Leave it to me to be a glutton for punishment by picking the most controversial subjects to blog about. This one may be more lengthy than some of the others, but there is a lot of scripture on the subject, in fact, more than one may think.
By definition of a leader I mean Apostles, Pastors, Evangelists, Prophets, and Teachers as described in Ephesians 4:11, found in the New Testament of the Bible. As far as the title goes, another way of asking this question is, “Does God approve of women being in leadership roles within Church?”
I’d like to start by asking another question, “Has God ever appointed women to assume roles of leadership among His people before?” To examine this question we will have to look at the Bible of course.
There are some denominations that support women in ministry, but not as pastors, elders, or deacons. There are also other denominations that support women in ministry without limitations. The one thing that you can count on is that each side of this debate holds fast to their interpretation of the bible and what it says of this hot button issue. Some Churches are open to it and some Churches are opposed to it. From my own studies I’ve found evidence within the Bible that seems to support the ideal of women in roles of leadership over God's people.
Throughout the Bible we read about God looking for willing people to do His work upon the earth. Should it surprise us that He would call upon women? Women today are clearly more active within the Church than men. According to the Barna Research Group, “women are 100% more likely to be involved in discipleship, 57% more likely to participate in adult Sunday school, 56% more likely to hold a leadership position at a church, 54% more likely to participate in a small group, 46% more likely to disciple others, 39% more likely to have a devotional time or quiet time, 33% more likely to volunteer for a church, 29% more likely to read the Bible, 29% more likely to attend church, 29% more likely to share faith with others, 23% more likely to donate to a church, and 16% more likely to pray.” If God were looking at each gender for willingness to serve Him I’m afraid I’d be on the losing team according to these statistics. I’ve also noticed personally that the women within my own family have been more spiritually active than the men.
So, Has God ever appointed women to assume roles of leadership among His people before according to the Bible? Let’s find out!
In Micah 6:4, it says, “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”
Aaron and Miriam were the brother and sister of Moses, and they were just as sent as Moses was according to this passage of scripture. So we can clearly see that Miriam was sent by God to the children of Israel to help lead them out. One could still argue that she was sent to assist Moses and not to be a leader herself, but my main point is that according to the Bible she was sent by God! If we further examine Miriam I think we will also find that she did assume a role of leadership over God’s people.
In Exodus 15:20 we see that Miriam is called a Prophetess. This shouldn’t be glanced over lightly for a prophet is one who speaks on God's behalf to the people. This is clearly a leadership position Miriam held and a God-appointed one at that! I know there are some readers who would argue that Miriam’s ministry was to women and Moses and Aaron handled the men. The passage in Exodus 15, the same passage where she is called a prophetess, it does say that she went out with the women. However, I personally think it’s a stretch to just put Miriam in the “Lead Women Only” category in light of further evidence we will examine regarding women and leadership.
Another woman that God used definitely had a lot to do with leading both the men and women of Israel. In Judges 4:1-5 we find a passage describing a woman named Deborah. There it tells us,
“1 When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. 3 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel. 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Before Israel had kings, it was judges that ruled them. Basically the book of Judges reads as follows: things would go fine, then Israel would forget God, they would sin, then their enemies would come in and conquer them and harass them and oppress them; and, finally, they would cry out to God, and God would raise up a deliverer and free the people from their oppressors. And that deliverer became a judge who was both a military and a civil leader over the entire nation.
They would experience a period of peace, and then it would start all over again. That was basically the story of Judges. The only woman we have a biblical account of in holding this position was Deborah, She was placed there by God and held the position by the common consent of the people. The only one higher than her in the nation of Israel was God Almighty. In other words, her word was the law that governed the people and God was okay with this!
In Second Kings, Chapter 22, we find another woman that God put in a leadership position. Her name was Huldah and yes she was also a prophetess. In Second Kings 22, as the story opens up, we find a young boy named Josiah who becomes the king of Judah at age eight. The country is completely into pagan practices at this point. They have completely forsaken God and Josiah doesn't have a clue about what to do about it. Later God begins dealing with Josiah and he gives orders to repair the house of the Lord.
When they did this they found the Book of the Law! So they go show it to Josiah and he suddenly realizes that the idol worship and Paganism they are practicing is wrong and the Bible says he rips his clothes. Huldah, as we read on played a very key role in restoring the people back to God. She was a respected prophetess of God. These men could have easily gone to Jeremiah. He was a contemporary at that time and he was prophesying in the kingdom at the same time.
They didn't go to Jeremiah, though that also would have been a good choice. They went to Huldah the prophetess. On a quick side note, many scholars have also concluded that Isaiah's wife was a prophetess. There is little said about her, but it is found in the eighth chapter of Isaiah.
We will end the Old Testament and now look in the New Testament.
Starting with an elderly prophetess named Anna, who bore witness to Jesus, the Redeemer. In Luke 2:36-38 it says,
“36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
As we can see, Anna recognized Jesus as the Savior and told it to all who were interested. Many people were interested too, for they were looking for the great redemption of Jerusalem, as the prophets foretold of a coming Messiah. Now where did she tell this good news at? The Bible says she didn't depart from the temple. In other words, she was preaching to everybody that came in to the house of God. Do you think God minded? I don't. She sure didn't keep silent in the house of God, but that’s one we’ll save for later.
Lets now skip up to the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts Chapter 2. There are all these people in the upper room, women included, the Holy Spirit comes upon them all, and then it breaks out onto the streets. A crowd gathers and Peter starts preaching, and he quotes from a prophecy of Joel. He quotes this in Acts 2:16-18 where it say’s, “16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions; Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservant I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.” We also see in Acts, Chapter 21, Verse 8 even more New Testament women in roles of prophetic ministry for it say’s there,
“8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.” Again, this shouldn’t be glanced over lightly for a prophet is one who speaks on God's behalf to the people. It is clearly a position of authority in the Church!
Lets now look to the Book of Romans 16 Paul is writing to the Church at Rome, the entire church, men and women, he says to them in Romans 16:1-2,
“1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.”Now the word "servant" is the Greek word diaconos. It's the word translated as minister and deacon; or, in this case, deaconess. She served and ministered to the saints in Cenchrea in this capacity as a Deaconess, which means she was in a position of authority in the Church.
Now lets go to 1 Corinthians 3:5 it say’s,
“5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
Guess what the Greek word there for ministers is? Diaconos, The very same thing that Paul said Phoebe was. A Minister!
Throughout the Scriptures Paul uses this word and calls himself a minister as well as others.
They were preachers and ministers of the word, and he puts Phoebe in the same category. So now that we’ve established that Phoebe was a minister, let’s focus on what Paul said in verse 2, he said, "receive her and assist her." Apparently, some people had a problem back then just like many do now being Paul had to tell them to do this. Most scholars agree that she was the one that carried this epistle to the Romans. This was a task Paul would not just trusted to anyone, which only adds to Phoebe’s credibility.
In this same chapter we can find other women involved in leadership roles in the Church. In Romans 16:3 it say’s,
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,”
Fellow workers “plural” that is! Priscilla is a fellow worker and Aquila, make up a husband and wife team as fellow workers in Christ Jesus. Paul goes on to say in verse 4,
"Likewise greet the church that is in their house..."
It is highly likely that Paul, by saying it this way, acknowledged them as a ministry team, rather than just Aquila being a minister over the Church in his house and Priscilla serving as an inferior to him. In Romans 16:7, "Greet Andronicus and Junia..." Andronicus is a male name; Junia is a female name. Again, perhaps a husband and wife team. Some translations say they are outstanding among the apostles, so it could be argued that they were Apostles themselves or just that Apostles knew them well.
I know that Paul said, “women are to be silent in the church” also, so let’s examine this, for I believe there is a lot of confusion about it and it has been a snare to many women who have not stepped out into the calling God has for them.
In 1 Corinthians 14:34 (17) it say’s,
“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.”
First, it is important to consider the nature of the Church Paul was writing to. Then we can place Paul’s writings in their proper context. The church at Corinth was a mess. As we read Paul’s writings to them, we see there were numerous bad reports that Paul had to address ranging from sexual sin, to misuse of the spiritual gifts, to lack of love amongst them, and more! Prior to Paul saying “Let your women keep silent” we find in Chapter 11:4-5, Paul says,
“4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.”
This same Paul that wrote in chapter 14 about a woman being silent also wrote this prior to that verse, so he is acknowledging that women do pray and prophesy publicly. To take the position that women are not allowed to speak in church is to say they cannot minister in Church and this does not harmonize with the rest of Scripture and even the scripture Paul himself had written.
Apparently, Paul meant something else. I have heard theories that perhaps the women of the church at Corinth were bad to gossip. It is apparent that there was plenty to talk about.
Personally I think it had to do with learning, and it had to do with asking questions. I don’t think it has anything to do with whether women can be called into the ministry offices of teaching and preaching. That was not even the subject under discussion. It had to do with learning and asking questions. I think the scripture overall indicates that God is pleased with women in ministry and has certainly given His blessing to it. I think God is most likely displeased with so many callings going to waste because of a wrong doctrinal thinking on this subject and sometimes just plain old chauvinistic attitudes towards women.
God has never once said women are the head of the house. The roles are clear here and God is about promoting order, but even in this God requires men to love their wives as Christ loves the church and how much does Jesus love us?
He was a servant even unto death for us, so even this becomes a fuzzy area. Regardless of whether you are male or a female thinking of stepping out into ministry, remember that Jesus is our template for ministry and His ministry was one of being a Servant to others and displaying God’s love to people and not seeking to be exalted in a position.
