the past, a woman minister moving into town might have attracted media attention, but today that is not the case.
What does the Bible teach about the role of women in the church? The teaching of the Scriptures is all that really matters (Gal. 1:6-10; Rev. 22:18-19; 2 Jn. 9), and societal changes should not influence our teaching and practice. God’s Word teaches that women have an important role in teaching, but it also teaches that their role is different from men.
Women as Teachers
Matthew 28:18-20 records the Great Commission given to the Apostles. From this, we learn that they were to “teach all nations,” to baptize those taught, and then to teach those baptized to “observe all things” which Christ had commanded them. A part of what Christ taught them was to go and teach, so all of those baptized would have the responsibility of teaching. This would include women. However, as we will see later, some limitations are placed on women, and these must be taken into consideration (1 Tim. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 14:34-35). Nevertheless, they have a responsibility to teach because of the Commission.
Another passage to consider is 2 Timothy 2:2. Here, Paul told Timothy, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Timothy was to take God’s Word (which he had heard from Paul) and teach it to “faithful men” who would then be able to teach others. Since the word “men” is used, how does this pertain to women teaching? The answer lies with the Greek language. The word found here is not the word “aner,” which means males, but the word “anthropois,” which refers to mankind. So, men and women were to be taught, and they in turn would be able to teach others. Thus, 2 Timothy 2:2 authorizes women to teach God’s Word.
Various other passages show that women are to teach God’s Word. Titus 2:3-5 reveals that the aged women are to teach the younger women such things as being discreet, chaste, and keepers at home. Women also have a responsibility to teach their children (2 Tim. 1:5, 3:14-15), and they teach others by their singing (Col. 3:16).
Another significant passage is Acts 18:26, which has Priscilla, along with her husband Aquila, teaching Apollos, a male, “the way of God more accurately.” This shows us that teaching a man in certain settings and situations is proper for a woman. (Note also Acts 8:1,4.)
1 Timothy 2:11-12
In 1 Timothy 2:11-12, the Bible says, “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.”
This passage clearly places some restrictions on the woman. Does it, however, restrict a woman from teaching in every situation? Based on the previous passages examined, a woman is clearly allowed, and is in fact required, to teach others. The verses specifically contain a qualification; they tell us that the woman is not to teach or have authority “over the man.” Therefore, these verses would prohibit a woman from preaching a sermon, teaching a class, leading a prayer, or leading the singing in any setting in which men are present, either in the assembly or out of the assembly.
The NKJV uses the word “silence” in these verses. However, the word in the original does not mean that she cannot say a word; rather, it means “quietness.” Some translations (ESV, ASV) render the Greek word as “quietness” or “quiet.” (Note 2 Thessalonians 3:12 where the same Greek word is used.) 1 Timothy 2:11-12 would not prohibit a woman from teaching a man (Acts 18:26); they would not prohibit her from making comments in a Bible class, nor would they keep her from reading the Scriptures aloud in a Bible class. She could not do any of these things, however, in an authoritative way or in a position of authority over the man.
I Corinthians 14:34-35
1Corinthians 14:34-35 says, “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.”
Unlike 1 Timothy 2:11-12, the instruction given here pertains specifically to the assembly. Verse 23 says it is talking about when the “whole church comes together into one place.” (Please also note in chapter 14, verses 14:4-5, 12, 18-19, 26, 34). It is the kind of assembly in which the Lord’s Supper might be served (I Cor. 11:26), so applying these verses to a Bible class setting would be improper.
The word translated “silent” (sigao) is more restrictive than the one found in 1Timothy 2:11-12. Thayer says that it means, “to keep silence, hold one’s peace.” (p. 574) Along with 1 Timothy 2:11-12, these verses prohibit a woman from preaching, leading the singing, or making announcements. Additionally, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 prohibits her from making comments in the assembly or, as the text specifically says, even asking questions.
Some teach that since Paul uses the word “your” in verse 34, he is addressing the wives of the prophets in these verses, and since we do not have prophets today, the instructions do not apply now. A good case could be made showing that Paul does not have the wives of the prophets, or for that matter, the wives of the tongue speakers, specifically under consideration in the first part of verse 34. However, even if he is speaking about the wives of the prophets, the general rule which he is applying to them is found in the last part of verse 35, which says, “…for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”
It is interesting that the word “your” (vs. 34), which is often relied upon to bolster this position, is not found in many translations (NASB, ASV). Instead, it is “the women” or simply “women.” Some use the expression “let them ask their husbands at home” (vs. 35) to show that these verses only apply to the wives of the prophets and are not intended to be a general admonition. They may ask, “What about the woman who does not have a husband? Who is she supposed to ask?” A similar question could be asked about the “at home” part of the statement. Would it be acceptable to ask her husband a question on the WAY home? How about at a restaurant? Of course, she could ask the question there. The home is mentioned because that is where a wife might typically ask her husband a question. Compare also I Corinthians 11:34. In dealing with abuses of the Lord’s Supper, Paul said, “And if any man hunger, let him eat at home….” Again, a person could have eaten at some other place, such as under a shade tree. Paul says “home” because that is typically where a person would eat. The same point could be made of women being told to ask their “husbands.” Women usually have husbands, so Paul worded it as he did in verse 35.
In conclusion, women do have an important responsibility to teach. However, they have a different role from men in their teaching. 1 Timothy 2:11-12 (which applies everywhere) does not allow the woman to teach the man in such a way as to have authority over the man. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (which applies ONLY to the assembly) prohibits the woman from speaking in the assembly, which would certainly eliminate her from taking any leading role in the worship service. Modern society might call this outdated, but we must be willing to accept what God teaches!
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Don’t Wait for the Parrot to Die!
Glen Young
The pet store owner convinced the old woman that a parrot would keep her company because it would talk to her. When she returned it the next day, she told the owner, “This bird doesn’t talk.”
“Does he have a mirror in his cage?” he asked. “Parrots love mirrors. They see their reflection and start a conversation.” The woman bought a mirror and left.
The next day, she returned. The bird still wasn’t talking. “How about a ladder? Parrots love ladders. A happy parrot is a talkative parrot.” The woman bought a ladder and left.
But the next day, she was back. “Does your parrot have a swing? No? Well, that’s the problem. Once he starts swinging, he’ll talk up a storm.” The woman reluctantly bought a swing and left.
When she walked into the store the next day, her countenance had changed.
“The parrot died,” she said. The pet store owner was shocked.
“I’m so sorry. Tell me, did he ever say anything?” he asked.
“Yes, right before he died.” The woman replied. “In a weak voice, he asked
me, ‘Don’t they sell any food at that pet store?’ ”
When I first heard this humorous tale, it made me think of how we often deal with life. Many have forgotten what is really important in life. In one’s search for satisfaction and meaning in life, it is easy to get caught up in instant gratification and selfish wants, while neglecting that which gives life true meaning.
Which is more important; having a nice house, two cars and the latest computer technology, or renouncing all material possessions to follow the Lord (Luke 14:33). If Christians are not careful, they will make the mistake of thinking that material possessions are the things which bring us satisfaction and meaning in life.
Which is more important; changing marriage partners whenever there is a disagreement or one has ‘fallen out of love’ with the other, or abiding together as one flesh until death shall part you (Matthew 19:4-6). Christians must not fall prey to the devil’s lie that they would be better satisfied or that life would have more meaning if they would just change marriage partners.
What is it that makes life satisfying and meaningful? It is seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). To seek the kingdom of God is to desire earnestly the Word that you may grow unto salvation (1 Peter 2:2). Through this avenue, and this avenue alone, will life be satisfying and meaningful.
Take a moment to do a priority check. Have you allowed the devil to sell you mirrors, ladders, and swings? All of which are nice to have but are insignificant when it comes to a meaningful life.
The Lord has a table spread with all manner of food for the soul. He invites you to come and feast with Him. Please come and feed your starving soul.
Don’t wait for the parrot to die!
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Someone Else
We are all saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our congregation’s most valuable members, Someone Else. Someone’s passing created a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years, and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person’s share of work. Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results: “Someone else can work with that group!” Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone’s lists, “Someone Else!” “Let Someone Else do it” was a common refrain heard throughout the church. It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the largest givers of the church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference. Someone Else was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing superhuman; but a person can only do so much. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now, Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? Remember, we can’t depend on Someone Else anymore.
Author Unknown
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Two Churches Want to Grow
Bill Hall
Two churches want to grow, but their attitudes toward growth differ greatly.
The first church looks upon growth as its primary purpose. Goals are placed before the membership: “We want to double our membership within the next three years,” for instance. Success (or failure) is judged almost entirely on the basis of that congregation’s numerical growth.
The second church looks upon the saving of souls as its primary purpose and any growth in membership is just a natural result of that primary purpose. Members of the second church are infused with the value of immortal souls rather than with a sense of congregational pride.
Members of the first church become eager to get people to the water. Baptism is the point at which people are added to the membership list; consequently, it’s going to take so many baptisms to keep pace with their goal of doubling their membership. They must not only get them to the water, they must get them there within the time period that has been arbitrarily set by their leaders.
Members of the second church are far more eager to get people to repent. Their concern is for additions to the Lord’s body rather than additions to a membership list. Their approach is to bring sinners to a consciousness of their sin and the consequences of remaining in sin. If they can do this in one study, great! But if considerable time is required to uproot false concepts and to plant the true seed of the gospel, they patiently accept this. Their only sense of urgency grows out of the uncertainty of life and its duration. But they know that shortcuts are not the answer; that baptism without repentance is worthless; and that once people are brought to true repentance, having been properly taught, baptism for the remission of sins will follow. So they wait with longsuffering until the gospel brings about its desired effect in the hearts of those whom they are teaching.
Members of the first church will be tempted to use questionable tactics in their approach to people. The old methods and approaches don’t seem to be effective anymore. New and more positive approaches must be found. So the members of the first church make their appeal to the pride of people. They persuade them of their self-worth; they build their self-image; they tell them how valuable they would be to the congregation. “We need you,” they tell their prospects. They might also extol the virtues of the congregation, persuading their prospects of the value of being a part of such a vibrant, growing group of people. So, people “become members,” and they conform to the rules that are placed before them for acceptance within the group, but there may have been little grief over sin; in fact, they might even still believe they were Christians before they “became members.”
The members of the second church recognize that the gospel never makes its appeal to the pride of people. They bring people to see their spiritual bankruptcy; that they have “nothing to pay;” that their true worth is not to be found in self, but in Christ; that they must humble themselves and look to Christ for their exaltation; that they are sinners in desperate need of salvation; that their only hope is to be found in Christ. They would bring them to say, in the words of Mrs. C. H. Morris:
“Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring,
Naught as an offering to Jesus my King,
Only my sinful, now contrite heart;
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.”
The first church may become compromising in its teaching. Its elders intend to maintain doctrinal soundness, but there is the pressure to produce, to maintain the growth rate set before the congregation. When doctrinal soundness becomes an obstacle to that purpose, the elders may succumb to the pressures and ease up on its teaching. The second church faces no such pressure, for in its concern for the spiritual well-being of people, there is desire for truth on every subject vital to salvation.
The emphasis of the first church is organizational and institutional; the emphasis of the second is spiritual and heavenly.
We commend the second church to our readers. Serious problems can result when churches see growth as their primary purpose. If goals are to be set—and goals can serve a good purpose—let them focus on the number to be taught rather than the number to be baptized. If new approaches are needed, let them be conceived only if they are compatible with God’s wisdom. In efforts to reach others, let all determine to know nothing “except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” When churches thus become really serious about saving souls, God will give the increase and growth will take care of itself.
From Eastside Bulletin (3-23-24)
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How to Keep People Faithful
Bill Hall
“The way to keep people faithful is to develop within them a genuine love for the Lord. When people love the Lord, they will be faithful, and it won’t take some kind of ‘special’ project to keep them faithful. They will also be involved: in worship, in study, in godly living, in sharing the gospel with a friend, in helping the needy. I have known literally hundreds of Christians who have never in their lives been appointed to any special work, but whose love for the Lord alone keeps them faithful. There is no superficial faithfulness on the part of these; theirs is a faithfulness that is real.”
The Old Hickory Bulletin (10-26-14)
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Editor: Mike Johnson www.seekingthingsabove.org |