Submission and Women as pastors – It isn’t what you think – an addendum.
(This is an addendum to the original article “About Submission and Women Pastors”)
I have recently been challenged by someone suggesting that “since the Bible cites women who prophesied in the Bible, and since prophecy can be defined as both ‘forth telling’ and as ‘foretelling’, and since ‘forth telling’ is the same as preaching, the women can be pastors.”
Wow! Wow, wow, wow. Okay. Since A equals B and B equals C and C equals D, there really is no A because it is really a D; or a B or a C?
Seriously, let’s begin by being reminded that Jesus fulfilled the old covenant and thereby has established the New Covenant in His Blood. For one (big) example, there is no longer any need for repeated animal sacrifices to atone for sin. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was and is the final sacrifice for atonement (made “at one”, reconciled) with God.
Next, the Apostle Paul explains that the law (the Torah, also known as the “Halakha” which translates as “the path that one walks”, also referred to as the “Mitzvot”, “Mishna” and the “Talmud”, was codified into what we call the Old Testament around 400 to 200 B.C.). Paul was clear when He said, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
This is important to remember when it comes to properly interpreting, reading and understanding Scriptures. We are to consider Scriptures in their original text and context, with the Old Testament as background and the New Testament as its fulfillment.
(Another example is found in Matthew 5: 21-26, “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’ But I (Jesus) say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison. Truly, I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up every last cent.”
The New Testament (the New Covenant) is built upon the Old Testament (the Law and the Old Covenants), and the New Covenant has fulfilled the Law. That Law is now written upon our hearts and minds (see Jeremiah 31:33 and Hebrews 10:16), and we have the Holy Spirit as our guide.
This should lead us to consider some misconceptions held by some who would co-mingle or syncretize the old and the new Covenants. Remembering that Jesus warned,“neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Some say it is okay for a woman to hold the office of pastor and to preach in a general assembly of believers, over both men and women. They say the Old Testament says that women prophesied, and since prophesying is a form of preaching, they can be pastors. I am not certain how a person could or even would link those two thoughts, but let me be clear. Number one, the role of a prophet or prophesying has absolutely no direct tie or effect upon the role of a pastor. A pastor might prophesy, whether preaching or foretelling, and a prophet might preach, but the roles are distinctively separate.
FACTS:
- Nowhere in the Old Testament do we find a woman as a pastor (although she may have been a teacher. Some say men in leadership was just a cultural norm, and that custom has changed in the modern world. That allegation is never mentioned in scriptures. What is mentioned is that God (and His Word) are the same yesterday, today and forever.
- As mentioned above, we live under the New Covenant.
- The Apostle Paul and the New Testament teaches that The Spiritual Gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are offices but only the office / gift of pastor is restricted to men.
- Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught on differences between the role and office of prophet and gift of prophecy.
- The word Pastor is a term derived from a Greek word for “shepherd”, and is reserved for the male in the Bible – a role for men. Pastoral Gifts include integrity and compassion. A shepherd (i.e., a pastor), is the feeder, protector, and ruler of a flock of men. Figuratively, a pastor is someone who the Lord raises up to care for the total well-being of His flock (the people of the Lord). (Strong’s Concordance). Pastor: This term derives from a Greek word for “shepherd”. Pastoral Gifts include integrity and compassion.
The term “poimén” primarily refers to a shepherd, one who tends, leads, and cares for a flock of sheep. In the New Testament, it is used both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it describes those who care for sheep, while metaphorically, it refers to leaders or pastors who guide and nurture a community of believers, akin to a shepherd with his flock.
The image of a shepherd was deeply embedded in the cultural and religious consciousness of the Israelites, often symbolizing leadership, provision, and protection. This imagery is prevalent throughout the Bible, where God is depicted as the ultimate Shepherd of His people, and leaders are often called to emulate this role.
(The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep to defend the sheep from attackers to heal the wounded and sick sheep to find and save lost or trapped sheep to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.
During World War II, a shepherd was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact.)
d. In the New Testament, the office of prophet is to equip the saints for the work of service through exhortation, edification, and consolation (1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Corinthians 14:3 Ephesians 4:11). The prophet’s corresponding gift is prophecy. Prophecy is “reporting something from God’s Word that God brings to your mind”. Prophecy is addressed to the human understanding “he who prophesies speaks to men,” Corinthians 14:1-25. The prophet “edifies the church” (14:4).
e. Preaching is a role of an Apostle, Apostle: The title apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos which means “a messenger, one sent forth with orders”. It refers to one who has been delegated authority by another in a foreign land. Apostles were the first leaders of the Church; they were commissioned by Jesus to initiate and direct the preaching of the gospel , andthey were all men. No woman has even been assigned as an Apostle in the Bible. And although the OFFICE of Apostle is closed, the gift of bringing the message of the Gospel is still active.
f. Preaching is a role of an Evangelist. Evangelist: An evangelist is one who devotes himself to preaching the gospel. In the New Testament, evangelists preached from city to city, church to church.
g. Preaching is a role of a Teacher: Someone who devotes his or her life to preaching and teaching the Christian faith. When teaching is provided for the Church by God, two gifts are actually given—to the Church is given a teacher and along with the teacher comes a divine capacity to teach.
Finally, the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14:33- 38, speaks to the matter of women speaking in Churches. “As in all the churches of the saints, verse 34, the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. Verse 35. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Verse 36. Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?“
“Verse 37. If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. Verse 38. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.”
This is a matter of authority-covering, protection and authority over God’s Church. There are so many roles and only one is absolutely, by scriptural authority, reserved for men – that of the office of Pastor, his roles, duties and responsibilities.
If someone knowingly links or lumps these offices together, it is both a misrepresentation of scriptures and a claim that the Word of God in incomplete and is malleable, open to personal interpretation. (However, 2 Peter 1:20 clearly mandates, But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation.)
Next, this is also using the method of Eisegesis to make a personal interpretation of scriptures, an interpretation of a text, especially a biblical text, by reading one’s own ideas or biases into it, rather than drawing out its original meaning. This approach is often subjective and can distort the intended message of the text. And although eisegesis itself is not classified as a heresy, it can lead to heretical interpretations of Scripture by imposing personal biases rather than drawing out the text’s original meaning. This practice is often criticized in theological discussions for distorting the intended message of the Bible.
When a church or a pastor decides to do these things, he (and she?) are operating “in the flesh” and outside the boundaries of clearly defined Scriptural mandates. And there really is no need nor a good reason to add one’s opinion to scriptures to achieve a personal result or to suit a personal view – and besides, there would be consequences in the Body.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
(Click here for the Link to the original article)
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