Women in the Church
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Introduction
Introduction
Since society is not the creator/designer of such divine institutions as the home and the church, and since they are born in the mind of God, we should look to God to understand our purpose and practice since only through this understanding can we find true fulfillment in our design.
Women today are prey to a worldly mindset like never before being indoctrinated by the world that men are against their progress. To the degree in which the christian home and church adapts this mentality comes the demise of societies at large. A tragedy of epic proportions.
Protecting the value of gender difference is where feminism fails. Feminism has been necessary, but where feminism goes too far, or doesn’t go far enough, depending on how you look at it, is when it tries to achieve equality among the sexes by removing every distinction between male and female. If equality in the eyes of God truly means the doing away of every distinction, God would not have created us male and female. He would have created us neuter. If that’s what God wanted, He could have done that. But, He created male from the dust of the ground and made h im independent from any other living creature. When God created Eve, He created her not independently from dust, but dependently from the side of Adam to show her dependence on her husband to lead her, protect her and provide for her. God created us male and female with distinctions in how we are meant to operate in this world and with each other. Man to be independent and Woman to be dependent. But, sin came into the world and changed everything. Sin distorted and exaggerated the way that God designed us. “Eve, your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Woman was created to be content and satisfied when she lived in dependence on her husband to lead her, protect her and provide for her. But sin came in and exaggerated that design by causing her to feel like she has no significance in this world unless she has a man. Man was created to feel alive and satisfied as he lives in independence to lead out and provide, but sin came in and exaggerated that design by turning independence into tyranny and dominance over women. - Austin Stone
Different Yet the Same Value
Different Yet the Same Value
Women are women and men are men. They are created differently, ordained by God.
Their value within the church is equal to men. They are neither inferior or superior.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
None of these differences mentioned should cause distinction of value within the church.
Women’s Roles in the Church
Women’s Roles in the Church
Although the church is to hold unswervingly to the view that women and men are equally valuable in the eyes of God, it must also reflect the New Testament teaching that men and women are to fill different roles in the church.
Jesus while on the earth, made no distinctions between the worth of women and men even though custom and the law did. Many of Jesus’ close followers were women.
Jesus however, never chose women to be apostles.
For instance, in the Lord's plan for church government each congregation is to be led by elders and deacons ().
In listing the qualifications for elders (; ) and for deacons () being the "husband of one wife" is mentioned. This obviously excludes women from these roles; only men are to be elders and deacons.
Women are forbidden to teach men in the church (). The common practice today of women being accepted as preachers is not a practice approved in the New Testament and should not be practiced in the church ().
The great emphasis today on the rights of women should not cause Christians to question the Lord's forbidding women to assume certain roles in the church. Even if no reasons for this action were given we should accept by faith what God has revealed. Some reasons, however, were given. Consider the following:
1. Woman's role in the church reflects the original act of creation in which man was first created ().
2. Woman's role in the church reflects that it was the woman who was first deceived by Satan and fell into sin ().
3. Woman's role in the church is closely connected to her unique role in the home.
Woman alone can give birth to children ().
The man must care for and provide for his wife and love her as Christ loved the church ().
The woman's willing submission to her husband is most likely to call forth the best of his care (,).
In order for there to be the greatest amount of happiness in the home, God has established different roles for men and women in the home. This difference is likewise to be reflected in the church.
commands older women to teach younger women in Christian living and the teaching of children.
Deacons (and elders) wives should act in a manner worthy of respect
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Examples of Godly Women Mentioned
The good works of women are frequently mentioned in Scripture.
Prior to the church, some of Jesus' closest disciples were women. mentions Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and "many others" who helped provide financial support for Jesus and the apostles as they went about preaching. Later, when the apostles fled the crucifixion scene in fear, certain faithful and sorrowing women remained to watch his death on the cross ().
Dorcas is cited as an example of faithful, loving service ().
Lydia is revealed as being a woman of great hospitality, "constraining" Paul and his company to abide in her house ().
Phoebe is described as a "servant of the church that is in Cenchreae" ().
The many good works of women in the church is further reflected as Paul describes the qualifications for women who were to devote full time to Christian work and to be supported by the church. In these qualifications included widowhood, being sixty or more years of age, having no kin of their own to support them, and being "well reported of for good works."
These good works were then stated as
(1) bringing up children,
(2) showing hospitality to strangers,
(3) washing the saints' feet,
(4) relieving the afflicted, and
(5) diligently following every good work.
Women’s Gifting
Women’s Gifting
The same as men.
Women as Elders or Deacons?
Women as Elders or Deacons?
First, it should hardly be necessary to labor over the point that no woman is authorized to serve as an elder, the Bible being so obvious on the matter. The elder is to be the “husband [Greek, aner—a male as opposed to a woman; Arndt and Gingrich, 65) of one wife” (; ). The “elder women” (presbuteras) of (cf. ) are simply older women in contrast to the younger (neoterous), and not church leaders.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God has ordained there are certain roles in the church which a woman cannot fill, and has given reasons why he made this distinction.
Women (and men) in the church only value and perform their Godly given roles to the degree in which the walk spiritually.