Dear Aebi: "Why do some churches of Christ
now have women preaching and leading in worship? Dear Aebi: "Why do some churches of Christ
now have women preaching and leading in worship?
We will look at some reasons given by those who
favor women preaching, teaching, or leading prayer publicly, and
we will comment on their reasons.
(1) They say there is no distinction between men's
and women's roles in the church, based on Galatians 3:28. It is
argued that Jews, Gentiles, slaves, free men, males, and females
are all equal in Christ, and, therefore, can all do the same things
in the church. But the context (Galatians 3:26-29) shows that
Paul is saying there is no difference between these groups as
far as how they are saved is concerned. Men and women alike believe
and are baptized into Christ (become children of God) in the same
way, as do Jews and Gentiles, and as do slaves and free persons.
Romans 10:12-17 also teaches this. Galatians 3 does not discuss
the roles of men and women in the church; it discusses how they
become Christians.
(2) Advocates of women leaders say that women
are allowed by Paul, Peter, and Philip to prophesy and lead prayers
publicly, according to 1 Corinthians 11:5; Acts 2:17-18; 21:9.
But these passages do not say they led prayers, nor that they
led prayer or taught publicly; those favoring women leaders just
assume that is what was being done. These and other passages are
subject to limitations stated elsewhere (like 1 Corinthians 14:34
and 1 Timothy 2:11-12). All Scripture on a given subject must
be taken together: for example, salvation is by faith (Romans.
5:1; John 3:16), but it is also by baptism (1 Peter 3:21; Acts
22:16). We may not array one Scripture against another by isolating
one and ignoring the other.
(3) They say it was only because of 1st century
culture that Paul forbade women preaching to and teaching men
publicly, and that today's culture does not so limit women. We
answer that Paul in 1 Timothy 2:13-14 gives two reasons why women
may not teach over men that Adam was formed before Eve, and that
Eve was the first to sin and there was no culture then, so culture
has nothing to do with it. Paul gives an additional reason in
1 Corinthians 14:34 "as the law also says." Those who
classify God's commands as culture, not law, are not taking the
Bible seriously. Such reasoning could be used to rule out anything
one doesn't want to accept.
(4) They also say that 1 Corinthians 14:34 is
only talking about the wives of prophets, not about unmarried
women. Why would wives be limited thus, but not single women?
Is celibacy a higher or holier state than marriage? Are wives
of prophets less capable than singles? The ASV reads, "Let
the women keep silence in the churches." It is inclusive
of all women, not just wives of prophets.
(5) They insist that elders can authorize a woman
to preach, teach men publicly, or lead public prayer; then they
cite Hebrews 13:17 that we must obey the elders in this. But elders
cannot authorize anything that the Bible forbids, 1 Corinthians
14:34; 1 Timothy 2:11-14 else they would be overruling the Bible
and making their own laws. The authority of elders is only in
matters of expediency or judgment, not law.
These are some of the reasons given by those who
do not want to accept and obey the New Testament position on the
role of women in the public worship of the church. We suspect
that, truth be known, the attitudes that spawned the feminist
movement have influenced modern churches to push women into leadership
positions that violate God's structure for the church. We also
suspect that men's having shirked their God-given leadership positions
has opened the door to having women in unauthorized roles. 2660
Layman Rd, Vincent OH 45784. cjandi@juno.com