Women In The Church

I am going to talk about a topic that seems to be highly controversial in the church. That is, the role of women in the church. What is their role and why is it that why? I have a view that has become less and less popular these days. In 1 Timothy 2:12 Paul says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 it says, “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. ³⁵ If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” Now what does that all mean to people today?

If there are any verses in the Bible that are clear, I would have thought these were. It seems though that the independence of women socially and in the work place have carried over into the church as well. That is not the way it should be, because even if everything else in the world changes and progresses, the Bible has not changed, God’s standard for us has not changed. What I think a lot of people don’t understand is that these verses are not meant to be offensive and they are not outdated. It is meant for the protection of women in various church settings, this does not mean women cannot have their ideas expressed because they can. Women should be heard through their husbands or other men in the church so they may remain blameless in things such as church politics. The Bible is very clear in that we are all God’s children and He loves us the same, so to think Paul is being sexist here is ridiculous.

My next point is more about the body of Christ and that we all have a part. The issue is not whether or not women would do a good job as preachers, because I believe they could be great preachers. The point is that God has given different people different responsibilities. Once you have the eyes trying to be the ears, everything becomes dysfunctional. You could ask, why would God do that and all I can say is, this is one of things where you just have to trust that God knows best. We cannot say we believe some of the Bible, but not another part. You cannot pick and choose what you would like to believe or twist what you do not like. I cannot attempt to understand the vastness of the mind of God because then I would be saying I am like God if I claimed complete understanding of Him.

Maybe my story would hold more water if I was a woman, but this is what I take from the God-inspired scriptures. I was surprised to find out the decreasing popularity of this belief with Christians. I now understand it more and it surprises me no longer. One last thing I want to say, this is in no way an attack on women preachers. Everyone has to decide for themselves what to believe even though I think it is pretty clear what the Bible says. I love women and believe they should be treated with respect. In the grand scheme of things, this really does not matter at all. What matters is whether people have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just religion, not just a bunch of church politics, but a realization about the grace and love Christ wants to give us through his death and resurrection. I do not want this to be an issue that separates the church, but something we can overcome. Whatever you decide, just know the creator of the universe made you and loves you more than you can imagine.