The churches in the first century, like the church today, faced the danger of being consumed, devoured, and engulfed by its culture. Judaism and paganism were all forces at work in the early days of the church. One of our greatest dangers is still conformity to the world. Jesus said, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (Jn. 17:16). We are not to be conformed, but rather to be transformed (Rom. 12:1-2). But, we can see in the church that we have adopted the world’s standards, and have become like the world in many areas. One area we need to watch out for in the church is the Feminist Movement; the Feminist Movement is very powerful in today’s society. They are dedicated to restructuring the family, the institution of marriage, and even the church itself.
Over the past few years we have witnessed a growing interest in the role of females in public worship. We see, read and hear of people ordaining women. Will the pressure be applied for us to conform? Will we allow women to fill our pulpits? To be appointed to serve as elders and deacons? It is annoying, rousing and unsettling to hear members of the church assert that they see nothing wrong with a female leading prayers, waiting on the Lord’s table, leading singing or teaching Bible class where both men and women are present. Let us examine this question, in hope that we will respect and obey God’s Word in this matter. SHOULD WOMEN HAVE A LEADING PART IN THE ASSEMBLIES TODAY?
Women played a significant role in the work of the church in the first century, and this is very apparent in the New Testament. Women labored in missions with the apostle Paul (Phil. 4:3). Females were authorized to teach children (2 Tim. 1:5-6) and other females (Tit. 2:3-4). Paul commended Phoebe who was a servant of the church (Rom. 16:1). A woman could assist a man in expounding the scriptures to a man, as in the case of Priscilla and Aquila teaching Apollos (Acts 18:26). Although it is apparent that women were active in the part of the early church, it is equally apparent that God places some restrictions and limitations on the women’s role in the church. We must never assume or conclude that they (women) can teach anywhere that Paul was authorized to teach! Their work was limited to such places and situations as would not cause them to exercise dominion over a man.
In the Old Testament Cain and Abel had sisters; but mention is made only of offerings made by Cain and Abel. Are we to assume that the sisters did not worship the Lord? When Noah and his family emerged from the ark after the flood, they worshiped the Lord. But the record says: And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar (Gen. 8:20). We do not understand from this that Noah was the only one of eight souls delivered from the flood that worshiped, but that it was he who took the lead in that worship. When the Jews came out of Babylonian captivity back to Jerusalem, there was an occasion when all the people gathered themselves together with both men and women present (Neh. 8:1-8). Ezra, the priest, brought the Law before the congregation and read it to them. All the people worshiped the Lord, and certain of the men caused the people to understand the Law. But not one word is said to indicate any women took any leading part in this great assembly. The women were a part of the assembly as were the men, and they worshiped just as did the men, but they did not take any leading part!
Women were not authorized by God to take a leading role in worship. In a mixed assembly, both males and females were present. This will be seen from our discussion of First Timothy chapter 2. The book of First Timothy was by the apostle Paul to the young evangelist Timothy who was ministering to the church in Ephesus. The purpose of the epistle was to provide Timothy with written instructions about methods of procedure in the church (1 Tim. 3:14-15). Chapters two and three deal with some of the specifics of church life, worship, work and the organization of the church. The word church (EKKLESIA) in this book is used in its broader, more general sense and is not limited to public assembly. The immediate context of chapter two is worship, not merely public worship, but worship wherever and whenever it is offered. In First Timothy, Paul begins by mentioning prayer for all men (1 Tim. 2:1-2). The word men (ANTHROPOS) in the Greek, it means mankind, human beings, male and female. Now notice this; I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting (1 Tim. 2:8). Paul used (ANDRAS), another Greek word for men, which means MALE. The point is this prayer is to be made for all mankind, but where both men and women are present the males (ONLY) are to do the praying; they are authorized to take the lead! In such a gathering, women are to learn from men, not teach over them (1 Tim. 2:11-12). Women are to be in a role of subjection, not authority or dominion. These verses show the woman is to be in relative quietness in respect to authority. She is prohibited from exercising roles of leadership in which she would usurp authority over man. Man is in the leadership role, and women are not to teach over the man having dominion over him. Since men are told to pray (lead prayers) and in the context in which women are to be in silence, the conclusion is inescapable that women are not to lead prayers in public worship. Let it be understood that a woman is not forbidden the position of teaching (1 Tim. 5:4; Tit. 2:4), but she is not given leadership of teaching over the man. While she may teach even in the assembly, for when she sings she is teaching (Col. 3:16), she is restricted in that she is not to be in the lead.
First Corinthians chapter eleven shows that there were occasions when women both prayed and prophesied. The prophecy of Joel quoted by Peter in (Acts 2:17-21) said both men and women would prophesy. Philip the evangelist, had four virgin daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:8-9). But there is not a single statement in the Bible to indicate that any of these women ever took a leading part in any public worship involving men. All the praying and prophesying they did was in harmony with the restrictions placed upon them in 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 1 Cor. 14:23, 34-35; she was ordered to keep silence.
If Jesus had intended for women to have the role of leadership in public worship, it would have been a simple matter to make that plain in the New Testament. He might have selected at least one woman among the apostles. The apostle Paul states two reasons why God placed men instead of women in the position of public leadership in the church. "For Adam was first formed, then Eve" (1 Tim. 2:13). Read carefully (1 Cor. 11:1-16). Man did not come from a woman; the woman came from man. And man was not made for the woman; the woman was made for man. So that is why a woman is under authority. The second reason why God placed men instead of women in the position of public leadership in the church; "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" (1 Tim. 2:14). For a woman to stand before the congregation of the saints to lead in any capacity, whether leading singing, prayer or serving the Lord’s Supper, she would have to go beyond the teaching of the New Testament (2 Jn. 9), beyond things which are written (1 Cor. 4:6).
It is not a matter of what we think or what we want or like or I don’t see anything wrong with it, but we need to have a THUS SAITH THE LORD!