Tuesday, September 1, 2015

May a woman preach?

    Should women be preaching in church, or in para-church ministries?  This is the question I would like to attempt to answer today, using simply the Biblical texts that deal with this particular issue.  I will do my best to answer to the texts that people use to support their position and I will use the five rules of Hermeneutics: 1. Context 2. Context 3. Context 4. Narrative is not normative 5. A text cannot say what it never said.  In this post, I will attempt to show you that in no circumstance should a woman be preaching to men in any church or church related event such as a conference or para-church ministry.  One last thing I would like to mention is that I will not be looking at this from a worldly perspective.  I recently have talked to people who said that ‘If a woman has a gift for preaching, then she should be using it’.  This statement is pragmatism, and is a worldly perspective that is not found in the Bible.  The argument is flawed, and does not square with what the Bible says, therefore I will not be addressing it in this particular post.

   
        For this question I will look at two passages in depth, and refer to a few more in passing.  I will do my best to give the proper context for each of these texts, however you can always find a link to an online bible on the right of this page if you do not have one of your own.

    The first text I would like to look at with you is 1 Corinthians xiv. 26-40:

[26] What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. [27] If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. [28] But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. [29] Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. [30] If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. [31] For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, [32] and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. [33] For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
    As in all the churches of the saints, [34] the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. [35] If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
    [36] Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? [37] If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. [38] If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. [39] So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. [40] But all things should be done decently and in order.
   
(1 Corinthians 14:26-40)

What we are seeing here is Paul addressing the disorder that he had seen in the Corinthian church.  If you have time, read the entire book of 1 Corinthians, and you will see that Paul is responding to questions from the Corinthian believers as well as rebuking them for the things that they were doing incorrectly.  In this passage in particular we see in verses 34-35 that Paul is speaking to submission by the women to their husbands.  He qualifies this at the beginning in verse 33 by saying that this is in all the churches of the saints, not just this one church but all churches.  Now, it is very important that we don’t look at this passage in isolation, we must look at the context of the entire letter and even of the entire Bible.  In light of that lets look a few chapters back in 1 Corinthians xi:

Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For 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 was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
   
(1 Corinthians 11:2-16)


I wanted to show you this passage, not because I want to discuss head coverings, but because I want you to see that Paul is allowing women to pray and prophesy in the church.  Now, you may think that this passage clashes with the previous one, and that we have two different and contradictory commands.  However, this is not the case, because the passage in chapter xiv is speaking specifically to disorder in the church, and it is likely that there were problems in this particular area when it came to women in this church.  Paul tells us in xiv. 33 that our God is not a God of confusion, immediately before talking about women, this shows us that it is better for a woman not to speak at all than to speak confusion, something that would not be for the building up of the brethren.  At this point I’m sure you are all very confused because I just allowed for women to speak in church, to edify and build up the body.  I believe that this is necessary before I go to the next passage here, to show that there is a place for everyone in the church, both men and women. 

   
       Continuing on now, I will show you from 1 Timothy ii. that the specific gift of preaching and having the authority over the church is not for women.  

[2:1] First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. [3] This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. [7] For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
    [8] I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; [9] likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, [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. [15] Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
   
(1 Timothy 2)

As you can see from this passage, Paul is giving responsibility to both the men and the women in verses 8-11, and then in verse 12 he tells us explicitly that a woman is not to teach or exercise authority over a man.  He then goes on to give the reason why this is the case by going back to creation, and the order in which mankind was created, with Adam first, then Eve.  The context of this passage, you can see here, is very clear.  This command is reinforced as you read the rest of 1 Timothy, with the qualifications of the elders in the next chapter, explicitly stating that an Elder is to be a man, and not a woman.

   
       As we can see, from both the passages in 1 Corinthians, as well as in 1 Timothy.  Women are not to be lesser in the church, they are not second class by any means, but they are not permitted to preach and exercise authority over a man.  In fact, there are many other passages that tell of the responsibilities of women in the church, for example Titus ii. 1-8:

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
   
(Titus 2:1-8)

Here we have the command to teach what accords with sound doctrine, and the women are given specific instructions, as well as the men.  The idea is, that women are to be teaching other women with sound doctrine.  This is a wonderful responsibility on both sides.  It does not change the fact, however, that Paul is clear in forbidding women to have authority over a man, in the church context.  Now, there is one thing that I didn’t deal with today, that I hope to soon, that is, I will talk about what the qualifications are for preachers.  This is because, just as women are not to preach, there are many (if not most) men who are not qualified to be preachers either.  God is very concerned that the ones who are delivering His Holy Word are qualified and obeying His Word.  That, however, is a topic for a different day. 

  
     I hope that I have shown you that Scripture is clear on this subject, and that it is not a matter of men being better then women.  That this is simply a matter of the order that God has created in His Kingdom, the order that will benefit us most.  I pray that you are edified by this, and that it will incite you to do your own study of the Sacred Scripture to see and hear what God has spoken to us through the prophets and apostles. May the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord be with you.