Why women should not be pastors

Why don’t we have any women pastors in our denomination? Why do men lead our Sunday church services?  Does Christianity squash women?  What place do women have in ministry? 

The Apostle Paul answers most of these questions in 1 Timothy 2:8-15, one of the most controversial passages in the Bible.  The entire letter of 1 Timothy addresses how Christians should conduct themselves in the church (3:15). 

It’s vital when reading this passage (as with the entire Bible) that we be careful to distinguish what is cultural (changeable) and what is general or eternal principles (unchangeable).

Holy hands and holy kisses

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. (1 Timothy 2:18)

The general principle is that men should pray while serving God in godliness (“holy hands”) and love (“without anger or disputing”).  The cultural outworking of the principle is that they lift up their hands while praying. 

It was normal back then to stand and pray (cf. Luke 18:11), but it would not matter if you sat and prayed, for that cultural expression changes from time to time. 

A similar cultural expression of a general principle is when Paul tells Christian brothers to greet each other with a holy kiss (1 Thessalonians 5:26).  The general principle is warm Christian fellowship; the cultural outworking is kissing.  Today we would shake hands or maybe even give a manly hug, but probably not kiss.

God wants men to use their hands for good, not for sin.  God wants men who will serve him, their church, and their families faithfully.  God wants men who lift holy hands in prayer.

The counter-cultural women

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. (1 Timothy 2:9-10)

The King James Version is closer to the original meaning; it says in v9, “in like manner also, that women adorn themselves”. 

Women should adorn themselves. 

Women should not be hidden, covered up or hide their beauty. The question is how should they adorn themselves? Paul says with modesty. 

There was a growing problem in Ephesus (where Timothy’s church was) in that the Sunday service was being filled with women who were not content with their God-given role, but rather used the service to flaunt their wealth, demonstrate their beauty and put on attractive demonstrations for the men. 

In Ephesus at the time there were also hundreds of prostitutes that were employed in the great goddess Diana’s temple.  Listen to what one commentator writes,

“The elaborate hairstyles which were then fashionable among the wealthy, were also the styles worn by prostitutes.  The sculpture and literature of the period make it clear that women often wore there hair in enormous elaborate arrangements with braids and curls interwoven with gems and gold and pearls.  The temple prostitutes wore their hair in numerous small pendant braids with gold droplets or pearls every inch or so, making a shimmering screen of their locks.”

We know that God created people as sexual beings.  God intended us to enjoy intimacy and sex in marriage.  God also created men with a big sex drive.  Men shouldn’t be ashamed of it, but rather celebrate and enjoy it in God-given institution of marriage (and practice self-control!). 

Men are stimulated visually. 

Paul, under inspiration of Holy Spirit, says that women, especially Christian women, should dress modestly and respectably – not like the temple prostitutes. 

The general principle here is that women are to dress modestly, with decency and self-control; the cultural application was not to have braided hair, gold, pearls or expensive clothes.  The command is that women adorn themselves with clothing, hairstyles and jewellery that, in their context and culture, is sensible not extravagant, modest not vain, and decent not suggestive.    

If you shouldn’t adorn yourself to attract attention to yourself.  How should you adorn yourself? v10 says “with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” 

You might be single however and say, “Hey, I’m not married!  I have to attract they guys!”   But the type of guy you want to marry will be most attracted by your godly character, not your outfit.

God is not against women wearing nice clothes and dressing stylishly. 

However, God does want women to dress appropriately and modestly.  He wants women to think about how their wardrobe will influence their Christian brothers.

A woman should learn in quietness (“peace”) and full submission.  I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.  (1 Timothy 2:11-12)

Egalitarian

When it comes to the issue of women in ministry, there are three positions.

The Egalitarian view says that men and women can be partners together in every area of ministry. There are no gender distinctions for any office. This is the classic feminist position and it’s the most popular position in our culture.  In other words, women can be pastors and elders. They can preach.

Egalitarians look at 1 Timothy 2 and say “It was a cultural thing and does not apply to us today.”

Hierarchical

To the other extreme is the Hierarchical view. This is a far more strict and conservative.  Proponents of this view say that women should not be elders or deacons. They shouldn’t teach Bible studies or classes.  They shouldn’t lead in any ministry. They shouldn’t even read the Bible, give their testimonies or lead “worship” in church.  Women  should only teach other women and children. 

Complementarian

Complementarianism is the middle, moderate view and that’s our view in REACH-SA.

This view says that men and women are partners in every area of life and ministry together.   

Though equal, men and women have complementary and distinct gender roles so that men are to lovingly lead and head their homes like Jesus loves the church, and only suitably qualified men can be pastors and Elders in the church. (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-7) 

It’s not a problem for women to serve in hundreds of other ways in the church, but the office of pastor (preacher) and Elder is reserved appropriately qualified men.

Women and men are partners together in every area of ministry; but we believe that God places two restrictions on the ministry of women in the church.   Paul makes the argument that women are not allowed to teach and/or exercise authority over men within the gathered church setting.

This practically means that women shouldn’t preach to a congregation where there are men present.

Jesus was pro-women, but chose twelve men to be his Apostles.  That was intentional because the Apostles were given incredible authority to lay the foundation the church. (cf. Ephesians 2:20)  Jesus did call women to significant ministry – but not to be Apostles.

Therefore, our Church Council (“elders” in biblical terminology) is reserved for men; but men and women serve on our Ministry Committee (Mincom) (“deacons” in biblical terminology).

God would have men to lead his church, but he also calls women to serve alongside men. Women shouldn’t occupy the office of pastor/ preacher or elder, but can serve in a multitude of other ways.   

Women, for example, could be full-time staff members, preach at women’s conferences, teach ladies Bible studies, run children’s clubs, supervise Sunday schools, lead praise and worship,  give testimonies, give report backs and share words of encouragement.

Church and family

Remember that Paul’s only talking about the church context here; he’s not saying that women can’t have male employees in the business world. Women are free to work and be bosses if they want to. They can lecture men at university or Bible college. 

Paul is specifically talking about public worship services here. 

Just as God wants the spiritual leadership of the family to be exercised by the husband, so he wants the leadership of the church to be exercised by suitably qualified, godly men.

Women have no reason to feel inferior and men have no reason to feel superior. God has simply given us different, complementary roles.

Adam and Eve

You might argue that the call for women to learn quietly and not to teach men is just a cultural expression, like wearing braided hair or giving holy kisses.  But notice the reason Paul gives:

“For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” (1 Timothy 2:13-14) 

Paul gives a universal principle that goes all the way back to the creation of the world. This means that what he’s just said is applicable and binding for all time because it is exactly the way God intended it to be from the beginning of the world.

Paul says we should  look back at Adam and Eve and we’ll see how God’s design unraveled. God created Adam first, and Adam needed help.  God created Eve to help him, but she does the opposite.  She’s deceived and takes over the leadership role and leads Adam into sin.

As Christian’s and as Christ’s Church, we should therefore strive for a return to God’s order and design.  To have godly men lead the church and their families with  integrity.  To have godly women who serve alongside them as equals; yet willingly submitting to the men’s God-given role of spiritual leadership in the church and family.

Restoration

You might say, “Whoa!  Women are getting a real raw deal.”  Maybe as a woman you’re thinking, “Hey, it wasn’t my fault!”

1 Timothy 2:15 answers this,

“But women will be saved through childbearing––if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.”

The word translated here as “saved” can refer to being saved from things other than sin.  This verse probably means that women are saved or delivered from the stigma of a woman having caused the fall (of course with Adam’s great help and consent!) 

Women have the opportunity to lead the human race to godliness through their influence on children as the godliness and virtue of a mother has a profound influence on her children.   One of  women’s great contributions to our world comes in motherhood. 

However, she must continue in faith in Jesus, in love and in holiness.  Typically, a Christian mother raises godly children.

Obviously, God doesn’t want all women to be mothers.  God’s purpose for some women and men is singleness.  But as a general rule motherhood is one of the greatest contribution a woman can make to our world.  Not business, politics or advertising, but child-rearing.

Increased pain in child-bearing was the judgment on her sin, but bearing children delivers “woman” from the stigma of that sin.

Many feminists sell Satan’s big lie that Motherhood is second-best and second-rate.  This lie hurts the women of our world.  Motherhood should be a priority, but often it’s ranked right at the bottom. 

Here and here are helpful articles.

Don Carson gives a good summary of why we use the word “complementarian” over here.

(Thanks to Alistair Anderton for his sermon that contained many of the insights and thoughts contained in this blog; any errors are mine.)