What does the Bible really say about women pastors in the new testament?

What does the Bible really say about women pastors in the new testament?

There may not be a more controversial topic in the church right now than women being pastors. So, it’s important not to see this as a fight between men and women. But there are men who think women can be pastors and that the Bible doesn’t put any limits on their ministry. And there are women who think women can be pastors and that the Bible doesn’t put any limits on their ministry. The reason for this is not racism or sexism. It has to do with how the Bible is interpreted.

“A woman should learn in silence and full submission,” says the Bible. “I don’t let a woman teach or be in charge of a man; she must be quiet” (1 Timothy 2:11–12). God gives men and women different jobs in the church. Because of how people were made and how sin came into the world, this is what happened (1 Timothy 2:13–14). Through the apostle Paul, God tells us that women are not allowed to teach or be spiritual leaders over men. This means that women can’t be preachers over men, since being a pastor means speaking, teaching in public, and having spiritual power.

This view of women in spiritual service is wrong in many ways. One popular one is that Paul doesn’t let women teach because, in the first century, most women didn’t go to school. But 1 Timothy 2:11–14 doesn’t say anything about school level. If schooling were a requirement for service, then most of Jesus’ friends would not have been able to do it. Another frequent argument is that Paul only told the women in Ephesus they couldn’t teach men (1 Timothy was written to Timothy, who was the leader of the church in Ephesus). It is thought that Paul was only responding against the female-led practices of the Ephesian idolaters because the church needed to be different. Ephesus was known for its temple to Artemis, and women were in charge of that branch of paganism. But the book of 1 Timothy doesn’t say anything about Artemis, and Paul doesn’t say that the rules in 1 Timothy 2:11–12 are because that’s what people who honor Artemis usually do.

Third, some say Paul is only talking about husbands and wives and not about men and women in general. If you look at 1 Timothy 2, the Greek words for “woman” and “man” could mean partners and wives, but they also mean more than that. Also, in lines 8–10, the same Greek words are used. Should only men pray with their hands raised in a holy way, without getting angry or arguing (verse 8)? What about wives? Should they only dress properly, do good things, and worship God (verses 9–10)? No, of course not. Eighth through tenth verses clearly talk about all men and women, not just mates and wives. In lines 11–14, there is nothing in the text that suggests that it is only about men and wives.

Another problem with this view of women in pastoral work comes from the fact that the Bible has examples of women in leadership roles, such as Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah in the Old Testament. And it’s true that God picked these women to do special things for Him. They are great examples of faith, courage, and yes, leadership. But the question of ministers in the church has nothing to do with the power of women in the Old Testament. The Epistles of the New Testament describe a new way of life for God’s people: the church, which is the body of Christ. This way of life includes a system of power that is only for the church and not for Israel or any other Old Testament group.

In the New Testament, Priscilla and Phoebe are used to make similar points. Priscilla and Aquila are shown to be faithful servants of Christ in Acts 18. Some people think that the fact that Priscilla’s name comes first in verse 18 means that she was more important in the mission than her husband. The specifics of whose name comes first probably don’t matter because the order is switched in verses 2 and 26 from verse 18. Do you think that Priscilla and her husband taught Apollos about the message of Jesus Christ? In fact, they “explained to him the way of God more adequately” in their home (Acts 18:26). Is it ever written in the Bible that Priscilla led a group of saints spiritually, taught in public, or pastored a church? No. As far as we know, Priscilla did not work in the church, which goes against what 1 Timothy 2:11–14 says.

In Romans 16:1, Paul calls Phoebe a “servant” or “deacon” in the church and says nice things about her. But, like with Priscilla, the Bible doesn’t say that Phoebe was a preacher or a teacher of men in the church. The word “able to teach” is used to describe leaders but not ministers (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9).

The way that 1 Timothy 2:11–14 is put together makes it very clear why women can’t be pastors. The word “for” starts verse 13, which gives the “reason” for what Paul said in lines 11–12. Why shouldn’t women teach or be in charge of men? Because “Adam came first, then Eve.” However, it wasn’t Adam who was fooled; it was the woman “(verses 13–14). A “helper” for Adam, God made Eve after Adam. Everyone can use the order of creation in their home (Ephesians 5:22–33) and in the church.

Someone else says that Eve’s fall is another reason why women shouldn’t be preachers or spiritual leaders over men (1 Timothy 2:14). It doesn’t mean that all women are more easily fooled than men or that women are stupid. If women are more likely to be fooled, then why are they allowed to teach children and other women? Because Eve was tricked, the text only says that women shouldn’t teach men or have spiritual power over men. God has decided that men should be the main teachers in the church.

There are a lot of women who are very good at being kind, welcoming, teaching, spreading the gospel, and helping others. A lot of the work that the neighborhood church does is done by women. According to 1 Corinthians 11:5, women in the church are not forbidden from praying or prophesying in public. They are only forbidden from teaching men spiritual things. There are no rules in the Bible that say women can’t use the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Both men and women are called to serve others, show the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), and preach the word to those who don’t know it (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

Only men should be in charge of spiritual teaching in the church, according to God’s plan. This doesn’t mean that men are better teachers or that women are less smart or weak. It’s just how God planned for the church to work. Men should lead by example in their moral lives and in the things they say. In their own lives, women should also be examples, but in a different way (1 Peter 3:1–6). Titus 2:3–5 says that women should teach other women. The Bible also doesn’t say that women can’t teach kids. Teaching or being spiritually in charge of men are the only things women are not allowed to do. This means that women can’t be preachers to guys. In no way does this make women less important; instead, it gives them a mission goal that is more in line with how God made them.