“Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”

-Paul, in his first letter to Timothy

It makes perfect sense.

They are allowed to leave home and journey into the world of employment. They are allowed in select nations to vote for politicians. They are allowed to be politicians. They can be CEOs, COOs, and CFOs. They can be actresses, athletes, artists, musicians, and writers. They can even drive freight trucks if their heart so chooses. In the sick twisted world of The Alternative they can even be pregnant “men”. They are not restricted from doing these things. No. They are not forced in many nations to wear a burka and stay hidden in their homes. No. Yet there exists the shadow of contention that divides the church. One that was a focal point of the most recent Southern Baptist Convention. Its contentious ways grow by each year as we become more aware of human rights and feminism. Granted the latter is unbiblical and has no place in the church. What is this contention that I speak of?

Should women stand behind the pulpit and hold the title “pastor”?

In our current state of affairs, where the aforementioned have such freedoms in society, then the answer is “yes”. Like with any other profession, women should be allowed to be pastors. However, we should not allow ourselves to define such things on man’s criteria. Many believers do so. For example many so-called “Christians” approve of The Alternative because it has earned the approval of man. Yet The Word says otherwise. If we turn our beliefs away from His Word based on the current belief of man, then who is the god that we obey?

Many Christians hold fast to the Biblical teaching that only men can be leaders of the church, whether his title is Pastor, Reverend, Bishop, Elder, etc. Their go to scripture on this matter is 1 Timothy 2:11-12, which reads “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” What? Has Chauvinism reared his ugly head to spit into the face of godly women? To wrap her mouth in Silence, only to allow her to sit with her head bowed in humble submission as if she is auditioning for a role in The Handmaid’s Tale? Essentially such uncomfortable truths are furthered by Paul saying “I do not permit…” This choice of words then shifts the argument to the track that the Bible was written by “sexist men”. So out of touch they are! Therefore, since it was Paul’s directive and not God’s, then it must be inherently flawed and an invalid argument. However, if that is your argument against the pulpit only being reserved for men, then you truly need to examine yourself and your faith. Because then you can cherry pick which parts of The Word are truly God’s, and which one were men’s, thus negating the work of The Spirit in using men to write scripture (hint: it is all God’s words). His Word is then opened up for redefining based on the opinion of man. Again, who is god?

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…”

-Paul, in his second letter to Timothy

Ultimately the argument from the prescribed scripture is usually simply “women cannot pastor a church because The Bible says so” If your opposition sees past the “it was written by sexist men” argument and truly believes that Scripture is still God breathed, then the feeble finite little human mind begs the question “why?”. After all,  it is only human nature to question that which we do not agree with. Even God. Though who are we to question His will?

To answer the question is to continue reading the prescribed text. From 13-14: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” Could it be that the right of men only standing in the pulpit is rooted in Eve’s deception in The Garden? Is it a coincidence that the denominations that have allowed women pastors, and the church organizations that master these denominations that have allowed women leaders, also now allow a theology that welcomes The Alternative? Not just a twisting of The Word to allow this lifestyle without consequence, or joining two before the altar, but even allowing those that bathe in its way to stand in the shadow of the cross and… preach? Maybe, because of this deception, God had foreseen the consequences of placing women in the head leadership role of the church? Or is it simply a continuous repercussion of her disobedience that she is denied the pulpit?

Could a connection exist between the two? 

“But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

-The Apostle Paul to The Church in Corinth

There is no doubt that women are able to passionately pierce the hearts of The Brethren on Sunday morning. There is no doubt that women can minister to and counsel The Broken. But God, through Paul, simply stated that this is not to be. She can teach and encourage other women. She can do likewise before the children. She can even encourage and pray with the men of the church. She is called to serve in this manner. She has a purpose for The Kingdom as she too trods the forsaken soil. However, she cannot be the head of the local church just as God ordained her to not be the head of her husband. In our secular and feminist infested world it does not make sense to place this limit on her. However it is not the secular and feminist world that we are to answer to. Whether or not we agree with it. God has His reason. He does not conform to us. We are to conform to His unchanged will. 

Otherwise, who is the god we serve?

“Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.”

-The Apostle Paul to The Church in Corinth