Women’s Role as Church Elders 1

Running Head: WOMEN’S ROLE AS CHURCH ELDERS

Women’s Role as Church Elders

Wilbur A. Reid

Regent University
 Women’s Role as Church Elders 2

Women’s Role as Church Elders

Great debate has been generated in the past 100 years regarding a woman’s role in the church.

Exegesis and opinions have been published in numerous books and magazines, and debates

within churches often cause emotions to run high. There are three primary biblical passages

that appear to place restrictions on women’s role in the church: 1 Corinthians 11, 14, and 1

Timothy 2. The challenge for today’s Christian leader is to determine if these words from Paul

were intended to be for a specific church, time, and culture or whether they are universal

principles to be applied to the church throughout time and cultures. The purpose of this article is

to focus particularly on the role of women as elders and teachers in the church.
 Women’s Role as Church Elders 3

Women’s Role as Church Elders and Teachers

As feminism and women’s rights have grown in the United States in the past 100 years,

the debate about women’s roles in the church has intensified1. A search of “women role church”

on Amazon.com shows 199 books currently available to purchase and Google Scholar shows

over 1 million articles on the topic. Emotions run high, as the words of the Apostle Paul seem to

contradict today’s egalitarian culture. There are three passages in the Bible that are at the

center of the controversy: 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, 1 Corinthians 14:34-37, and 1 Timothy 2:11-

15. Some of the key restrictions from these passages that will be discussed further in this article

are: “women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in

submission” (1 Cor. 14:34), “the head of the woman is man” (1 Cor. 11:3), and “I do not permit a

woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Tim. 2:12). When these

verses are considered outside of context and culture, Paul’s instructions seem to be blunt and

clear. The purpose of the majority of literature referenced above is to provide the context and

explain why these teachings are not relevant, or only partially relevant, in the 21st century.

Churches have taken a wide range of positions on this topic, with positions being

represented well by the three branches of my own Restoration Movement heritage. Churches of

Christ (non-instrumental) take a conservative position that is summarized:

In most churches, women have not been allowed to preach, teach, lead singing, lead
prayer or read scriptures in public worship services. They have not been allowed to
preside at the communion table or to serve as ushers, collect attendance cards, pass
collection baskets, or make announcements from the pulpit area. Women cannot lead
prayer in Bible classes, which we label private, if a baptized man is present, nor can she
be the “official” teacher of a Bible school class if a baptized man is present2.

1
(Liefield 1989)
2
(Rowland 1991, 40)
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Women in the Churches of Christ can only take roles within church ministry that are historically

women’s roles, such as work in the nursery, kitchen, and teaching children3. This position

insures that Paul’s directives in these verses will not be violated. The Christian Church

(Disciples of Christ) takes the opposite, liberal view that contends that Paul’s instructions were

for a specific time and culture in the first century and are not applicable to today’s church

because women today are educated and a woman speaking in public does not carry the

societal impact that it did in the early church4. This position places no gender restrictions on any

position and has led to a substantial number of women as elders, teachers, pastors, and even

the first female head of a major American denomination5. The Independent Christian Churches

and Churches of Christ take a moderate position that generally restricts the roles of elders, adult

teachers, and sometimes deacons to being men, but all other positions of ministry and

leadership being equally accessible to women6. Tradition within the independent Christian

Churches and Churches of Christ, not doctrine, is often seen as a barrier to women participating

in certain roles such as serving communion, pastoral care, and ministry team leaders.

At the heart of the debate is the challenge to understand Paul’s intent. There is no

question that the Jewish culture and the culture in Corinth and Ephesus, the cities that Paul’s

letters were initially delivered to, were different than today’s culture. Commands in other

passages such as “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12,

1 Thess. 5:26) and “wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14) are seen to be cultural and can be

adjusted to the appropriate warm greeting or servant attitude that can be applied to the current

culture. Even within the verses being evaluated here, not even a very conservative perspective

takes the verses at face value and requires coverings or complete silence from women in

3
(Foster, et al. 2004)
4
(Foster, et al. 2004)
5
(Foster, et al. 2004)
6
(Foster, et al. 2004)
 Women’s Role as Church Elders 5

worship services7. Women in these cultures were considered second class citizens, but

Christianity lifted them up and liberated them to do more than they had ever been allowed to do.

In Israelite law, an adult woman was considered a minor and was not educated8. The evidence

of this liberation in the church can be seen today in the status of women in countries with a

Christian heritage compared to the countries that have not had a Christian heritage. The key to

understanding Paul’s intent is to look for clues that would tell us if a principle is intended for a

specific time and place, or a general principle that is applicable through time.

Within the broad range of current research and exegetical work, there seems to be

general doctrinal consensus in several areas regarding women’s role in the church. First, God

sees no difference in the value of a man or woman. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor

free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Women were heavily

involved in the ministry of the New Testament church, to the point that the church was referred

to by outsiders as a “religion of women and children”9 or a “religion of widows and wives”10.

Women were invited to learn (1 Tim. 2:11), which was a radical shift in education of the culture.

Women received the gift of the Holy Spirit and prophesied (Acts 2: 17). Women prayed and

prophesied in the church (1 Cor. 11:3-16). Although there is still some debate, most scholars

agree that the reference to Phoebe as a deacon in Romans 16:1 refers to the position that Paul

describes in 1 Timothy 3:8. Christianity was appealing to women of the first century because it

gave them equal status and new opportunities for service11. Though the status of male and

female are equal before God, are there some roles that are appropriate for men and others for

women? There are many fascinating and worthwhile studies that can be conducted regarding

women’s role in the church, but the research question and focus of this article is regarding the

7
(Culver 1989)
8
(Grenz and Kjesbo 1995)
9
(Smollett 1794, 323)
10
(Grenz and Kjesbo 1995, 63)
11
(Grenz and Kjesbo 1995)
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primary contention that is still being debated vigorously: Using scripture as the authoritative

guide, is it appropriate for a woman to be an elder or teacher of adult men in the church today?

1 Corinthians 11

The first passage to consider is 1 Corinthians 11:3-16. The context of this passage is

orderly worship. Paul has just finished addressing questionable practices, such as eating meat

sacrificed to idols, and uses chapters 11 through 14 to address public worship. He begins this

section with a controversial passage:

Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the
woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with
his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with
her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. If a
woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace
for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought
not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory
of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man
created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the
woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of
woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything
comes from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her
head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long
hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long
hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have
no other practice—nor do the churches of God (1 Cor. 11:3-16, New International
Version).

There are two relevant points in this passage: (a) women were praying and prophesying in the

public worship service (1 Cor. 11:5, 13) and (b) the relationship between Christ, man, and

woman was applicable in all of the churches (1 Cor. 11:16), is referenced in other scriptures

(Eph. 5:22-23, Col 3:18-19), and seems to transcend culture.

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There is a contradiction that is difficult to reconcile because Paul provides instruction for

the occasion of women speaking in the public worship service, and then three chapters later he

says that “women should remain silent in the churches” (1 Cor. 14:34). It seems that most

Christians simply use the passage that fits their agenda, and they ignore the other one.

1 Corinthians 14

Three chapters later, Paul is still writing about orderly public worship when he focuses

on the desire of the believers to share their spiritual gifts. He identifies three situations that

require some people to be quite and listen. Speaking in tongues should be done one at a time,

and only if there is an interpreter. If there is no interpreter, then the speaker should remain

silent. Prophesying should be done in groups of no more than two or three, and all others

should remain silent. These are followed by the passage about women:

As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches.
They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want
to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is
disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If
anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am
writing to you is the Lord's command (1 Cor. 14:33b-37).

While the Greek language has some wonderful specificity in some words, such as love, there is

ambiguity regarding how the words aner and gune are translated. These are frequently used

words that may either refer to man or husband (aner), or woman or wife (gune)12. Therefore, a

reasonable translation of verse 34 may show that these verses refer not to an issue between

men and women in general, but to a husband and wife issue and an authority issue where the

wives were disrupting the service and challenging the authority of their husbands. This

12
(Rowland 1991)
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interpretation would make it possible to reconcile with 1 Corinthians 11:3-16. Paul closes this

passage by emphasizing that this is not his personal opinion, but is the Lord’s command.

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Paul writes to Timothy as the young man is ministering in Ephesus. Key messages of

the letter include developing leadership, refuting false teaching, relationships and propriety in

worship. The passage about women can be perplexing to the modern reader:

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to
teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first,
then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived
and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in
faith, love and holiness with propriety (1 Tim. 2:11-15).

Although the worship of his time may have been unique, with the temple of Artemis in Ephesus

with Timothy and the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth13, Paul seems to go out of his way to

indicate that this was a command for all time and cultures by referencing creation. The

indication is that women were not to be teachers because they are more susceptible to false

teachings.

Priscilla Teaching

There is one known story in the New Testament of a woman teaching a man. Priscilla

and Aquila heard Apollos preaching in Ephesus and realized that he did not have a complete

understanding of the gospel. They took him to their home and “explained to him the way of God

more adequately” (Acts 18:26, NIV). It is important to note that they taught together and they

13
(Bristow 1988)
 Women’s Role as Church Elders 9

taught in private, not in the church. Wallace examined the translation of the Greek word

ejktivqhmi that is translated explained, particularly as it relates to the 1 Tim. 2:12 passage that

says that women are not permitted to teach men. Does this Greek word imply teaching in the

same way that 1 Tim. 2:12 refers to?

This then seems to be the line of demarcation that this text encapsulates (especially
when it is compared to 1 Tim 2:12): a woman may explain the known facts of the gospel.
But whether she has permission to exhort men on the basis of those facts is both outside
the scope of Acts 18:26 and its context and is proscribed in 1 Tim 2:12. In practice, I
would see no problem with women instructing men in several areas in church ministry,
such as Sunday school classes on church history, basic Bible facts (with a minimum of
interpretation), and the like. But when it comes to teaching the Word to men in a manner
that involves interpretation and/or application/exhortation, this seems to be a violation of
the prohibition in 1 Tim 2:1214.

It is interesting to note that Paul used an unconventional method of referring to this couple:

Priscilla is mentioned before Aquila four of the six times that they are mentioned in the New

Testament15. It is likely that she was the lead teacher.

Other scripture

In addition to the three primary scriptures referenced above, there are four other New

Testament scripture that discuss the relationship between men and women, and husbands and

wives: Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:18-21, Titus 2, and 1 Peter 3:1-7. These passages

reinforce the message of the husband loving his wife as Christ loved the church and gave his

life for her, and the wife submitting to her husband. Biblical feminists, or Egalitarians, describe

these seven passages as “problematic, painfully puzzling, obscure, difficult, or isolated texts that

should be interpreted in the light of Galatians 3:28”16. Paul and Peter are consistent in their

14
(Wallace n.d.)
15
(Mickelson 1989)
16
(Strauch 1995, 64)
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message of headship. There are a number of women who are mentioned briefly as being

leaders within the churches, notably Romans 16. Phillip had four unmarried daughters that

prophesied (Acts 21:9).

Drawing Conclusions

Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16) and can’t contradict itself. There are

two points of view that emerge from study on this topic that contradict each other: (a) women

are instructed to submit to their husbands and to the male leadership of the church and (b)

women played a very active role in the church17. Scholars point to the ambiguity of several key

words in these texts that could change the meaning of a passage, such as man/husband,

woman/wife, teach, authority, or silence18. The social and cultural setting is critical to

interpretation of the scripture19. In today’s church, there are a lot of gifted and educated women

that are far more culturally advanced than the first century women.

The role of an elder is viewed differently by different churches, but for the purposes of

this discussion we will use the biblical model of an elder. The New Testament churches were

led by a plurality of elders in each church, and the elders were responsible for protecting against

false teachers, pastoring, leading, and overseeing the church20. Elders were also teachers and

preachers (1 Tim. 5:17-18). Teaching and preaching can be used interchangeably as

proclaiming the word of God.

They key concept that drives this debate is a woman having authority over a man, or a

wife over a husband. This is a concept that began in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:16) and is

17
(Foh 1989)
18
(Kroeger and Kroeger 2003)
19
(Robbins 1996)
20
(Strauch 1995)
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consistent throughout scripture, regardless of time and culture. Paul seems to go out of his way

to reference creation, the initial sin, nature, the law, and angels in these three key passages to

indicate that what he is saying is not based on culture. My research has led me to the

conclusion that (a) men and women are equal before God, (b) men and women serve and

minister equally within the church in almost every role, (c) the role of elder and teacher/preacher

is specifically assigned to men in a manner that transcends culture.

What are the practical implications of this conclusion? First, any separation of duties

between men and women that does not involve teaching adults or being an elder are likely the

result of tradition, not scripture. The fact that women in the New Testament were prophesying

and praying in the worship service, teaching Apollos, or serving as deacons can be reconciled

with the rest of scripture by recognizing that it was all done under the authority of the elders. A

controversial question in many of today’s churches would be: is it appropriate for a woman to

teach an adult Sunday School class or preach in a worship service with men in it? If it is done

under the authority of the elders, I believe that it would be appropriate. Deacons by their very

nature are servants, but in many churches they lead teams that include men and may be seen

as exercising authority over the men. Since their ministries submit to the elders, the argument

could be made that these ministries are within the directives of scripture. Due to the

responsibilities of biblical elders and the directions of Paul and Peter, I do not believe that it is

appropriate for a woman to be an elder.

Summary

Everyone interprets scripture with a bias that is developed over a lifetime of personal

experiences. On topics where scripture is ambiguous, these personal biases become more

influential in our conclusions. The role of women in the church is a very personal and emotional
 Women’s Role as Church Elders 12

issue that some consider to be a judgment on the value and worth of women. My own personal

biases are relevant to this conclusion. My background is in a moderate Christian Church, and I

have followed the teaching of men that I respect that the biblical role of elder and teacher within

the church is to be filled with men. However, with three daughters and experience working with

strong and capable Christian women, I began this project with an open mind and a hope that the

vast amounts of literature available would provide convincing arguments that Paul’s directions

could be attributed to the culture of the day. The complexities of the exegesis regarding the text

and the study of the culture are extensive and we can only scratch the surface in this article.

Further study on the relationship between husbands and wives, headship, submission, and love

is appropriate. While I believe that many of the restrictions that have been placed on women by

tradition have no basis in scripture, Paul’s reference to elements outside the culture, such as

creation, angels, and the law, make it difficult to accept arguments that women should be

elders.

In the final analysis, there is enough gray area on the topic of women’s roles in the

church that scholars of pure motives can arrive at different conclusions. However, we should

strive to insure that the church shapes society, and that society does not shape the church.

While we strive to follow the teachings of the New Testament to the best of our ability, it is

unlikely that anyone’s salvation is going to be affected by their interpretation of this topic. The

Restoration Movement has a slogan that is appropriate: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials,

liberty; in all things, love”21.

21
(Foster, et al. 2004)
 Women’s Role as Church Elders 13

References

Bristow, J.T. What Paul really said about women on equality in marriage. New York City, NY:
HarperCollins Publishers, 1988.

Culver, R.D. "A Traditional View." In Women in Ministry. Four Views, edited by B. Clouse and R.G. Clouse.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989.

Foh, S. "A Male Leadership View." In Women in Ministry. Four Views, edited by B. Clouse and R.G.
Clouse. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989.

Foster, D.A., P.M. Blowers, A.L. Dunnavant, and D.N. Williams, . The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell
Movement. Cambridge: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004.

Grenz, S.J., and D.M. Kjesbo. Women in the Church. A Biblical Theology of Women in the Church.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995.

Kroeger, R.C., and C.C. Kroeger. I Suffer Not a Woman. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2003.

Liefield, W. "A Plural Ministry View." In Women in Ministry. Four Views., edited by B. Clouse and R.G.
Clouse. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989.

Mickelson, A. "An Egalitarian View." In Women in Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989.

Robbins, V.K. The Tapestry of Early Church Christian Discourse: Rhetoric, Society and Ideology. London:
Routledge, 1996.

Rowland, R.H. "I permit not a woman..." to remain shackled. Newport, OR: Lighthouse Publishing
Company, 1991.

Smollett, T.G. The Critical Review, or, Annals of Literature. London: A. Hamilton, Falcon Court, 1794.

Strauch, A. Biblical Eldership. An urgent call to restore biblical church leadership. Colorado Springs, CO:
Lewis and Roth Publishing, 1995.

Wallace, D.B. Did Priscilla “Teach” Apollos? An Examination of the Meaning of ε in Acts 18:26.
http://bible.org/article/did-priscilla-teach-apollos (accessed June 4, 2010).