Women In Ministry

Egalitarianism: All human persons are created equally in God’s sight, equal in fundamental worth and moral status and not subject to male and female roles.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.Galatians 3:28

Complementarianism: All human persons are created equally in God’s sight, equal in fundamental worth and moral status to fulfil a unique gender role to complement one another.

Leadership and submission have nothing to do with superiority and inferiority, but are about God’s design.

The aim of leadership is not to demonstrate the superiority of the leader, but to bring out all the strengths of people that will move them forward to the desired goal.

God established the principle of male authority and female subordination for the purpose of order and complementation, not on the basis of any innate superiority of males.

Gender and gender roles is not a cultural issue, it’s a creation issue.

The church has been called to counter and bless the culture, not to copy and baptize it.

When God-given distinctives are denied, altered, or ignored, disaster occurs in marriages, families, and churches.

What is ministry?

Minister means servant, so ministry means serving.

But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.Mark 10:43-45

Doulas: bondslave, property of another

Diakonos: one who executes commands, servant, attendant (diako: to run errands)

I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)1 Corinthians 16:15

Ministry is the discharge of loving service.

While there are many areas of service in the local church, there are only two offices, the pastor and the deacon.

Pastoral Leadership

The title of pastor, elder, bishop are used interchangeably in the New Testament.

Qualifications are found in First Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

Deacon Servantship

Deacons are first called in Acts 6 to reduce the burden of serving people’s personal needs.

Qualifications are found in First Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

A husband of one wife is the requirement for both the office of the pastor and the deacon.

This precludes any woman from holding the office of the pastor.

Any woman who serves in the role of a pastor does so in rebellion to Scripture.

What about Phebe, the female deacon?

Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:Acts 16:1

Can women preach?

Preach: to proclaim, to make known, earnestly advocate

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.Romans 1:15

And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.Luke 9:2

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.Luke 2:10

kerysso: announce in an official capacity, announce publicly, proclaim with the goal to persuade, urge, warn to comply

euangelizomai: to proclaim or announce the good news;

Can women proclaim and make known the Gospel? YES! Everywhere they go.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.John 20:18

Can women teach other women and children. YES! And they should.

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,Titus 2:3-4

Can women stand behind a pulpit and teach the Bible to a crowd of men and women? No.

But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.1 Timothy 2:12-14

Arguments for Women Pastors and Preachers.

One can have the title of pastor without fulfilling the office of the pastor.

First Timothy 3 and Titus 1 only apply to the senior pastor.

There are not enough qualified men, so women should use their gifting.

Mary Magdalene was the first proclaimer of the Gospel. Was she wrong? If not, women should be able to preach.

Many women have the gifting to preach better than men. God wouldn’t cause them to not use their gifting.

We are in a new era of church history that now allows it.

Paul was speaking to a cultural issue of the day, not a standard for the future church.

Women are free to serve in any area of ministry aside from the pastor, the deacon and teaching the Bible to men.

God created man and woman to complement one another to provide greater fruitfulness to the kingdom.