“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, from his letter to Timothy

I cannot believe that we are here again settling this debate. Some dead horses just continue to be beaten. 

Years ago it was one of the earliest blog posts that I had made on this website, “Bible Q&A: Should Women Be Pastors?”. This question is prevalent through The Church and has been for quite some time. Many ask and ponder the question. “Maybe?”, they say. Some no longer ask and have already ordained women into the role of church leader. However, recently the question came up again as the Southern Baptist Convention has again voted against allowing women to serve as the leader of the congregation. It seems though the question and debate has received more scrutiny than ever before this time around.

I had seen many articles from various news outlets of The Voice. Especially those from The Left. I had no interest in what they had to say, so therefore I refrained from reading them. I cannot imagine that an outlet that is not Christian in origin and is ungodly in ideology would have anything of value to add to the conversation. Especially in the era of Women’s Rights, Equality, Equal Pay, and Gender Pay Gaps. Because such an outlet is not looking at this through the lens of The Bible, but through the lens of social justice, social norms, and feminism. The issue and the reasoning behind the SBC’s decision is rooted solely in The Scripture. Not in sexism, male patriarchy, and toxic masculinity as The Left and The Voice would have you to believe.

Facistbook made it a point to set before my eyes various posts from Christian women on their thoughts of the situation. Many were outraged. Stating that the decision was based on a bunch of men trying to keep the office of the pastorate as a “men’s only” club. Many accused the SBC of not allowing the feminine touch because they are trying to shut them out for the sake of sexual abuse. That, evidently, every man in the SBC is guilty of some sort of sexual crime against women and children. That the feminine touch is needed to right the wrong and set the captives free. Most of these women stated that they would leave the SBC for its ungodly and unbiblical practices in denying women their rightful duty of serving in the pulpit. Many of the women in the comments agreed to follow suit. There were even men following their lead in starting some sort of exodus from the church. A revolution, if you will.

I read many of these posts, opinions, and comments. I even commented on them with the biblical context of the situation at hand. Needless to say I was swarmed by Christian Feminists. Evidently I did not know what I was speaking of with my “mansplaining”. However, I noticed that there was one common denominator with each post, opinion, and comment. Especially those that answered me. That common denominator was that none of these women had observed and cited God’s Word as the reasoning behind their argument. They instead cited women that led some sort of leadership role in The Bible, or made some sort of contribution to ministry. Allow me a moment to shine the light on some of these heroines that these women claimed were the evidence of “female pastors”.

Deborah (Judges, Ch.4-5): Some of these women had cited the leadership role of Deborah in The Old Testament as one of the first examples of a female leader in The Church. One of these “Female Pastors” had argued that Deborah was the “first female pastor”. One has to really stretch the definition of “judge” in order to make it fit the mold of “pastor” or “spiritual leader”. During this time of Israel’s history, they had yet to have a king. The Judges acted as a decision making authority, in both discernment in various situations in Israel and decisions in going to war. They were also responsible in protecting Israel spiritually from pagan influences. We are very familiar with Deborah leading Israel in war against The Canaanites. However, her role would have been an equivalent to a modern day President. She did not lead Israel spiritually in the “church sense” (because, you know, they had male priests from the lineage of Levi). Also, the topic at hand is the role of “pastor” in the church, not simply a leader for a nation. Two completely different roles with two completely different purposes. So, no, Deborah was not the first female pastor. I would have expected the “Female Pastor” to have known this, considering her biblical training and the leading of The Holy Spirit in discernment of God’s Word. But, then again, my toxic masculinity must have clouded my judgment.

Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-8): The argument here for the former demon possessed woman turned disciple is that she was one of the first pastors all together. Because she saw the resurrected Christ… and went and told the disciples. The argument is that since she shared the “good news” with the disciples, she witnessed of His resurrection and therefore “preached”. And she preached to men at that, which evidently refutes 1 Timothy 2:12. First, she did not teach anything. She simply told the men of The Truth that she had witnessed. She did not preach a sermon. Second, this did not mean that she had stumbled into the role of church leader. As a matter fact, The “Church” was nothing more than the disciples and a few followers hanging out in the shadows. Nothing was organized. I am uncertain as to where these Christian Feminists and Female Pastors are getting their biblical training. Oprah? But it should be very concerning.

John Mark’s Mother (Acts 12:12), Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11), Lydia (Acts 16:14-15),  Nympha (Colossians 4:15): from what we read in the biblical text, these women became followers of Christ and were baptized. They also opened their homes to fellow believers during the time of the early church (which were held in homes). It should be noted that, because of the absence of the mention of the name of a male, that there was a significant likelihood that these women were either unmarried, widowed, or their husbands did not accept Christ and would not partake in the church. We get the same impression from Timothy when he was taught by Eunice and Lois in his youth (2 Timothy 1:5). It is believed that his father refused Christ, which is why he was absent in raising Timothy in the way that he should go. However, there is no indication in The Scriptures that these women led the church in their homes, preached, or taught. There is no indication that them opening up their homes to fellow believers meant that they gathered there for corporate worship. And even if it meant that they were hosting church in their homes, there is nothing in The Scriptures mentioning who was leading these churches. To say that these women were teaching and leading church in their homes is an assumption based on the fact that they “opened their homes” and were undoubtedly hospitable. And to assume something from The Bible and stand on its authority is to speak on God’s behalf. And to speak on God’s behalf based on assumptions… is to say that you know more than God. I would hope that these Christian Feminists would know that. There I go… mansplaining again.

Priscilla (Acts 18:26): One of the greatest examples that the Christian Feminist uses to justify female pastors is that of Priscilla, wife to Aquila. We read in The Scriptures that the couple had taught more accurately The Gospel to Apollos, who was only familiar with the baptism of John. Many state that this is evidence that women not only should preach to and teach men, but because Priscilla’s name is mentioned before Aquila’s in many cases, it is evident that she is more prominent and influential than he. Therefore she was a church leader and pastor. Again, this is forcing doctrines and ideals into the text that is not there. In other words, assuming. First, there is no evidence that the couple pastored a church. They were hospitable in welcoming Apollos into their home, but we do not see any mention that this home was an active church. Second, as a couple they better explained this new doctrine of Salvation to a man that was well versed in theology and doctrine. In other words, it would have been the equivalent of a Christian man that follows erroneous teachings being taught to by a husband AND wife. Even if Aquila and Priscilla were church leaders, then it would be no different than being ministered to by a pastor and his wife. There is no evidence here that they pastored a church and there is no evidence that Priscilla was one of the first female pastors.

Phoebe (Romans 16:1): Phoebe is a unique entry. Because she is called a “deaconess” in The Scriptures. This is interesting, seeing as the qualifications for a Deacon in 1 Timothy 3 pertain to a male figure. However, it also mentions “women, likewise…”. In the early church it was common for women to minister to the sick, poor, and needy. This ministry is the definition of that of a Deacon (which means “Servant”). Some believe that she may have not held an official title or office of Deacon, however because she was doing the work of a Deacon she was considered a “Deaconess”. Again, being a Deacon does not make you the pastor, spiritual leader, or teacher of a church. These are two completely different offices.

John’s “Elect Lady” (2 John 1:1): I have seen from the Christian Feminist the argument that “The Elect Lady” was in fact a pastor. Because “Elect (of/by God)” means that she was chosen and called to be a pastor. This redefinition of “elect” is stretching it really, really far. “Elect” here does not mean “Elected to be a pastor”, because there is nothing in the context to make that claim. There is nothing in The Word to state that she pastored a church. It does, however, mean “elect” as far as being a Christian. The Redeemed are also referred to as “The Elect”. Her designation is not speaking of pastoral calling. It is speaking of the calling of Salvation that we all have.

Junia (Romans 16:7): Junia, although one of the less memorable women mentioned in The New Testament, is by far the greater example for the female pastor during the development of the early church. Simply because she was an Apostle. Or was she? The passage quoted by the Christian Feminist reads “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.” The advocate for Female Pastors takes the phrase “among the apostles” to mean that she was an apostle (among meaning “one that is with or belongs to”). And she was an outstanding Apostle at that. However, the Greek terms used for “among the…” are episēmos (of note, noted) and en (by, with). It would be better translated as “noticed by…”. The use of the term “outstanding” simply strengthens the degree of being noticed. The ESV translation states “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles.” As you can see, if you study the original text as it was written, it is evident that Junia was not an Apostle. Her works and deeds, however outstanding, were well known to them. 

These above women are the common denominators for the argument from The Christian Feminist and Female Pastor as to why women should be pastors. However, there is a great lack of evidence in The Word that these women pastored or led a church. When one brings this point up to them in discussion, they respond in two ways. First, they will tell you that the evidence is in the “historical writings/documents”. However, if you ask them where one can find these historical documents, they have no response. Believe me, if you were to produce an actual historical document, written by a reputable Christian historian during the time of the early church, that states that women such as Phoebe and Junia did in fact pastor and teach in a home church (and they held the title of “pastor/overseer/shepherd”), and he uses clear and strong biblical references, then I will recant this entire blog post and my previous one on women pastors and I will write a defense for them. However, not just could these women not produce one, but upon my own search I have yet to find chronicles written about the early church and who pastored them. Second, when you bring up 1 Timothy 2:12 that states that women cannot be pastors, and (2:13-14) that gives the reason why, they usually respond with “That was Paul’s writings”, or “Paul was prejudiced because of the toxic masculinity of his day”. So, evidently The Scriptures are inspired by The Holy Spirit as the true Word of God, with men as the instrument for penning the words, except for this passage. The Holy Spirit supposedly let loose of Paul briefly that he may corrupt God’s Word with his own sexist opinion. You cannot make this stuff up. Well actually they can. And they did.

The only way that one can argue that these women were female pastors, and that The Word states that they can be, is to reinterpret and rewrite scripture. To invent situations that were never written. To create an entire world based on assumptions from the mere mention of a woman’s name. This hyper-implied notion is treated as gospel not because of the missing facts and evidence, but because one chooses to make it their truth. They intentionally ignore and suppress the explicit verse of 1 Timothy 2:12 that states that women are not permitted to teach a man. They ignore the other verses that solidify that statement, such as (2:13-14), and (3:1-7). Or they just simply choose to rewrite its meaning and its author.

The verses in question from 1 Timothy 2 state that a woman is not permitted to teach a man. This is a simple cut and dry truth, and because it is from The Word of God, then we need no further explanation. We accept it for what it is. Who are we to question God? However, our nature does not allow us to simply “Yes sir!” when we are told “Because I said so!”. We want to know the “why”. The reason why is given in verses (2:13-14). Because of Eve’s fall to Temptation in The Garden. Now there are two points here that fall under her fall. First, because of Eve’s fall, the woman is placed under the protective headship of her husband. This is the God ordained design and we see in 1 Timothy 2-3 that this design is given to the church structure as well regarding the office of church overseer. It may not make sense why God would choose the marital structure for The Church. Maybe because The Church is The Bride of Christ? Second, because Eve fell to the temptation of The Serpent. He said “Did God really say…?”, and she questioned God. Much like today, when he says “Did God really say that women can’t be pastors?”, and then she follows in Eve’s footsteps. 

I used to believe that the reason why Eve’s fall is the reason why women cannot pastor a church was because women think more with their emotions. They can be easily deceived. I probably used the term “gullible”. I may have even given this as my reasoning as to why they are not permitted to lead The Church the first time I wrote about it. However, I know a great deal of Christian women that are strong enough in Faith and Truth that they bruise the head of The Serpent daily. I had spoken this thought to my pastor recently, who is teaching a series on 1 Timothy. He believes that it is not because women can be easily deceived or are naive (although it may have something to do with it. Because women are designed to reason more from the seat of emotion). His belief opened my eyes. It is a belief that I now adopt because it makes more sense. The reason why women cannot be pastors is not because of deception.

It is because of Compromise.

God made it clear that He does not permit a woman to lead The Church. His only reason was because of the headship of Christ above Man, and Man above Woman. However, there are many denominations and churches that have compromised on God’s Word and have allowed The Christian Feminist and The Female Pastor to reign. These churches that have permitted women leadership did not stop there. They now permit homosexual pastors, support The Alternative, and perform gay marriages. Many even support The Blood of The Innocents, stating that abortion is an example of Christian love. The focal point of theology in many of these churches is not Sin, Repentance, Salvation, Sanctification, and Holiness. No. The foundation of their theology now rests in Social Justice. They are no longer a church, but a compromised liberal cult that follows the teachings of The Left.

Eve compromised and ate of the fruit. She fell to Satan’s temptation. Now many liberal and progressive “churches”, led by women, compromise daily and eat the rotten fruit of The World. They had fallen to the temptation of Satan, when he inspired them to question if the role of Pastor was truly forbidden amongst women. They questioned God’s Word. They ignored His commands. They inserted doctrines that did not exist and created titles that people never had. Now those churches stand in theological ruin. Completely void of The Truth. 

But what can we expect? The pressure of society is great. Many are too weak to stand under such pressure. Feminism has taught women that “Anything that men can do, you can do better!” That is what is at the root of The Christian Feminist’s desire for Female Pastors. The one thing that The Bible tells women that they cannot do is pastor a church. It does not deny them the right to do anything else. If a woman so chooses to lead a broken nation such as America, by all means do so. If a woman desires to work in construction, what is stopping her? If she so chooses to pursue trucking, get behind the wheel. If she, for whatever reason that is perplexing, wants to do the grueling work of working in the oil fields and on oil rigs, what is stopping her? In the past women typically did not desire to do the back breaking work that men have always done. They did not yearn to be on the front lines of the battlefield. Yet, feminism taught them that they can and they should. And for women worldwide, they should show up the men. Show them how it is done and how it is done right. This is why many Christian Feminists and Female Pastors state that The Church is broken. Because the men have crashed the ship into the rocks. Now the women need to step in and right the ship. Because Pastoral Ministry needs a woman’s touch. As feminism teaches- men can do nothing right. In reality, we do not need them.

But God’s Word teaches that a woman is not allowed to pastor a church. This… one… thing. Yet, that is not good enough. Just like the overtaking of The Boy Scouts, they must have that too. And in order to have that, you must reinterpret and rewrite Scripture, or ignore it all together. Essentially you must recast God into your own design. The sad thing about these Christian Feminists that argue for Female Pastors, is that in their obsession with taking hold of the pulpit they have missed the point entirely. The aforementioned women did amazing things for The Kingdom of God. Things that have been “outstanding among” the words of The Bible. Things that are even greater than most modern day Male Pastors. Women can serve many roles in the church. From teaching in women’s and children’s ministries, to leading in the worship music. Yet, for The Christian Feminist, they equate not being able to take the pulpit to being chained into a cage under the stairs with duct tape over their mouth. Never to serve or do anything meaningful for God. It is like the spoiled whiney toddler- “If I can’t have it my way, then I don’t want it at all!”.

The Southern Baptist Convention does not deny women the right to pastor because they are sexist. It is not because toxic masculinity dictates that it is a “men’s only club”. It is not because they are behind closed doors, smoking cigars and abusing women as laughter reverberates across the room. Because they do not want their dark secrets exposed. It is because, unlike The Christian Feminist and The Female Pastor, they take God’s commandments seriously. They do not want to rewrite The Bible. They do not want to recast God. They also have seen that churches that have permitted female pastors have fallen down the slippery slope into the downward spiral. Now those churches no longer resemble The Bride of Christ. They are nothing more than an advocacy group for The Left’s liberal ideology. It is a hill that they are willing to die on. 

The Christian Feminist and Female Pastor believe that they are doing a great work for God. That they are leading the charge to liberate women from the shackles of not being able to pastor The Church. That they are creating a revolution that will forever change The Church for the better. That Jesus is standing on the sidelines, shouting “Go get ‘em girls!”. But what they do not realize is that they are sowing seeds of division in The Church. That they are strumming dissonant chords. Leading people away from their churches, and some from Faith all together. All because they have chosen not to surrender to God’s Word. All because they have chosen to follow societal standards and not the standards of The Church. Which are the standards that we should all align with. Little do they realize that the accolades that they claim are from a godless world. Yet, at the day’s end it is not God’s reward that they will find. But it will be His Judgment for their disobedience that will be brought upon their head.