Women In Ministry

Intro

When we talk about women leaders in the church, there is a few very important distinctions to be made.

Can women lead at all?

Were women considered leaders around Jesus?

Can women lead in the church?

I believe these are different because there are different answers to a basic argument on the roles of male/female in and around the church as we know it today. At face value, it does seem hard to argue when the Word pretty plainly lays out in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 that women should be silent and in 1 Timothy 2:8-15 that women should not have authority over men. So case closed story over, right? I think you would be doing yourself a disservice if you just stopped at reading those two parts and just said, “Boom. Thats the end of this story. Women cannot teach.” So I think it is of the upmost importance to look and see why this was said when it would appear that women, who have played an important role in the fabric of history (leading up to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus our Savior) for our cause are not allowed to teach.

Support for Women Teaching in the Church

In this particular section, I will not spend time on the arguments for all women leaders prior to the church as we know it. Rightfully so, it should probably be mentioned that church today still does not look like the church did in the first century.

Important Verses to Support the case:

The Holy Spirit Arrives

Joel 2:28-32

Acts 1-2

Involvement of Women

Acts 16:11-40

Acts 16:13-15

Philippians 4:2-3

Acts 18:2-26

Misc. Verses

Galatians 3:28

Use of “Servant” to refer to ministers of the Gospel

Same word used to refer to Phoebe

Romans 16:1-2

Although some have thought the word “servant” here means “deacon” (or “deaconess”), that is most unlikely since the other New Testament texts that refer to the office of deacon mention the office of bishop in immediate conjunction with it (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8, 12)

Romans 15:8

1 Corinthians 3:5

Colossians 1:7

1 Timothy 4:6

Ephesians 6:21

Colossians 4:7

1 Corinthians 3:5

Ephesians 3:7

Colossians 1:23,25

2 Corinthians 3:6; 6:4; 11:15, 23

Worked Hard for the Lord

Romans 16:6

Romans 16:12

1 Corinthians 16:15-16

1 Thessalonians 5:12

1 Timothy 5:17

Women Mentioned Who Housed Church Meetings

1 Corinthians 1:11

Colossians 4:15

Philemon 2

Acts 16

1 Corinthians 14:34–35 CSB

the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but are to submit themselves, as the law also says. If they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, since it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

I think there is ample evidence here to support theidea that women can speak and lead and teach in ministry in the church. but concerning the two major objections to women Leading in the church, lets start with 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.