(This article is a series of four parts. Pls click here for Part 1 -
http://csplalumni.blogspot.com.ng/2015/09/10-reasons-why-women-should-not-pastor.html?m=1 )
REASON 2 – JESUS AND THE APOSTLES FOLLOWED GOD’S
PATTERN
In His earthly ministry, Jesus chose 12 disciples that worked
closely with Him. It was an ALL-MALE leadership team. This
stands in sharp contrast to the crucial and significant roles that
women played in His ministry. They assisted Him with their
substance (Luke 8:3), and supported Him in every critical phase
of His life, including during his birth, itinerant ministry, trial,
crucifixion, and resurrection. Some of the deepest spiritual
encounters that Jesus had with His followers, related directly to
women. All these show the VERY HIGH value that Christ placed
on women (against the common culture of His days) – yet He
DID NOT give us any precedence in choosing female apostles
among His 12 disciples. Not even a single one….
Neither did His apostles give us the precept of appointing
females into leadership positions in the early church. In ALL the
epistles in the New Testament, you will struggle to find ANY
precept for female leadership in the early church. If anything,
the New Testament clearly prohibits women from leadership
positions as outlined earlier.
(The SEEMING exception to the above paragraph is Romans
16:7, a verse that has become highly debated. “Greet
Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners.
They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ
before me.”
There is a huge debate if the name ‘Junia’ is male or female.
Certain translations render the name as ‘Junias’. There is also a
debate on the meaning of the words, ‘of note among the
apostles’ (as KJV and most versions translate the phrase). Does
this phrase mean the named persons are well known to the
apostles? Or does it mean the persons are notable apostles?
The Bible contains no record that they were appointed as
apostles. Please have a look at the verse yourself and draw your
own conclusions. I do not want to get involved in the debate
over this verse, so as not to detract from the main essence of
this article. But it is worth pointing out that we should be
extremely wary of pinning the teaching of ‘female leadership in
the church’ on a SINGLE verse that is steeped in so much
controversy.)
Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 14:34, Apostle Paul firmly ties the
New Testament precept of male leadership to its precedence in
the Old Testament. In the OT, it is crystal clear that ONLY MEN
FUNCTIONED AS PRIESTS in God’s temple. There is no account
of a single female priest in the temple. (In the NT, the Bible
makes it clear that ALL believers, male and female, are kings
and priests unto God (Revelation 1:6) – but this priesthood
relates entirely to our essence, NOT our functions. More on this
later.)
In effect, the word of God is clear in establishing the male-
leadership pattern as we read in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1
Corinthians 14:34-38. And the biblical precepts set by God’s
people in BOTH the Old Testament and the New Testament
conform to this divine pattern. And this is the same pattern that
is fleshed out for us in 1 Corinthians 11:3 - in whichever sphere
that God reigns, He operates on a clear-cut basis of hierarchical
order where God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of the
man, and the man is the head of the woman. God’s sphere of
direct influence includes the Christian home, AND the larger
family of God, the Church family. It is a grievous issue to
tamper with God’s order in both spheres.
REASON 3 – ‘EQUALITY IN CHRIST’ DOES NOT MEAN
‘EQUALITY IN ROLES’
The Bible passage that is most wrongly quoted by those that
argue in favour of female leadership in the church is Galatians
3:27-28. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have
put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
slave nor free, THERE IS NO MALE AND FEMALE, for you are all
one in Christ Jesus.”
Their reasoning is this: if there is ‘NO MALE, NO FEMALE’ in
Christ Jesus, then that automatically means we are all equal,
and so female believers can also hold leadership positions in the
church as their male counterparts. There are two grave errors in
this line of reasoning, one is context-based, and the other is
application-based.
The context of the passage relates to WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST,
not WHAT WE DO IN CHRIST. It is talking about our ESSENCE in
Christ – our collective sonship in Christ (verse 26), the equality
of our status before God.
In applying this equality, if we ERRONEOUSLY stretch it to also
mean ‘equality in roles’, then there will be no hierarchy of
functions in the Christian society. There will be no leaders in the
church – ALL will be leaders because ALL are equal in Christ
(contrary to Hebrews 13:17 ). In the home, equality in Christ will
mean husband and wife are equal in function, so the wife does
not need to submit to the husband (contrary to Ephesians 5:22,
1 Peter 3:1, etc). Also at the homefront, this equality will mean
born-again children do not need to submit to their parents
(contrary to Ephesians 6:1). Most absurdly, it will also mean that
Christian servants no longer have to submit to their Christian
masters since “…there is neither slave nor free… in Christ
(contrary to Ephesians 6:5). Hopefully, these examples will show
the error in stretching the concept of equality further than what
the Bible intends. Perhaps it also underscores the fact that we
are indeed equal in Christ, but we are called to different roles in
Christ. And that some have been ASSIGNED to subordinate roles
by God. It is for this reason that women’s equality in essence to
men, does not translate to equality in function in the leadership
position in Church.
There is a great example in the Bible that illustrates this
principle very vividly – the relationship between God the Father,
and God the Son. Both are clearly EQUAL IN ESSENCE as we
read in Philippians 2:6 and similar passages. But in
accomplishing our salvation, the Bible records that this
EQUALITY WAS CAST ASIDE as Jesus made Himself
SUBORDINATE to the will of God (Philippians 2:8). So EQUALITY
IN ESSENCE does not mean EQUALITY IN ROLES. The two are
entirely different concepts, and believers must be conscious of
this important difference as we serve in the Lord’s sanctuary.
Summary: Galatians 3:27-28 relate explicitly to equality in
salvation, not equality in roles. Male and female believers are
EQUAL IN CHRIST – we were saved by the same Christ, abide in
the same Christ, serve the same Christ, and are blessed in the
same way by the same Christ. But in all these elements of
equality, we are called to DIFFERENT ROLES in the body of
Christ. Men are called into leadership roles, both AT HOME and
IN CHURCH, and women are not. This is not in any way a minus
to women (if we have spiritual understanding). Rather, it is
God’s eternal design for orderliness. We have no right to tamper
with it.
REASON 4 – IT IS NON-NEGOTIABLE THAT GOD’S LEADERS
MUST BE FAITHFUL
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found
faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:1)
Faithfulness to God is the bedrock of all our service to Him.
When faithfulness is compromised, service becomes fake and
vain. All ministers of the Gospel, at whatever level, are
CUSTODIANS and TRUSTEES of the mysteries of God.
A dictionary definition of the word ‘faithful’ is ‘to adhere
steadfastly to an original concept’. This implies that God’s
genuine ministers must NEVER twist, distort, or misrepresent
His precepts in any shape or form. They must adhere to God’s
ORIGINAL CONCEPT.
It is against this backdrop that we must all be extremely careful
about the stance we take on the eternal mysteries of God in His
sanctuary – particularly on the fundamental issue of gender
roles. If God’s word says women should not lead churches, and
we have thousands and thousands of female pastors on our
pulpits, where is our faithfulness to God? If God’s word
EXPLICITLY prohibits women from teaching a mixed
congregation of men and women, why do untold numbers of
female preachers/teachers flout this command day-in-day-out,
as we worship the Lord?
If Christ is TRULY and INDEED our Lord and Master, does He
not have an absolute right to define the job description in His
own sanctuary? For a people that He died in agony, to save
from eternal wrath? Are we saved and called to follow our
views/opinions, or His instructions? Where is our
FAITHFULNESS in all these? Why do we all act surprised that
Jesus is becoming less and less manifest in our churches? Are
we not forsaking Him through our unfaithfulness to the
ETERNAL MYSTERIES that He has ENTRUSTED to our care?
In all honesty, when a female teacher mounts the pulpit on
Sunday (or any other day) and teaches God’s people to obey
God, does she not put herself in the awkward position of being
accused of disobeying the same God in 1 Timothy 2: 12, where
the Bible EXPRESSLY commands that A WOMAN SHOULD NOT
TEACH? Faithfulness to God’s words must of essence start from
the pulpit - if leaders will have both the spiritual and moral
authority to lead God’s people in obedience. Leaders must be
examples to believers as we read in 1 Timothy 4:12, “…but set
the believers an example in speech, IN CONDUCT, in love, in
faith, in purity.”
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell
you?” (Luke 6:46). These words of Christ are as applicable to
our disobedience in this regard, as to the wayward hearers that
he directed this agonising verse when he trod the dusty streets
of Palestine over 2,000 years ago. This should cause us to
reflect deeply.
God is not mocked; the Day of Accountability is coming for us
all. We will indeed give account of our stewardship of the
mysteries of God – including how these mysteries relate to
GENDER ROLES in God’s sanctuary.
Thanks for reading, God bless.
(Please look out for Part 3 of this series. It features:
REASON 5 – IN THE KINGDOM, THERE IS NO REWARD FOR
‘ILLEGAL SERVICE’
REASON 6 – GOD USES WOMEN IN HUNDREDS OF ROLES, IN
AND OUT OF THE CHURCH
REASON 7 – IT IS A CARNAL PERCEPTION TO EQUATE
SUBMISSION WITH INFERIORITY
Thanks. And please pray along for understanding for us all.)
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