The Role of Women in the Church

Introduction

When it comes to women in the Church:

Their appearance should reflect Christ, not the culture

Their character should represent Christ, not the culture

Their significance should be responsibilities designated by Christ, not the culture

Their identity should be from Christ, not the culture

What does God have to say about gender?

Genesis 1:27 NLT

27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

A. Follow the science

The other day, my wife and I got the privilege of getting to see the first sonogram of our baby. It is incredible technology. Now, in case you do not know what I am talking about, the doctor uses high-frequency sound waves called an ultrasound to create a picture of the internal conditions, a sonogram. When she is far enough along, the doctor can use this technology to tell us the sex of the baby. Now, when I say sex, you need to recognize that the terms sex and gender are used interchangeably. Our culture wants to tell you they are different, but they are the same. So, when a doctor seeks to determine the sex of the baby, because there are only two genders, they are looking at one specific area. And if the doctor sees a penis, you know its a boy. If the doctor sees a vagina, you know its a girl. And when that child is born, the boy will come out a male and grow into a man. That girl will come out a female and grow into a woman. That is science. And as our culture has been screaming at your for the past three years, follow the science.

B. The Big Mess

If we can’t get a simple truth such as two genders right, then we won’t get the church right. If we can’t get the church right, then we won’t get the culture right. And if we can’t get the culture right, then we will have a big mess. Friends, we have a giant mess on our hands because we don’t believe the entirety of God’s Word.

I. Their Appearance Should Reflect Christ, Not the Culture (v. 9)

A. What does this mean?

It means this: women you are dressing to impress the Lord. You are not dressing to impress other women. You are not dressing to impress other men. You are dressing so as to please the Lord with how you come into His presence.

In case you did not know, men and women are different. We just discussed the obvious physical difference relating to our gender, but we have different struggles as well. From my experience and in my conversations with other men, men struggle most with lust. In getting to know my wife and my observations of other women, women struggle with their image and identity.

B. What does this look like?

It looks like recognizing there is not a competition between you and other women. You are coming to worship Jesus Christ, not to show off your most expensive clothing or most fashionable makeup so you can one up the woman who sits two rows behind you in church. Now, does this mean that Paul is forbidding women to dress nicely? Should you come to church dressed in baggy sweat pants and a hoodie? Does it mean you should wear some sort of head covering that hides your beauty? Not at all! We are to give Christ our very best in all we do. It means you’re not dressing for the compliments of others. Your value is not wrapped up in how other women perceive you.

When it comes to men, it means women you’re not coming to church to show off your body or your skin. You are not coming to be noticed by other men. Women know what men want, and there are some women who knowingly or unknowingly dress in certain ways so as to draw the gaze of men. That’s sexist. No, that’s the truth. Men don’t know what women want. That’s why we walk around looking like we just rolled out of bed without a care in the world. And what God wants is for a man to see a woman for who she is on the inside, not for how she dresses on the outside. Women, you can win almost any man over by showing off your body. But when you win a man over with modesty in your appearance, know that you are on the beginning of something special. If you meet and pursue a godly man at church, God’s desire is that it is born out of that man seeing a godly, gentle, pure spirit whose desire is to pursue the Lord with all she has.

C. What do you wear then?

If God has standards, and those standards are modesty and discretion, what do you wear? That’s between you and the Lord. The Holy Spirit will help to direct with how to present yourself. Don’t believe me, just as Him. Now, women, that doesn’t mean that you get to go around acting as the Holy Spirit for other women. But it does mean that the more mature, godly women can help to train and guide a young woman in her presentation. Your appearance should reflect Christ, not the culture.

Culture would tell you this is legalistic. This is the word of God. And once again its not that God doesn’t want you to dress nicely, it’s that God wants your appearance to reflect Him. If you don’t believe me, turn over in your Bibles to 1 Peter 3.

1 Peter 3:3–4 NASB95

3 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

Your adornment is not merely external but the hidden person of the heart.

II. Their Character Should Represent Christ, Not the Culture (v. 10-11)

A. Women who claim to be godly should have works that accompany their godliness.

Ethan, are you saying that my works are necessary for salvation as a woman? No! Women are saved just as men are: by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But what Paul is saying is that those who are saved in Christ will have a natural outflow of works resulting from their salvation. Why, because their life and identity have been changed. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10

Ephesians 2:10 NASB95

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

More specifically women, Paul is saying the most beautiful adornment you can have is a lifestyle of good works. Works of charity, of love, of selflessness, of compassion, of gentleness. That’s why when all the physical attractions fade in a marriage, the godly man will still be enraptured by the inward beauty of his wife’s character. And that’s what God desires too, because man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.

B. Of all these characteristics, Paul specifically highlights submission. Why is that?

Submission is a word that will quickly get you into hot water. Culture, even Christian culture, views submission as an evil, an oppressive outgrowth of the patriarchal system. So, women you need to know some truths about submission.

Jesus Christ was and is eternally submissive to the Father. The Holy Spirit was and is eternally submissive to the Father and the Son. In the Trinity there is equality among the members and still true, perfect submission. Women, submission is a godly quality, not a demeaning quality.

Equality is not sameness. Submission is not less than. It’s because you are equal that your are choosing to submit. Submission is a choice.

C. How do I do this?

I can tell you its not something that comes naturally. It’s something that only the Holy Spirit can birth in you.

Men, if you are married, you are called to love your wife as Christ loved the Church. What does that mean? This means you forsake all others for her, lay down your desires and preferences in pursuit of her, provide for her, comfort her, care for her, and even lay down your life for her sake. It’s not hard. It’s not difficult. It’s impossible without the Holy Spirit. In the same way, women, your submission to your husband is not hard, it is not difficult. It’s impossible without the Holy Spirit.

III. Their Significance Should Be Responsibilities Designated by Christ, Not the Culture (vv. 12-14)

A. When women step up, men step back. Women, that’s not an attack against you, that’s a sharp critique of men.

If you go to nearly any Christian church in America, 60-70% of those in attendance are female. That means 30-40% are men and it is likely a large percentage of those men have no desire to be there. They simply attend because their wife attends or dragged them.

B. Why is this a problem?

Because so go the men, so goes the family. So goes the family, so goes the Church. So goes the Church, so goes the world.

So Paul is saying he forbids it, not because he deems the women to be less valuable or incapable of teaching and leading. It’s because it’s not their responsibility. The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, forbids women from leading the Church so that the men will step up to assume their God-given responsibilities. Well, Ethan, this is old and outdated. Really, why is it only this section that is old and outdated. How about 1 Timothy 2:8?

1 Timothy 2:8 NASB95

8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

Does that mean that God no longer desires for men to be lifting up holy hands in prayer publicly? Of course not! Well, Ethan, this is offensive and sexist. I was not called to preach to make people more comfortable. I was called to preach the full council of God, and I will do so because I want to honor Him and His words. Well, Ethan, why is it that so many other churches do it? I don’t know. I am not responsible for what other churches do, I am responsible for teaching what the word of God says. And I do know that churches who compromise on this issue, be it a local church or an entire denomination, begin to compromise on other issues as well. Just look at the state of American Christianity today.

C. Why is it that men bear this responsibility?

I’m glad you asked because Paul gives his reasoning. If you notice, Paul is appealing to Genesis, when God created man and woman. As Paul says, God created man first and the woman was deceived. Now, men, don’t go acting too proudly by saying, “Oh see, women are more easily deceived because they have more emotions” or something. No, why was the woman deceived and not Adam? Because if you recall, God gave the direct command to Adam. He gave His word to Adam deliberately disobeyed. And Adam did a really poor job relaying that information to his wife, Eve. So when Eve is talking to the serpent and the serpent is spinning his web of lies, Adam is standing there silently refusing to proclaim what God had said. And unfortunately, Christians have been sold the lie that sin entered this world because of the woman. Wrong. Sin entered this world as Paul says through one man, Adam. Why? Because Adam was to teach the word of God and he didn’t do his job. Sin entered the world through the passivity of a man.

Paul is saying that God hasn’t changed His mind. God’s structure for His church is for men to lead because that has been His structure since the beginning of creation. It’s not that men are more gifted than women. It’s not that men are more capable than women. I know plenty of women who are probably better, more engaging speakers than I am. I know plenty of women who are probably better at outreach and ministry than I am. But God has an order that He established and it is for men to rise up and preach and proclaim the word of God. That’s their responsibility.

D. Well then how do I use my gifts of teaching as a woman?

Women, did you know that God has given you a blueprint for how to teach in the church? Turn over to Titus chapter 2 with me. It’s two books to your right, and in verses 3-5 Paul outlines exactly how women are to use their giftings God has given them.

Titus 2:3–5 NASB95

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Older women. Who is an older woman? A woman who is older. And older women, as a Christian you should be known for your godly, respectable behavior. You should not be known for your gossiping. You should not be known for getting together and drinking wine. And what are you to teach? You are to teach the younger women these two important things: to love their husbands and to love their children. The top two teachings that should be taking place in women’s ministry, according to the word of God, are to love their husbands and to love their kids.

This is why Paul goes on and says women are to be workers at home. The Bible says this about women, it does not say this about men. This is where godly women are supposed to be first and foremost. They are supposed to be busy about the home and the household. Ethan, you sexist pig. I’m just preaching what the word of God says. Does the Bible say women can’t have a job or a career? No. But women, if you choose to get married, everything changes. And as a wife, your first priority is your husband and your children. Why? Here’s why: because Jesus Christ thinks the family is really important.

E. What Scripture teaches goes completely against culture.

Culture teaches feminism and the American church has largely bought into it. Here’s what feminism teaches. It teaches that in order for women to be valued and to find their identity, they must become like men. They have to act like men, work like men, think like men, dress like men.

Women, according to the world, the only way you are worth anything is if you make yourself more like a man. Jesus Christ says if you want to find your identity, be the woman in Christ He has created you to be. Culture wants you to be something your not. Jesus Christs want to grow you into the woman He desires for you to be.

IV. Their Identity Should Be From Christ, Not the Culture (v. 15)

A. What does this final verse mean?

There are a lot of ideas as to what Paul is saying. Some people think that it means by having children, women will be saved. Not only does this go completely against Scripture, what about the women who haven’t had kids or can’t have kids? Are they not saved? So, that’s not it. Some say that women will be safe while giving birth. But we know that sometimes women don’t make it through childbirth, so that can’t be true. Some people think it means that Jesus Christ was brought into this world through childbirth and that through Christ there is salvation. While this is certainly true and that’s a cool idea, I don’t think that’s what Paul is getting at. So, what does Paul mean? Isn’t it interesting that while childbirth is cursed, meaning that it will cause great pain, it is through that curse that God chooses to sustain the human race? I mean, despite popular belief today, only women can give birth. It’s an interesting statement that Paul makes, but there is a similar statement in 1 Corinthians 3:15.

1 Corinthians 3:15 NLT

15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is saying that a person who is saved but doesn’t live their life for the Lord, that person will be saved in spite of the fire. They might get to heaven smelling a bit like smoke, but they will still be in heaven with Jesus. If we take that as a metric for this verse, we see that Paul is saying women will be saved in spite of the curse of childbirth.

Paul is speaking to first century women who are wondering if they are just as valuable as the men. Paul is speaking to women in the first century who are questioning their identity. And the Holy Spirit through Paul is telling godly women to own their identity as a women in Christ Jesus. Women, God wants to rest in your the roles He has created for you. As a woman, there is nothing you will find more valuable than being a wife and bringing new life into this world, a privilege He has given to you and you alone. You are valued as a woman, you are precious as a woman, and He has made you fearfully and wonderfully. Your identity is found in Christ alone, and that you should proudly claim.

Conclusion