A--Can_Women_Be

This morning on “The Early Show” it was told that the Southern Baptists were at it again with more controversy. This time it didn’t have to do with a woman’s relation to her husband, it had to do with whether or not a woman could be a pastor. Two sides were portrayed. The first was a man that talked about how little our opinions mean in this matter. “The issue is on what the Bible says,” he stated. I Timothy 2:11-12 was quoted, “Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” A woman who was the head of a woman’s rights group represented the second side. She said the problem wasn’t on what the scriptures said, the problem was discrimination. She also stated that many people were leaving the Southern Baptists and going elsewhere. The other side denied this.

   All of this brings up an interesting question: What does the Bible really say about women in the role of pastor’s? This article will deal with this question.

   The first thing that should be addressed is what exactly is a pastor. Who we see in scriptures as a pastor is not the same as who we see called pastors today. The word pastor comes from the greek word, “poimen.” Consider what W.E. Vine’s has to say about this word. PASTOR, "a shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks" (not merely one who feeds them), is used metaphorically of Christian "pastors," Eph 4:11. "Pastors" guide as well as feed the flock, cf. Acts 20:28, which with v. 17, indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops); so also in 1 Peter 5:1,2, "tend the flock... exercising the oversight," RV; this involves tender care and vigilant superintendence."

   Vine’s tells us, and rightly so, that the duty of being a shepherd was the responsibility of the elders. Eph. 4:11 makes it very clear that a “preacher” is not a pastor. Eph 4:11, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.” Notice that evangelists and pastors are two separate terms. To be an evangelist is NOT the same as being a pastor.

   In our religious world a pastor and preacher are just the same thing. The qualifications for elders are clearly laid out in the scriptures (I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1). Elder, bishop, overseer, and pastor all refer to the same office. Among many qualifications, an Elder must be the husband of one wife and have believing children. I have been called “pastor” more times than I can count. Although I have been married for over 3 years, I only have a little girl who is thirteen months old. This hardly qualifies me to be a pastor, let alone all the other qualifications that must be met. I’ve told countless people, “I’m not a pastor, I’m just the preacher.” The response I normally receive is a smile along with, “Well, it’s the same thing isn’t it?” Friends, let’s make sure we use Bible names only the way they are used in the scriptures.

A woman cannot be a pastor, in the Bible since of the word. She cannot be “the husband of one wife.” I don’t care how you try and turn it, she just can’t do it. You can call me old-fashioned, prejudiced, or unloving but the Bible still says an elder is to be the husband of one wife.

Well, what about a woman being a preacher. I can’t show you a verse that says a woman can’t be a preacher. However, the verse we started off with (I Timothy 2:11-12) clearly shows that a woman is not to teach or exercise authority over a man. Why? Well, that’s a difficult question but the only answer I can give is what Paul went on to tell Timothy. Vss. 13-15, “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression. But women shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.” You can argue about how unfair that seems and how Paul must have been a woman hater, but that doesn’t change what he said. Paul was not a hater of women. He understood their roles. He went on to spend an entire chapter (5) talking about taking care of widows. In his letter to Titus he talked about some responsibilities of older women as well as what the younger ones were to be taught (2:3-5).

To be a preacher you must be able to teach (both men and women). To be a pastor you must be able to meet specific qualifications. A woman cannot fulfill these offices. This in no way makes her less of a person or worthless. She has just been given a different role than men. It’s not a matter of equal right or discrimination. It’s a matter of understanding what God has said and respecting the fact that we are made differently and for different purposes.

                                                                              --Shane Williams