It is no easy task to explain the most controversial passages on women in the New Testament and numerous passages need to be collected to get a broader view, the main Scriptures are 1 Cor. 11:1-18, 14:34-35 and 1 Tim. 2:11-14. “Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection. But I do not allow a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, was in the transgression” (1 Tim. 2:11-14). The Bible tells us the Devil deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, not Adam. He sinned by intentional disobedience from listening and being persuaded by His wife, he was not deceived. Eve was manipulated into a position of decision making without her husband, something she was not supposed to do.

There is to be submission and authority, otherwise Paul states deception will occur like it did originally. We need to note that there is no evidence in Paul’s pastoral epistles that the women were teaching false doctrines as some of the men he mentions were. However in Revelation we see Jesus mention a prophetess, Jezebel, who seduces his people. Also a false (harlot) church that is deceived becomes the dominant church, as the Woman rides the Beast.

Silence in (1 Cor 14:34-35) refers to a plain “hold your peace during meetings” instruction. If they desire more full information on any particular subject ask at home. Notice if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. This is not just about their asking questions as Paul says in v.35 and if they want to learn ask at home, whereas prior to this he addresses their speaking and this being related to v.26 of the church coming together and the gifts being exercised.

“Let your women keep silent in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also says the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it to you only that it reached? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:34-37). The speaker is under the authority of God being used to communicate his instructions to the church. They were not to teach, nor were they to interrupt those who were already speaking. V.33-35 Paul says his instruction is for all the churches, not just this one he is writing. And these rules still apply today. They are not subject to change because of culture or our understanding. No one who claims to be a prophet or an apostle today can change the rules that were handed down by the original apostles.

Paul ends this command with questioning the Corinthians in v.36 “did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it to you only it reached?” Were the Corinthians going to think they know better than Paul on these matters, did they produce the Word of God or did it come to them by the apostles?

Immediately after forbidding the women from speaking in public church meetings, the Apostle Paul warned that those who ignore this instruction are not spiritual. “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37). As he stated in the beginning of the epistle (1 Cor. 1:2) everyone in every place that calls on the name of the Lord. “for it is not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also says the law.” What law is Paul speaking about? Certainly it is not the Pharisees law that Paul had formerly practiced and rejected nor is this found written in the Old Testament; there is no such specific injunction on women except in principle. Most see this as the law of creation order (as is stated in 1 Tim.2 referring to the Genesis account) in Gen.3:16, “your husband shall rule over you.” The word “to speak” is laleo in Greek and is used in v.21 an Heb.1:1, it means to speak authoritatively. What about this passage referring to only married women? The Scripture is giving a general instruction and not addressing each individual case; if unmarried women were to have a question they can ask their father at home.

Paul is addressing the church assembled for public worship, made up of males and females. So there are two things women are not allowed to do in the Assembly: speak publicly by teaching men or rule over men collectively. Sunday School nor other types of meetings come under the apostle’s idea of a public church meeting, and women are allowed to teach non adult men. Women can do worship they can give announcements, they are not to expound the Scriptures to men as this is what a Church meeting would consist of (Acts 2:42).

Peter Jones in his book The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back states, the feminization of God led directly to the ordination of women. Marcion, who was excommunicated from the Roman Church in A.D. 150, established his own church, in which he appointed women as bishops and priests. In Valentinian Gnosticism women functioned as teachers, evangelists, healers, priests, and perhaps as bishops (The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back p.30.) So we can see that this feminine movement began early on in the church from those who were enemies of Christ, both these men denied the Scripture. Marcion rejected the entire Old Testament and the gospels by Matthew, Mark and John and made a canon of his own. This consisted of the gospel of Luke, which he rewrote. He accepted 10 of Paul writings excluding the pastoral epistles, thereby making up his own Bible.

Arguments against Pauline epistles continue today from the liberals who are no friends to Biblical authority.

Much of their opposition to equal treatment of women is derived from their rejection of the inerrancy of Scripture, the Bible we have today. Liberal theologians generally take the position that 1 Timothy was written by an unknown author during the first half of the second century, long after Paul’s execution. Ephesians was possibly written 30 years after Paul’s death. Colossians was written, to counter Gnosticism, which they believe did not enter the church until later in the second century, many decades after Paul’s death, all which is completely untrue.

Men have mostly dominated business, politics, various professions, and even religion. Opportunities for women in any of these vocations were rare until the 19th century. It was in religion where women had their own associations for many centuries. The Roman Catholic Church had its orders of nuns. Other denominations, like the Anglican Communion and the Lutherans also had communities of women whose work focused in teaching and charitable endeavors. Through the 19th century opportunities for women in education, politics and the workforce gradually opened and they were able to participate. Women formed social reform organizations working toward goals of the right to vote. By the 20th century all major Jewish and Christian groups had women’s societies contributing at both local and national levels.

There are numerous organizations promoting women’s rights, one that we are all familiar with is the National Organization for Women (NOW). The feminist movement is doing well in the National Organization of Women, they have held conferences promoting pagan/occult concepts. At their twentieth annual conference held in Denver in June 1986, one of their workshops was entitled “Feminist Spirituality-The Goddess returns.”

There are many women associations that deal with social issues. One of the oldest and best known in the United States is the National Women’s Christian Temperance Union, founded in 1874. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, was founded in 1980 continues its fight against alcohol abuse and driving. Other associations that addressed social problems are Women Against Pornography, Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament, National Abortion Rights Action League (a pro- abortion group), and Feminists for Life of America (an anti-abortion group).

The women’s movement from the world has eventually influenced the church with the argument we must be fair and open, they deserve equal rights. The church being influenced by modern culture has become open to allowing women positions of leadership by ignoring or changing the Biblical commands. It may be true that we should be fair but when it comes to the Church and home, but there is certain restrictions set in place for the Christian Church. Although we should correct any suppression of women in ministry, we should not overreact and be more open than the Bible instructs because of pressure for gender equity. It’s a fact that men and women’s makeup are different and should not be ignored when they are applying for certain positions.

Today many Universities offer associate, bachelors and master’s degrees. Men only slightly outnumber women on many campuses. Many of the Charismatic and Pentecostal colleges recognize women, offering degrees for the pastorate. The percentage of female graduate students at 229 North American Christian schools of theology has risen from 10% in 1972 to 30% in 1997. Today about half of all American denominations ordain women, and about 30% of all seminary students (and in some seminaries over half) are female.

In 1997, 30 percent of the students at 229 North American graduate schools of Christian theology were women, compared with 10 percent in 1972. Some institutions, such as the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria and the United Methodist Church’s Wesley Theological Seminary in the District, half the students are women (Ibid.).

There are almost 4,000 licensed and ordained women in the Assemblies of God.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has 2,419 female leaders.

The United Church of Christ has 1,803 female leaders.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has 1,358 ordained women.

The fall 1997 edition of Folio, the newsletter of Baptist Women in Ministry, reported that there are 1,225 ordained Southern Baptist women. Roughly 200 of the ordained women serve as pastors and associate pastors. The Southern Baptist currently has about 1,600 ordained women and 41,099 churches. 30 of the senior pastors are female. This recommendation was approved at their annual meeting on June14.

In 1973 the Episcopal Church in the United States had no women priests. They approved women’s ordination in 1976. There are currently altogether 14,167 Episcopal priests. The 1998 Episcopal Clerical Directory contains ordination dates for all but one of 1,955 women priests. Women now constitute 13.8% of those listed in the 1998 Episcopal Clerical Directory. Women Deacons make up 31.7% men 7.9%. Women Priests make up 68.0%, men 89.9%. Women Bishops 0.3% men 2.2%.

The general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) considers that the ordination of women in Orthodox churches as not a closed matter. This is not surprising from an apostate organization that has as much to do with the Church as a fish walking on land. They have united themselves with other religions denying Christ is the only way, teaching the Holy Spirit is not for the Christian only and working with other religions. 1948 began the modern ecumenical age.

We find that it is mostly in the liberal Christian denominations that ordain women and give them access to other positions of leadership over men.

In creation, God made Adam first and then Eve was taken from his side to be his helper. This is the order of creation. In giving the instructions about women in the church, the Holy Spirit referred back to the original order of creation--Adam first, then Eve. Woman was taken from man. Since Eve was created second this order stands today, there has been no command to reverse it.

There are some pro-feminists that argue from the Genesis account by changing some of the words and meanings to circumvent around Paul’s teaching of the creation order in the epistles. This way they are able ignore what is being said of woman possessing a lesser position than man in the home and Church. Some claim in Genesis 2:18 Yahweh-Elohim said, “It is not good for the adam to be alone” some interpret the creation of the adam as a human pair, that adam is not the man without reference to the woman, adam is a single human being, undifferentiated according to gender. That there is only one of the species adam, and it is inaccurate to call adam “him,” as it is to call adam “her.” The account of the creation in chapter 2, adam is then made into male and female. Adam in this portion of Scripture refers to what was left after God had taken the material from the side of the adam, what was left was now male.

This is a ridiculous interpretation, for Adam did not change his gender after Eve was taken from his side, he was still male and Eve was made like him, but female. The whole purpose was to find a mate suitable for him, as the animals already had mates. In Gen.1:26 the Hebrew ha adaam the man, distinguishes him as a species different from the animals, but in v:27-28 it states He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them” this is clearly speaking of the fact when Eve would be taken from Adam. Man (Adam) was made last of all the creatures from the earth, as the crown of God’s creation, Eve was made after Adam, not from the ground but from Adam himself. “She shall be called woman, Isha, a she-man, differing from man in sex only, not in nature-made of man” (from Matthew Henry’s Commentary). He (adam) was always man it is for this reason God made a woman, both were in His plan of creation.

The Hebrew word baanaah from the side of the man God builds the female, through whom the human race is to be built up by the male. Gen 1:27-28 “He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them” “The distinction drawn between ‘otow (OT:853) (in the image of God created He him) and ‘otaam (OT:853) (as man and woman created He them) must not be overlooked. The word ‘otaam (OT:853), which indicates that God created the man and woman as two human beings, completely overthrows the idea that man was at first androgynous (cf. Gen 2:18ff.). (from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary)

It is in chapter 2 we have more detail of this account. When he took the new person out of Adam he called her ‘ishshah meaning feminine, a woman. Gen 2:18 signifies one like, or as himself, standing opposite to or before him. And this implies that the woman was to be a perfect resemblance of the man being neither inferior nor superior, she was made with the same nature as he was. However she was designed to be his helper. In Genesis 2:22,23, where we find reference to Adam calling the female ‘woman’. Adam says, “This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh”, or the same substance, a blood relation, of the same body. “She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Notice, she was taken out of Man, not Man taken out of woman. She was made from a small part of Adam that he once had authority over: it cost Adam a part of his own body to have Eve. Also, Adam called her ‘Woman’ which literally means “opposite of man or male.” A certain order of creation is given in the text; the object of creation for the woman was man, not the opposite. A Source has often been important in determining rank, in this case we have God, man then woman. This is why Paul explains “but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man”(1 Cor. 11:7-9).

God has revealed himself as a Father one reason is because he is the source of all things. It is for this reason that Christ the Son became a man (not a woman), because of the order of creation in humanity.

Does male leadership make women inferior? Jesus was sent by God (John 6:38) and lived as a servant on earth. He listened to his Earthly father (step dad) and mother. He was under authority by God the Father and He submitted (Matt. 28:18) to His instructions. He also said the Father was greater than I (John 14:28), meaning in position. Does this submission make Jesus inferior? No, He was the same nature as the Father. Even within the Trinity there is an order, a position of one to another. The Father sent the Son (John 6:38) and both the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). Clearly God is a God of order and structure. This is our example of humility, and submission which has order. Women are of equal value in the church and need to be used according to their gifts and position given to them. A wife submitting to the husband does not mean that she is less than the husband. Not having a place of leadership in the church does not mean a woman is less of a person either. We are equal before God whether it be Jew, gentile, free, slave, male, or female. But in the church, God has set up an order the same way he set one up in the family. The order of headship is God the Father, the son Jesus, the man, wife, and then the children. That’s the way God set it up. This is not ignored or changed if men and women are unmarried. Paul arguing from the order of creation it eliminates any local custom of the time or a matter of Paul’s own opinion. Women are no more inferior to man than Christ is to the Father; it is all a matter of position and submission.

The Apostle Paul made it plain that women were not allowed to teach or to usurp authority over men (1 Timothy 2:12-14). A woman as a pastor over the church is not obeying this apostolic command. There are no woman shepherds. Women who ignore this prohibition are not being obedient in this area to the clear teaching of the Word of God. They bring confusion and a church that allows this is proving they are compromising and heading toward ruin. This can come in several ways but it is sure to come. However it may not be noticed since they have accepted the compromise but it is sure to affect other aspects of ministry.

Some argue the expression “every male among the priests” in Exodus and Lev.7:6 insinuates that there were women among the Levitical priesthood. This is reading into the Scripture and drawing an interpretation from silence. Scripture clearly mentions males each time in the priesthood. Men were appointed shepherds to the sheep, they were kings and they were priests. This can be better interpreted as the males officiating as priests, or engaged as a priest at the time as not every Levite was serving as a priest. In the New Testament both men and women are priests, ambassadors with the gospel, (no relationship to Levites) so there is no restriction in this because of gender.

In other religions women were often priestesses, and were also deified. We find the concept of equality of the genders mostly among neo-pagan groups; some give their priestesses greater power than priests. In the cult of Ishtar in Babylon, women were connected with the immoral rites of temple-worship as they were during the time of the apostles.

Peter Wagner who taught at Fuller Theological now heads up Wagner’s Leadership Institute (WLI). He tells the story about how Cindy Jacobs was the one who introduced him to prophecy by teaching his whole Sunday school class on a weekend retreat. Wagner describes how she prophesied over almost all 50-60 members of that class. Since his forming of his apostolic leadership, those who are under Peter Wagner’s leadership have become some of the main promoters of the women ministry movement as both pastors and apostles. Cindy Jacobs, John Eckhardt and others all want to see women have equal leadership in the church, especially in key leadership positions.

Cindy Jacobs speaking about Naomi Dowdy who has a church of 5000 in Singapore, “How many people are under her apostolic network, that she works in the assemblies? I think I heard maybe a thousand or something. She’s gonna teach a course on the woman as a pastor.” (Cindy Jacobs, National School of the prophets, May, 2000)

John Eckhardt “And their just embracing it and we have two of our female apostolic leaders to leave and fly to China and go into China and make the contacts with the Chinese church and begin to prophesy over them. We’re finding out that a lot of Chinese apostolic leaders are women. And we have two women from our church that really did the apostolic work to go into China.” (John Eckhardt, National School of the prophets, May, 2000) “The Spirit of God began to show me other emerging apostolic leaders right in our church.…and two of them were females.” (John Eckhardt, National School of the prophets, May, 2000)

I need to mention that they do not mean secondary apostolic positions, as pioneer missionary church planter’s but one who rules and can have signs and wonders follow just as the 12 apostles.

1 Cor. 11:2-3 “Keep the teachings just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (means a rule authority or source, there is no mention of church offices of pastor, or even elders here). The word for man has the definite article where the word for woman does not. There is the subjection of female to the male. The word for woman- gune primarily means a female and only secondary as a wife. It should be kept consistent throughout this portion of Scripture because the topic extends beyond marriage [as in v.12 referring to the creation account, men are born from their mothers not their wives].

V.7-12 “For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.” The fact that Paul is addressing outward attire of the woman shows the concept of submission is upheld in his instructions. These proceeding instructions are for the Church as Paul states in v.18 “When you come together as a church”

Eph.5:21 it tells us that we are to submit to one another in the fear of God, then it gives the order of authority in the home and Church. Christ is the head of the whole church in the same way man is over the woman. This teaches a positional hierarchy the same as Eph 5:22 the subjection in marriage, the wife to her husband. Vs.23 “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the whole church; and He is the Savior of the body.” Man as a husband has a special responsibility over the woman and his family. If man is not supposed rule over women as a servant, than Christ is neither the head of the Church. When God took (a rib possibly) one of Adam’s bones He made a woman, whom he presented to Adam when he awoke from his operation. Adam received her as his wife, and said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” So because she was “taken out of man” (Genesis 2:23), the man has the preeminence, as he was the source of the helper given to him, therefore we have the principle and the position that “The head of the woman is the man.” In the same manner the head of man is Christ, as the Son of God was the creator of Adam. The woman was made a helpmate for man, in the same manner the Scripture says “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).

1 Peter 3:1-2 “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear” and in v.5 “in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.” Even if a husband is unsaved, as long as there is no abuse and they are acting in love, the wife is to be obedient and stay with them. Here is a good example of spiritual leadership, the husband is ignorant on spiritual matters and yet the wife is not to take the role of authority that he has in the home. It would be improper for her to teach him, as her authority is not to be exercised over him, so she is to win him without a word.

You have world order the church order, and home order, each having it’s proper authority restricted to it’s own order. In the home order the woman has a headship, and that is man. In the church women have a headship and that is man, man has a headship and that is Christ. The fact that we are one in Christ (Gal.3:28 male and female) does not mean that we dispense with the order of creation. Men and women share spiritual equality but this does not negate our assigned offices or roles we are to function in. Restriction in the church does not mean that women are to be demeaned, ignored or treated as slaves.

Various roles are open to them, both within and outside of the church. Today the average church could not be in a healthy condition without women serving along with the men. They are able to minister in ways men cannot, but men can minister in ways women cannot. We should all be serving in our correct roles and offices, not the incorrect ones. God has gifted women in spiritual things just as he did men, but they are restricted in their exercise. The woman’s ministry in the Church is to be focused on women (younger women) and children (1 Tim. 2:15; Tit. 2:3-5) for this reason we find them often teaching Sunday school. This is allowed because children not grown men. For a woman to teach men as a pastor in a church, it shows they are not in submission to God because they are exercising unlawful authority. They can teach men language, math, art, science, geology etc. but they cannot teach them the Scripture in the Church. Contrary to the popular opinion that we have church whenever two or three are gathered, that is what the Bible calls fellowship. A Church meeting is when the elders are assembled with the congregation.

So what of women missionaries planting a church or teaching men where there are no men available? Well we should not be so myopic in our view. The foremost important thing is the gospel of salvation presented to the unsaved, both men and women can present the gospel. However once there is a church started and men are available to take the ministry there is no reason a woman should be pasturing. This should be looked as temporary situation and working toward the proper order of the church as set in Scripture.

The question comes up, why does it look like God’s blessing is upon women pastors that teach to men? I can only answer this with God having grace despite our ignorance. He will bless the ministry of His Word whether it is a man or a woman, as long as the error is not too significant. God looks upon the heart as well as the actions. However if they are following the Lord and in His Word, it would only be a matter of time before they see it is wrong. Then they have to make a decision or they would be intentionally disobeying a important aspect in ministry. Essentially we cannot judge by what it looks like to us now, it will be later when rewards will be received because of what we have all done in right motivation and in accordance to the Word of God (1 Cor. 3:6-15; 2 Tim. 2:5).