The Role of Women in the Church

On of the best qualities of St. Paul's Evangelical Church is the congregation's willingness to discuss difficult issues in a spirit of openness, humility and peace. A prime example is last Sunday's message, entitled, Authentic Women. Throughout the last 80 years of our church history, we have had no written restrictions on women serving on our boards, but at the same time, have maintained a majority of male leadership.

The temptation for a pastor, when we come across a difficult passage like 1 Timothy 2:8-15, is to simply skip over them. On Sunday, February 6, I invited Judy Dabler, adjuct professor at Trinity seminary, and president of Live at Peace Ministries, to take on this text with me. What follows is a text of our message.

Feel free to leave your comments.

Women in the Church (Mark Friz). Several weeks ago, I returned from the EFCA Theology Conference in Austin, TX, and announced to Pastor Dan that next year, the topic of the conference would be "The Role of Women in the Church." Pastor Dan got a big smile on his face, and quipped, "Do you think we’ll get it right this time?" After a few minutes, he returned from his office with this little booklet in his hand from a similar theological conference held in the mid-1980's. The booklet is called, "What Does the Scripture Teach About the Ordination of Women." It contains four articles, written by professors at Trinity Seminary, expressing different views on the subject. 

Welcome back to our sermon series on 1 Timothy, called Authentic. So far, we’ve talked about Authentic Teachers, Authentic Mentors, and Authentic Prayer. Today, we’re going to take up the topic of Authentic Women. Perhaps this is one of the most important topics to discuss in the church in our time. The national statistics show that today, there are more women entering college than men. Women are flooding into our evangelical seminaries to take up theological studies. And in the business world, we see that 15 of the top 500 CEO’s in America are women. I wouldn’t be surprised if sometime in the next 20 or 25 years, a woman would become president of the United States. So, as our society becomes more and more accepting of female leadership in business, what is going on in the church?

To put it bluntly, the church is very divided on the issue. Heated debates have been generated across the country in ministerial associations, denominational conferences, seminary classrooms, and internet blogs. So, right at the beginning of this message, Judy and I want to say that we don’t pretend to have the definitive answer on this issue. In fact, as we talked this week, we realized that even the two of us have slightly different views. So we approach this issue with humility, and want you to know that today, we are speaking from our best understanding of scripture. We are not speaking for the leadership of the Evangelical Free Church, or St. Paul’s Church, but we hope to humbly share our own insights, with the hope that it will stimulate conversation in your small groups during the course of this week.

Let’s start out by dividing up the various viewpoints on women in the church into three different categories:

1. First of all, there are the egalitarians. The real heart of this position is the stress on equality of men and women, not merely for salvation or in essential personhood, but in opportunities to hold every office and play every role that exists in church life.

2. On the other side of the debate, we have the second viewpoint, called the complementarian view, which favors certain timeless restrictions on women’s roles in the church. In this view, men and women have different but complementary roles and responsibilities in marriage, family life, religious leadership, and elsewhere.

Throughout history, there has also been a third view of women. We could call that the patriarchal view. In this view, the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization. It implies male rule and privilege, and is dependent on female subordination. Judy is going to explain how Jesus and the NT writers instituted practices which began to challenge the patriarchal view. 

Enhanced Roles of Women in the NT Church (Judy Dabler). The more we know about the culture, history, and literature of biblical times, the better able we are to understand the message in Scripture, and the better able we are to interpret and apply that message to our current lives. To better understand what Paul intended to communicate in today’s passage, we may be helped to consider how women were perceived and treated in the culture and how women were perceived and treated in the church. Interestingly, the difference between the two is rather radical. 

Generally speaking, women in the Greco-Roman world did not possess the same advantages as men. Only a small number of citizens were the financial and social elite. Most of the population lived in the rural areas, and most of them worked in manual labor simply to survive. Formal education was not accessible to women, or to most men for that matter. Wealthy urban woman, however, could receive private tutoring in their homes if interested and their husbands permitted it and were willing to pay for it. Women were known by the work, financial interests, titles, and positions of their fathers or husbands. The work of all women, regardless of socioeconomic status, was to manage home and family-a task that would have consumed their time and energy.

The women of Ephesus lived in a traditional Greek culture, influenced by Roman culture, that defined women’s roles in ways that we would categorize today as "traditional" or even "ultra traditional." Ephesus was very polytheistic, meaning that there were many gods, complete with their own temples. Aphrodite, Apollo, Pluto, Poseidon, Zeus, and many other gods were worshiped in Ephesus. ADVANCE PPT HERE. Special to Ephesus, however, was the cult of Artemis in which the Temple itself was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Artemis was not a goddess of fertility, but the virginal guardian of maidenhood and chastity. Modesty and virtue were the prized qualities of Artemis and those who served her. These priestesses who served at the Temple of Artemis, participating in ceremonial worship activities and festivals, all appear to have been young and unmarried, and literary evidence shows that they were given the opportunity to serve as priestesses as a result of their parents having made significant financial gifts to the Temple treasury. After serving for a short time, these teenaged women apparently returned home to their parents.

The Temple itself brought in a lot of tourism and held considerable financial resources of its own. Historical records indicate, however, that the financial resources were controlled by the Roman government, and administered by male priests who reported to the civil government. All in all, few women had any role in society and religion, and the ones who did have a role did not have any significant power.But what about the church in Ephesus to which Paul is writing these words? What was the attitude toward women that we can discern from this letter?

First of all, Paul encourages the women to learn. What a radical notion that would have been. Perhaps you remember a movie called Yentl that was released in 1983. Barbara Streisand played the part of a late 1800's tomboy daughter and only child of long widowed Rebbe Mendel, a Polish Jew who teaches the Talmud, the Jewish Law, to local boys - and to Yentl secretly because girls were not allowed to learn the law in those days. When her father dies, Yentl is left alone and makes the momentous decision to leave the village and - disguised as a boy and calling herself by the name of her late brother, Anshel - seeks and gets admitted to a Yeshiva, to study the texts, traditions, subtleties and complexities of the Torah and Talmud. This movie portrays well the attitude toward women and learning that had long since been a part of Jewish tradition throughout the millennium.

However, the NT church provides a startling contrast to the cultural norms of the day. Taking the example of Jesus Himself, especially in the story of Mary and Martha where Mary was encouraged to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn even though the natural expectation would have been that Mary should help Martha with the work of preparing meals. Jesus himself claims that "Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her" (Luke 10:41). Surely influenced by the attitudes and actions of Jesus, women in the NT church are allowed, even expected, to learn the ways of God and study the Word.

We know from other passages that Paul wrote, women were permitted to prophesy in the church. Other women hosted churches in their homes. Still other women served the church, furthering the work of the Gospel by their efforts. Paul even instructed the church to support one of these women, Phoebe, and to help her be successful (Rom 16:2) in her role as a "diakonos." One woman, Junia, is referred to as an "apostolos" or one who has an influence in a wider geographical area or serves as a missionary.

With this context in mind, keeping other biblical realities present, what might Paul have been intending to communicate in this passage? 

The Meaning of 1 Timothy 2:8-15 (Mark Friz). Let’s open our Bibles to . . .  

[Read 1 Timothy 2:8-15]. 

The subject of Paul’s teaching in this passage has to do with the role of both men and women in public worship settings. Paul begins in verse 8 with the men. He says that he wants men to "lift up holy hands in prayer," but warns the men to beware of leading outwardly in prayer while inwardly harboring anger or bitterness toward another brother. Jesus had a similar warning in Matthew 5:23-24, where he commands that if we are about to put our offering in the plate and remember that a brother has something against us, we should first be reconciled with our brother, and then come and offer our gift.

He then goes on, in verse 9 and 10, to address the women who he assumed would also be leading in prayer in public worship. The original language word is, "in like manner." In other words, he is saying, "In like manner, when women lead in prayer, I want women to dress modestly." Paul is not forbidding women from styling their hair or wearing jewelry or nice clothing. Rather, he is forbidding the imitation of the elaborate new hairstyles and provocative dress of the Roman court depicted on the Roman coins in circulation at the time. He encouraged the women to be known more by their inner virtues, rather than their outer dress.

Then, in verse 11, we come to the key verse of this passage. Paul says, "I want women to learn." As Judy already mentioned, this was a revolutionary thought in Paul’s day. The Hebrews did not let their women learn publically, nor did the Greeks, Romans or the pagans. The Talmud says, "let the law be burned rather than committed to a woman" (Y.Sotah 3:4,19a). In another section of the Talmud, it says, "he who teaches his daughter the law is as though he taught her sin" (M.Sotah 3:4). So, why should the Christians start such a strange custom since it had never been heard of or done by anyone before this? But Paul is insistent. Dr. Walter Kaiser says, "It is the only imperative in the passage. It is this verb . . . which would have drawn everyone’s attention and potential ire when this was first written. . . But do not mistake the apostle’s intention here. He now orders all Christians to teach women the gospel in all its magnificence." This was truly a revolutionary teaching!

Paul goes on to say that women are to learn "In quietness and full submission." What does this mean. She is to learn with a quiet spirit. This same word is used of men, in 2 Thess. 3:12, where they are told to not to be "busybodies," but to "work in quiet fashion." Thus, it is not absolute silence that is required, but a receptive spirit. Paul also says she is to learn "in full submission." This would be submission to her teacher, as encouraged in Hebrews 13:17, where Paul encouraged those in the church to "obey your leaders and submit to their authority." Basically, Paul is asking the women to learn as we would expect any student, with respect for the authority of their teacher.

Next, we come to the hard part of this passage. Paul says, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, she must be silent." What makes this so hard is that, in other parts of the NT, Paul specifically gives his blessing on women using their gifts in public. As Judy said, women were involved in the ministries of prophecy and prayer (1 Cor 11:5); personal instruction (Acts 18:26), with Priscilla and Aquila teaching Apollos; teaching (Titus 2:4-5); giving testimony (John 4:23-29), as the woman at the well tells all the men and women in the village that she must have found the Messiah; offering hospitality (Acts 12:12); and serving as co-laborers with the apostles in the cause of the Gospel (Phil. 4:2-3). Paul even mentions a woman apostle, named Junia, in Romans 16:7. So what is the meaning of the restrictions, here? I must admit, I am completely baffled, and understand why these verses have been the subject of heated debate throughout the centuries.

On the one side, we have the complementarians, who would argue that Paul here states clearly the one role that women are not to have in the church–the role of the authoritative teacher. They would say that, because Paul argues from the beginning of creation–that Adam was created before Eve–and because he refers to a time before sin entered the world, that this argument applies to Christians in all cultures and in all times.

On the other side, we have the egalitarians, who would argue that the restrictions on women in this text do not transcend time and culture. They would argue that this was a time when women walked the streets in veils, when they held a very low place in Jewish and Greek religion, and that the reason Paul did not allow them to take leadership in public worship was because it was culturally unacceptable at the time. In that culture, churches would not be able to grow and have an impact if women were leading.

Finally, we come to the verse which says that women will be saved through childbearing. There are some 30 major interpretations of this verse. But my view is that Paul is referring to the birth of the Christ Child. Dr. Kaiser summarizes the argument like this: "Men, don’t attempt to put down women just because Eve was deceived. Remember, God chose woman through whom the promised child came and not a man. So, men, be careful and kind in your assessments and in your comments about . . . women."

One of the things that I have learned about Judy over the years is that she is committed to a principle taught in many scriptures, called "headship." To add a little more spice to our discussion, I’ve asked her to talk about how she, as a woman, views male "headship." 

A Brief Discussion of "Headship" (Judy Dabler). The idea of "headship" is a significant theme that runs through all of Scripture. Because so many true abuses of women throughout history have occurred under the guise of headship, it is important to understand this rich and beautiful biblical principle, and understand how it applies in our many relationships. Headship cannot be properly understood apart from the word that causes many to shudder in horror because its usage has been a tool of tyranny for men in leadership throughout the ages. Headship, as God’s Word reveals it, is always accompanied by submission. Submission, rightly understood, is an act of obedience, rooted in a godly character, and possible only through faith in God. The weak and frightened never submit, they surrender. Submission is bringing your own strength and resources to come under another person or group for the good of that other person. Whenever a "head" exists, there is one or more who are called to submit to the leadership of that head. 

What is headship? ADVANCE PPT HERE. Headship is simply the divine calling on a person to take primary responsibility for Christlike leadership, protection and provision in a specific area. Headship is God-ordained leadership. Children are commanded to submit to the leadership of their parents (Eph 6:1). Wives are called to submit to the leadership of their husbands who are called the "head of the wife" (Col 3:18-19, Eph 5:21-33, 1 Pet 3:1-7). Citizens are called to submit to the leadership of their governments (Rom 13:1). Believers are called to submit to the leadership of their church leaders (Heb 13:17). The church is called to submit to the leadership of Christ, its True Head, who loves the church with a sacrificial, enduring love.

How are believers called to submit to their proper heads? In many different ways. Why are believers called to submit to their proper heads? For one compelling reason. The compelling reason for submitting to those tasked with the duty of headship is simply this… we see Jesus submitting to the leadership of his Father, and we are called to be like Christ. In the Trinity, there exists equality of the three persons in one, yet a beautiful submission on the part of the Son to the will of the Father. The majesty of this is seen nowhere more profoundly that in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus speaks the words "Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Mk. 14:36).

Few examples of submission and headship bring a smile to people’s faces like the story of Steve and Herb. Shortly after Southwest started using the "Just Plane Smart" motto, Stevens Aviation, who had been using "Plane Smart" for their motto, threatened a trademark lawsuit. Instead of a lawsuit, the CEO’s for both companies staged an arm wrestling match to settle the dispute for good. The loser of each round was to pay $5,000 to the charity of their choice, with the winner gaining the use of the trademarked phrase. Herb Kelleher lost the match for Southwest, with Stevens Aviation winning the rights to the phrase. Kurt Herwald, CEO of Stevens Aviation, immediately granted the use of "Just Plane Smart" to Southwest Airlines. The net result was both companies having use of the trademark, $15,000 going to charity, and good publicity for both companies.  

Judy and Mark, Questions and Answers.

Q. Judy, I know from our discussions this week that your position would be that women probably should not be pastors or elders, because of this headship issue that you have just talked about. Yet, you teach classes in a seminary, with men in attendance, who will be future pastors of churches. Why is it okay for you, as a woman, to teach pastors, but in your opinion, it may not be okay for women to be pastors or teachers?

A. Judy will say that she is allowed, as a woman, to teach men using the Bible, but she is not allowed to teach the Bible. The essential issue is authoritative teaching for Judy, which she believes should be left to qualified men who have been placed in positions of authority in the church.

Follow Up: Judy, I think you and I are pretty much in agreement on this issue. However, I would probably be more open to having a woman pastor, especially if she could demonstrate that she was under the authority of her husband, if married, and the church leadership. For example, my sister, Martha, is a preacher in the United Presbyterian Church, and she has brought revival to her little church in Dale, Indiana, through her preaching. However, she would also say she was under the authority of her husband and church board. I would also be open to the idea of women serving as elders, as long as they did not serve with a harsh and dominating style. Which brings us to our final section of this sermon. I call it . . .

The Crux of the Issue: Spiritual Gifts (Mark Friz). Several people shared some information with me this week which was very helpful. Jean Buelter shared an article written by John Piper, which has been an encouragement to the women’s ministry here at St. Paul’s. Kelly Schjenken also shared with me some information from World Impact’s training manual, dealing with The Role of Women in Ministry.

The main point of this article, written by Don l. Davis, dealt with the issue of Spiritual Gifts. The author points out that there is no indication in any of the texts on spiritual gifts that the gifts are gender specific. If we look at 1 Cor. 12, Rm. 12, 1 Pt. 4, Eph. 4, we find that all of the gifts, including leadership gifts, administrative gifts, pastoral gifts, are available to both men and women. In fact, Pastor Dan reports that when we give spiritual gifts inventories here at St. Paul’s, more women have pastoral gifts, or shepherding gifts, than men. I also know many women, like Judy, and Jean Buelter that have leadership gifts.

This week, I was in e-mail communication with Dr. Walter Kaiser. My first question to Dr. Kaiser was this: "I’m wondering about women elders. It seems as if the NT, because of the headship issue, would not show any support for women elders, unless I’m missing something." He wrote me back, "Women can be elders as well, for it depends on the gifts God gives to them and the evidences you see of their growth in Christ."

I wrote him again, "But, Dr. Kaiser, do you see any evidence for women elders in the Bible." He wrote this reply: "No, there is no direct evidence for women elders in the Bible, but texts like 1 Tim 3:1 should not be rendered as ‘If any man set his heart on being an elder"–but "If anyone sets his heart on being an elder…’ I think the issue would still be on the gifts God gives to men and women rather than an argument based on Christ headship or the husband’s headship in the home. Have fun, Walt."

So, we could bat this around all day, but I think the bottom line is that the Bible teaches both the headship that Judy talked about, and the diversity of gifts in women that I’ve been talking about, and that we all need to keep a very humble attitude about this whole thing. It definitely should NOT be something that divides the church. Right now, our church has a minority of women serving on both the Church Council and Spiritual Council. Mike Rohman tells me that for at least 80 years, there has been no stipulation in the St. Paul’s constitution that either males or females serve in these roles.

But there is also a practical matter to consider. The world, for the most part, considers the church to be a very feminine institution. There’s a book in my office called, "Why Men Hate Going to Church." So, my own personal thought, from a cultural argument, would be that if we want men to come to church, we ought to keep a majority of qualified men involved in leadership, but also be sensitive to the special gifts of some very qualified women that God has placed among us.

Let’s pray. . . .

AMEN.