Can Females Be Pastors ? by Dave Davenport

Is there a more divisive issue in the church today? At the very least it joins the shortlist of hotly debated topics including biblical tongues, Calvinism versus Dispensationalism, the age of the Earth, and the Book of the Revelation.

As if to underscore the controversy the daughter of perhaps the best-known “evangelical” figure of our day (other than the Pope) claims that God has “called” her to teach in public assemblies (consisting of both men, women, and children) based on a verse that she “claims” from the Old Testament.

Indeed, Billy Graham himself confirms that he thinks that Anne Graham Lotz, his eldest daughter Who is married to a Raleigh, North Carolina Dentist, is the most capable “Preacher” in the family. This in spite of the fact that his eldest son Franklin Graham, at the head of Samaritan’s Purse, Has preached in front of thousands of people at the Graham crusades.

A further complication enters the discussion as the NATURE of the office of Pastor/Teacher Is debated. Is a female missionary teaching on the mission field acting as a “Pastor?” And What about a female bible study teacher, Sunday school teacher, or parachurch study leader?

As in the case of all other controversies, there is only one opinion that matters. “What sayeth The Scriptures?”

Clarity

We can be thankful that the bible always anticipates our questions and answers them. We are never left to our opinions on a major issue, and the controversy over the female Pastor is no exception.

2Timothy 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.”

The Apostle Paul is telling us that everything that he writes in doctrine, reproof, correction, And training in righteousness is for our UNDERSTANDING. Not for our CONFUSION.

1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

So we can be sure that God would not have us “be ignorant” of such an important issue.

Explanation

The OFFICE of the Pastor is incredibly important to the well-being of the body of Christ as we Shall see:

Ephesians 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers”

Ephesians 4:12 “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

Since the Cannon of Scripture is completed, God is not giving “revelations” today as He did To Paul and to the other church fathers. There are no Apostles or prophets in the Body Of Christ today, and so it is clearly evident that the gift of Pastor is the single most important gift in the Church, and that the gift of Evangelist may be the single most important gift to the unchurched.

Old Testament

The solution presents itself right at the beginning of Creation:

Genesis 3:13 “And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

After the fall of Creation Satan DECEIVED Eve, and she ate, and she FELL into sin. Later Her husband Adam also ate and FELL into sin. This reality is confirmed in the New Testament:

1Timothy 2:11 “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.”
1Timothy 2:12 “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”
1Timothy 2:13 “For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” 1Timothy 2:14 “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
1Timothy 2:15 “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”
There it is.

There can be no legitimate controversy over this issue because not only is it fully explained in Paul’s commentary, but a clear solution is presented. Anything else is not of faith.

Paul CONFIRMS the Genesis story about the fall, and he EXPLAINS it.

1. Eve disobeyed God through (sinful) deception.
2. Adam disobeyed God through (willful) volition.
It has been said that Adam’s sin was the worse, because of The volitional component and I agree.

And so we are presented with THREE explanations for the declaration that a woman CANNOT USURP (seize the place of the God-given role) the authority of man in the teaching role:

1. The woman (by nature) was blessed with a stronger emotional/intuitive/nurturing nature which subjects her to a lesser discernment. This is NOT an issue of Intelligence. It is an issue of NATURE. The man has certain strengths, and the Woman has others.

2. The Man was FIRST in the creation order, and so, REGARDLESS of intelligence, The MAN is entrusted with the role of LEADER which is closely aligned with TEACHING.

3. The woman shall be “saved” from this deception by fulfilling her proper ROLE Of not USURPING the man’s authority. If she refuses the commandment of The Lord, and USURPS the man’s teaching role then she SHALL NOT be “saved” from deception.

Could anything be clearer? Paul is CONFIRMING that the situation REMAINS in The church that the MAN is to fulfill the teaching role because of his creation-order Status, and because of his greater ability for doctrinal discernment.

Culture

Much has been made in contemporary society about being “enlightened” in modern Culture but the bible has no agreement with such a sentiment . In fact, cultures are always “de” evolving. Men and women always think they know better than God, and they are always Being proven wrong.

Although, from a salvational perspective, the GENDER advantages and distinctions From the Nation of Israel have been set aside during the present Pauline dispensation:

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The GENDER ROLES AND COMMANDMENTS have NOT BEEN SET ASIDE:

1 Corinthians 14:34 “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.”

This is written by Paul regarding the present Body of Christ, and he is clearly pointing out that just as under the “law The prohibition against women usurping the male’s role of teaching CONTINUES. The changing Of the nature of modern culture is immaterial. The commandment is the same.

Explanation

In our understanding of the importance of the church NOT BEING DECEIEVED it is helpful to Review Paul’s further explanations about one word in particular: Subtlity.

2Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Paul is extremely concerned that the Body of Christ will be led astray through SUBTILTY. Why?

Because he knows that Satan’s greatest weapon against human beings is to promote bad doctrine though SUBTILITY! This is his WEAPON OF CHOICE:

1Corinthians 13:10 “And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”

Which brings us to a key passage in the consideration of the issue:

1Timothy 3:2 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”

Again the Apostle Paul writes about the church and God’s plan for the Bishop (“Overseer”, using the Pastor-Teaching gifts) That he be:

“APT TO TEACH”(chapter 3 verse 2), DOCTRINE (the word is used NINE times in 1Timothy), FREE OF SUBTIL DECEPTION.

There it is.

The Pastor is to be a MAN(the husband of one wife) who can TEACH without DECEIVING.

Conclusions

The bible is given for our instruction and is the absolute final authority on all matters Regardless of human opinion or experience. It matters not one bit that people “claim” That God has told them otherwise. God never contradicts His written word. God Cannot lie but humans can and do.

Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

Women need not feel like second class citizens at all when they biblically consider that They have equal value but a different God-given role:

1Corinthians 8:

“For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.”

When anyone says that the bible is irrelevant and doesn’t mean exactly what it clearly Says, then that person has been DECEIEVED by Satan and been victimized by His lies through subtil deception.

God loves us equally, but is a God of order. He has gifted CERTAIN men to teach The church publically and to “labor in doctrine” to assist the church against Subtil deception.

Consider

It should be considered further that the overwhelming majority of MEN are not gifted or Enabled by God to stand as Pastors in front of a congregation.

Have you ever heard a man say that he feels discriminated against by God because He has not been blessed (and some might say cursed) with the gift of Pastor/Overseer?

Some of Paul’s writings describe our situation in the church today where many Unqualified men AND women desire to be teachers:

1Timothy 1:7 “Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”

2Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”

1Timothy 3:1 “This is a true saying, If A MAN desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

The majority of men are not enabled, gifted, or capable of fulfilling the office. We ought to be thankful for The ones so gifted in God’s sovereign providence.

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