Search the Scriptures: March 18, 2001
WOMAN’S ROLE IN THE CHURCH - 3
INTRODUCTION:
A. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the Danville church of Christ, I am
delighted to welcome you to Search the Scriptures. This morning’s study marks the third in a
series discussing the role of women in the New Testament church. We are attempting to answer
the question of whether the role of women has changed and if it hasn’t changed - should it? In
our first study we considered the history of modern feminism, which I am convinced has done
more to reshape the thinking of women and men in the twenty-first century church than any
other single external influence. In that study we traced feminism’s beginning from the early
1800's to the present. We noted the work of such feminists as Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B.
Anthony, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. Today the president of the National
Organization for Woman is Pat Ireland, and listening to her we soon learn that their goals
have not changed. Their sights are set clearly on religion. Our study was not merely a lesson in
history or social evolution. Instead we discussed feminism from the perspective of its influence
upon the relationship between men and women in our society. Also, we noted the efforts of
feminism’s leaders to create a genderless society, which, ladies and gentlemen, is the purpose of
the woman’s liberation movement. It never has been about equal pay for equal work. It is totally
about making our society genderless. But, more relevant we wanted to show feminism’s
influence upon the church. My friends, it is foolish to believe that the church is insulated against
the influences of society at large. If you doubt this just think of something as obvious as styles
and etiquettes. Today men and women wear clothing to worship that was once considered by
society as inappropriate. Yet when society changed so did the church. Furthermore, I ask you to
remember something we discussed in our first lesson, and that is the example of the church in the
ancient city of Sardis. In Rev. 3:1 Jesus said: I know your works, that you have a name that you
are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are
ready to die. This church was glorying in its past. It was not watchful (or vigilant). It had
become like the city in which it was located. The church at Sardis took on the demeanor of its
society. The city of Sardis - 700 years earlier - had been one of the greatest cities in the world.
Built high on a plateau it was thought to be impregnable. The city, however, grew complacent.
It thought itself to be so secure that it would never fall; after all it was Sardis. This complacency
and this celebrating of the past became hallmarks of the church in Sardis as well. The influence
of a society helped kill a church. You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. They
had become like the city; a dead, self-satisfied group, steeped in apathy and longing for the
church of yesterday. Without steadfast determination - societal changes will kill a church. Also,
my friends, in our study last week we noted how there is consistency between the covenants in
so far as the role of men and women are depicted. We noted two passages where this was being
taught. We read from 1 Tim. 2:11-14 that says, let a woman learn in silence with all
submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be
in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman
being deceived, fell into transgression. According to this text, leadership has been thrust upon
the man for two reasons. One: Adam was formed first, then Eve. And, two: Because of the
initial sin of Eve within the garden: And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being
deceived, fell into transgression. Satan tempted and overcame Eve, and as a result God said to
her in Gen. 3:16, your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. Also, we
considered the instructions Paul gave the church at Corinth in 1 Cor. 14:34. Let your women
keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive,
as the law also says. Remember the phrase as the law also says teaches conformity between the
covenants. That is, there is a consistency in the role of men and women both in the Law and in
the church. The covenants have certainly changed but the relationship between men and women
are still the same. And that relationship is, man has been placed in the position of leadership and
women in the capacity of submission by God. We concluded our last study by noting some
wonderful examples of Old Testament women who made tremendous contributions - while never
leaving their places of submission to assume the role of men. Some of these women included
Jochebed, Vashti and the woman of Shunem.
B. In this study, we are going to begin focusing upon the clear distinction of roles between men
and women which are revealed in the New Testament. I want to caution you to keep in mind that
a distinction of roles does not imply anything other than just that - a distinction of roles. When it
comes to equality there is absolute and total equality between men and women. There is no one
gender more valuable to God. God loves men and women equally. Jesus died to save women as
well as men. The distinction is one of work and responsibility only. Paul writes in Gal. 3:28,
there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor
female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Also, in discussing husbands and wives Peter
indicated equality when he said in 1 Pet. 3:7 they were heirs together of the grace of life.
I. Also, in the previous two studies we’ve shown how efforts are underway among some within
churches of Christ to redefine the gender distinctions between men and women that are clearly
determined by scripture. This is happening all across the country, so we must not think that
central Indiana will not become affected. Another example of this effort to change the roles of
men and women in the church can be seen in a “Position Paper” published in March of 1994 by
the High Ridge Road church of Christ in Stamford, CT. This “Position Paper” addressed
women’s role in the church. It was a 12-page document written by Dale Pauls, the preacher
under the guidance and sanction of the elders. The document entitled “Faith and Gender” says,
in part, “Traditionally Churches of Christ have held, as most churches have until recently, to an
understanding of 1 Cor. 14:33-35 and 1 Tim. 2:11-15 that does not examine context and that
even denies the relevance of context, and, on that basis, they have prohibited women from
exercising ‘leadership roles’ in their public worship.” My friends, before proceeding, let me
make two side comments here. One is this. All (and I do mean all) agents of change will freely
toss about the words tradition or traditionally. As in traditional church of Christ doctrine or
traditionally we have always done such-n-such. Change agents are marching under the banner of
non-traditionalism and the bible is being trashed in the process. Another interesting aside here is
this. Pauls (the author of the paper) admits that previous understandings of these passages were
based upon (quote) “Societal forces and cultural premises that operated centuries ago . . .”
Therefore, whenever society changed, so did people’s understanding of the passages. He also
argues that we should reinterpret these passages based upon modern scholarship. He is saying we
should let modern forces create our position on women’s role and not scripture. My friends,
feminists, like Dale Pauls, argue from what they call “mutual submission.” They use as their
proof, passages such as Eph. 5:21 that says, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Their
argument goes something like this. “God has removed all relics of patriarchal dominance.
Under the gospel of Christ there is to be mutual submission. Women submit to men and men
submit to women. Wives submit to husbands and husbands submit to wives.” To augment (or
bolster) this position, the argument is made that the part of the Law that says to the woman, your
desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you, in Gen. 3:16, has been amended
(they really mean done away). They say it was done away with when Paul said in Gal. 3:10, for
as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. And then in verse 13 Paul says that
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. Their
argument is this. That Christ removed the curse pronounced upon the woman in the garden to be
in subjection (or in submission) to man, and that when Jesus died on the cross he removed this
curse of this submission. Now, my friends, this sounds really good, but it’s just not true. This
perversion completely misapplies Gal. 3, and it ignores an obvious fact of life. The
misapplication is really a redefining of the curse Paul discusses in Gal. 3. The curse discussed
by Paul is not the curse of submission any more than it is the curse of a man tilling the earth.
Gal. 3:10 identifies the curse. The entire verse says, for as many as are of the works of the law
are under the curse; for it is written, cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things
which are written in the book of the law, to do them. Ladies and gentlemen, the curse of the
Law is that if you did not obey it completely and perfectly, then there was condemnation.
Salvation by the Law required sinless perfection. This was the curse removed by the cross. Also,
this perversion ignores that man must still till the ground for his food. This was also part of the
curse given in the garden for sin. Furthermore, it ignores that a woman still has pain in
childbearing. In pain you shall bring forth children said God in Gen. 3:16. And, my friends,
this is the same verse in which God said: Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall
rule over you. None of it has been amended! It remains in force today. Now, with this
misapplication and perversion of Gen. 3 and Gal. 3 out of the way, let’s revisit this novel
concept of “mutual submission” based upon Eph. 5:21 that says, submitting to one another in
the fear of God. But before addressing this verse, we need to lay some groundwork. There are
seven passages in the New Testament teaching either wives are to submit to their husbands, or a
general submission of women to men. Without comment I will read them to you. 1 Pet. 3:1-5
wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands . . . For in this manner, in former times,
the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own
husbands. Next, Eph. 5:22-24 wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord . . .
Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in
everything. Then, Col. 3:18 wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Next
we read, Titus 2:3-5 the older women . . . that they admonish the young women to love their
husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their
own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Then there is what Paul writes in
1 Tim. 2:11-12 let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a
woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. Also, 1 Cor. 11:3 but I
want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the
head of Christ is God. And finally, 1 Cor. 14:34 let your women keep silent in the churches,
for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. Ladies
and gentlemen, these passages tell us that women are to be in submission. This means a woman
is to be under the authority of man. Submission is a noun with the prefix SUB, and sub means
“under or beneath.” This is the way this prefix is always used. For example, “Subway,” [under
ground] “Submarine,”or “Submerge,”[which means under water] “Subconscious” [which is
under the conscious level of the mind]. This tells us that woman is under or beneath the authority
of man. This says nothing about her being beneath the dignity of a man, because she does not
have less dignity. It simply means what is said in the words of 1 Tim. 2:12, she is not to have
authority over a man. There is nowhere within God’s word where man is ever told to submit to
his wife. As far as I know, we have exhausted what the New Testament says about the
submission of genders. The bible clearly indicates that woman is not to become a leader. She has
not been given the position of headship or leadership over man. Therefore, women may not be
appointed elders, or bishops of churches. This is so for several reasons. Here are two of the most
obvious. One, elders are to be men and husbands. 1 Tim. 3:1-2 says, if a man desires the
position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of
one wife. A woman cannot be a man nor a husband. And, two, elders are to rule the church they
oversee. 1 Tim. 3:4-5 says an elder must be one who rules his own house well, having his
children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own
house, how will he take care of the church of God?). Rule, by it’s very nature demands
authority. In order to rule a congregation one must exercise authority. Peter writes in 1 Pet. 5:2
shepherd the flock of God which is among you. This word shepherd is translated feed in the
King James Version. It’s the same word the Holy Spirit used in Matt. 2:6 that was translated
rule. For out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. The nature of the
work of elders forbids women from being appointed elders. Instead of ruling, leading or
overseeing - a woman is to learn in silence with all submission according to 1 Tim. 2:11. Also,
women may not be appointed deacons. I know there are churches of Christ that are appointing
women to serve as deaconesses, or as in the case of a very nice woman I know - as something
known as “subdeacons.” A man named H.E. Winkler wrote a book entitled “The Eldership” in
which he made the case for deaconesses. He said on page 169, “Now concerning this
qualification of the deaconess a careful study of the brief statement by Paul will portray a high
specimen of womanhood is here contemplated for appointment to serve in God’s kingdom in an
official capacity.” Women deacons (or deaconesses) are said to be authorized in three ways.
One: The qualifications mentioned in 1 Tim. 3:11 that says, likewise their wives must be
reverent, not slanderers. These are, they say, the qualifications for deaconesses. This is
because, the Greek word for wives is also the same word for women. Therefore, this has led
some to take the position that Paul meant women (general) instead of wives (specifically
applying these qualities to the wives of elders and deacons). Now, my friends, even if (and this is
a big “even if”) women is the preferable rendering instead of wives. This does not give
qualifications for the office of deaconess. Instead it merely asserts that women (all women within
a congregation) are to meet these qualifications. The truth is, I believe, this verse highlights the
qualifications the wives of those men who serve as deacons and elders are to meet. Wives not
women is the preferable reading. But, a second reason (we’re told) that deaconesses are
authorized is because of Phoebe in Rom. 16:1. There Paul writes I commend to you Phoebe our
sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea. The word servant used here is the same
Greek word used in 1 Tim. 3:8 that is translated deacons. Likewise deacons must be reverent . .
. and so forth. In support of this there is the Revised Standard Version of the bible, which
translates Rom. 16:1 like this. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church
at Cenchrea. Also, Henry Thayer (in his Greek-English Lexicon) says this about the word
translated servant in Rom. 16:1. “A deaconess, a woman to whom care of either poor or sick
women was entrusted.” My friends, this is merely Thayer’s opinion as to what Paul meant here.
He leaves the work of a lexicographer and assumes the role of a commentator. No one denies
that Phoebe was a servant in the church at Cenchrea. This does not mean, however, that she was
a deaconess or that there is such an office as deaconess. All we can know about Phoebe is told to
us in Rom. 16:2. For indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. She was a
helper of some sort. But she did not occupy an official office in the church. I’m afraid that many
are carried away with offices, titles or the need to serve in some official capacity. My friends,
each time the bible discusses deacons it always refers to men who meet the qualifications of 1
Tim. 3. Men who are appointed special servants to assist the elders of a local congregation.
There is nothing official in what Paul wrote about Phoebe. If the word used by Paul (servant)
meant an official office (deaconess), then it must mean an official office each place where it is
used. For example, Jn. 12:26 says, if anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am,
there my servant will be also. This would mean that all Christians held some special office,
either as deacons or deaconesses, because all are servants. My friends, Phoebe was a godly
Christian women who helped others in whatever way she could, but she was not a deaconess.
And then a third argument for deaconess envelops the submissive role of a servant. That is, if a
woman can serve at home, and not leave her position of submission - why can’t she then serve
the church as a special servant, such as serving the communion at the Lord’s table? Be vigilant
my friends, because change agents will often begin here. Since a woman can serve a meal at
home and not usurp authority, then surely she can do the same in the worship service. Ladies and
gentlemen, this so-called thinking simply does not compute. And the reason is very simple. A
woman has been commissioned by God to manage the house, 1 Tim. 5:14. However, she is
never told to manage the affaires of the church whether we are discussing the work or worship of
the church. Now, we might equate in our mind that serving the emblems of the Lord’s Supper is
no different from serving breakfast at home. But God recognizes a difference. He said she could
manage the house but he said nothing about managing any side of a worship assembly. The way
the Lord’s Supper is distributed is a matter of expediency. That is, the local church has the
liberty to expedite the eating and drinking by selecting certain men to oversee or administer this
eating and drinking. This is what’s happening when men serve the emblems. They are
administering the supper to the congregation. Women, by virtue of their submissive roles cannot
be selected to administer the emblems. Also, women may not become evangelists (or preachers).
Many churches are adapting well to the influences of feminism and ordaining women
evangelists. This practice does not find authorization within the scriptures. A woman may not
become an evangelist. Again there are several scriptural reasons, but let’s consider two. One: Is
the nature of a woman’s role. Let’s note that nature again. Paul writes in 1 Tim. 2:12 and I do
not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. Without doubt a woman is told
clearly she may not have authority over a man. Now couple this with a second fact of scripture,
and that is the nature of an evangelist’s work. In giving instructions as to the work of an
evangelist, Paul told Titus in Titus 2:15 speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all
authority. My friends, these two verses are incompatible. That is, a woman cannot do the work
of an evangelist without speaking with all authority, something she is not permitted to do as a
woman. A woman may not have authority over a man - yet an evangelist must speak with all
authority. Therefore, a woman may not scripturally become an evangelist. This now brings us
back to the contention of some that Eph. 5:21 teaches something called “Mutual Submission.”
This verse does not teach mutual submission in the way some people are suggesting. The verse
says submitting to one another in the fear of God. Some tell us this means that men are to
submit to women as well as women submitting to men. Or, that it calls for husbands to submit to
(or obey) the wife just as she is to obey him. But as we have seen this cannot be so. Nowhere in
the bible do we read where a man is to be in submission to his wife. And this verse is certainly
not an exception to that. Paul is teaching us that we are to submit to one another whenever and
wherever our position in life requires it. And, my friends, I know this by the context of the
statement - not because of some so-called “Church of Christ tradition.” Let’s spend a moment
examining the context of the verse - telling us of our need to be submitting to one another in the
fear of God. First, consider what Paul says immediately after making the statement: Submitting
to one another in the fear of God. He says, if you are a wife then submit to your husband. Eph.
5:22, wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Next, he says if you have parents
then submit to them. Eph. 6:1, children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Then
he writes if you are a slave then by all means submit to your master. Eph. 6:5, bondservants, be
obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in
sincerity of heart, as to Christ. My friends, regardless of what our position in life may be - we
will find it necessary to be submissive. For example, students in school must be submissive to
teachers. Citizens must be submissive to governments. Employees must be submissive to
employers. And, churches must be submissive to elders. However, my friends, this truth does not
change the divinely ordained roles placed by God upon men and women.
CONCLUSION:
A. This will have to be the final word for today. In our next study we will focus upon some New
Testament examples of women and the work they did, whether it was during the lifetime of Jesus
- or assisting Paul and the other apostles - or working and serving within a local church.
B. As I close for this morning, I want to remind all our listeners who have requested either taped
copies or CD copies of Search the Scriptures programs, please be patient - we are working to
make them available to you free of charge. Also, be sure to check out our web page. That address
is www.danvillechurchofchrist.org (This is all one word www.danvillechurchofchrist.org).
C. Now, stay tuned for some important closing announcements. And be sure to join us next
Sunday morning at 7:00 A.M. as we again Search the Scriptures. Until then, this is J.R.
Bronger saying goodbye for now.