Christians - Female leadership in the church ? Yes or no ?

Question

Please use scripture - not human reasoning - to support your argument. Thanks in advance for all replies. Blessings.

Joy - didn't think I'd ever hear myself say this, but a JW has actually given a very sound answer... what a shame about the rest of Watchtower theology. A good reply, nonetheless.

A lot of people have referred to and (I believe) misapplied Galatians 3:28. Here, Paul speaks of the spiritual equality of Jew & Gentile, male & female, before God. He cannot be writing to advocate female equality with man regarding function in the church, because that would clearly contradict what he has written elsewhere (1 Timothy 2:11 - 15, for example).
Galatians 3:28 does not teach that ethnic & gender distinctions no longer exist in the physical sense, does it ? Neither does it teach that the respective God - ordained roles for men & women have been done away with. Equality in essence, not in function, is taught here.
For those who argue that Paul taught something other than what was God's will regarding these matters, consider - Paul was called & commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself (Acts 9). The Lord Jesus chose 12 men - not women - as apostles. Consider Paul's word in 1 Corinthians 14:37 & 38. Scripture, people, please! Not human reasoning...

There are plenty of ministry opportunities for ladies -
They can teach other women & children.
They can pray.
They can witness.
They can raise children in a godly way - is this not a form of pastoring and also a great responsibility ?
However, the Bible is very clear that leadership positions are prohibited for women in the church.
Exceptions ? Possibly, if you have a situation where in any meeting of God's people, there are no brothers mature enough in Christ to lead (see 1 Timothy 3:6 for reason why). However, I would suggest that in such a situation, the woman should continue to seek the Lord for the provision of a godly, mature brother to lead in due course.
In 1 Timothy 2:11 - 15, Paul does not give a cultural argument for his prohibition re - female leadership. He goes right back to the beginning of creation to justify his stance. God referred to the original arrangement of His creation as "good". Who are we to argue with God ?
Ephesians 5:22 - 33 for the ideal.

Littleman - a good, straightforward answer.

Answer 1

No-
1 Tim. 2:12
And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

1Tim.3:2,5
A Bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temporate, sober minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
For if a man does not know how to run his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?

I believe this prohibits women from filling the leadership office and role of pastor and teacher in the church and from excercising any type of authority over men in the church assembly.
However, there are appropriate circumstances and conditions where they may teach-
Acts 18:26
So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Titus 2:3,
the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-

Answer 2

There are roles for women in the church. We can be music ministry leaders, nursery ministry leaders, etc. But, a woman's role is not to lead the entire church, as is a man's. God has set certain roles for men and women. Men are to be our leaders, in a godly way--not a male chovenistic way. This means that they are to teach us God's word and encourage us to attend church regularly and so forth. I would not go to a church with a female pastor. To me, it would not be godly. That doesn't mean that we cannot have a woman teaching a female Sunday School class, we can. We should not have a woman teaching men or even a mixed group of men and women.

Women do have very important roles in the church and giving service to the church. We just don't have a role in being a pastor or leader of the entire church.

Littleman didn't hurt my feelings, he stated it well.

Answer 3

I Timothy 2:12 If you read the whole chapter there is a lot there. Verse 12 of I Timothy is usually miss used. "Christians" will often say that women should not have authority over a man in the church. I am sorry, but my Bible does not have the phrase "in the church". Verses 13 and 14 tells why women should not teach or usurp authority over man. Hard to accept but, woman is deceived according to the Bible. It is way to easy to mislead a woman and appeal to her emotions. ( I know, I am a woman.) To answer your question, NO!

Answer 4

Women played an important, though not dominant, role in the spread of Christianity. Mary, the mother of Mark and the aunt of Barnabas, put her apparently large house at the disposal of the Jerusalem congregation. (Acts 12:12) And she was willing to do this at a time when there was a fresh outbreak of persecution against the Christians. (Acts 12:1-5) The four daughters of the evangelizer Philip were privileged to be Christian prophetesses.—Acts 21:9; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 10.

Sometimes the apostle Paul is accused of misogyny, that is, a hatred and distrust of women. True, it was Paul who insisted that women keep their proper place within the Christian congregation. In the normal run of things, they were not to do the teaching at congregation meetings. (1 Corinthians 14:33-35) If, because no male Christian was present or because she prophesied under the impulse of the holy spirit, a Christian woman spoke at a meeting, she was required to wear a head covering. This covering was “a sign of authority,” visible proof that the woman recognized God’s arrangement of headship.—1 Corinthians 11:3-6, 10.

Paul apparently found it necessary to remind the early Christians of these theocratic principles in order that ‘all things might take place decently’ at the congregation meetings. (1 Corinthians 14:40) But does this mean that Paul was antiwoman, as some claim? No, it does not. Was it not Paul who in the closing chapter of his letter to the Romans sent warm greetings to nine Christian women? Did he not show deep appreciation for Phoebe, Prisca (Priscilla), Tryphaena, and Tryphosa, calling these last two “women who are working hard in the Lord”? (Romans 16:1-4, 6, 12, 13, 15) And it was Paul who under inspiration wrote: “All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person in union with Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27, 28) Paul clearly loved and appreciated his Christian sisters, including Lydia, who showed exemplary hospitality during a time of trial.—Acts 16:12-15, 40; Philippians 4:2, 3.

Answer 5

If your talking about women preachers then you can read
1 Timothy 3:1-13
1 Timothy 1:1 says This is a true saying, if a MAN desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
Note: It also goes on down to talk about deacons as well.
Now a woman teaching a womens class there is nothing wrong, or even women teaching maybe young kids.

Answer 6

Leadership? Sure. My last three Vestry Senior Wardens were women. Priesthood: No.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 proclaims, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” In the church, God assigns different roles to men and women. This is a result of the way mankind was created (1 Timothy 2:13) and the way in which sin entered the world (2 Timothy 2:14). God, through the Apostle Paul’s writing, restricts women from serving in roles of spiritual teaching authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors, which definitely includes preaching to, teaching, and having spiritual authority over men.

Answer 7

The scriptures say that men should take the leading roles in the congregation. This is not about sexism this is God's arrangement and how he wants things done. Done in the correct way this is a loving thing not a way for men to lord over women. Because Christ is head of the congregation and the head of Christ is God.

Answer 8

I was brought up to believe that women shouldn't be leaders, from the passage that women 'should not speak in church'. I have since learned that this was because women were not educated like men were, they weren't allowed to take part in services so got bored and chatted in church, or asked their husbands about what was going on instead of, as it says, asking afterwards in private.

Jesus swept away the old laws, he came to 'fulfil the law'. He instigated a new testament between us and God, where we can all be heirs to the promise: male and female, Jew and Greek, bond and free. This tells me that the right people should be leaders, irrespective of whether they are male or female. I will try to find some scriptural references & come back to this.

Answer 9

Yes, women are to teach children and young ladies. This is leadership. What is not allowed, in church or outside of it, is for women to usurp the authority of men. This violates God's created order and is simple disobedience to a very clear command. If the truth hurts anyone's feelings, then maybe they ought to examine whether their heart is working properly or not.

So let's hear all the feminizers bring on their flames, without any regard for Truth...

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Jer 17:9

Answer 10

1timothy 3:2-15.Please read it all.Husband of one wife makes it very clear.I do believe however, that God uses women to teach Sunday school to the children or other women.Women are the prayer warriors of the church and it is there job along with there husbands to raise there children according to the bible.No is my answer to Pastor,elder,deacon,bishop,or any position that puts a women in a position of authority over a man.That is pure bible.It is also mans responsibility to raise there children and love there wives like Christ loved the church and lay ed down his life for us.