The purpose here is to describe my position as to the Bible permitted role of Women in Ministry.
First of all, I hold that the KJV is more trustworthy than any translation made after the 1769 KJV translation regarding the matters I am discussing here. This is because later translations may tend to compromise due to modernized cultural influences.
Let us look at some key scriptures. Where important I will give the Greek word and the Strong’s Concordance number for that Greek word.
In 1 Timothy 5:1-2 KJV translates as:
(1) Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
(2) The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
In 1 Timothy 5:17 KJV translates as:
(17) Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
In Titus 2:2-3 KJV translates as:
(2) That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
(3) The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
In 1 Peter 5:1 KJV translates as:
(1) The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
In Acts 2:17 KJV translates “… your old men shall dream dreams.” The Greek word translated elder there is presbuteros,G4245 which is the same as in 1 Timothy 5:1-2 and 1 Peter 5:1-2; it is noteworthy that Acts 2:17 is about spiritual matters rather than natural matters regarding all the people groups in that verse.
The Greek word translated elder in 1 Timothy 5:1 and elder women in 1 Timothy 5:2 and elders in 1 Timothy 5:17 is presbuteros,G4245. The obvious reason the word women included after elder in 1 Timothy 5:2 is the verse is speaking about mothers and other females in contrast to 1 Timothy 5:1 speaking of fathers and other males.
In 1 Timothy 5:17 Paul uses the same Greek word that he used for both male and female in 1 Timothy 5:1-2. This seems significant and tends to support the view that women may be elders over other women though not men.
The Greek word translated aged men in Titus 2:2 is presbutes,G4246. The Greek word translated aged women in Titus 2:3 is presbutis,G4247.
The Greek word translated elders in 1 Peter 5:1 is presbuteros,G4245 which is the same as that in 1 Timothy 5:1-2, The Greek word translated “also an elder” is sumpresbuteros, G4850 which means co-elder
Therefore, the Holy Spirit had Paul to use the same word elsewhere used for spiritual elders in 1 Timothy rather than natural elders as is the case in Titus 2. That seemingly means the Holy Spirit and Paul acknowledges that women can be spiritual elders in the church over other women but not over men.
1 Timothy 2:12-15 establishes that women may not teach nor lead men regarding spiritual matters; this means women may not have spiritual authority over men anywhere whether in the home, church, or elsewhere.
1 Timonthy 2:13-15 establishes this male headship principle goes all the way back to the beginning of creation. Therefore, it is not a cultural invention by humans.
1 Corinthians 11:1-16 supports that 1 Timothy 2:12-15 view. It establishes Christ as the head of the male and male as the head of the female.
1 Corinthians 11:4-5 is crucial to this discussion. It establishes that both men and women may pray and prophesy. I find it interesting that churches normally do not have any restrictions on women praying in the church assemblies.
Notice men may do so only when their head is uncovered and women may do so only when their head is covered.
The key question regarding 1 Corinthians 11:4-5 is the meaning of the word prophesy. Well I look to the use of the word a few chapters later. 1 Corinthians 14:3-4 says: “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. …he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
Therefore, for me prophecy involves forthtelling and may involve foretelling. Foretelling is of course about the future and one would expect to be rare these days though God may use people to foretell as he desires. Forthtelling may involve both male and female preaching the Word of God as written in the Bible.
Given that women may preach with a head covering in the midst of the congregation based on 1 Corinthian 11:5 and 1 Corinthians 14:3-4, the question that remains is does the Bible limit women ministry in terms of such things as function, position, and title of address.
First of all, title of address is not used in the Bible. That is of human invention and is to be governed by human organizational choice. In the Bible first names are used when referring to individual. One does not find the phrase Apostle Peter or Apostle Paul, One sometimes find the phrases like Peter “who am also an Elder” or Paul, “an apostle of Jesus Christ”. But those are function designations not titles of address.
In 1 Timothy 5:1-2 Paul in his instructions to the relative young man Timothy uses the same Greek word (G4245, presbuteros) for the men “elder” and the “women elder”. The same Greek word is used for spiritual elders in 1 Timothy 5:17. It is the same Greek word used for spiritual elders in scriptures such as Acts 14:23 with respect to ordaining elders. It is the same Greek word that is used for elders (spiritual leaders of the people) in many other places to include Acts 20:17. On the surface, this might suggest the women are viewed as elder leaders over Timothy. Yet, in John 8:9 and Acts 2:17 the same word is used in an age sense. Therefore, the application of its usage in 1 Timothy 5:1-2 should be constrained by 1 Timothy 2:11-15. Therefore, the reference to both males and female spiritual elders are to be viewed as Paul telling the young Timothy to be respectful towards the elderly males and females seeking to leverage their wisdom gained through age rather than arrogantly lord his authority over them. This is no different than we teach young people today regarding respecting their elders. Paul caution to Timothy applies also to other men and women as far as not lording his authority over them.
In Titus 2:2-3 different Greek words are used by Paul for the phrases translated “aged men” and “aged women”. Both are different from the Greek word translated elder in 1 Timothy 5:1-2, 17.
It seems 1 Timothy 5 is speaking of spiritual elders yet with the recognition of respect earned and deserved through age even though a young Timothy has spiritual authority over aged persons. On the other hand, Titus 2 is speaking strictly of natural age-base elders only.
Indeed, it is clear that the spiritual elder need not be an aged person. Indeed, Timothy himself was a spiritual elder who was age-wise young; therefore, spiritual eldership is not limited to those who are naturally aged.
Per the biblical male headship principle as set forth by the above discussion supported by scriptures such as Titus 2:1-8; 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 1 Timothy 3:5, 11; 1 Corinthians 11: 1-16; Genesis 30:21; Genesis 49:1-2, 28, I conclude men may exercise some measure of spiritual authority and leadership over both men and women but women only over women and children. Notice that Genesis 30:21 says Jacob/Israel had a daughter. Yet, no tribe was established in her name; tribes were only established by the name of the sons. The God can use a donkey claim some cite does not invalidate the male headship principle. Note also that Jacob had a daughter but no tribe is named after her. Jesus called/sent twelve male apostles though he despite cultural norms of the time had the power/authority just as he did after his resurrection to call/send females as one of the twelve apostles. Yet, he did not.
Note that the male headship principle does not apply to activities such as running a computer business or other commercial businesses and nonprofits whose primary focus is not worship and the preaching/teaching of biblical spiritual matters. The Proverbs 31:10-31 virtuous woman had a business but it was her husband who set among the elders at the gate (Proverbs 31:23). This means women may doctrinally head church internal auxiliaries whose primary focus is not congregational worship and is not preaching/teaching of biblical spiritual matters involving adult males.
In Acts 20:17, 28 Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders using the three concepts of elders, bishop/overseer, shepherd/pastor/feed, saying (17) And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
(28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
In so doing he shows the positional equivalence of modern day commonly used terms of elder, bishop, and pastor with respect to church leaders.
One should note that an apostle is a bishop (Acts 1:20) but not every bishop is an apostle. Similarly, a bishop is an elder but not every elder is a bishop.
Within a regional/local congregation context, the word bishop denotes a male with congregation level pastoral responsibility.
Therefore, although the term elder may be applied to Women Level Pastoral Ministry, the term bishop should not be so applied.
Congregation Level Pastoral Ministry (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 5:1) and Deacons are restricted to biological males and Women Level Pastoral Ministers to biological females.
God does not call or send anyone in a way that contradicts the Word of God ,the sword of the Holy Spirit.
All participate to various degrees in ministry of the Word of God.
Yet, Pastoral Ministers focus on the Word exercise general oversight.
I conclude that women may serve in any church function and position in which they do not function as one having spiritual leadership authority over adult males in organizational elements or activities involving preaching, teaching, determination, implementation, and/or oversight of church doctrines. In whatever spiritual capacity women serve they are to do so in attitude, voice, and action as being in submission and subjection to adult males.
This means women may not serve as heads of local assemblies/churches, districts, conventions, etc. They may serve as heads of subordinate units/auxiliaries consisting of women and children but not adult males unless the adult males are part of a unit only involves the application of biblical principles.
Women may not be Deacons but they may be Deaconess where Deaconess are subordinate to and not independent of Deacons. Deacon Ministers are in essence a special class of assistant pastors. Deacons focus on manhood, family-hood, brotherhood, societal-hood but also on the Word as individually gifted.
Women may preach/teach from the “pulpit” on an occasional basis as long as she has a head covering. To allow her to regularly do so defeats the whole purpose of the biblical male headship principle which is not to allow the women to dominate the church and church ministry. Instead, church leadership is to require and exhort the men to stand up and be men and lead as God established it to be from the beginning. It has nothing to do with who has the most exciting or pleasant personality.
Women may not serve as Sunday School Superintendents. Women may not serve as regular teachers of coed Sunday School classes. However, she may occasionally teach a coed Sunday School class as long as she has a head covering; this is consistent with 1 Cor 11:5 which allows her to prophesy in the midst of the congregation. To allow her to regularly do so defeats the whole purpose of the male headship principle as mentioned above concerning pulpit preaching.
Women may serve as heads of other subordinate mixed adult units/auxiliaries that do not involve bible preaching and teaching as a primary focus. For example, both males and females may serve as head of the Usher ministry; although it like all ministries and human activity involve the application of biblical principles, its primary focus is not the preaching/teaching of biblical principles.
This means women may be officially and formally designated Women Elder, Women Pastor, Women Minister or other Women associated positions, functions, and titles of address. All issued certificates or other ministry authorization documents is to specify in some form that her ministry credentials are for spiritual headship over women and children but not adult men.
Women Level Pastoral and Other Ministers are valuable/important focus on womanhood, family-hood, sisterhood, childhood, societal-hood but also on the Word as individually gifted especially with respect to feeding, caring for, and nurturing other women as well as children. Formally women may be designated with the title/function of Women Pastor/Elder but use of the word Pastor/Elder without the qualifier Women should be avoided. However, in informal speech as a matter of convenience the qualifier need not always be used. Since their spiritual authority is restricted to females they operate in subjection to Congregation Level Pastoral Ministry and Deacons Ministry even if ordained.
This article is a companion to an earlier article entitled Of Male Headship and Women and Ministry which provides the baseline framework for the subject. So if you are not familiar with its content, I recommend you read it first.
