Women In Leadership part 2 – Contextual Issues
[audio:WomenInLeadershipPart2.mp3|titles=Women In Leadership part 2|artists=Christian St John]
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Hi and welcome to part 2 in my 6 part series looking at women in leadership in a church context. Last time I began looking at 1 Tim 2:12 in which the Apostle Paul wrote “I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead she is to be silent.” And I began by asking the question was this a once and for all teaching?
Seth Cook Rees, one of the founders of the Pilgrim Holiness Church, believed an ideal church has no distinction as to the sex of its leaders. His opinion was that, “Nothing but jealousy, prejudice, bigotry, and a stingy love of bossing in men have prevented woman’s public recognition by the church.” Furthermore he said that no church led by the Holy Spirit will “object to the public ministry of women.” (1)
Modern scholars and church leaders such as Loren Cunningham, David Joel Hamilton, Paul K. Jewitt, Mary Evans (2), to name but a few, are among the many theologians and Christian leaders that have looked at and researched deeply the issue of women in leadership. There have also been countless books and magazine articles written on the issue and the growing trend seems that many are in favor of allowing women into leadership, to be able to uninhibitedly preach and teach in the church.
With regards to the issue of women in general, society has become more and more accepting of women in secular leadership roles. It took time but women are now valued as members of the secular workforce and one only has to look around to see that there are many women in leadership roles in this secular work place.
But there are those who ask, is the church just simply following along with what the world is doing?
An associate of mine has stated, and I quote, “the church seems to always follow the World. The World goes this way and the church follows. The World goes that way and again we follow.” He personally holds to the view that what Paul wrote, his command to Timothy, still stands for women in today’s church, that nothing has changed as to the purpose and intent of his writing. A view I personally help up until a few years ago.
Challenged by the above statement I wanted to see if we as a church do try to imitate and follow the World’s leading, or if there was something more to 1 Timothy 2:12 than meets the eye. I was drawn to the text like never before. I waded through countless books and articles on the issue. I searched the Internet pouring over informative websites examining and arguing for both sides of the issue. I asked friends, fellow ministers, and seminary professors their thoughts and ideas on the matter. And I became increasingly frustrated, as it because clear that there was a definite split on this issue.
But one thing that really caught my attention was an article I read in the Zondervan Bible commentary. With regards to Priscilla it states, “Paul had highest commendation for this woman teacher and Ephesians church leader, who was still alive and much appreciated at the time of his writing of the Pastorals.” It then goes on to say that, “Historical context, therefore, makes it clear that the apostle did not forbid women’s teaching but forbade their teaching of false doctrine.” (3)
Upon further study I found that this issue was a growing concern within modern evangelical theological circles. The popular Life Application Bible notes that, “Commentators point out that Paul did not forbid women from ever teaching,” and goes on to say, “To understand this verse, we must first understand the (context).” (4) It seems that Paul did not want the Ephesian women to teach because they didn’t have the required experience or knowledge to do so. Furthermore, women in ancient biblical times were not very well educated, if at all, and Paul was writing to Timothy to instill a safeguard. Further investigation leads to more information that may fill in more of the blanks for us. Apparently the Ephesian church had a problem with false teaching, and women in the Ephesian church were especially susceptible to the false teachings because they lacked the biblical knowledge to discern the truth.
Another possible reason for Paul’s command was that the Ephesian women were teaching a Gnostic version of creation in which they taught Eve was created first and that she originated Adam. In this case Paul is simply trying to combat this heretical teaching. This may also explain why Paul goes on to use the account of creation in 1 Timothy 2:13-14. He may have simply used it to illustrate the correct order of creation to correct their false theology on this issue.
Many scholars and theologians in light of recent developments are now re-thinking 1 Timothy 2:12 with a slant to favoring the roles of women in leadership. “If they (the teachings) were repeated elsewhere in Scripture, (they) would make a stronger case. But since they are a clear reference to Rabbinic teaching, it does seem possible the comment may be of no greater weight to us today than was Paul’s writing to Titus that “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” (Titus 1:12-13)” (5)
So what does this mean? If in fact Paul’s command was only to the women of the Ephesian church why have women been forbidden to preach to and teach men, and lead in most churches throughout the ages. And why, in this post-modern age, are women still forbidden in many churches to take a place of ministry alongside men?
Christian St John M.Div, BChM, ACS
July, 2009
Picture: Anonymous
Notes:
1. Seth Cook Rees quoted by Pape, In Search of God’s Ideal Woman, 206.
2. Loren Cunningham and David Joel Hamilton, Why Not Women (Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 2000); Paul K. Jewitt, The Ordination of Women (Michegan: Eerdmans, 1980); Mary Evans, Woman In the Bible (Cumbria, UK: Paternoster Press, 1983)
3. Full Life Bible Commentary to the New Testament, ed. French L. Arrington (Michigan: Zondervan, 1999), 1233
4. The Life Application Bible Notes, ed. Bruce Barton (Eastbourne: Kingsway, 1991), 2178
5. The Life Application Bible Notes, ed. Bruce Barton (Eastbourne: Kingsway, 1991), 1234
Chris,
Very good article. To answer the questions you have at the bottom, I was drawn to Genesis 3:16 “To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” ” (NIV)
From the fall of Adam (and Eve), a consequence of sin is the ruling of man over woman. Unfortunately, this is the way it’s always been and always will be until Christ’s return. We live in a fallen world, with the terrible consequence that women will always struggle for equality with men.
It’s really too bad though as women leaders in my experience are some of the best!
People often refer to the Gen. 3:16 passage and link it to this. Not saying you are, because I know you’re probably not
but many people think that 1 Tim. 2:12 is a continuation of Gen. 3:16. I don’t think that Paul was telling Timothy to teach the men of his church that they are to “rule” over their wives and daughters. Obviously there is the whole thing about the childbearing in both passages of Scripture, but listen to what Paul says 1 Tim. 2:15… “Women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” So not only is it important to have faith, women will be saved by having children… that’s what the text says! With this in mind then there must be more to this than meets the eye.
I always laugh at men who use the 1 Tim. 2:12 passage to “excuse” women from leadership roles in the church but skim over the whole, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” (vs. 8). If the men in the church can accomplish this then I might listen to their arguments. Also I would love to see how many men can enforce the following text on their wives in our modern church
“I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes.” (vs. 9)
I would say that I believe this issue is a contextual one. I have researched this issue on and off for about five years now and believe the underlying reason for Paul writing this to Timothy was to counteract a Gnostic teaching in his church in which the women were teaching a false version of creation and the fall into sin. Hence Paul using the creation account to further back up his reasoning for prohibiting women from teaching at the time.
I would also strongly urge anyone struggling with this issue to read Galatians 3: 26 in which Paul wrote, “In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal.” (The Message) Either Paul was a schizophrenic writer, as this text does not marry up well with the whole “ruling” ideal, or indeed he had another reason for writing 1 Tim. 2:12.
Either way I would rather take the chance and be wrong and empower women into ministry… at the end of my days I’m sure God will forgive me. But what if Paul didn’t in fact mean all women for all time and based on this text I went and stopped God ordained women from fulfilling their calling? Which would be worse?
I so appreciate you bringing this up, Chris. It cheers my heart. It also makes me a little worried.
I used to think that the topic of female leadership was a minor one and that I shouldn’t get so worked up about it, but now I think it’s major and that’s what scares me. So many evangelicals are taking up positions, some like the Southern Baptists, convinced that women are subordinate to men in the home and the church. Others, like the group “Christians for Biblical Equality” armed with scholarship to support an egalitarian way of thinking.
The battle lines are being drawn and it could get ugly. There could be a seismic shift in the church, like there was during the time of Luther breaking from the Catholics. Not unlike the civil war when brother fought against brother over slavery. I don’t think I’m overstating it. This is a major issue.
I truly believe things need to change drastically, but I’m afraid of the war. Maybe I need to start praying for unity as well as justice.
I agree Ruth, this is a major issue. It informs how we do ministry, outreach, and pretty much everything else. And you’re right, we (the church) need to pray that we can work this out with as few casualties as possible.