Does The Bible Say Women Can Be Pastors And Elders?

As the world continues to spiral slowly out of control, it also affects the church. The absolute authority of God's Word is being diminished for equity and equality in all things. The church is adopting society's evolving standards and social agendas to attract more people. It allows women to hold pastoral roles so they don't hurt anyone's feelings and appear as misogynistic, racist bigots. Compromise is becoming the key to fulfilling the Great Commission. (See Hegelian Dialectic)

Throughout church history, Theologians have used the rules of Hermeneutics, a process used for thousands of years to determine such things as contracts, legal matters, authorship, and, specifically, to translate and exegete (interpret) the Scriptures correctly. Without using these rules, the Bible is open to personal suppositional interpretation (i.e., heresy) using narcigesis, eisegesis, and even psychogesis, which are various ways to make it mean what a person wants it to say rather than what it says. Words can only mean what the original author intended them to mean in their grammatical and historical context. A text taken out of context is a pretext for a proof text to twist God's word into a pretzel.

It is a fact that women in the church are under-appreciated and under-utilized in all categories. Many gifted and anointed women could do better at preaching and teaching than many men. However, it isn't gifting or anointing that is the issue, but God's divine order and calling. We cannot come to His Word with a social agenda and make it fit our wants. Instead, we must change and adapt to what it says.

God created an authority structure for His people to abide by authority and balance in the universe, the family (Genesis 1-2,3:16; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-21), and in the church (1 Timothy 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9). God made Adam first and then Eve to be his helper.

The New Testament teaches there is a difference between the roles of men and women. In the Old Testament, every Priest was a male because they were ordained by God to hold the important office of ministering the sacrifices. From Genesis to Revelation, the office of Pastor/Shepherd/Elder was held by a man. This is the authoritative order of creation (1 Timothy 2:11-14).

Being a Pastor/Shepherd/Elder is to be in the place of authority. Allowing women to hold those positions contradicts the biblical command. Women played important roles in the Bible, such as Phoebe in the church at Cenchrea (Romans 16:1). Women supported the Apostles in many areas and were great helpers in the church (Act 2:17; 18:24; 21:8).

The differences between roles are based on God's choice of creation and have nothing to do with one's spiritual gifts. The Scriptural directives concerning these roles don't fall into the category of things we can agree to disagree on. God chose to make men and women different, and they have different responsibilities as they work together to serve Him. Even though it was Eve who the devil deceived, she was not held responsible. As the head of humanity, Adam was held accountable for sin entering the DNA of the human race, and as a result, everyone dies (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Under the Old Covenant, only a Jew received an inheritance in Israel. Gentiles and enslaved people did not receive any inheritance. Under the New Covenant, men and women in Christ equally receive an inheritance (Galatians 3:28-29). Both men and women are co-equal members of the household of God and joint heirs of the blessings in Christ. All Born-Again Christians are meant to be subject to each other (1 Peter 5:5).

The New Testament church is patterned after the Old Testament synagogue (Nehemiah 8:4,8). Preaching and teaching from the pulpit in a church is an authoritative act. The New Covenant presents an authority structure unique to the church, the body of Christ.

The book of Timothy discusses this structure as it addresses a plurality of groups in general (women, overseers, and deacons). Prayer is discussed for a tranquil life and God's desire to save everyone (1 Timothy 2:1-6). Men (Gk: 'andras') are implored to pray (1 Timothy 2:6-8). Instructions are given to women, and not just an individual "woman" (Gk: 'gune") as the word refers to a woman of any age, whether a virgin, married, or a widow, about adornment, submission, teaching, and leadership authority (1 Timothy 2:12). Women and childbearing are also discussed (1 Timothy 2:15). More instructions are then given about the requirements for men to be overseers and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13).

Women are to learn in entire submissiveness because of the created order and that Eve was deceived first (1 Timothy 2:9-14). The Greek word for "teach" is 'didasko' which means teach for learning (1 Timothy 4:11, 6:2; 2 Timothy 2:2). In context, it refers to teaching sound doctrine. The Greek word 'heterodidaskaleo' is used twice in the New Testament when referring to teaching heretical doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3,6:3).