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Daughters
of God: The
Role of Women in the Church
by Jane Maynard
Have you noticed what's going on
in the religious world around us? Have you turned on your
television and just watched? When it comes to religion, women
are all over the place. Women are functioning as full time tele-evangelist
with their own religious programs. There are other women
claiming to be faith healers and there are scores of women
preachers in society around us. I don't know that a woman
preacher is a new thing, but the only one I ever knew as a child
growing up was my school teacher who happened to also be a
Nazarene preacher. She was however, a rarity for her time.
These so called "women
preachers" are not dummies when it comes to what they
believe in. Recently while spending a weekend in Houston, Texas,
I flipped through several channels on the TV and found the same
woman, with her own show, on three different channels. Many of
the things she was teaching on prayer and faith were very good
thoughts. So, many of the "women preachers" obviously
have abilities and talents in the teaching field. Certainly
their desire to do great things for God seems, for the most part
to be a legitimate desire to serve. And I have no doubts that
they seriously believe that they are doing a right thing before
God. There is however, another end to that which borders on the
totally ridiculous. For example, I watched with amused interest
one lady on a religious program recently relating how this big,
vicious looking dog had chased her. The dog chased her until she
climbed up a tree to get away from the animal. Jesus, at that
point, began telling her to look at the dog. She began to say
back to Him that she couldn't look at the dog. Finally after
much coaxing, Jesus convinced her to look at the dog. She then
stated that what she saw when she did look was the dog sitting
on the ground grinning at her and she added that he didn't have
a tooth in his head While this makes for a good story, it is
hardly believable even to a very liberal thinker. But in the
eyes of the world about us, not much has to make sense, and for
the most part any story or teaching makes these women come
across to their following as great successes and great servants
in the kingdom of God.
So what is going on with
these women? Are all these things okay? Are they not okay? What?
Surely women who really want to serve God acceptably need an
answer and a truthful one at that. In fact, no other answer is
acceptable. We need to know what God wants and expects of women,
especially those of the Lord's church. The world about us, as we
all well know, has a powerful influence on us. And, whatever is
going on in the world around us eventually finds its way into
the Lord's church. This is nothing new. For example, if the
latest fashion demands a dress as low cut as it can possibly go
and as high cut as it can possibly go, just watch and see if
that doesn't come to worship. Israel's women of old did the same
things, but not with God's blessings (Isa. 3:16ff).
True to form the actions of the
women of the religious world around us have come into the church
Women are now teaching mixed adult Bible classes, which to my
dismay; I ended up in one on one of my recent trips out of town.
Women are now reading the Scriptures in the worship service,
leading or assisting in leading singing, prayers and assisting
at the Lord's table. It has come to my attention that at least
one congregation now has women in its eldership. So, where are
we as God's daughters? Are all these things pleasing to God?
Does it really make any difference, who does what in the Lord's
church, just as long as it gets done? Are there in fact, any
limitations placed on women in their role in the church?
I think the real question should
be why don't we just let God tell us what He wants? There are
two unique and distinctive gender roles in the Scriptures; the
role of the man and the role of the woman. Both the man and the
woman are equal in some ways before God. They are equal before
Him when it comes to their redemptive worth, Gal. 3:28. Their
souls are of equal value. Both are equal in being made in the
image of God, Gen. 1:26. He created them male and female. Both
are equal in procreation abilities, Gen. 1:28. There is no way
in the world to reproduce human life with out a contribution
from each. Both were given an equal command to be rulers over
the earth, Gen. 1:28.
However, man and woman are
different in their distinctive roles in the home and the church.
In order to more clearly see that difference let us consider
first a few things about the role of the man. Man has a
spiritual leadership role. Adam was the first created being;
therefore, he has a priority in creation. That priority is tied
to the firstborn principle. It is with the first man that God
established the male leadership role. He was, and all men after
him, were to be the spiritual leaders in the home and the
church. Also all of those coming after or from Adam would
naturally be in submission to him. This is God's design and His
pattern.
The male spiritual
leadership role given to the man in the beginning of time has
never changed. It never will because it is established eternally
in God's holy Word. We see that role clearly in existence
throughout the Patriarchal age. A good example of this is seen
in such men as Job, Abraham, Jacob and others as they served as
the spiritual heads of their families. We also see the spiritual
leadership role of the man just as clearly in existence
throughout the Jewish age. All the temple service, offering of
sacrifices, etc. was carried out by the males. And we see it
just as clearly in existence in the New Testament church. Where
is the first woman Apostle? Where is the first woman preacher?
Where is the first woman eider? God has clearly given man the
leadership role. Man has also been given the headship of the
home. "For the husband is the head of the wife, as also
Christ is the head of the church and He is the Savior of the
body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let
the wives be to their own husbands in everything" Eph.
5:23, 24. "But I want you to know that the head of every
man is Christ, the head of woman is the man, and the head of
Christ is God" 1 Cor. 11:3.
God defines headship of the woman
in unmistakable terms. However Christ loves the church; is
exactly how the man is to love his wife. A man is to copy to the
best of his ability the Christ who hovers over His church with a
nurturing, loving, sacrificing, protective and provisional
spirit, helping her grow and mature spiritually. The question
may be asked about those who do not have heads in the home and
there are homes where such is true, but women are still to train
their children according to the pattern God has given. The pattern
is without flaw; it's the people who use it that get things
messed up.
The male
spiritual leadership role was not given as an award for
outstanding services on the part of the man. Neither was it
given because God thought the woman was a little dense or
because she was downright stupid. The principle for a male
spiritual leadership role came from God. He established order
and design in everything He has created and according to His
wisdom. We have no problem understanding that in creation around
us. Just suppose the sun was moved one inch closer to our earth,
we would burn to a crisp. Or suppose it was moved one inch
further away from our earth, we would freeze to death. God has
established the design necessary in everything in order for
it to work to its greatest effectiveness for the whole.
So when we ask why God established a male spiritual leadership
role, we may very well be asking a foolish question. Many
do not want to accept the fact that God has so designed
the male leadership role, making the claim that women are more
spiritual minded than men, which I do not doubt. The same
ones also claim that women study the Bible more than men
and that women are better Bible teachers than men are and I do
not argue with those statements either. While speaking to a
group of sisters at a Ladies day in Grenada, Mississippi several
years ago, I asked the question, "Why do you think God
commanded men to lead in the church and the home?" I shall
never forget an elderly sister raising her hand and saying,
"I know, sister Maynard, if God had not commanded the man to
lead he would have set back and let the women do it
all." I have never heard a better answer but that does not
change the fact that God in His wisdom ordered what was needed,
what works best for the whole and what He wanted to use to
most effectively get His work done.
Now, let's move from the male
role and look more closely at the role of the woman in the home
and in the church. God in the beginning of time formed the woman
with a specific role in mind. She was created to complete the
man, to be his effective counterpart Remember Adam was
incomplete without the woman, only a woman could fill the role.
She was the only creature suitable for the man. They were each
created to be one-half of the whole in order that they might fit
together in their families, in their relationship to God, and in
their lives into one whole and complete unit.
In her role, woman was to assume
a quiet and submissive part of the whole. She would allow
the man to lead because it was so designed by God, not because
he was necessarily the best at the job, but because God has so
ordered it. The woman was not placed in her role because she was
inferior to the man; she was not. She was not placed
there because he was superior to her, he was not. She was not
placed there because she had less sense than the man did; she
did not. Nor was she placed there because she was of lesser
value in the eyes of God; she is not. God gave the woman the
role she was best suited to physically, mentally, emotionally
and spiritually and He gave it as a blessing and not the curse
that some have made it. He gave her the role that most
effectively accomplishes the work of church and family. She is
not in her role by accident, as a punishment or a curse. She is,
in fact in her role, because she is the only one who can fill
it.
There are two words, which have
almost become dirty words to some when it comes to the role of
the woman--submission and subjection. The word submission simply
means to yield and the word subjection means to put ourselves
under obedience to. Both mean to willing put oneself under the
headship of another. Jesus willing put Himself under obedience
to, yielded to or willing put Himself under the headship of God.
That is the same thing women are to do in submitting and
subjecting themselves to the divine pattern and design for their
respective role. In the home the wife is under the headship or
in subjection to her husband. He is to love her accordingly.
"Husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for it." "Husbands ought to
love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife,
loves himself." "For no one ever hated his own flesh
but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the
church" (Eph. 5: 25,28,29).
Whatever we see in the picture of
Christ for His bride-the church, is what we should see in
husband's treatment of his wife. He is not in a position of
dominance over her. She is not his slave. He does not have the
right to boss her around, berate her verbally, intimidate her
sexually, straighten her out or deem her as stupid. She is part
of him an effective counterpart of the man and she is to be
treated as such by the man. The woman is to be in submission to
her husband. She is his refuge, his helper and his encourager as
she patiently and prayerfully helps him grow to new heights in
the leadership of his family. I am convinced that every godly
woman who is serious about her work for God in the role He has
given her will be a "knee-walker" throughout her
entire life. Only on her knees will she be able to help him
become. Women as helpers are never successful when they resort
to nagging, threatening or the giving of ultimatums.
Women, like men, have a
distinctive role in the Lord's church. So much negativism has
been attached to the role of women and their work for the Lord.
Many start out in their classes or articles by stating what
women cannot do. While it is true there are things women are
forbidden to do, the Bible has far more to say about what women
can do than what they cannot do. We need to shift our focus.
Women are indispensable in the Lord's church. One estimate says
80-85% of all the work done in the church is done by women; not
in a public way, but the thousands of behind the scene works
that keep things going. Another estimate says that 90-95% of all
the evangelistic teaching done in the Lord's church is done by
women. When you take into consideration all the children's
classes, teen girl classes, ladies classes, home teaching, VBS
teaching, written materials by women plus all the ladies days,
retreats, etc. this number is not quiet so staggering. It is
women who are primarily responsible for teaching, training and
the growth of tomorrow's elders, preachers, husbands, fathers,
wives, teachers, etc. Anyone of these can be traced back to the
influence and teaching of God's daughters and that again
according to His design for the woman. What a great work women
of God do for His kingdom and many times do not even realize the
long lasting good that comes from their efforts.
Now in the world all about us and
even in the Lord's church in some places the claim is being made
that women have basically the same God given rights to function
in a public way that men do, especially in the worship services.
While the church does not, as far as I know, endorse women
preachers as the world does, there are places now allowing women
to teach classes of both men and women. Women in the world are
quick to respond that God has called them to preach when you ask
them how they can do that. I have never had one to go back and
deal with actual passages when justifying themselves. They
always involve the Holy Spirit in a direct operational way for
their so-called authority for preaching. As to those in the
church who see no harm in a woman teaching a mixed class, the
most frequent answer I have encountered is the referral to the
Ga1.3: 28 passage to show that there is no difference in men and
women now regarding church work; that in fact this passage shows
that the roles of distinction have been dissolved. If roles were
what this passage is talking about, those using the passage
certainly would have a leg to stand on. However, one of the
first and basic rules for interpretation of Bible Scriptures is
that you never give a passage a meaning, which makes it
contradict other plain passages. If Gal. 3:28 is talking about
abolishing roles it clearly contradicts many of the other
passages in 1 Corinthians. Galatians 3:28 is not talking about
role distinctions being destroyed. It is talking about barriers
being taken away in Christ. What the passage is saying is that
all are of equal importance to God and all have equal access to
God in Christ.
Others make the argument that
Paul in the 1 Corinthian passages was just dealing with a
cultural thing in the Corinthian church. Paul was just confused
about custom and culture. One thing we must remember always is
the fact that before there was such a thing as a custom in this
world, before there was culture, or even before there was a
worship service, there was a male spiritual leadership role. It
was established with the first man and is clearly visible in
every age thereafter in God's Word. So, we are back to our
initial question; can women preach and teach over the man?
Absolutely not and be acceptable with God.
The next question is; can women
serve in the worship services in a public way? Can they lead
singing or assist in the leading of singing, can they lead the
prayers, read the Scriptures or serve at the Lord's table?
Leadership in the public setting belongs to the man--to the
man-to the man! Throughout the Bible, by example, inference and
by Divine command, it is so. How much more does God have to do
to get the point across? The silence in the 1 Corinthian 14:34
passage is a silence to be observed in the worship assembly. The
silence is referring to women of God, restraining themselves
from the leadership role in public worship (26). So can a woman
assume the responsibility of public leading? Absolutely not and
be acceptable to God She would in fact, be in direct violation
of God's pattern and His command for the woman to be quiet and
submissive. The question is often asked, well what if an elder
tells her she can. Can someone please tell me where in
Scriptures God has given any man the right to tell a woman to do
something which God has already specifically said she cannot do?
Let's use the Lord's supper for
an example. The argument goes along these lines. It's no
different to stand up there and quietly pass the trays than it
is to sit in our seats and do so. Women participating do not see
this as a leading role. If we answer honestly some basic
questions I think we are not the only ones to consider. For
example, when an unbelieving onlooker comes into the service and
observes women down front assisting how do they see them? When a
visitor from a denomination who allows women to function in such
ways attends one of our services what do they think? What
message does it send to our children? If we attended a school,
governmental or political function and were confronted with a
panel of eight men and one woman, even though she did not
function verbally, would we conclude that she in some way was in
a leading role? Is it not true that we are responsible to God
for both the conditions of our own hearts and the impressions
for Christ, which we leave with others? Such a simple thing as
serving at the Lord's table becomes exactly what it is, women
functioning in a public leadership capacity. We can call it what
we want to, try to justify it in our own minds and desires, but
the impression it leaves on others will not go away-women as
worship leaders.
The role of the woman remains one
of subjection and quietness in the worship assembly. It is a
role, which allows the man to fill his role as God so designed.
So, can the woman function in the man's role and be pleasing to
God? Absolutely not. In fact the woman is not to make her self
visible in any way, by actions, speech, or dress which would
draw attention to herself 1 Peter 3:1-6.
The real question is; why would a
woman want to function in a public way in the worship services?
What is the gain, what is the purpose? Why do we always want
something we have been told we cannot have? Do you suppose the
devil knew exactly what he was doing when he approached the
woman and asked her, "Has God said you shouldn't?"
"But Eve don't you know?" I feel very sure he is still
making the same arguments to God's daughters today. Why are
women not content to serve where God has so designated that they
should? I think we should hear again and again the warning in
Romans 9:20. "But indeed, O man, who are you to reply
against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, why
have you made me like this?"
An all wise and knowing God has
limited the sphere of women's teaching and public worship
functions. When women step outside their role and assume the
right to function in a leading way in the church she violates
the principle of her subjection to the man. Therefore, she lays
aside also her subjection and submission to the God who made her
and she sets aside His pattern and His way. When she does this
she is out of subjection to both God and man.
Is it easy sometimes for women to
feel like they should just take hold of things and make
decisions for the man? Sure the temptation is there. I am almost
sure I would have deemed Noah as a crazy man when he came home
trying to explain building a boat, of all things, or explaining
that much water. And that is to say nothing of having to try to
comprehend living in that thing for a whole year with the man,
the kids, and the in-laws the dog and the cat. Knowing me I
think I probably would have assumed he had spent too much time
in the vineyard over the green wine. And there are times and
places where men are not qualified or prepared to do a good job
of leading the worship and multitalented women set in their
seats and cringe when a good old gospel hymn is sung without any
enthusiasm or joy. Men should give their very best when leading
the church. But however poorly he may do, that still does not
give woman the right to do the work for him.
So, why are women taking over in
public serving roles in such numbers? I believe there are three
basic reasons: First of all there are weak men who won't assume
the role God has given them. Adam is a key example of such a
man. He was told before Eve was to leave the forbidden fruit
alone. The Scriptures clearly teach that he knew what he was
doing; yet he stood right there and watched Eve take the fruit
and even took it when she handed it to him. Adam failed in his
male leadership role for his family (Gen. 2:15-17, 2:18, 3:6, 1
Tim. 2:14). Did Eve sin? Absolutely, she was deceived into it.
Take careful not of that word sisters, when considering doing
the work of the man. Satan isn't through with his deceitful
tactics. Men who will not assume their God given role will, like
Adam, be held accountable. Women who assume that male role just
because the man won't will be held accountable also.
Secondly, women take over in
public serving roles because of an ignorance of God's holy Word.
Acts 17:30, Hosea 4:6 and Amos 8:11 ff should instill within us
some urgency about becoming diligent students of God's Word. We
are more apt though to listen to the scholars who have
discovered that this doesn't mean that and that doesn't mean
this. There is an old saying, which is so true; "if it's
new it ain't true and if it's true it ain't new." The basic
thing to remember is that God wrote the Bible with us in mind.
He prepared it with the intention that we read it. He wrote it
so that even the simpleminded man could understand it. I have no
qualms with those that know all the languages and claim to be
able to find all the hidden meanings of certain words. Many
times these are helpful to the Bible class teacher. The truth of
the matter remains however, those who have a genuine love for
God and the same desire to do his will do not need the Word
interpreted for them, they will read and obey it as it is
written.
Thirdly, a certain element of
women takes over in public serving roles because of willful
disobedience. They have the attitude that I don't care what it
says, I think I can do this or that. Well if what we think would
save us, we could all do anything we want to and be acceptable
with God. However, throughout His Word we know that what we
think has nothing to do with out salvation. Only His directions
and His will are important when it comes to serving God
acceptably. Any other attitude will perish with the ones holding
them.
So, what are the limitations
placed on the woman in her role in the church? Any thing, which
takes her out of her role for a moment or anything that,
places her in the man's role for a moment. Both roles are
clearly defined in Scripture. Within her God designated role the
sky is the limit for the woman in her service to God. As God's
daughters we stand in the door of a new millennium. Ms Noah
stood in the door of a new world; she rose to the challenge. She
went into the boat with her husband armed with her faith and
hope. Ms Abraham stood in the door of a new nation, she walked
1500 miles beside her husband, having no ideal where she was
going and at age 90 she bore the child to set it in motion the
nation that would come form her and her husband. American
pioneer women stood in the door of a new freedom and they
crossed this nation in covered wagons, buried their babies by
the side of the trail, ditched their mothers heirloom quilts,
birthed their own babies, etc. They were all women of courage, fortitude,
love, sacrifice, determination and hope. All of these women
had one thing in common; not their faith, for many of the
pioneers had none. The one thing they had in common was that
they let their husbands lead. We as God's daughters stand in the
door of a new millennium. God's work for us is to do the work He
has given us in our role as a woman and to allow our men to
function in their rightful places; as the spiritual leaders for
the home and the church. I challenge every Christian woman to
look at the blessing God has given us in our respective role and
to get on with doing the work which He has given us to do,
helping get the souls of those we love most to heaven.
Jane
Maynard is a Women's Counselor at Mountain Home Church of
Christ. She travels the country speaking at Ladies' seminars.
©Jane
Maynard 2000, All Rights Reserved. |
