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Women
pastors
The
Bible clearly states that the man is to lead in the home and church, and the
woman’s role is to submit to the man’s headship. There is widespread rebellion
against this divine plan, though, and many women are being appointed to
leadership positions in churches. Consider some facts from our files:
There
are almost 4,000 licensed and ordained women in the Assemblies of God.
There are 1,225 ordained Southern Baptist women. Roughly 200 of the ordained
women serve as pastors and associate pastors.
The
United Methodist Church
has ordained women since 1956 and today has 4,743 women “clergy.”
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has 2,419 female leaders.
The
United Church of Christ has 1,803 female leaders.
The Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America has 1,358 ordained women.
The Episcopal Church in the United
States has more than 1,000 female priests.
These facts are evidence of the
apostasy of the hour. Men and women in the world, having rejected Bible
truth, are confused about the most basic things.
Many
men are trying to be like women in dress and manner, while many women are
demanding the right to be like men, to dress like men, to do the same work as
men, to play the same sports as men, to fight in armies like men. They want
more than equal pay for equal work; they are demanding a man’s place in the
home, church, and state.
Sadly, the church is always affected by society. Thus the rebellion of women in
the world is causing similar problems in the churches, and we find women
demanding leadership roles in many Christian groups.
The Bible speaks too
clearly on this subject for there to be any confusion.
The
problem is that churches too often are looking to sources other than the Bible
for guidance. God loves women as much as He does men. Women are as important to
the home, church, and society as men are. In Jesus Christ, women enjoy the same
spiritual position and blessings before God as men do.
This
does not mean, though, there is to be no difference in men and women in their
appearance and roles. There is a basic truth which needs to be restated in the
church and society today: Men and women are different!
Men and women were made for different roles. The New Testament affirms that men
are to be the leaders in the home, church, and state. Women were not created to
rule these divine institutions; men were. The prophet Isaiah was condemning Israel
when he said women ruled over them (Isa. 3:12).
In
the church, according to the Bible, no woman is qualified to be a pastor or a
deacon or in any other leadership position over men. Who says? God says!
“Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection. But I do not
allow a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in
silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but
the woman being deceived, was in the transgression” (1 Tim.
2:11-14).
“Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is
not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience,
as also says the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their
husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What?
came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think
himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that
I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:34-37).
How
could a woman possibly be a pastor when she is forbidden to teach or to have
any authority over men? Women
can only be pastors if they openly disobey the Bible’s teaching.
Further, the Lord Jesus Christ appointed no female apostles. All of them were
men. The standards for pastors apply strictly to men. Only a man can be the “husband of one wife” and can “rule
his own house well” (1 Tim. 3:2,4; Titus 1:6).
IF MEN WILL NOT LEAD, WOMEN WILL
One reason why women are taking leadership positions is that the man has
too often failed to take his place. When men are weak, women must be strong.
This is often seen in the church.
Men
should willingly step forward to lead the church in every area, but often the
men are weak and lazy. They don’t give; they don’t go soul winning; they don’t
volunteer to fill vacant positions; they don’t come out on work days. Someone
has to lead, so the women step in and take control.
Christian
men should respond to the call of world evangelism, but few do. A great number
of Christian men are too weak, or lazy, or fearful, or busy with selfish plans
to be concerned about world missions. So the women do what they can.
When men are strong and obedient to God’s commands, there is not a serious
problem with what the women should do.
DIDN’T
GOD USE WOMEN TO LEAD MEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?
Why did God make DEBORAH a judge in Israel (Judges 4:4-5)? The answer
is not difficult. God’s perfect will is for men to lead. That is too clear to
misinterpret, but when men will not assume their responsibilities, God uses
women.
The
men in Deborah’s day were very weak and cowardly. This is seen in the fact that
Barak, the captain of the armies of Israel, refused to go into battle
unless Deborah went with him. What a brave man! What a hero!
The
woman had to remind him that God had said it is time to fight; the woman had to
encourage and challenge him to go; the woman had to go with him!
“And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go:
but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go” (Judges
4:8).
Deborah
clearly realized that this was not right nor natural, and she told Barak it
would result in shame upon his name. “And she said, I
will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall
not be for thine honour; FOR THE LORD SHALL SELL SISERA INTO THE HAND OF A
WOMAN...” (Judges 4:9).
Obviously
it was a period in Israel’s
history during which God could find no man to do His will, so He used a brave,
willing woman. We can praise God for women like Deborah who are willing to be
strong when the men are weak. This has often happened, both in secular and
church history.
The root problem in Deborah’s day was spiritual apostasy. When God’s people
turn away from Him, He renders the men powerless against their enemies and
removes wisdom from their hearts. It is a judgment upon apostate people.
We
can see this very thing today in apostate North America and Europe.
The leaders are weak and seem entirely lacking even in common sense. It is
God’s judgment because of the apostate condition of professing Christendom.
Israel in
Deborah’s day was in bondage to their enemies only because of their apostasy
from the true God and His revealed will recorded in the Scriptures (Judges
4:1-2). This was why the men were so weak. God had removed their power as He
did from sinful Samson.
“Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and
the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver
himself. ... And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked
in that day, saith the Lord” (Amos 2:14-15).
What about THE DAUGHTERS OF PHILIP? They were prophetesses (Acts
21:8-9). Doesn’t this mean women can preach to men in exercising their gifts of
prophecy? The fact that God gave gifts of prophecy to women does not mean they
are free to take authority in the church.
My friends, there is no doubt that God gave the gifts of prophecy to women.
Peter, on the day of Pentecost, had promised that God would do this: “And on ... my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of
my Spirit; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:18). But the Holy Spirit,
the Spirit who gives the gifts, has placed restrictions upon the exercise of those
gifts. 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 11 and 14 are Holy Scripture.
Immediately
after forbidding the women from speaking in the church meetings, the Apostle
Paul warned that those who ignore this instruction are not spiritual. “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let
him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of
the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:377).
DOESN’T ACTS 2:17,18 TEACH THAT BOTH WOMEN AND MEN WILL PROPHESY?
As for women prophesying, we know that Philip’s daughters prophesied, but,
as noted previously, when God wanted to speak to Paul He brought a man to do it
(Acts 21:8-11).
God
richly gifts women in spiritual things, but they are restricted in the exercise
thereof. The woman’s ministry is to be focused on women and children (1 Tim.
2:15; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15; Tit. 2:3-5).
To
say that the woman’s ministry is restricted is not to say that women are not
valuable for the ministry of Jesus Christ. Paul had female co-workers (Phil.
4:3).
Phebe
is an example (Rom.
16:1-2). Priscilla is mentioned right alongside her husband Aquila in the
ministry (Rom.
16:3). They were church planters (Rom. 16:5).
Beware of being influenced by the rebellion of the hour. God forbids a woman
from preaching and usurping authority over the man. He forbade this 1900 years
ago, and He forbids it today.
Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to
be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived,
but the woman being deceived, was in the transgression (1 Tim. 2:11-14).
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is
not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience,
as also says the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their
husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What?
came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think
himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that
I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord (1 Cor. 14:34-37).
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