To Preach or Not To Preach
(Oringinally posted in January 2009)
"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." (NIV) Apostle Paul, 1 Timothy 2:11-12
I am standing at a fork in the road. I am wondering which way to go. I have been wrestling with my beliefs and values. I am attempting to sort out the "truth" from opinion.
My dilemma is whether or not women have the Biblical affirmation to preach in the church. Furthermore, do women have the right to pastor a church? Before I write any further, I must offer a disclaimer. First, I am not writing to defend one side over the other. Similarly, I am not claiming one view is correct and the other view is wrong. I am merely allowing you to be privy to my conflicting reflections. Second, I do not claim to be an expert in the arguments for or against the issue. I have not completed extensive research on the topic, though I have read a couple of position papers. This is just a cursory look at the two perspectives.
Sometimes it is difficult to escape one's upbringing. Both my husband and I come from backgrounds in which the above verses are taken literally. Women are expected to be quiet and submissive to male authority in the church. In my culture's case, this view isn't oppressive to women. God considers males and females equal in His sight. Yet, He has ordained particular roles in creation. Women bear children; men do not. Husbands are the head of the home; wives are not. Men preach in the church; women do not. Female church leadership is considered a rare exception, rather than the rule (Deborah, a Old Testament Judge, is used as an example). However, women are free to pursue a plethora of other careers. Women can be doctors, engineers, professors, and even the Prime Minister of a country. And women are not viewed as second class citizens. We are celebrated.
Lately, my husband and I have been attending an evangelical church that is part of a denomination that believes in the ordination of women. We love our church. We honestly believe that God has lead us to this church through a set of divine circumstances. And I have been blessed by the preaching of women! In addition, I know of several godly, passionate women who are called to preach and teach in other denominations.
Furthermore, proponents of female preachers and pastors believe that the above verses need to be understood in light of the culture Paul was writing to. Women were second class citizens. Women were uneducated. Women did not govern in the political arena. Women were objects of pleasure. And women who were in positions of authority were usually temple prostitutes. Therefore, Paul did not desire women to take a position of authority in the church until they were sufficiently educated. Paul's cultural reality is not completely relevant today, though our media still depicts women as objects of pleasure. Women have governed particular counties (ex: Britain, Canada, India, and Pakistan). Women are more educated today than they have ever been in all of history. Christian women attend Bible Schools and Theological Seminaries. In our churches, women are allowed to exercise authority in leading worship, prophesying, praying, and even travelling to nations abroad to preach the gospel. Therefore, why can't they preach or pastor a church in North America?
Two views. Two interpretations of scripture. "To preach or not to preach?" that is the question. Your views, feedback, and insights are welcomed.
"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." (NIV) Apostle Paul, 1 Timothy 2:11-12
I am standing at a fork in the road. I am wondering which way to go. I have been wrestling with my beliefs and values. I am attempting to sort out the "truth" from opinion.
My dilemma is whether or not women have the Biblical affirmation to preach in the church. Furthermore, do women have the right to pastor a church? Before I write any further, I must offer a disclaimer. First, I am not writing to defend one side over the other. Similarly, I am not claiming one view is correct and the other view is wrong. I am merely allowing you to be privy to my conflicting reflections. Second, I do not claim to be an expert in the arguments for or against the issue. I have not completed extensive research on the topic, though I have read a couple of position papers. This is just a cursory look at the two perspectives.
Sometimes it is difficult to escape one's upbringing. Both my husband and I come from backgrounds in which the above verses are taken literally. Women are expected to be quiet and submissive to male authority in the church. In my culture's case, this view isn't oppressive to women. God considers males and females equal in His sight. Yet, He has ordained particular roles in creation. Women bear children; men do not. Husbands are the head of the home; wives are not. Men preach in the church; women do not. Female church leadership is considered a rare exception, rather than the rule (Deborah, a Old Testament Judge, is used as an example). However, women are free to pursue a plethora of other careers. Women can be doctors, engineers, professors, and even the Prime Minister of a country. And women are not viewed as second class citizens. We are celebrated.
Lately, my husband and I have been attending an evangelical church that is part of a denomination that believes in the ordination of women. We love our church. We honestly believe that God has lead us to this church through a set of divine circumstances. And I have been blessed by the preaching of women! In addition, I know of several godly, passionate women who are called to preach and teach in other denominations.
Furthermore, proponents of female preachers and pastors believe that the above verses need to be understood in light of the culture Paul was writing to. Women were second class citizens. Women were uneducated. Women did not govern in the political arena. Women were objects of pleasure. And women who were in positions of authority were usually temple prostitutes. Therefore, Paul did not desire women to take a position of authority in the church until they were sufficiently educated. Paul's cultural reality is not completely relevant today, though our media still depicts women as objects of pleasure. Women have governed particular counties (ex: Britain, Canada, India, and Pakistan). Women are more educated today than they have ever been in all of history. Christian women attend Bible Schools and Theological Seminaries. In our churches, women are allowed to exercise authority in leading worship, prophesying, praying, and even travelling to nations abroad to preach the gospel. Therefore, why can't they preach or pastor a church in North America?
Two views. Two interpretations of scripture. "To preach or not to preach?" that is the question. Your views, feedback, and insights are welcomed.