The Role of Women in the Church – by Dave Seivright

A. Can women be elders or Pastors?

My views on this subject would be called “complementarian”  – that men and women have equal value and dignity as persons made in the image of God, but that in both the home and the church they have different God-given roles.  Egalitarianism, on the other hand, is the viewpoint that there are no biblical gender-based restrictions on ministry in the church. Scripture states:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:28

The equal value of males and females stated in this passage is not in dispute. The problem lies in the Bible passages dealing with the different  roles of men and women in the home and in the church.

“… what many egalitarians fail to understand, is that a difference in role does not equate to a difference in quality, importance, or value. Men and women are equally valued in God’s sight and plan. Women are not inferior to men. Rather, God assigns different roles to men and women in the church and the home because that is how He designed us to function. The truth of differentiation and equality can be seen in the functional hierarchy within the Trinity (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:3).
The Son submits to the Father, and the Holy Spirit submits to the Father and the Son. This functional submission does not imply an equivalent inferiority of essence; all three Persons are equally God, but they differ in their function. Likewise, men and women are equally human beings and equally share the image of God, but they have God-ordained roles and functions that mirror the functional hierarchy within the Trinity.” See: (https://www.gotquestions.org/complementarianism-vs-egalitarianism.html)

The most thorough Biblical treatment of this subject is in the book  “Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective” by James Hurley, Ph.D.  Dr. Hurley, who was on the staff of L’Abri, was also my professor at Westminster Theological Seminary and my mentor. He is now a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary .  

Here are Hurley’s conclusions on Pg.233:

“In the light of our consideration of 1 Timothy 2 and 3, I conclude that Paul taught that the office of elder/bishop/presbyter was restricted to men. He felt that the creational pattern of male headship in both home and church required that women should not exercise spiritual oversight of the flock. They could not be in positions of authoritative teaching or exercising discipline over men. He grounded his view in the relationship of the man and his wife before the fall (although we have noted that it continued beyond it) rather than on relationships established as a result of the fall of Adam. He did not make any appeal to cultural factors such as the relative lack of education for women or the response which outsiders might have to women in positions of responsibility. The nature of his argument leaves virtually no room for modification of his conclusions as a result of alterations in cultural situations.” 

B. Can women Preach the Sermon at a Worship Service?

First Corinthians 14:33–35 states, “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” (ESV). In 1 Timothy 2:11–12, there is a similar instruction: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. . . . She must be quiet.”

A thoughtful exegesis of these passages shows that a woman cannot preach or teach authoritatively in worship services where are men are present, but they can participate in other ways. See:  https://www.gotquestions.org/women-silent-church.html

The more difficult question is whether or not the elders can delegate their function to authoritatively PREACH the Word to anyone who is not an elder. I believe they cannot do so. Nowhere in Scripture are they given this authority. Only the authority that appointed the elders to be elders can appoint others to preach. In Presbyterian churches this authority is given to the Presbytery not to the board of elders of a local church. 

Hurley gives an example at Pg. 248:

“Situation: A well-known and well-educated Christian woman is asked to address a local congregation about the role of women in the church. Her teaching is well known to the elders, who approve of it. She is given a half-hour during the Sunday worship service for her talk. The pastor follows her talk with the usual (brief) sermon… It is my [Hurley’s] opinion that the sharing and teaching under discussion does not in fact place the woman in the role of an elder. Her teaching has no authority apart from the approval of the elders. She is not seeking to enforce her teaching with discipline and is not assuming the elders’ responsibility of ensuring that the flock is taught true doctrine (although we shall assume that what she teaches is true doctrine). Her participation in the worship service is still within the bounds of the priesthood of all believers… Paul did not forbid women to bring any teaching whatsoever. We have seen that all may bring a word of instruction. What he spoke of was the continuing, authoritative teaching which structures the faith of the church. A half-hour talk would not do this. Any acceptable person may address the congregation.”

 In this example it is clear that the woman is not speaking authoritatively. The woman’s talk is followed by a sermon by the pastor – so there’s a clear and apparent distinction between what she says, and the Pastor’s sermon. 

For a good short article on women preaching, See:  https://www.gotquestions.org/women-silent-church.html

To summarize: 

1. Only men can be elders or pastors.
2. Elders cannot delegate their function as elders to anyone, male or female.
3. Women are not to authoritatively teach men, especially in the gathered church for worship services.

In approaching this subject, we should do so with humility before Our Lord, not with the cocky bravado of our present secular Western culture. No one has a monopoly on the truth. Above all, we should love one another and respect and treasure, the opinions of dear Christian brothers and sisters who disagree with us on matters which are not essential to salvation. 

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”  1 Cor. 13:1 (LSB)

DAVE SEIVRIGHT is a former lawyer from Jamaica, is a graduate of the University of Liverpool, UK, and Westminster Theological Seminary, USA. He also did graduate studies at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland, and Trinity College in England.  He has been married to PAULINE for 58 years. They have 4 children and 11 grandchildren.

Dave had the privilege of being personally mentored by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer, and also by Dr. J. I. Packer. Dave was also mentored by the teachings and writings, and by personal interaction with the late Dr. John Stott.  Dave attempts to pass on to others the things he learned from these great men of God. Combining his studies of interpretation and evidence as a lawyer with his studies of philosophy, apologetics, and theology, Dave has taken a special interest in the subject of “Worldviews” and the influence of Christianity on the culture of Western civilization. Dave has devoted his time to teaching the Christian worldview worldwide, and mentoring and discipling very intelligent young professionals, particularly in Miami, and in Germany.