Faith vs. Feminism, or Faith AND Feminism, Part 8: Women In The Church

The best pastors I know have this uncanny ability to speak words which directly apply to what you are going through in life. It is as though they have insight into your soul. 

This, I believe, is one way God’s spirit moves.

And when it happens, you are left reeling, open, vulnerable... seen. 

I haven’t shared much about this on my blog, but my son was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago. 

Throughout the grueling treatment process, a few wonderful pastors walked by our side. 

When our son first received his diagnosis, one of the pastors sent us the following message: 

“The main thing we’re going to do for now is: we’re going to keep getting together [...] on Sunday nights to sing and pray and listen to Jesus. We’re going to keep refilling our reserves of faith, hope, and love. And you will know, whatever is going on in your family life, in the hospital or elsewhere, that there is this little group of people clinging stubbornly to faith, singing in the dark, even if you can’t on any particular day.”
 
Somehow, these were the exact words we needed to hear. 
 
After our son’s cancer treatments ended, we began attending this church. The pastor regularly greeted us with hugs and tear-filled eyes.
 
Throughout our time there, we have been blessed, nourished, filled and challenged by every message preached.
 
This pastor is a Reverend and a a Doctor, and I can honestly say she is a wise, intelligent and eloquent pastor who listens to the spirit’s voice. 
 
If I believed women shouldn’t be pastors I would be missing out on so many blessings.

This leads to my first big thought... 

Perhaps you are “happily” settled within your own personal belief framework, confident women shouldn’t preach, happy with your male pastor. 

You may be wondering, “What’s the big deal?” 

Why should we spend our precious time trying to figure out whether or not women can preach?

Why Is It So Important To Figure Out What Women’s Roles In The Church Ought To Be?

Well, for me, the answer is obvious: it matters to me because I’m a woman. 

I remember a time in my life when I thought women should not preach. An elder in my church (a man) asked whether or not it bothered me that God was always referred to as a man and never as a woman, though God is not gendered.

At the time, I had no answer. I never seriously considered the question. But the query stuck, and I am so glad it did. 

Because God says these things about godself:

“Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I who took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.” Hosea 11:3-4

“Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them asunder…” Hosea 13:8

 “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:13

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” Isaiah 49:15

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37

Who better to help us understand the heart of God portrayed by these metaphors than a woman? 

Men (and women) are missing out if they do not hear women interpret the Bible through their unique lens.

As evangelist, feminist and abolitionist Sojourner Truth famously wrote in her speech “Ain’t I A Woman?”:

“Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with him! If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn this world upside down all alone [sic] together women ought to be able to turn it rightside up again. And now they are asking to do it, and the men better let ‘em.” 

The issue of a woman’s role in the church— Can she lead? Can she preach? Can she pastor? — is so so important, friends. 

It is important to our full understanding of God. 

It is important because the church is missing out on so many wise and powerful voices in not hearing from women: https://carolyncustisjames.com/half-the-church/.

It is important because women are equal to men in every way.

It is important because many women experience a pastoral calling, and ought to be leaning into that calling.

Now, before anyone stops me with some choice Bible verses claiming, “But the Bible says women can’t preach!!!”, let me point out some incredible women the Bible extols.

Wise, Strong, Brave: Women In The Bible…

•     Deborah: She was a prophet and judge over Israel. 

•     Jael: She slayed a leader who was an enemy of Israel.

•     Junia: She was a fellow apostle of Paul’s. (Romans 16:7)

•     Mary of Bethany: She sat at Jesus’ feet as a rabbinical student. 

•    Phoebe: She was a deacon and leader in the church. (Romans 16)

These are just a few of the many women the Bible extols.

Of course, I have heard alternate interpretations for these stories. 

I have heard Deborah led because there were no men available to lead. 

I’ve heard that Junia was really a guy named Junius. 

In the end, we all bring our own point of view to the biblical text. 

If we are certain the Bible has a patriarchal agenda and that women should not teach men, then we will be quick to explain away the stories of Deborah and Mary (at Jesus’ feet).

If we believe God created men and women as equals, then we will see in these texts an incredible precedent for women in spiritual leadership. 

After you read the Bible and read who God is throughout, what do you think is the best interpretation? 

I see God as loving. 

I see God as a God who rejects any kind of human hierarchy, whether based on gender, wealth or intelligence. 

Therefore, I believe God wants women to lead in the church if they are so called.

10 Reasons I Disagree With The “Women Can’t Pastor” Interpretation Of The Bible.

1. Translation matters: I was appalled to learn that whereas the words “diakonos” and “prostatis” have been translated as “minister” and “leads” for men, they were translated as “servant” and “helper” respectively when used to describe Phoebe (at least in the KJV). See this article for a more in-depth exploration: https://juniaproject.com/phoebe-servant-or-minister/.
2. Inconsistent interpretations should bother us: There is a dress code for women in 1 Tim. 2: 9 which restricts women from wearing gold, pearls or expensive clothing. I have always been taught this didn’t apply to me as a woman because it was a cultural reference. 1 Tim. 2: 12 states “I suffer not a woman to teach”, and it is in the same chapter as those supposed “cultural” restrictions. My question is, how can we say one verse refers only to culture and another nearby verse applies to all people of all time? For a more in-depth exploration of this issue, check out this article: http://juniaproject.com/defusing-1-timothy-212-bomb/.
3.  Reasons Corinthian women may have been told to be silent... 1 Cor. 14: 34 says “Women should remain silent in the churches.” While this seems cut ‘n dry, biblical scholar N.T. Wright points out that there is a strong possibility the women in this church context did not understand the language which was being spoken during the Bible teaching. Since they didn’t understand the language, they were talking amongst themselves during the teaching and causing a disruption. The instruction after "women should remain silent", for them to ask their husbands at home, would thus make sense. Also, as Wright points out, this passage can't be saying women shouldn’t speak at all in church because 1 Cor. 2: 2-11 gives instructions for what women should do while “praying or prophesying” in church. http://ntwrightpage.com/2016/07/12/womens-service-in-the-church-the-biblical-basis/
4. What’s Eve got to do with it? I’ve been told that the reason women were instructed not to lead in 1 Timothy 2 (12-14) was because they descended from Eve, who was deceived. N.T. Wright offers an alternate view (see the article above): the point is that women ought to learn and not remain ignorant, so as not to be deceived. We do choose either to focus on women “remaining silent” or on women “learning” when we interpret this passage. Which do you think Paul wants us to focus on?
5.  Women, authority and the Cult of Artemis. 1 Timothy 2: 12 states that women should not have authority over men. While this seems pretty clear, we have to take into account that there was a cult in this area at the time in which women ruled over men. It was called the Cult of Artemis (see N.T. Wright’s article). One could argue that Paul wanted all to be equal under Christ, with no one person, male or female, seizing authority over anyone else. You can certainly see why, in this cultural context, Paul had such strong words for women.
6.  What “learn in quietness” means… When Paul states “A woman should learn in quietness” in 1 Timothy 2:11, we ought to understand it in light of other passages which use the same phrase. 2 Thess. 3:12 uses the phrase “settle down” instead of “in quietness” and 1 Timothy 2:2 uses the word “quiet” to describe leading a type of life which was “peaceful and quiet”. Thus, it’s a stretch to say that here Paul intended for women to never speak at all. The idea had more to do with a peaceful attitude. See more here: http://juniaproject.com/1-timothy-212-ten-talking-points/
7.  Junia or Junius? Some say Junia, who Paul referred to as a fellow “apostle”, was not a woman but a man. N.T. Wright has this to say in reference to the dispute: “I note that there was a huge fuss in the translation and revision of the New International Version at the suggestion that Junia was a woman, and that not a single historical or exegetical argument was available to those who kept insisting, for obvious reasons, that she was Junias, a man.” http://ntwrightpage.com/2016/07/12/womens-service-in-the-church-the-biblical-basis/
8. Women as apostles. Many women were witnesses to the resurrection. This makes them equal to apostles, as N.T. Wright points out (see above article): “If an apostle is a witness to the resurrection, there were women who deserved that title before any of the men.”
9.  Why not? If there are so many differences of interpretation, then why not have women teach? What are we so afraid of? What do we have to lose? What do we have to gain? Check out this excellent article by Sarah Bessey: https://sarahbessey.com/why-not-have-a-woman-preach/.
10. Deborah, a true leader. Deborah was a leader in Israel, in every way, contrary to what some scholars would declare. For a clear list of reasons why, read this article: https://www.cbeinternational.org/blogs/what-say-when-someone-dismisses-womens-leadership-bible. If anyone says, “Well, she was just leading because there weren’t any men to lead,” I ask, “Where do you see that in the Bible? What’s your evidence for that reasoning?”

        
As I was pondering women in the church, a thought took my breath away: when God told Mary she would have a child out of wedlock, God appeared to her, not to her father or even her future husband. 

God wanted to know if Mary was willing to bear a child out of wedlock and carry the shame which would accompany such an affair. 

God gave Mary choice over her own body.

God spoke DIRECTLY TO MARY. 

And this was at a time when the entire world (it seems) was patriarchal.

If there is any doubt God communicates directly with women, look no further than the story of Mary.

God did not tell Mary, “your future husband will protect you” or “your dad will protect you”.

Instead, God let Mary stand on her own two feet. This communicates a confidence in Mary, in her strength, her dignity, her courage and wit.

After God spoke to Mary and Mary said "Yes!" to God's request, she penned the following words:

My soul lifts up the Lord!
My spirit celebrates God, my Liberator!
For though I’m God’s humble servant,
God has noticed me.
Now and forever,
I will be considered blessed by all generations.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
 holy is God’s name!
From generation to generation,
God’s lovingkindness endures
for those who revere Him.
God’s arm has accomplished mighty deeds.
The proud in mind and heart,
God has sent away in disarray.
The rulers from their high positions of power,
God has brought down low.
And those who were humble and lowly,
God has elevated with dignity.
The hungry—God has filled with fine food.
The rich—God has dismissed with nothing in their hands.
To Israel, God’s servant,
God has given help,
As promised to our ancestors,
 remembering Abraham and his descendants in mercy forever.

As I read the final stanza of Mary's poem, I cannot help but see prophecy in her words.

Mary responded to God's call upon her and heard God's voice. She was filled with gratitude and words of spiritual wisdom and insight.

Now it is time for us women of faith to do likewise: listen to God's voice, follow God's call upon our lives, do God's work with courage and dignity.

After all:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."