FREE ESSAY ON WOMANS ROLE IN CHURCH

WOMANS ROLE IN CHURCH

The Role of Women in the Church 
With the advent of the feminist movement, the role of women in all parts of society has
come under increasing scrutiny. One area of recent controversy is the role of women in
the Christian Church. Some churches whose traditions and practices are less rigidly tied
to Biblical doctrines have begun placing women in leadership positions such as pastor or
teacher. Other churches which interpret the Bible more literally have been slow to adopt
such changes. Much of the confusion is based on attempts to interpret scriptures
pertaining to women. In this essay, we will use the Bible to understand the role of women
in the church of the first century and apply that understanding to the church of the
twentieth century. 
Many people would dispute the Bible's relevance to contemporary thought in general, and
in particular to the role of women in worship. If the Bible were not written under divine
inspiration, a person or practice is not bound by its teachings. He or she can therefor
pick and choose whatever corresponds to his/her point of view. However, if the Bible is
of divine inspiration, then a cautious consideration of passages relevant to a particular
issue must be undertaken. Traditions and customs that have arisen after the Bible was
written may thus be carefully scrutinized. Such practices may or may not prove sound
after comparison with scripture. 
Before we discuss specific issues concerning women in worship, we should consider
principles derived from the relationship of Adam and Eve as described in Genesis chapter
one. The Apostle Paul frequently uses this passage as a guideline when discussing women
and women's issues. Genesis 1 verse 27 states: So God created man in his own image, in
the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Most Commentators agree
that man and woman are both equally a reflection of God's image; the word man here is
used as a synonym for humanity. Adam and Eve were also given joint dominion over
creation. But the fact that Adam was created before Eve has significance to Paul and
other Old Testament scholars; it signifies role distinction between the two sexes. The
role of the man is leadership, while the role of woman is as a source of strength and
support. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul states: For the husband is the head of the
wife as Christ is the head of the church. . . (Eph. 5:23) This is an important analogy.
If a person wants to understand the Christian authority of a man over his wife, he must
consider how Christ demonstrated his leadership as head over the Church. Primarily, he
gave his life for his church, not using force or coercion for her submission. When
considering mens and woman's ministry in the church, it is important to keep in mind this
role distinction. 
Lets examine the public ministry of women in the Church. Two major passages give specific
instructions regarding women during worship in the letters of the Apostle Paul. These two
passages are used frequently when denying women a public role in church life. The first
is in I Corinthians chapter 14 verses 33 - 35, this passage commands women to be silent
during worship service. Similarly but with more details, I Timothy 2 verses 8 - 15 not
only contains a command to be silent but also instruction on authority along with a
reference to the fall of Adam and Eve for further explanation. Here is the passage in its
entirety using the NIV (New International Version) Bible translation: 
I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also
want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold
or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to
worship God. A women 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. For Adam was formed
first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and
became a sinner. But women will be kept safe through childbirth, if they continue in
faith, love and holiness with propriety. 
A woman raised in the U.S. in this day and age, reading the letter for the first time,
may be quite taken aback by its apparent chauvinism. However, there are some specific
historical and cultural references that must be taken into account when considering the
meaning and intent of this passage. First of all, this was a letter written by Paul to a
young preacher named Timothy. Timothy was presumably preaching at the church in the city
of Ephesus. Paul starts out the letter by telling him to stay in Ephesus and correct
false teachers who were creating a disruption in the church. Various commentators have
tried to re-create some of the heresies of these false teachers. This can be a difficult
task since there is not a record of exactly what was being said, so only remarks made in
the text itself can give a clue. One probable heresy was the idea of asceticism as a way
to achieve spirituality. The ascetic practices being recommended consisted of; abstinence
from certain foods, from marriage, and sex. Add to all of this physical training as an
additional means of spirituality. It was thought that through these practices, one could
achieve something akin to heaven on earth. In other words, there was possibly a denial of
a future physical resurrection being taught in favor of a spiritual one that could be
achieved in their present lifetimes. It seems also from Paul's remarks that many women in
the church had been converted to this message and they were being persuaded to renounce
their traditional roles in favor of a more egalitarian way of life in line with their
new-found spirituality. This would explain the strong words Paul makes in reference to
Eve, reminding the women that she was indeed led into sin, and that bearing children and
raising them was a good thing, not unspiritual as they were being taught. 
Yet, the other parts of this passage that admonish women not to teach and not to have
authority over a man have been agreed upon by many, if not most, commentators to have
timeless application; the words and grammar in Greek do not lend themselves to any
cultural reference. The teaching that Paul is concerned about here is specifically the
truths of the faith while the authority in question refers to women in governing or
leadership positions of the church. 
But, before making conclusions on a Biblical truth it is important to see if the truth
holds fast throughout the whole of scripture. Let's consider some other passages. In
Galations 3 verse 28, Paul states: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male
nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Some commentators have suggested that
this teaching could have had some influence in the false teachings that were encountered
in Ephesus and Corinth in regard to women. Christ himself taught that in the afterlife,
men and women would not be given in marriage and they would be like the angels. Thus, the
women were being encouraged, by some misguided teachers, to renounce their traditional
roles. Without taking this radical extreme, the modern reader is at least inclined to ask
what it means that men and women are one in Christ Jesus? It must certainly mean that
there is not one sex inferior to the other. 
Beyond this, their are clear examples in the book of Acts that may shed some light by way
of documented practice, on the command not to have authority over men. First of all,
there were prophetesses. In Acts 21: 8 - 9, Philip, one of the seven deacons, is said to
have four daughters who prophesied. Prophesying was not primarily divination of the
future but also the conveying of Gods Word to his people, i. e. teaching. Furthermore, in
1 Corinthians 11: 4 - 5 Paul states, Every woman who prays or prophesies. . . Clearly
women in Corinth were praying and prophesying during the worship service. There is also
the case of Precilla and Aquila described in Acts Chapter 18. Many Commentators feel it
is significant that whenever this couple are mentioned in the Bible, Precilla, the women,
is mentioned first because of her great knowledge. It appears that they worked together
as a teaching team and their effectiveness is demonstrated when they taught Apollos the
ways of the Lord more adequately (Acts 18: 26). Apollos is described as a learned man who
came to Ephesus and began teaching from the scriptures in a knowledgeable way although
lacking in one of the fundamental teachings. Another Case in point is a business woman
named Lydia who lived in Philippi. She accepted the Gospel message from Paul and Silas
while at a place of prayer. After this incident is recorded, a strong church is mentioned
in Philippi later in the Bible. We can only surmise that she played a significant part in
the growth of this church, since no men were initially converted. 
These passages all call into question the real nature of the moratorium on teaching and
the meaning of no authority mentioned in 1st Timothy. That women were teaching men is
obvious, although at times they may have been co-teaching with male teachers. The case of
the prophetesses is also compelling because although most churches do not recognize
prophecy as being a modern gift, teaching certainly is and this was one of the important
functions of a prophet. 
Some Commentators in discussing women's ministry in the New Testament have brought to
light the customs of the day regarding women. Paul's main concern was the spread of the
Gospel and that the message could be made attractive in every way. For this reason Paul
encourages women in other passages to continue observing social customs such as the
wearing of a veil; otherwise people might criticize them as loose or immoral and belittle
the Gospel message. This is, I believe, a valid thought not only in 1st century times but
in our culture today. Consider, for example, what non believing women in the US think
upon entering a Christian assembly for the first time and seeing a service that appears
to be run completely by men? They may conclude that women are being suppressed and that
the gospel message makes women inferior to men. 
In conclusion, we can say that although there is no sanction in scripture for women to
take roles of leadership, public ministry and teaching are not as clearly forbidden and a
degree of latitude in interpretation is warranted. More importantly, if women are not
allowed to have a voice or some kind of input, the church could be loosing a valuable
resource. If a husband does not consider his wives thoughts and ideas as being important
or valid, his family is surely incomplete, dysfunctional and doomed to failure.
Therefore, as the church strives to realize Gods purpose for women, we must remember the
truths of the scripture and apply them to our present day culture. This will allow men
and women to present the Christian message to our world in the most powerful way. That is
exactly what the Apostle Paul desired along with all of the New Testament leaders and it
is what we should desire as we consider the path of the modern church.