Biblical Womanhood: Women in Church Leadership (Mother's Day 2019)

Jul 3

Jul 3 Biblical Womanhood: Women in Church Leadership (Mother's Day 2019)

Since today is Mother’s Day, we thought it would be a great day to share our perspective on women in church leadership. I think it’s important to discuss, as a body, why we at BCF believe it is biblically consistent to have women in positions of authority. Especially because we have, and will continue to elevate and empower both sons and daughters of God.

I am a firm believer that if something is biblically true, it is consistent throughout scripture, both in the Old and New Testament. So, to begin the message today, I want to go back to Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1:26-28 New King James Version (NKJV)

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominionover the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [a]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [b]moves on the earth.”

Dominion – radah- to rule, have dominion, dominate, tread down

A. (Qal) to have dominion, rule, subjugate

B. (Hiphil) to cause to dominate

- to scrape out

C. (Qal) to scrape, scrape out

Subdue – kabash- to subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage

A. (Qal)

- to bring into bondage, make subservient

- to subdue, force, violate

- to subdue, dominate, tread down

B. (Niphal) to be subdued

C. (Piel) to subdue

D. (Hiphil) to bring into bondage

In the beginning, when God was envisioning mankind, He determined that they would bear His image, and be given dominion over all other living things on earth. Then God created mankind, both male and female, and blessed them, telling them to multiply, subdue and dominate all other living thing that move on the earth. Notice that at no point, either in the conception or creation of mankind, was ruling over one another mentioned. They would rule over all living things together, as equal images of God, not one another.

The struggle for dominance between man and woman first appeared after the fall of mankind. Adam (Hebrew word for man) and Ishsha (Hebrew word for woman) were disobedient and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in a futile attempt to become more God-like. They were deceived into believing that they needed to seize God-likeness for themselves instead of resting in their God given God-likeness. They were created in the image of God and set apart/empowered to rule the earth, but because they did not trust and obey God they would now struggle to rule over one another. This is seen clearly in scripture when God addresses Ishsha after they disobeyed Him.

Genesis 3:16-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

16 To the woman He said:

“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be [a]for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

desire -desire, longing, craving

A. of man for woman

B. of woman for man

C. of beast to devour

rule - to rule, have dominion, reign

D. (Qal) to rule, have dominion

E. (Hiphil)

1. to cause to rule

2. to exercise dominion

These two Hebrew terms are used in the same manner to describe a dilemma Cain, the son of Adam faced later on in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 4:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is [a]for you, but you should rule over it.”

I hope we can all agree that this was not the intended purpose for humanity. In the same way that sin desired Cain, a woman would desire her husband? In the same way Cain should rule over sin, a husband should rule over his wife?

By a show of hands, who in this room came from a household where one parent was clearly dominant and ruled over the other?

Out of everyone with your hand up, keep them up if that was healthy and positive influence in your upbringing and home life?

Now, I want to be clearly understood. God intentionally designed the husband, to be the head of the home and designed the wife to willingly submit to his headship. Scripture admonishes all believers to submit one to another (Ephesians 5:21), no one escapes this. However, husbands specifically have a greater responsibility in the home and carry the headship, under Jesus Christ, in the institution of family. We see this in Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.

Ephesians 5:22-33 New King James Version (NKJV)

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might [a]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, [b]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

In godly home, wives are to be subject to their husbands in everything, the same way that the church is subject to Christ. This is because husbands are commanded to love their wives just as Christ loved the church. This means that a husband must live and love sacrificially in a way that sets his wife apart and “cleanses her with the washing of water by the word.”

John 15:3 New King James Version (NKJV)

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

John 13:3-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” 8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”

Like Jesus, a husband should speak to and over his wife in a way that presents her, to himself, a glorious, holy, spotless, wrinkle and blemish free bride. When there are areas in her life that are not clean, a husband humbles himself like Jesus did and serves her by washing that which is unclean. The responsibility is placed on the husband to live before and love his wife in a way that cleanses her.

Jesus even confirms this is the way to rule and lead in His kingdom.

Matthew 20:25-28 New King James Version (NKJV)

25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus also elevated and empowered the church, in Matthew chapter 10 He gives His disciples the same power He has to work in the miraculous and even tells them that they will do greater works than He did (John 14:12).

Husbands, being the heads of your homes, means that you serve and empower those in your house. Like Jesus, you set the example of sacrificial love, modeling first hand, the authority and power you want to see in those under your authority and then giving them opportunities to walk in it.

This is the culture of the Kingdom of God and remains consistent throughout scripture. God empowered and elevated humanity – creating Adam outside of the garden, placing him in the garden, and allowing Adam to partner in the work He was doing (Genesis 2:15), the stories of Noah, Abraham, King David, the prophets, etc. Jesus in the New Testament even more so empowered and elevated the church, making a way for Holy Spirit to dwell in all of us. Husbands are to empower and elevate their wives in this same way, if indeed they are called to love them the way Jesus loved the church.

This is again, why the leadership here at BCF believes it to be biblically consistent, for women to be elevated into positions of leadership and authority within the body of Christ.

Let’s continue to look through the Old and New Testament at just a few of the women of God, who held God given positions of leadership and authority in the nation of Israel, and the body of Christ.

Before we do, I want to address the scriptural elephant in the room. The verse most used, in my experience, to support the belief that women are not able to participate in church leadership (in one form or another), is:

1 Timothy 2:11-15 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

I want to start with this verse before going through scripture and looking and biblical examples of female leaders because, unfortunately, when it comes to biblical womanhood, many Christians tend to read the whole of scripture through the lens of 1 Timothy 2:11-15, rather than reading 1 Timothy 2:11-15 through the lens of biblical womanhood found in scripture.

What am I saying? We cannot look at 1 Timothy 2:11-15 as the final word on the role or place of women in the church. It is not sound interpretation of scripture to read all of the examples of women in leadership before and after 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and determine that those positions were either not positions of authority, or that the women in those positions were “exceptions to the rule for one reason or another.” We must look at all of the examples of biblical womanhood prior to 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and use them to determine how those verses should be interpreted.

Let’s first take a quick look at just a few women in the bible (prior to the writing of 1 Timothy) who seemingly held positions of biblical and national authority, even over men.

1. Deborah: Prophetess and Judge of Israel

a. Deborah was aJudge

Judges 2:16&18 New King James Version (NKJV)

16 Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them… 18 And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them.

b. Deborah was a prophetess as well as a judge of Israel and the people of Israel, like they did with Moses, come to her for judgement. Judges 4:4&5

c. I don’t know how many times I have heard it taught that Judges 4:9 is the result of Barak telling Deborah that he would not go if she didn’t go with him. As in, “since you believed you needed a woman to come with you, the glory of victory will be given to a woman, Deborah.”

i. In this story it is Jael a woman living in a tent, who drove a tent peg through the temple of Sisera’s head and into the ground, killing him. Deborah sings about her in Judges chapter 5.

d. While Deborah was judge of Israel they enjoyed peace for 40 years

2. Miriam: Prophetess and leader of Israel

a. Micah 6:1-4 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Hear now what the Lord says:

“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will [a]contend with Israel.

3 “O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you?
Testify against Me.
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

3. Huldah: Prophetess

a. When the Book of the Law was discovered during King Josiah’s repair of the temple, he asked the high priest and his scribe along with other men to inquire of the Lord. They decided to go and seek the Lord via the prophetess Huldah. (2 Kings 22:14) (2 Chronicles 34:22)

i. I believe it is insanely note-worthy that both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were the prophetic contemporaries during the time of the prophetess Huldah.

4. Junia: Apostle

a. Romans 16:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

i. I think it’s also noteworthy that as time went on, a medieval theologian changed the name Junia (feminine) to the name Junias (Masculine). This is very strange as none of the Greek manuscripts suggests that a masculine form of this name should be used, and for the first thousand years of church history, Christian theologians all identified the apostle Junia as a woman. Martin Luther used Junias, rather than Junia, in his German translation of the Bible and identified the pair of former prisoners as male. There are still English translations of the Bible that turn the apostle Junia into a man.

ii. There are also newer translations of the bible that translate the verse to read “who are well known to the apostles,” rather than “of note among the apostles.”

5. Pheobe : Deacon

a. Pheobe was a deacon

i. Romans 16:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)

16 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

1. servant – diakonos

a. one who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant, attendant, minister

i. the servant of a king

ii. a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use

iii. a waiter, one who serves food and drink

b. This is the same Greek word used in 1 Timothy 3:8, translated “deacon.”

6. Priscilla: Church Leader

a. Priscilla’s position is not clearly stated, but she and her husband were co-workers of Paul and taught other believers

i. Paul left her and her husband in Ephesus prior to sending Timothy

1. Acts 18:18-19 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 So Paul still remained [a]a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

2. We know that Priscilla and Aquilla, as leadership, remained in Ephesus when Paul left because they were there when Apollos showed up.

ii. Her and her husband taught other believers:

1. Acts 18:24-26 New King James Version (NKJV)

24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

iii. Her home housed a church

1. 1 Corinthians 16:19 New King James Version (NKJV)

19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

iv. Paul considered her a contemporary

1. Romans 16:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)

3 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. 4 In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches.

v. I would argue that they were included among the Ephesian elders called to gather with Paul in Acts 20:16-38 as Timothy was still with Paul at this point in his journey.

These are only a few of the Old and New Testament examples of women in positions of leadership and authority in the Bible. If these examples are to be taken at face value, then it would appear biblically consistent for women to hold positions of authority and leadership in the body of Christ.

I am almost hesitant to do so, but I think it’s only fair that I share my personal opinion and interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11-15. I came to this conclusion through prayer and study, but I do not believe it to be the only possible explanation or interpretation for this passage. There are men who have been in the faith longer and have studied this passage longer than I have been alive who disagree and I am ok with that.

1 Timothy 2:11-15 New King James Version (NKJV)

I believe Paul is addressing husbands and wives in verses 11 and 12. I believe this to be the case because verses 13 and 14 refer to the relationship between Adam and Eve, a husband and wife. The Greek words used for man and woman in verses 11 and 12 also can refer to husbands and wives or those betrothed to be married. During the time that Paul was writing this letter to Timothy, Timothy was leading at the church of Ephesus in Asian Minor.

Additionally, the Greek word firstused in 1 Timothy 2:13, is the same word Jesus used in Matthew 20 when He described what Kingdom rulership looks like.

Matthew 20:27 New King James Version (NKJV)

27 And whoever desires to be firstamong you, let him be your slave—

This seems to be consistent in the insight that Ephesians 5:25&26 gives us in regards to husband and wife relationships.

Something else to note is what Paul ran into while sharing the gospel in the Greco-Roman colonies of Asia Minor. The scripture tells us that specifically devout and prominent women, along with the chief men of the city, opposed Paul.

Acts 13:50 New King James Version (NKJV)

50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent womenand the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

Acts 14:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)

Acts 19:21-41 New King James Version (NKJV)

These are additional examples of this just excluding the explicit mention of women.

In the Greco-Roman colonies of Paul’s time women enjoyed a level of autonomy and freedom that was rare for their cultural contemporaries. This can be seen in the life of the women of Asia Minor, especially Lydia of Philippi.

Additional verses mentioning devout/prominent/leading women:

Acts 17:4 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

Acts 17:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

Acts 16:11-15 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the [a]foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

Acts 16:40 New King James Version (NKJV)

40 So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

Paul and Luke went to Philippi to share the gospel, when no synagogue was found (a synagogue was comprised of at least 10 Jewish men, they went to a place where they heard that prayer was usually made and found Lydia. Lydia was a female business owner who held position in her household, as “she and her household were baptized.” She also invited Paul and his companions to stay at her home, demonstrating the authority she held in her home.

There was a Greco-Roman law called, “Jus Trium Liberorum.”

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_trium_liberorum

This awarded qualified women during Paul’s missionary trips equal status as their male counterparts. This legislation was implemented in 18 BC by Augustus and was repealed in 534 AD by Justinian. So, during the time of Paul’s missionary trips and the letters written to Timothy, this legislation was still in effect.

This was an attempt by the Roman empire to encourage the increase of the upper-class population. If roman citizens, women, would produce three children (freed slaves had to produce four children), they would be granted equal status in their marriage relationship and would be freed from the guardianship of their fathers and husbands.

This meant that qualifying women would be granted equal citizenship and authority alongside, of their husbands, allowed to manage the affairs of their household, own businesses and inherit property from their fathers and husbands in the event of their passing. I believe this is why Acts 13:15 specifically mentions “devout and prominent women” being stirred up in Asia Minor, the Greco Roman colony.

This paired with the prominent worship of the goddess Artemis/Diana in Ephesus gives me cause to consider that Paul may have been addressing a specific issue in the church of Ephesus during the time Timothy was leading there. Specifically, with wives, who may have or were about to qualify for Jus Trium Liberorum.

Prior to Timothy, Paul had left husband and wife team Priscilla and Aquilla to lead the church. We know that scripture records that they both instructed Apollos in Ephesus (Acts 18:24-26),and remained during Timothy’s discipleship in the absence of Paul(Acts 18:18-19 & Acts 19:21).

Paul even tells Timothy to greet them in his letter.

2 Timothy 4:19a New King James Version (NKJV)

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila…

Thus, I find it hard to adopt the interpretation that Paul is claiming that he never allows women to teach or have authority/positions of leadership over men in the church. Instead I, tend toward the interpretation that Paul was referring to husband and wife relationships among particular women in Ephesus.

All this to say, the leadership at BCF sees the spiritual mothers in our body, the daughters of the King, and acknowledges you as co-laborers of the kingdom. We believe it was the intention of God from the beginning, for men and women, in mutual submission to Christ and one another, to minister the kingdom of God alongside of one another.

I want to leave you all today with this story from Numbers 27.

Numbers 27:1-11 New King James Version (NKJV)

27 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: 3 “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be removed[a] from among his family because he had no son? Give us a [b]possession among our father’s brothers.”

5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord.

6 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Church, God does not withhold good things from His children. Daughters, you have an inheritance in your Father’s house, He wants to make sure you receive it in its fullness.