Biblically speaking, a woman cannot be a pastor or an elder in the church.
As soon as a woman speaks with authority over men in matters of faith, she
is instantly a false prophet.
"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." —1 Timothy 2:12
Something I hear time and time again is women talking about 'connecting with God', 'connecting with the Holy Spirit', 'why is God in silence?' In most cases it involves the woman making demands on God which are just ridiculous. Demands for more money, to have better holidays. No ones makes demands on God! God is a Spirit, we should be content with spiritual matters, and what do we need to live in this world? "And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content." 1 Timothy 6:8.
"For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." —1 Timothy 2:13-14
There are three reasons why women are not to speak with authority on matters in the church. The first one is a matter of hierarchy. God created Adam first. God establishes hierarchy. There is a hierarchy in the Angels, from the Archangels to the Angels, there is even a hierarchy in the Godhead, God, Jesus the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit, and so it is with Man, and then Woman.
The second reason is that it was the woman that was deceived by the serpent
in the Garden of Eden, and then persuaded Adam to partake of the fruit
also. Women are easier deceived into transgression than men. This does
not mean that women are inferior to men, it simply means that women are
created differently to men, and in that creation they are more susceptible,
which leads on to the third point.
God created Man to Serve God, and created Women to help Man
The third reason is in the difference of the purposes of our creation. God created man to serve Him, and then created the woman to serve the man,
"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." —Genesis 2:18
God created woman to help men, that is the purpose of the creation of woman. This does not mean that women are inferior, because we are all the same under the law, Galatians 3:28. Consider as an analogy, a sportsman and a spectator. They both have different roles, one plays, one watches, however under a court of law they both are equal with the same human rights. Another analogy is in a place of employment, there are managers and there are workers. A manager does not have any more rights than a worker nor is the worker any less of a human. Man and woman are equal in Christ Jesus, however their roles are different. Even in a church, men have different roles, for not every man is a teacher or an elder.
The reason why so many women are unfulfilled and searching for "God speaking to them" is because they are looking in the wrong places. Man is only truly content when serving God, and likewise a woman can only be truly content when being a help meet for her husband.
Here is a list of suggestions for women,
"I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." —1 Timothy 5:13
"Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." —Proverbs 14:1
There is a great crisis going on in society just now. Millions of men are lonely, millions of women are unfulfilled by pursuing independence, careers and missing out on families, dressing inappropriately, and being rebellious to their husbands, or convincing themselves they do not need a husband, or children, and trying to be as men.
There is also a great crisis in our churches. Any time you come across someone who supports 'speaking in tongues', 'faith healing', 'the Holy Spirit communicating on 'airwaves'' there is always a woman involved, either being the one doing it or one who actively supports the people doing it.
The fact of the matter is that women are more easily lead astray by false teachings than men, more easily influenced. This may be with how women were made, so that they would be more equipped in their role as help meets, so that man could influence woman and the woman would be able to support him in his interests, however since our fall due to the original sin, this ability to be influenced has opened the door to familiar (false) spirits, heretical teachings, false doctrines.
There is a reason why woman are not meant to be spiritual leaders in the faith, not least because the Bible says it is to be the case.
This article is not to have a go at women, not at all, the purpose is simply to explain the Biblical position on women in positions of authority in the church, and some guidelines on the roles of men and women.
One should be very careful about a church which allows women to assume authority, because if the church is unable to get this Biblical doctrine correct, can you trust them to be correct and guide you in other matters too?
When you find a church that lets women take authority in spiritual matters, you'll invariably find that other false doctrines and heresies are supported, or at least looked upon sympathetically, such as acceptance of homosexuality, acceptance of gay and lesbian ministers, encouragement of divorce, speaking in tongues, charisma healing.
Also ladies, this does not mean that you should obey every man that you come
across, in case you think so. Biblically speaking, the only man a woman has
to obey is her husband, and both husband and wife are to look after each
other. The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church (Ephesians
5:23), and husbands are to love their wives, even as Christ loves us,
and gave himself for us (Ephesians
5:25). Nor does it mean a husband is to order his wife about, because
they should be in mutual submission (Ephesians
5:21) to each other, but when push comes to shove, the man has veto
power (Ephesians
5:24).
Submission
There is nothing wrong in correct submission, Jesus the Son of God submitted himself to the will of the Father (Matthew 26:39), and we are to submit ourselves to the higher powers (Romans 13:1). There is also no weakness in submission. Plenty of people get on their high horse about the idea of submission, but to oppose correct submission is to engage in rebellion. A great truth is that submission calls for humility, which is in fact a great and admirable strength. There is a natural order to life, and without order there is chaos. We all have our part to play, and the championing of feminism is in essence, the refusal to have humility in submission. So it is that an employee has to have submission to his employer, Christians are to have submission to each other, we are all to submit to God (James 4:7), and a wife has to submit herself to her husband, or otherwise the marriage will fail if there are to be two heads. Humility in submission is a great example to us all, a great character strength for everyone, and one that we all appreciate when we see it, and something we can learn from, and live it, both male and female.
However in matters of the church, it is not the woman who is to have authority. Gods hierarchy has men as the authority, the Bible shows this, and the roles of men and women are different as we have been made differently, and for different purposes.
To finish the article, here is a list of heresies started by or kept going by women, from Dr John R. Rice with an up-to-date addition:
-The Fox sisters and spiritism
-Mrs. White and Seventh Day Adventism
-Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science
-Mrs. Filmore and Unity
-Mrs. Aimee Semple McPherson and 'Forthsquare Gospel'
-Mrs. Dawna De Silva of Bethel Soza Ministries and 'broadcasts in the spirit realm' Source
-Pentecostalism and it's vast majority of women promoting the blight of sinless perfection doctrine, radical emotionalism, speaking in tongues and trances, and it's over-emphasis on healing leading to the despair of thousands under false pretenses.SOURCE: Bobbed Hair, Bossy Wives and Women Preachers; by Dr. John R. Rice; pg. 58; Sword of the Lord Publishers, P.O. Box 1099, Murfreesboro, TN, 37133; copyright 1941; ISBN: 0-87398-065-4
In the words of Dr John R. Rice: "So it is with women preachers. They do good, but how much harm they do!"
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;" —1 Timothy 3:2
"Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well." — 1 Timothy 3:12
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