THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
There is an important need in our day and time to discuss the role of women in the church in light of the “Change Movement.”
There is an important need in our day and time to discuss the role of women in the church in light of the “Change Movement.”
The denominational world has thrown off the limitation of biblical authority and have gone head-long into error concerning the proper role of women.
I have been in the Lord's church long enough to know that whatever the denominations do will sooner or later appeal to some of our brethren.
I know of several “Churches of Christ” who have allowed women to occupy positions of authority over men in the church (Ordained as elders, Lord’s Table, Teaching, Praying…)
Thus it is very critical for us to understand what the Bible teaches concerning a woman's role in the church.
Thus it is very critical for us to understand what the Bible teaches concerning a woman's role in the church.
DISCUSSION
The Bible gives women certain privileges and options in life.
The Bible gives women certain privileges and options in life.
They may pursue a career if they choose.
They may pursue a career if they choose.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: and he came unto them; 3 and because he was of the same trade, he abode with them, and they wrought; for by their trade they were tentmakers.
Christian women have the privilege of teaching other women and children.
Christian women have the privilege of teaching other women and children.
9 Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.
3 that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good; 4 that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed:
We have an example of a Christian women privately involved in teaching a man with her husband
We have an example of a Christian women privately involved in teaching a man with her husband
26 and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more accurately.
They may marry and raise a family: the highest and noblest calling she can fulfill in her native sphere.
They may marry and raise a family: the highest and noblest calling she can fulfill in her native sphere.
They can obey the gospel and grow in the Christian graces, serving the Lord in countless ways, doing things for which they are preeminently qualified and suited.
They have the challenge of bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, preparing them not only for life, but also for eternity.
The Bible gives women a subordinate role to men
The Bible gives women a subordinate role to men
This is not due to any insufficiency on their part; it is the way God ordered it.
This is not due to any insufficiency on their part; it is the way God ordered it.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
18 And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man: 9 for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man:
Men and women are equal in value and in the blessings they are given in Christ
Men and women are equal in value and in the blessings they are given in Christ
26 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. 28 There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.
God never intended for women to be mere property; he gave them safeguards in the Old Testament.
God never intended for women to be mere property; he gave them safeguards in the Old Testament.
15 If a man have two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated; 16 then it shall be, in the day that he causeth his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved the first-born before the son of the hated, who is the first-born: 17 but he shall acknowledge the first-born, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the first-born is his.
1 When a man taketh a wife, and marrieth her, then it shall be, if she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife; 4 her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before Jehovah: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
3 And there came unto him Pharisees, trying him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said, Have ye not read, that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh? 6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery.
The New Testament requires that the wife be in subjection to her own husband; and the husband is required to love his wife as he loves himself:
The New Testament requires that the wife be in subjection to her own husband; and the husband is required to love his wife as he loves himself:
22 Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.
33 Nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she fear her husband.
A woman is out of order when she tries to change God's plan; so is the man.
A woman is out of order when she tries to change God's plan; so is the man.
A key passage in understanding a woman’s role in the church is 1 Timothy 2:8-15
A key passage in understanding a woman’s role in the church is 1 Timothy 2:8-15
To help us under stand this passage we consider also...
To help us under stand this passage we consider also...
1 I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; 2 for kings and all that are in high place; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times; 7 whereunto I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth, I lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
In verses 1-2, Paul exhorts that prayers are to be made for all men.
Verses 3-7 deal with reasons why we are to pray for all men.
Verse 8 then states:
8 I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing.
"I desire therefore..." An authoritative injunction.
What he names is not a mere suggestion, but a binding decree...
37 If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.
Paul declared "I desire therefore that men pray..."
Men is from the Greek word aner which is used "with reference to sex, and so to distinguish a man from a woman" (Thayer, p.45).
Vine says aner "is never used of the female sex" (p.34).
In Acts 8:3,12 this word is also used to make the same distinction.
3 But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
The context of 1 Timothy 2:8 shows that a contrast is being drawn between the obligations of men and women.
The context of 1 Timothy 2:8 shows that a contrast is being drawn between the obligations of men and women.
What is said in verse 8 applies to the man, not the woman.
The Greek has the article “the,” thus the injunction is issued literally to the men, and further emphasizes the restriction given.
The restriction does not forbid women to pray at all, for the Bible gives examples where women did pray (1 Sam. 2:1; Luke 2:36-37).
But there is no example in Scripture where a woman prayed audibly when men were present.
We conclude that when both men and women are worshipping together, the men are to lead in praying, not women.
"I desire therefore that men pray in every place"
Where ever and whenever Christian men and women are gathered, this restriction applies.
This includes public and private gatherings. Men are to lead the prayers.
e. "...Lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."
The bodily position is not being bound here for the Bible gives examples of prayers being offered where the hands were not lifted up (Luke 18:13). Lifting up the hands during prayer was a Jewish custom.
Prayers are to be free from anger and doubting (disputing—ASV). Men are not to offer angry prayers and pray at one another. (1 Tim. 2:9-10). Modest apparel is clothing that is appropriate, decent and becoming. It is between the extremes of gaudiness on the one hand and indecency on the other. Christian ladies are to dress modestly on all occasions. Shamefacedness is a sense of shame that precedes and prevents any shameful acts (Thayer). It implies self-restraint that a woman imposes on herself to avoid anything that is low and unbecoming of a woman professing godliness. Sobriety is the result of this self-restraint (Lipscomb). "...Not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but...with good works." This is a warning against extravagance in dress and appearance. The emphasis a woman is to make is in doing good works, not outward adorning.
(1 Tim. 2:11-12).
"Let the woman learn in silence..." 1) In 1 Corinthians 14:34 the word silence is from a Greek word (sigao) meaning "absolute silence" [with reference to public speaking; it is a stronger word than that used in 1 Tim. 2:11]. The word speak in 1 Corinthians 14:35 is from a word meaning "to utter a sound, to emit a voice, make one's self heard" (Thayer). 2) But the restriction is to making a public address. [If 1 Corinthians14:34-35 requires a complete silence on the part of women in the public worship assembly (1 Cor. 14:23), it is to be understood that making the good confession and singing are exceptions to the rule]. But the word silence in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 is from a different word (hesuchia) which means "quietness; tranquillity; causing no disturbance to others." Busybodies in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 were told to work with quietness; and the same word is translated peaceable in 1 Timothy 2:2. Hence, Paul is not in this verse demanding that women be absolutely silent, but to be quiet, or tranquil, and cause no disturbance. The use of the present word gives women the right to ask and answer questions, read scriptures, and make comments in a class situation, or in private gatherings, when men are present. But in the worship assemblies the women are not given this right. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 forbids a woman to speak (with the exceptions of confessing Christ and singing: Rom. 10:10; Eph. 5:19) in the worship assemblies. But here this passage does not demand absolute silence, it gives women the right to ask and answer questions, read scriptures, and make comments in a class situation, or in private gatherings, when men are present. But in the worship assemblies the women are required to be silent. "...But I suffer not a woman to teach..." This is not a blanket restriction applying to every situation for Titus 2:2-5 demands that older women teach the younger women. Acts 18:26 reports that Priscilla had some part in privately, with her husband, expounding (setting forth, declaring) the way of God more perfectly unto Apollos. But the word teach in 1 Timothy 2:12 is from didasko which means "to hold a discourse with others in order to instruct them; deliver a didactic discourse" (Thayer). Women may be "teachers of good things" to other women (Tit. 2:3-4), but are not allowed to preach a sermon or deliver a discourse in the presence of men. "...Nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence" (quietness—ASV)." The word nor is from the Greek oude which "places side by side things that are equal...it always makes reference to something preceding" (Thayer). Thayer also says it serves to continue a negation (p.461). This means that for a woman to teach would be to usurp man's authority. Since women are told to teach other women, this passage does not forbid teaching as such, but forbids her exercising the authority God has given to men. For a woman to teach over men, or do any other duties assigned to men, such as lead prayers, is to usurp man's authority. When none but women are present, women can preach, teach, lead prayers, etc., since there is no usurpation of man's authority. The reason why women are given the subordinate role is because God created Adam first. Further, Adam was not deceived by Satan; Eve was first deceived, and was the first to transgress God's law. However, if she fulfills her God-given duties (which are symbolized by her childbearing role), she will be saved. Her sins are washed away by the same process as are the man's; but man has a different set of duties in life and in the church from the woman; she is to perform hers and the man is to perform his. Women are not permitted to usurp the authority God gave to men. This forbids them from presenting a public discourse, or offer a public prayer, in the presence of men. Women have no right to speak in the assembly and interrupt the proceedings with questions or comments. It is not their role in life to take a leading part in the services. If she has a question about something, she is to ask her husband at home (or someone else, privately). This was not merely dealing with a local situation in Corinth for the letter was also addressed to "them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours" (1:2). It is shameful for women to speak in the assembly. Shame or shameful: "of that which is opposed to modesty or purity, is translated as a noun in I Cor. 11:6; 14:35, A.V. (R.V. 'shameful'); Eph. 5:12; in Tit. 1:11, 'filthy (lucre)', lit. 'shameful (gain)'" [Vine, p.16]. Women had spiritual gifts (Acts 2:17; 21:8-9); they are told to teach younger women (Tit. 2:3-5); their spiritual gifts could be used in that setting and privately. Women are forbidden to give a "teaching discourse" (I Tim. 2:12), but this does not prohibit them from making a comment or asking a question in a Bible class situation since it is not a case where the whole church has come together in one place (1 Cor. 11:20; 14:34-35).