Women Pastors

I have been asked many questions about the scriptural backing for a woman being in the position of a pastor or evangelist.  As a result, this lesson on Bible scriptures should help those seeking Biblical answers to this issue.

Before beginning, a little background.  As a young man still attending a Christian University I sat down with my cousin, a lady preacher.  She had written several books, one explaining her call.  I and a friend walked her through the verses you will see below, and all she said was, "God told me to preach" and ignored the Bible verses.  This bothered me as I did respect her, and I have had many years to ponder this response.  Recently I met a young lady in college studying to be a lady pastor.  When I asked her about some verses in the New Testament, her odd response was "I have never seen those verses before".  So, in case you are like her, here is what God's word says about the subject.

1 Timothy 2:11-12, "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."

1 Timothy 3:2, "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach."

Since this is a controversial subject, those wanting truth need to accept the fact that as a Christian we believe the Bible as truth, and accept what God says. Man's constant effort to change it has escalated through time, so this is one of those issues we need to read the clear messages.

Pastors are to be men.

Women are never to teach men.

I could go on and get into depth on the debate, but in the end these two facts cannot be distorted or ignored.  Anyone trying to explain them away using other gray verses shows how they do not believe the word of God, but want to twist it to their beliefs.

As an example, I have chatted with many lady Pentecostals who ignore this verse.  They want to be seen of man and speak in tongues rather than follow this verse:

1 Corinthians 14:34, "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law."

In the end you can find how easily people ignore the Bible to push their own belief or agenda.  From this we can see where Paul's warning to the Corinthians comes in:

 2 Corinthians 3,4, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."

If your pastor steps away from Biblical teaching and follows another belief, prayerfully examine the fact God may be leading you to a more Biblically-sound church.