On The Right Role of Women Part Two: The Church

I. Introduction.

Having in our last paper considered the right role of women in marriage and the family, we move now to consider the role of women in the offices of the church. As was also noted in our last article, Scripture clearly views the role of women as being helpers/submissive to men in the role of both wife and mother so it should come as no surprise that as women are to be submissive to men in the most fundamental Divine establishment of the family, they are also to be submissive to men in the Divine establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ. Adam as Eve's husband, leader, and shepherd held the roles of prophet, priest, and king in relation to his wife: as prophet he was to declare and make known Gods Word to her, as priest he was to be her representative and mediator to God, and as king he was to lead and direct her in the proper obedience to God’s Word and its commandments. Ultimately it was the failure of Adam that confirmed his responsibility in each of these roles as the full weight of responsibility was placed upon him for sin entering into the world which had both physical as well as spiritual consequences (see Romans 5). It is upon this foundational authority and responsibility that was given to Adam in these three areas that we ultimately make the case for man's authority and leadership over women in all of these areas. Honestly that should be enough for those who honestly seek the truth of the Holy Bible, Gods Word. But since we have just started to write on this subject and since Scripture has much more to say concerning the role of women in the church we shall endeavor if at all briefly to deal with the whole counsel of God’s Word on the matter that the Scriptures may not be slighted on our account and that the reader may suffice himself (or herself, God forbid we be sexist) to have something more to read and consider than just a large paragraph. Therefore, let us proceed to give a full account of what the Scriptures have to say of the role of women in the church starting in the Old Testament and going on to end in the New Testament.

II. An Examination of the Old Testament.

Having already considered Adams relation to his wife in the first several chapters of Genesis let us move on to consider each instance of the operation of Gods church in the Old Testament in this order: the Patriarchs, the Mosaic Law and Israel’s entering into the promised land, the time of the Judges, and (ending with) the rule of the Kings of Israel and Judah respectively.

1. The Era of the Patriarchs

In considering the operation of the church in the time of the Patriarchs, we first define what the church is and how the major differences between the church of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament. The church (literally “called out ones” or ekklesia in Greek) is all the people of God in both the Old and New Testaments who have been called out of the world to live in covenant obedience to God and who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. In the Old Testament, the church appears in formation before the coming of Jesus Christ and is primarily defined by the Israelite community, circumcision, and the ceremonial law of God demonstrated in animal sacrifices which look forward to the coming Messiah. In the New Testament, the church community appears in formation after the coming of Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross and is primarily defined by both Jews and Gentiles throughout the world, baptism and communion, and faith in Jesus Christ the great High Priest who has offered himself up as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.[1]

Since the church in the Old Testament exists before the coming of Jesus Christ, we must expect its form to appear different than that of the New Testament but its obedience to the moral law and its faith in Jesus Christ is the same! This reality cannot be stressed enough. As we consider the role of women in the life of the church and while the structure of the church in the Old Testament differs from that of the New Testament, the role of women does not functionally change. As God spoke to the Patriarchs and called out Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob He entered into a covenant with them and their descendants that saw each of these key church figures operate as both material and spiritual heads of their families and set the stage for male spiritual headship in the Old Testament.

Abraham was called by God out of his homeland Ur to the land of Canaan and given promises that God would bless him and his descendants, curse his enemies, and bring blessing to the world through his seed. In response to this divine promise Abraham built an altar to God in Hebron (Genesis 26:25) and offered sacrifices; both such demonstrate spiritual leadership and also priestly function. Not only did Abraham offer sacrifices but he also administered the sign of the covenant, circumcision. In Genesis 17 God gave Abraham the sign of the covenant between the two parties which was to be the cutting off of the male foreskin; circumcision. And Abraham responded in obedience by ensuring the circumcising of all the men-folk in his household:

So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him.

By this action Abraham demonstrated his spiritual headship over his entire household as he personally saw to the administering of the covenant sign that God had given just as the leaders of God’s New Testament church administer the covenant sign through baptism.

Isaac and Jacob also demonstrated themselves to be spiritual leaders over their people through various actions. Besides offering burnt offerings on altars that they or their father Abraham had made they performed distinctive acts that set them as the spiritual heads over their households which at that time comprised the known church. Isaac gave Jacob a special blessing (Genesis 27-28) and Jacob took away the foreign gods from among his household (Genesis 35) as well as giving a spiritual blessing to his own sons (Genesis 49). By these actions the Patriarchs set the example for the Mosaic period in which the Levitical priesthood would be established by God for Israel at Mt Sinai. The role of women in the church in this age is subject to being a helpmate, having children and raising them, and being submissive to the leadership of men. Let us now consider the spiritual ministry during this period.

2. The Days of Moses

The period of Old Testament history dominated by the leadership of Moses finds its fullest definition of worship as the church of God at the foot of Mount Sinai and the giving of the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel along with the Tabernacle, the Levitical priesthood, and the ceremonial law. In all aspects of religious worship men were leaders starting with Moses and Aaron the chosen high priest who would enter into the very presence of God once a year to offer up an animal sacrifice for the sins of the people. Aaron’s sons served along with him as priests of God and men from the tribe of Levi served in the tabernacle performing various duties. Only one mention is made of possible women service in the church during this time and it is in Exodus 38:8:

“He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” (Exodus 38:8)

This reference is made to Bezalel who helped to build the tabernacle and the articles within it. Here the text notes that he used the bronze mirrors of the women serving at the door of the tabernacle of meeting to make the laver of bronze. While this text depicts women serving in the church in a position like that of a New Testament deacon, there is no mention of authority given to these women, but they are simply viewed as helper which is within the parameters of all women in the Old Testament going back to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Again, men were in positions of spiritual authority in the Levitical period, not women.

3. The Time of the Judges

The period of the judges follows the rule of the established Levitical priesthood with perhaps one mentionable exception: Deborah the prophetess. In Judges 4 we read of Deborah the prophetess who was also judging Israel at the time. While Deborah seems to be a figure of religious authority, we must remember that during this time the church’s leadership was the high priest, priests, and those of the tribe of Levi. Deborah was only seen as a leader because of her status as judge of Israel at this time. The role of prophets in the Old Testament was more to rebuke the religious leadership than to take its place. Prophets also functionally served as the mouth pieces of God since biblical revelation was not yet complete. But none of these roles designate religious authority and in fact when Deborah was given an opportunity to take any kind of leadership over men she chose to refuse to do so and rather to support the creation-order design of God: man leading woman.

4. The Time of the Kings

During the reign of the first two kings of Israel in Saul and David, the Levitical priesthood remained intact along with the line of the high priest and the priestly order. After the death of King Solomon, David’s son, the kingdom of Israel was split into two kingdoms: the kingdom of Israel which was represented by ten tribes and the kingdom of Judah which was represented by the tribes of Benjamin and Judah respectively. While the kingdom Judah retained the Levitical priesthood and the temple of Jerusalem, the kingdom of Israel dabbled in unbiblical forms of worship starting with their first king Jeroboam.[2] But while Jeroboam’s religious idolatry was extremely sinful in its own right nothing came close to the religious evils committed under the reign of king Ahab of Israel. For the sake of our examination of the role of women in the church we will consider two prominent figures during this era: Elijah the prophet and Jezebel queen of Israel. Elijah is presented alongside Moses as one of the two most important figures in the Old Testament. In the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:28-17:9, Mark 9:1-9, and Luke 9:28-36) Christ is seen in his glorified state talking with Moses and Elijah. The importance of Elijah lies in his role in preserving for a period of time the true church in the kingdom of Israel. On the other hand, Jezebel sought to set up worship for the pagan god Baal and to destroy those who would worship the one true God of Israel. Now it is not to demonize the role of women in the church that we look at the distinct parallel between these two figures but simply to make the point that God’s design is for men to lead in the church and that when and where we see women taking leadership roles in the church it never leads to a good end because it goes against God’s design. In fact, Jezebels first and primary sin is that instead of submitting to her husband she sought to manipulate and control him every chance she got. Usurping her husband’s authority Jezebel set him to take a vineyard which was not his (1 Kings 21), killed the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18), and made a death threat against Elijah’s life (1 Kings 19). Jezebel was so wicked that God decreed that when she died her body would eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:10). Elijah, on the other hand, was used by God to accomplish great deeds in Israel the chief of them being the destruction of the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 20:18-46). Even though Elijah did not write any Scripture he is still considered to be the exemplar of the prophets. It’s as if Jezebel represents everything bad about women in spiritual leadership while Elijah represents everything good about spiritual leadership. The main point to take away from this analysis is that these two characters speak to the reality that God has set men to be the leaders in the church and that when women lead this is a sign that either men are not leading properly or have forsaken leadership. So much for the Old Testament; we will now proceed to the New Testament church and consider the role of women there also.

III. An Examination of the New Testament

The New Testament church can be broken up into two eras which differentiate more in their substance then in the time period that elapsed: the period during the life of Christ and the period after the life of Christ. While there may be several elements that differentiate these two periods the two most noted differences are 1) the coming of the Holy Spirit and 2) the including of the Gentiles. We will now focus on these two time periods and consider the role of women in the church during each respectively.

1. The Days of Jesus Christ.

While little is said of the role of women in the church during the life of Christ, we must understand that our Lord and Savior lived in a Jewish society that followed the Law of Moses including the structure of the Levitical priesthood. Jesus chose twelve men to be his disciples and this fact speaks volumes as to who Jesus believed should be in authority in the church. This reality does not mean that Jesus did not value women but just that He did not see them as leaders in the church. Jesus spoke to women publicly which was frowned upon at the time, valued the testimony of women, confronted women with their own sin, and sought protection for them in His dying breath. Jesus saw women as created in the image of God and suitable to be helpers and caretakers in the church but not as leaders. However, it is in the writings of the followers of Jesus that we find more substantial treatises on the role of women in ecclesiastical affairs.

2. The Days of the Apostles.

The formation of the church of God after the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father could largely be said to be in the hands of two men: Paul called by Christ Himself to be an Apostle and Peter who Christ called to shepherd His sheep. And it is in the writings of these two men of God inspired by the Holy Spirit that we find substantive statements of the role of women in the life of the church. We will consider a few passages from each Apostle starting with Paul.

2A. The Teaching of St. Paul the Apostle.

Perhaps the most prolific writer of all the New Testament, Paul writes in several places on the role of women in the church but before we consider the more well known passages let us consider a passage many would consider as not pertaining to the subject but which I believe is one passage where Paul lays down the foundation for the role of the sexes in not only the church but all of life. 1 Corinthians 11 is certainly a hot button chapter due to the controversial topic of head coverings, but regardless of the application of covering itself (which I DO think is applicable today), Paul does make an important theological argument here for those coverings that we will now consider as an argument for both the general and overarching headship of men and the general and overarching submission of women in the church of Jesus Christ:

“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. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” (1Corinthians 11:3-10)

Paul’s argument for women to wear head coverings and for men to not wear head coverings in church is from the created order that God established: man is the head of woman. Woman was created to be a help mate and subservient to man NOT the other way around! Since man is the glory of God and woman is the glory of man, leadership and headship belongs to men in the church and the women wear head coverings to identify this submission to their direct headship: their husbands. In fact, the women’s suffrage movement moved against women wearing head coverings for this very reason.

“The National Organization for Women (NOW) is a feminist organization founded by Betty Friedan (author of The Feminist Mystique). In 1968 they rallied their troops to have a “national unveiling.” Here’s what they said: “Because the wearing of a head covering by women at religious services is a symbol of subjection with many churches, NOW recommends that all chapters undertake an effort to have all women participate in a "national unveiling" by sending their head coverings to the task force chairman. At the spring meeting of the task force of women and religion, these veils will be publicly burned to protest the second class status of women in all churches.”
(Head Coverings: A Forgotten Christian Practice for Modern Times, by Gardiner)

Paul clearly and plainly states that the primary reason that head coverings is to be practiced is that women are to demonstrate their submission to men in the church by first demonstrating their primary submission to their husbands. The fact that our feminist culture has rejected God’s truth does not make it less clear but all the more clearly differentiates between the two positions.

The next passage which we will consider is from Paul’s Letter to Timothy:

“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. Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” (1 Timothy 2:8-15)

Again, Paul argues from the created order to make his case for the submissive role of women in the church: Adam was created before Eve, and he adds that Eve was deceived by the serpent. Therefore, women are not to teach or exercise authority over men in any form in the church, but they are to remain silent. This silence is not an absolute silence but clearly a silence of submission to the authority established by God. Paul makes this point clearer, again, from his epistle to the church in Corinth:

“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. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.”(1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

It is not for women to question the authority of the church in the midst of its assembly but rather they are to ask their husbands, their spiritual leaders, questions and allow him to speak on their behalf in the assembly. But then what is the role of women positively? Paul makes this point abundantly clear: they will be saved through childbearing. The true role of women in the church besides being submissive to men as their God appointed leadership is to have children and teach and instruct their children to fear and serve the Lord. Perhaps no greater task exists for women then the raising and instruction of children. By raising their children to fear and love the Lord women truly find their own purpose in the church and work out their salvation in fear and trembling before the Lord. But this is not the only task that Paul outlines for women. In his letter to Titus, Paul also instructs older women to teach younger women in the Christian faith:

“The older women, likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 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.” (Titus 2:3-5)

Here Paul instructs older women in the church to teach younger women to be good homemakers who are submissive to their husbands. Thus, the primary focus of women’s gatherings in the church should be to promote submission to male headship which primarily exists for married women to their husbands. Having considered what Paul has to say let us move on to examine Peter’s writings on the role of women in the church.

2B. The Teaching of St. Peter the Apostle.

Peter, being instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ to lead his church directly and in person, establishes the role of women in the church by instructing the kind of spirit that ought to exist in wives, and by extension, to all women in his epistle written to the church he founded in Rome:

“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.” (1 Peter 3:1-6)

Peter calls wives to submit to their husbands in a submissive and quiet spirit demonstrating by that same spirit an example for the rest of all the women in church how they are to act towards their husbands as their primary spiritual shepherds just as Sarah submitted to Abraham her spiritual head. Remember earlier how we made the case for each Old Testament Patriarch being the spiritual head over their own houses. So, Peter uses the relationship that existed between Sarah and Abraham as an example of how wives are to act towards their husbands. Too many churches today do not strongly teach this truth to their congregations and command wives to submit to their husbands while also instructing husbands to properly lead their wives as spiritual heads. Here Peter does the latter in a very strong and clear way.

IV. OUR FIRM VERDICT

Having considered both the Old Testament and New Testament on the role of women in the church we find that, not surprisingly, they speak the same truth and agree with one another on this point: that men are called by God to be leaders in the church of Jesus Christ and women are called to submit to their leadership.

This truth could not be more clearly or plainly declared from Scripture.

[1]While the focus of the New Testament church may appear to be faith in Christ while the Old Testament church is animal sacrifices we must stress that these animal sacrifices and in fact the entire sacrificial system was not meant to make anyone perfect but was given by God to the Israelites to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah who would in His own person and work bring to completion the sacrificial system of the Old Testament and make it obsolete. (See Heb. 9-10)

[2] the history of both of these kingdoms can be read in the books of 1 and 2 Kings along with 1 and 2 Chronicles.

Jon-Michael