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Should women preach?
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“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slavenor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” —Galatians 3:28
I am usually proud to be a Baptist, in spite of the recent news from the SBC Convention. I’m not directly involved in the SBC and consider myself a Texas Baptist now. I didn’t grow up a Baptist, but spiritually, I credit joining a Baptist church and attending a Baptist university for leading me into a deeper walk with the Lord. I was thinking I would keep my mouth shut on the whole “women in the pulpit” issue because I don’t want to give the controversy attention. That said, my mind kept writing this article, and I felt my thoughts were worth expressing.
I was a young preacher’s wife during the big Baptist blow-up over biblical inerrancy. My husband has a well-known paper on the eight different definitions of inerrancy, if you would like to read it. I knew people on both sides of the vote who I respected as leaders, teachers, and preachers. I realized as I lived through the 1980’s controversy, there were ungodly behaviors on both sides of the issue. I’m sad to see similar rhetoric about the recent SBC vote. The denomination I truly love took major hits to its institutions and witness in the 1980’s that Baptists have still not recovered from. Sadly, I expect the same will be true with this controversy.
On the one hand, I’m proud to be part of a denomination that Satan attacks with nuclear strength. If Baptists weren’t messing with Satan’s agenda, he probably wouldn’t be messing with Baptists. You can go into almost any Baptist church on any given Sunday and hear a sermon based on biblical truth, preached through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Baptist congregations have been taught and encouraged to make sure those who visit feel welcome and find a place to belong. I’m proud to be a Baptist.
After the Convention news, there are some who won’t be proud of me.
If you haven’t heard . . .
Christianity Today has an article that describes the controversy, if you want to read about it. My Facebook page was covered with posts and comments from both sides of the vote. It’s easy to see the controversy and notice Satan at work, much like in the 1980’s. Many
of us don’t see the issue of women pastors as a theological one. Rather, it is more of an individual church decision.Are women pastors a biblical issue of theology?
First, you are allowed to choose your answer. There is really good theology on both sides. All of us should listen to sermons and lessons each week that are preached or taught by someone we believe is Spirit-led and biblically accurate. The first criterion for anyone bringing a message from God is whether or not the Lord is speaking through that person.
Second, has that person been called of God? If someone has been called by God and chooses to obey that call, they can count on God to equip them for that call.
Third, has this person taken the advice Paul gave his protégé Timothy? Paul wrote, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). A pastor or teacher should work hard to study God’s word and rightly present God’s truth.
Why, then, is there controversy about women as pastors?
The controversy largely stems from a passage in Paul’s letter to Timothy, who was serving the church in Ephesus. 1 Timothy 1:3–7 says, “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”
Later in chapter 2, Paul says, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 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, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (1 Timothy 2:8–15).
It seems pretty clear if you look at this passage that women don’t have a place in the pulpit. On the other hand, it seems pretty clear in other passages that women did have the job of preaching and leading in the church (cf. Acts 18:26; 1 Corinthians 11:5). In fact, if we want to be truly in line with Paul’s message to Timothy, women also need to take his advice about personal appearance and modesty. (I haven’t seen any “votes” over gold jewelry, hairstyles, or costly attire yet.)
In theology, it’s very important to study why things were said. We know Timothy was in Ephesus. We know there were some disruptive people in that church who were teaching “different doctrine, myths, and endless genealogies” which promoted “speculations.” The problem with building a theological doctrine from this passage is that it is specific advice for a specific problem in a specific church. The church in Ephesus reached out to minister to the women in that city, many of whom had been rescued from the Temple of Artemis and local brothels. It seems likely that if these women who had come from prostitution were speaking out, they needed to be silenced. Hair and gold jewelry indicated wealth and prestige in Ephesian culture. Did Paul speak to a specific problem or author a theology for every church?
You can study, pray, and then choose what to believe about this
Paul also praised Priscilla and Aquila, who led in the church in Rome. Priscilla’s name is listed first in Romans 16, which usually meant she was the most highly regarded of the two. In fact, Romans 16 lists several women who were key influencers. But Paul doesn’t say they “preached.”
Conversely, Acts 21:8–9 says, “On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.” Philip’s daughters “preached” to others. There is no other interpretation for “prophesied.” But, maybe they only “preached” to other women? That’s possible, but the Bible doesn’t say that.
The Bible lists many women whom God used to accomplish his kingdom purpose. There is also the passage that contains Paul’s advice to Timothy. What then should we believe about a woman’s ability or permission to preach?
My belief about women in ministry
I have delivered a biblical message to churches on a Sunday. I often teach a Bible lesson to both men and women. I work hard to learn the passage and then pray for the Spirit to deliver the message through me. I will bring God’s word to people when I am called to do that.
My confidence isn’t in anything other than the power of the Holy Spirit. It is his word, and I am just the voice being used to teach it. I believe I received the same Holy Spirit that God gave to men, and I believe that I am called to serve as the Spirit leads.
I also believe that I am not called to obey a convention vote. I won’t stand before the Father one day and answer to a room of people who defined my role as a teacher of God’s word. I’m accountable to obey God’s Holy Spirit. I do believe the Bible is our perfect truth. I do believe the Bible reveals that both men and women were used by God to share the gospel. All of us were called and gifted by the Spirit of Christ to be his disciples. My theologian husband wrote a great paper on women in ministry, if you want further study.
Al Mohler was speaking at the SBC Convention about the women in ministry vote when he said the issue marked “a great line that divides liberal and biblical evangelicalism.” I believe a line was painted on the ground during the convention. I would just ask all of us to consider this: Who, or what, exactly, do you believe was holding that paintbrush?
Let’s study, pray, and then present our lives and our ministries to God. We need to live as workers whom he can approve of because we rightly handled his word. We will all stand before God one day to answer for that. Personally, I think that is the line Scripture has painted for each of us.
There are those who will say a person is not allowed to preach God’s word. Only God can tell us that we are not able. We are all called to be his disciples. Serve the Lord with all your heart, as the Holy Spirit directs you. You are serving the Lord, not man (Colossians 3:23–24).
