“WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE CHURCH”
INTRODUCTION:
À TRAGIC CAR
ACCIDENT:
A. Father killed outright…son rushed to the
hospital.
1. Taken in to surgery…doctor rushed in…
a. “I can’t operate this is my son.”
B. Many hear this story for the first time and
find it confusing:
1. Because the son was not adopted and never
had but one father!
2. Few guess quickly that the surgeon was the
boy’s MOTHER!
Á AS THE OLD SONG
RINGS,
”THINGS THEY ARE A CHANGIN’.”
A. Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
1. Designed to remove discrimination in the
workplace.
B. But for some, it meant more: a desire to
eliminate gender-defined roles and expectations in culture.
1. Though fine in the marketplace, many tried
to transfer the same logic to the church as well!
2. For some radical feminists there was a
rejection and often, an all out attack, on marriage and women who stay at home
to raise their children.
 EVEN MORE SERIOUS
WAS THE GROWING NUMBER OF MILTANT, FEMINIST VOICES IN THE CHURCH:
A. Increasingly
vocal in their insistence:
1. Broader role for women in ministry and
leadership.
2. A more public role for women in the worship
services of the church.
a. Some going so far as to insist on the
right of a woman to lead public prayer, lead singing, teach mixed-gender adult
Bible classes, or preach in the assembly.
B. Until recent years, only the most liberal
denominations called for and even implemented such drastic changes.
1. Now calls are being made from many
congregations of the churches of Christ and from the halls of some higher
learning institutions for such changes.
C. Accusations have even been made that Paul
cannot be trusted when it came to his view of woman’s role in the church:
1. He came from a Pharisaical culture that
limited women.
à IS THERE NEW
TESTAMENT TEACHING REGARDING WOMAN’S ROLE IN THE CHURCH THAT CANNOT BE WRITTEN
OFF AS A MATTER OF CULTURE?
A. The
answer: YES!
DISCUSSION:
Êï GOD’S ORDER FOR GENDER
FROM THE BEGINNING:
A. I
Cor 11:
1. V 2. “Now I commend you because
you remember in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them
to you…”
a. Two kinds of tradition: Human & Divine
1) Context indicates that he speaks of
inspired, Divine tradition:
a) II Thes 2:15. “So
then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by
us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”
2. The foundation of his teaching regarding
the roles of men and women:
a. V 3. “But I want you to
understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man and
the head of Christ is God.”
3. Why?
a.
1) V 8,9. “For
man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for
woman, but woman for man.”
B. It is essential that we note that when
Jesus chose the apostles who were given the charge of preaching the gospel to
the whole world, there was not a single woman selected.
1. Surprising since pagan religions often had
women as priests and leaders.
2. It is also surprising since some of those
financially supporting the ministry of Jesus, and were
key followers of the Lord, were women.
Ëï HOW DOES THIS PRINCIPLE
OF MALE HEADSHIP AFFECT CONDUCT IN THE WORK OF THE CHURCH?
A. I Tim 3:14,15. “I
hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you, so that if I
delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is
the church of the living God, the pillar and buttress (support) of the truth.”
B. What had he said regarding men and women in
the church?
1. Men must lead in prayer:
a. 2:8. “I desire that in every
place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling…”
b. ane’r
– male of the species
1) In contrast to anthropos
meaning mankind or the human race.
2. Women should dress modestly:
a. 2:9,10. “…likewise
also the women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and
self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but
with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.”
3. Women must not teach or exercise authority
over the man:
a. Vs 11,12. “Let
a woman learn quietly with all submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or
exercise authority over a man; rather she is to remain quiet.”
1) KJV – “silence,”
a) The Greek term used is not the word for not
uttering a word, but indicates quietness and stillness.
b) ASV – “quietness…”
2) Exhortation: quiet submission
3) Prohibition: Teaching over a man and
exercising (usurping) authority over a man.
4) Implication #1: Men are to teach and preach
in mixed groups.
5) Implication #2: Women are allowed to teach
when it is not over a man.
a. In
that situation, she would not be exercising authority over a man.
B. Does Paul say anything about woman’s
conduct in regard to the public assembly?
1. He has already said that he wants the men
in all places to lead in prayer.
2. I Cor
a.
ASV, ESV, NIV, RSV,
1) It was common practice among all the
churches for the women not to speak.
a) The context deals with individually
addressing the assembly as opposed to the entire congregation singing praises
to God.
b. And then he adds in verse 35, “For
it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”
1) In verse 37, he says, “If anyone thinks
that he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am
writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he
is not recognized.”
Ìï IN CONSIDERING WHAT
WOMAN’S ROLE IS IN THE CHURCH WE SHOULD ALWAYS ASK:
A. Does this violate or bring into question
the biblical principle of male spiritual leadership?
B. Does this place a woman in a role that
would violate the command of the Lord that she should not teach over a man or
exercise authority over a man?
1. An elder does not have the right to
authorize what Christ has clearly prohibited.
C. It should cause us to pause and seriously meditate:
1. That these principles were understood
clearly for nearly 20 centuries, but it has only been in a culture of the
women’s liberation movement that they have been questioned.