And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds -Hebrews 10:24.

As a basis for discussion, I want to make you aware of an ongoing argument. I feel that a position must be taken on this particular topic. However, it mustn’t be held too tightly as we are ever discovering nuances that could slightly alter our stances. I wrote a paper about authority, specifically Paul’s usage of the word authority in 1 Timothy 2:12. To read this paper in its entirety, click here or go to a previous blog of mine entitled “1 Timothy 2:12, a Historical Review of a Woman’s Role in the Church.” Now, I find that my research has led me to a position. But not a firm position, a loose one. At the very least, it has left me curious. The argument is: should women be allowed to hold authoritative positions in the church, namely the office of preaching and teaching to the congregation during the Lord’s Day worship service?

Ok, let’s narrow the audience here. I know that there are plenty of denominations that have no problem with women leaders in the church. Therefore, obviously, there’s no need to address those denominations. I also know that there is a child’s handful of Presbyterian denominations that allow for the ordination of women, so know that I am not broad-brushing Presbyterian churches. Also, because I am PCA, I am mostly talking about the PCA church, but also because my husband is a closet Reformed Baptist with PCA tendencies, I am also addressing the Baptist (Southern and Reformed) denomination as well and their derivatives, i.e., reformed churches.

I find it interesting how tightly we hold onto these church orders, forgetting that their purpose was to govern the church at that point of time in history. I don’t believe that church orders were ever to be held as sacred and divine as we do the Holy Scripture itself. But instead, these governing systems are employed by our trusted church leaders who we assume are in tune with the needs of the people to guide us in spiritual disciplines and godly conduct as we serve one another in love. I think our present age begs for a reformation in the governance of the modern-day church. I do not want to digress, so perhaps at a different time I will write about the timeline of the church from circa A.D. 70 to the present.

I would love to share the excitement that surrounded the church when Evangelicalism was birthed during both the Great Awakenings. It’s a special time in protestant church history. But also the uproar in Catholicism, the rule of multiple popes, and the eventual split of some from Catholicism that led to Protestantism. This is important foundational information because it gives every Christian the basis to question modern-day Christianity. Historically, that is what was done. When teachings were being presented as truth, Christians gathered to examine the teaching, comparing it to the apostles’ teaching and historically what the church believed. Of course, this requires that we know what the Bible says, what the apostles taught, historical customs, and what the early church understood about these things. Siafa always says to be careful not to make a good thing the ultimate thing. In the OT this concept was seen when Israel would exchange the things that were made by human hands and worship it, rather than the Creator. We see it today in our world when people worship the sun and the moon, but as Christians, we see the absurdity because those things are creations of a being much more powerful.

I fear at times that this is what has happened to the American church. We have begun to worship our system of doing things, the governance itself, rather than the one that is the head of the church. Further, do you believe that the system of governance is fallible? As those who see in a glass darkened, we must be open to discoverable truths. In my research paper mentioned above, I was astounded to find how there were words that had been historically translated one way but due to the society of that time, they were transposed another way so as to not offend readers. This is particularly true with the translation found in Judges when Deborah is first introduced to readers. See Ntozakhe Simon Cezula’s research entitled, “Now Deborah, a prophetess, a fiery woman…A gendered reading of Judges 4: 4,” in the Theological Journal of Stellenbosch 7, no. 1 (2021). I won’t get into it here but I speak a little about it in the post mentioned earlier.

If you really want to get into the discussion with me, please watch the debate between Tom Ascol and Dwight McKissic entitled “Should Women Preach in Our Lord’s Day Worship Services?” Held in 2019 by Founders Ministries SBC. This debate lays the foundation of the argument well. Dwight McKissic is an African American pastor and dynamic Baptist preacher. He has a raw passion that resonates with the listener. In the debate, Dwight presents what I feel is a strong argument for women teaching. Tom Ascol seemed sincere enough, but I couldn’t help but hear the familiar, circling argument of his points and the presuppositions that he used to build them. In the end, Ascol didn’t win me over.

Another great speech to watch is one by N. T. Wright entitled “Biblical Basis for Women’s Services in the Church.” This was presented by CBE International back in 2017. Wright is a British, Anglican New Testament scholar with decades of research and publications. In this video, N. T. Wright takes on the weighty topic of women in ministry from an American perspective in a rather skimming-the-surface manner. However, because of the plethora of knowledge he has on historical customs and his biblical knowledge base, even his brief fifty-eight-minute commentary was filled with a wealth of information. I left feeling empowered and excited to conduct further research on this topic.

Here is my provisional position based on my research thus far: I believe that women were created to be in partnership with men. Indeed, it wasn’t good for men to be alone, and women were created to help their fellow human. Obviously, women provided the ultimate help in childbirth because God made it so that man could not procreate without a woman. So in their union, the world can be populated. It was always a partnership. They were to be one like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the Godhead, there are no diminished roles. They are One and equal. Though we see Christ submitting to the Father he is in no way subservient. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is not lower than the Father and Son. But what the fall did was pervert the oneness between man and woman, the union—and women became lower than the man. The earth was cursed. Childbirth would hurt and the snake would roam on his belly. But there was a promise of redemption when the snake’s head would be crushed. That redemption came through Christ and what we saw in word and action from Christ was a change in what had been for so long. So now we the redeemed, go around redeeming things. We renew the earth, we cover people’s sins with love, and we preach “you are no longer the old you but you are new in Christ.”

The subservient role that the woman played was also redeemed. Christ treated women as if there was something new going on when he was on the scene and people were astonished. Why was he talking to the woman at the well? (John 4:5-30) Why was he allowing a woman to wash his feet? (Luke 7:36 -50) Or another woman to squander her expensive perfume on him? (John 12:3) Why was he condoning a woman to sit and learn from him when she should have been in the kitchen cooking and cleaning and preparing for the party? (Luke 10:38-42) Why did he first give the message of his resurrection to women and told them to go and tell his brothers? (Matthew 28:8-9) Why did he allow for female disciples? The answer is when Peter quotes Joel 3 at the establishment of the NT church. (See Acts 2:14-36) There was a time when the men of Israel solely led the chosen people. There was a time when the number of male prophets grossly outnumbered females. But God says through Joel, that there is an eschatological change that will occur. (Joel 2:28-32) The priesthood has changed according to Peter (1 Peter 2:9), the chosen people expanded, and there is now no human mediator between God and man only Christ. (1 Timothy 2:5). Therefore, women can preach the word of the Lord. Women can teach the congregation. Women in partnership with Men, can both lead together in submission to the Father through Christ.

Take a breath and think about the things that you’ve read here. Hopefully, I’ve sparked an interest and you will consider, conducting your own research and joining the conversation.

This Article was written by Martina Griffin