When examining any question that concerns the Word of God, one must examine Himself and use sound hermeneutic principles. This is especially important when it is a man examining the roles of women within the Body of Christ. As an example, too many men have used Ephesians 5 to inappropriately dominate their wives and treat them poorly because the command to the women is to submit and respect. I have heard many a sermon that practically gives license to a man to beat his wife verbally, emotionally, and physically- and many a counselor say to a woman she has to take it and ‘submit’. All this while neglecting the command a few lines later to love his wife as Christ loves the church- and forgetting what that looked like when He did. The same problem was illustrated by the many in 19th century America using the scripture wrongly to justify slavery.
The problem has gone the opposite way as well; there are many from the more liberal bias towards scripture that use culture as a lens to interpret scripture. They believe, for example, that the clear roles laid out in scripture were only for that culture at that time. This has opened up the floodgates- we have genderless scriptures, genderless hymns, women who are Pastors and elders in churches- and now we have homosexual ministers as well as blessing and approval of homosexual marriage. What does that have to do with gender? When you break down gender roles while interpreting scripture through the lens of current culture, these types of errors become rampant. Every church that has negated clear biblical gender roles eventually must- and usually does- compromise on homosexual sin. And allow me to clarify- any church that allows a woman to have a eldership role over men- whether it be a pastor or the head of the board- has ceased to be a biblical New Testament church.
10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:10-14, ESV)12γυναικι δε διδασκειν ουκ επιτρεπω ουδε αυθεντειν ανδρος αλλ ειναι εν ησυχια
So for many, this is an emotionally charged topic, and it may cause them to throw away sound principles of hermeneutics and submit to their gender pride. This can happen on both sides of the sexes. One of the principles we must examine is the historical context as well as the ecclesiological context of the commands. I submit to you that within the scripture that there are gender roles laid out for both church life and everyday life. The command above is in context with specific instructions for the assembly of the church. Verse 12, in English and in Greek, is misinterpreted by laymen and pastors alike that hold gender bias. It is in the contest of the church. There is the pesky word or (GR oude) between teach and exercise authority- that shows two separate activities within the body of Christ, and the role in the church. This has been properly interpreted that a woman is not to be a preacher over an assembled congregation. It does not mean that a woman cannot teach authoritatively on scripture in the proper context- outside of the context of the church and church governance. She cannot hold the role of pastor or teaching elder within the church. But I submit to you that there is a boundary there. There are rules that apply differently in the church and in the home- and there are rules that cross all of those boundaries. The challenge is to put off our pride and our opinions- and especially our gender bias- and honestly look at what those boundaries and roles are.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4-13, ESV)
The one shocking thing about this list of gifts in terms of this topic is that there is no gender differentiation in the gifts. There is no announcement from the Apostle Paul that these gifts are for men, these other ones are for women. In other words, shocking as it may be, women can have the gift of prophesy! You say, if she has that gift, then why can’t she use it? She absolutely can- just not in a position of headship over a man (the pastors, the elders) in the context of the church. The question really is, in this context, where can she use that gift of forth-telling or proclamation of the word of God?
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:3-5, ESV)
Herein lies the rub for so many people-the scripture states clearly the roles of wives, husbands, older men, older women, younger men, younger women etc. in the context of home and church. It does not speak clearly to the in between time- the time at work, the time at school, the time in the temple. Many people here on both sides of this question allow the scripture to speak from silence. In the example above, Older women have a role within the body of Christ, stated very clearly. It is a role of teaching and training younger women. But what of outside the body of Christ? Can a woman with children hold a job? Can she be a CEO? Can a woman be the head of a Christian organization that trains men and women to preach the Gospel? Can a woman proclaim the Gospel and the Word of God publicly on a street corner to non believers in the presence of male believers? The scripture is silent on these activities. We cannot stretch the principles made for the ecclesia- the church into life outside the context and scope of authority of the local church.
What this means, quite simply, is that if a woman who is single, begins a ministry outside the church, but under the authority of the church/Pastor/Elders this is not a usurping of authority, nor is it in rebellion to the Word of God. If the church leadership recognizes a gift of teaching and, under the authority of the elders, a woman teaches Sunday School, this is not against the Word of God. She is under authority- the authority of the man- the head elder. If she goes to the Super Bowl- or any other evangelistic outreach- to preach- having been sent by the local church, under the approval of her husband (if she is married) or with her husband- and if with a ministry under submission to the leadership of that ministry- then she ought to be able to preach if she has that gift.
In Part 3- we will attempt to break down what the Bible does say about the roles of women and men inside the church and outside the church.
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