Women in leadership

Seeking for truth

Tonight I’m going to talk about women teaching in the church.

I feel like I need to be upfront about that so that we can all get pre-offended with what I’m about to say.

And even though this is a touchy subject I’m hoping that we can get through it by leaning on grace and truth.

I was recently reading a book about Transgender issues which is another hot topic.

And the author was talking about the christian response issues like this.

He says.

“Some of us forgot about truth, most of us forgot about grace” - Andrew Walker

Those two elements, grace and truth, are essential for maintaining relationship as we learn and grow together.

That phrase grace and truth remind me of another famous scripture Ephesians 4:15.

Ephesians 4:15 is a great biblical north star as we navigate through discussions like this.

Ephesians 4:15 NASB95

but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

Speak truth in love.

We gotta have both.

Scripture says if we have all knowledge, but we don’t have love - we’re nothing.

Earlier in that same passage it equates someone lacking in love to a noisy gong or clanging symbol.

This probably sounds familiar right?

We’ve all probably seen debates like this either in person or online. Where it’s all so-called “truth” and no love.

It’s annoying and nobody is really listening to each other.

Much less caring for one another.

I think we need to approach difficult issues like we would approach fording a river.

We’re all trying to cross the river to get to the other side.

The other side is understanding.

We've got to wade through these tough conversations together.

Not pushing and squabbling as we ford the torrential river of difficult doctrine. The only way that we can make it to the other side which is understanding is to support one another as we cross.

If someone slips - don’t seize on that opportunity and push them down we want everyone to join us on the other side, right?

Be gracious, loving, and kind if you point out flaws in their thinking.

And above all scripture must remain the absolute authority in this discussion - not our own opinions or feelings.

So we’re going to start our time by looking some baselines of truth that we should all agree on.

Then we’ll take a look at a difficult text and how we should interpret it.

And we’ll end by seeing how we can accomplish our ultimate goal of glorifying Christ by living out that interpretation.

God’s natural design

In the very beginning of human history God created men and women to be different.

We know that intrinsically.

And it’s only been recently that our natural and normative acknowledgement of gender categories has started to blur.

The differences in our anatomy testify to the fact that God made men and women distinct.

Even little kids understand that.

And the distinction between men and women start immediately.

It’s present even in the language used to describe their creation.

Men were formed (yî·ṣěrʹ)(YAT-SAO) which carries with it the sense of a potter working at the wheel, forming the clay into a pot.

When the woman is created a similar word is used - but one that connotes a different type of creation.

The word used is yi·ḇěnʹ(BA-NAH) and it carries with it a feeling of careful craftsmanship.

The actual sense is one of weaving a fine tapestry.

I think the images that these words conjure up are perfect.

If you’ve ever seen someone throwing clay on a potter’s wheel, you know that it’s a messy process and when the piece comes off the wheel it’s in a rough shape.

There’s often pieces that need to be trimmed off. It doesn’t have a glaze yet - the piece still has to be fired in the kiln.

Weaving on the other hand is a very different practice.

It’s a beautiful process - it’s mesmerizing to watch.

And the end product is this beautiful, detailed, delicate tapestry.

Very different than a clay pot, right?

The point here is not that a tapestry is inherently more valuable than a clay pot.

The point is that they’re different in their construction and in their use.

A tapestry has a very different role to play than a clay pot.

A clay pot could never satisfy the requirements of a tapestry and vice versa.

God has made men and women for different purposes.

That will manifest in different ways - but those differences never communicate a difference in value or worth.

One author puts it this way “ God made men and women different in function, and equal in worth.”

Men and women are made for each other to complement one another.

And to work as equal partners towards a single goal.

And that goal is the glorification of Christ.

We’ll see how spicy scriptures like 1 Timothy 2, and 1 Corinthians 14 relate to that goal as we go.

Difficult texts

There are a several different texts that could be brought up on this topic.

Unfortunately people take some of these verses and build a systematic theology of oppression with them.

And before you think that I’m being dramatic - let’s take a look at one of these verses.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 is a famous one

1 Timothy 2:11–12 NASB95

A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

Oof. Pretty rough right?

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is another one

1 Corinthians 14:34–35 NASB95

The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

Now we know that sinful people exist, and those people have access to the scriptures.

And we those people sometimes use scripture to support a very sinful ideology.

Some people claim that scripture endorses slavery.

Some people twist scripture to support homosexuality

And these uses of scripture are wrong.

So it shouldn’t surprise us that when reading verses like the ones we just heard - there are some (mostly men) who misuse these verses to oppress women.

On it’s face - with no other context it seems pretty prescriptive, right?

“I don’t allow a woman to speak.”

“A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness”

The problem with that view is that the rest of the bible doesn’t agree with it.

But if you’re someone who doesn’t submit to the authority of scripture, it doesn’t matter to you.

The bible says what you want it to - end of story.

If you view the bible that way consider today an invitation to become a student of the whole scripture

Someone who pursues truth and not ignorance.

Let’s all practice that together right now.

We’re going to take a look at two of these difficult texts and seek the truth among the complexities.

Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 11.

Once you’re there put a finger or a bookmark in that spot.

Now turn to 1 Corinthians 14.

We’re going to specifically be looking at verses 34-35.

It says this

1 Corinthians 14:34–35 NASB95

The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

So like I said earlier - we’re people who seek the truth.

And when we read something that doesn’t seem right to half the population, we have some digging to do.

When there’s a tension like this in the text we need to be using scripture to interpret scripture.

Fortunately for you - I’ve done some of that already and I had you preemptively place a finger in chapter 11 of this same book.

Let’s turn there and see what verses 3-5 have to say.

1 Corinthians 11:3–5 NASB95

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.

Let’s start with verse 5 and work our way backwards.

There’s a lot happening in this verse.

But the big thing I want you to see first is that Paul very plainly mentions women praying and prophesying in this verse.

He’s not prohibiting it in any way.

On the contrary he’s offering a bit of correction clearly expecting that women will continue praying and prophesying among the saints.

His concern is not that it’s happening but rather how it’s happening.

Paul wants to make sure that when women are praying or prophesying in the church they’re honoring God’s structure.

That’s what that weird bit about shaving heads is about.

If it’s not clear immediately - that’s alright.

Let’s take a step back and look at verse 4 to see what we can glean.

1 Cor 11:4 “Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.”

Okay - so this is the opposite of what Paul just said to the women. Right?

When women pray or prophesy their heads need to be covered.

When men pray or prophesy their heads need to be uncovered.

What’s the deal with that?

Let’s take one more step back to verse 3 and I think it’ll become clear.

1 Cor 11:3 “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”

Let’s unfold this verse and see how it affects the other verses.

Obviously the word “head” is going to be important for us to understand.

The word used here is kephalē (keh-pah-lay). And it means leader or a person who is in charge.

Verse 3 is really just communicating to us the flowchart of headship.

God is the head of Christ. Christ is the head of every man. And a man is the head of his wife.

This flowchart exists other places in scripture too.

Actually Paul talks about headship a lot.

Ephesians 5:23 says

Ephesians 5:23 NASB95

For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

And Ephesians 1:22 says

Ephesians 1:22 NASB95

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

Colossians 1:18 says

Colossians 1:18 NASB95

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

We have to agree that headship is real and it’s important if God chose to include it so often in His scripture.

So in 1 Corinthians 11 - Paul is appealing to this idea of headship.

And as to that portion about covered vs uncovered heads it’s pretty simple when we take a second to think about it.

Since the head of man is Christ - who cannot be pictured or represented by any physical object - a man should not have anything on his head when he prays or prophesies.

And since the head of the woman is the man - who is not God and can be represented by a physical object - a woman should have her head covered while she prays or prophesies.

And all this is in service to observing and honoring the structure that God created that places Jesus at the top and us covered by His blood.

Following this structure is a simple way for men and women both to glorify God and put Jesus at the top.

Let’s get back to chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians.

Paul says “women are to keep silent in churches; for they are not permitted to speak”.

But we just saw that Paul also clearly expects women to be speaking in the congregation.

What gives?

The key here is that concept of headship.

There’s not a clear mention of specifically how women were violating this principle of headship here

But it’s clear that the women in Corinth were violating headship with their words.

Some theologians believe that the women in this church were asking inappropriate questions of those speaking.

Others theorize that women who were frustrated with their husbands would ask questions that were thinly veiled digs at their husbands during their comments.

Others think there were some women in this specific congregation that simply didn’t have the social tact not to interrupt people while they’re speaking with questions.

But I think the specifics are less important than the core of Paul’s concern.

The verse’s immediate context helps us out here.

Paul’s correction of these women is one of several in a list of corrections addressing people in the church speaking out of turn.

If we look at the previous few verses in chapter 14 we see Paul confront those who speak in tongues with no interpreter(v28).

And also those who would fillibuster during prophecy despite others having also received a word from the Lord(v30).

The common thread between all of these three people groups is that they’re all violating the structure and order that God laid out for His church.

One of the arguments swirling around in this debate is that Paul is addressing a specific church with a specific issue and the instructions to them are not meant to be applied to the entire church.

This argument is close to being correct.

Paul is addressing a specific issue in a specific church - but the correction applies to all churches at all times whether or not a similar problem exists in any one church.

God doesn’t accept or endorse our rebellion against His design simply because thousands of years have transpired.

God has set in a place a structure of headship for the family and the church.

And he expects the church to abide by that structure.

Are we as the church in a place where we feel that we know how to operate better than our creator?

Can we honestly say that we have a more effective strategy than the one laid out for us by He who made us?

Do you believe that you would be able to bring God more glory if you worked outside of the bounds that God has given us?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, I have to tell you that you’re wrong.

God gives us instructions so that we follow them and bring him glory through our obedience.

And that’s not to say that women can’t serve, lead, or teach.

Phoebe is commended by Paul as a deaconess at the end of Romans.

He says that he was greatly helped by Phoebe and he asks for the church to show her honor with their welcome.

Priscilla was a major player in the early church assisting through hospitality and allowing the church to meet in her home, as well as teaching Apollos about Christ with her husband.

Tabitha was a disciple in the early church who charity and kindness affected an entire community.

God actually brought Tabitha back to life in order that many in that area might believe.

So can a woman teach in church?

Yes! As long as it doesn’t violate God’s plan for how the bride of Christ is structured.

And that’s how we have to make decisions with issues like this.

Paul doesn’t include a list of hypothetical situations and how to handle them.

There’s no straight line, black and white, list of do’s and don’ts here.

We are free to serve God in many different ways.

But the important part is that our hearts are submitted to God’s will.

God uses both men and women to bring him glory.

He uses them in equally valuable and intentionally different ways.

We honor Him and glorify His Son by submitting our hearts to His design.

God didn’t create headship because he hates women - but because he loves his son.

When we honor his design for the family and the church we’re honoring His Son.

When we work together within the structures that God has given us - we bring Jesus glory.