Women in Ministry

Understand that this subject should be approached with Wisdom from the Lord. My view on this changed within the past year because of this study. I would refrain from reading and only come back when the Lord prompt you to explore this further.

Three Places Mentioned

3 places that mentioned

1 Corinthians 14 (wrote for Corinthians)
1 Timothy 2 (for Ephesus)
Titus 1 (for Crete)

Usually when there is correction in a letter, the writer is using wisdom and spiritual guidance to correct current events. You should try to understand the ways of God first.

So what event was he correcting?

Corinth

This was about disorder.

In Corinth, people were worshipping Aphrodite. Aphrodite's cult was tied to sexual freedom and indulgence. The environment encouraged women to use sexuality as power, leading to abuse of roles. "your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit" reaffirm that sexuality as under Christ's authority, not a goddess's. (To worship the goddess, you would go to her temple and have sex with the priests). So you can see how Aphrodite had so much influence.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20
¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
²⁰ For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

At that time, women were also disruptive during worship (some people say for lack of education; Imo their questions were more so because they are taught by the Aphrodite worshipper). So Paul decree for them to ask their husband.

1 Corinthians 14:33–35
³³ for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,
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.
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.

Praying with an uncovered head was culturally understood as public defiance at the time.

1 Corinthians 11:5
⁵ But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for it is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.

Ephesus

This was about domination theology.

In Ephesus (Timothy), the Goddess at hand was Artemis (or Diana). She's a Goddess with many bosoms. Artemis was associated with fertility, protection in childbirth, and female power.

In Acts 19:23–41, silversmiths rioted over Paul's preaching because it threatened Artemis worship in Ephesus.

Acts 19:23–41
²³ About that time a major disturbance occurred in regard to the Way.
⁴¹ After saying this he dismissed the assembly.

Because of the domination over men teachings, in Timothy Paul wrote "A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness."

1 Timothy 2:11–12
¹¹ A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.
¹² But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

Crete

This was about restoring order.

In Crete, for Titus, He was sent to appoint elders / overseers. Crete was steeped in Greek mythology, especially the worship of Zeus, who was born there. (Zeus is Baal rebranded for the Greek).

Paul quoted their prophet saying "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

Titus 1:12
¹² One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

While I'm not entirely sure about the connection, Rhea was worshipped as Zeus mother. There were female led worship and probably other doctrine that leads to much disorder.

That's likely why Paul in Titus 2 instructed the older women to teach younger women "to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."

Titus 2:3–5
³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,
⁵ to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Does this mean there shall be no Women in the 5-fold?

NO. Here are the examples.

Apostles

Junia was an apostle.

Romans 16:7
⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsfolk and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding in the view of the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Prophets

"Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head"
Women were already praying and prophesying.

1 Corinthians 11:5
⁵ But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for it is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.

He [Philip the evangelist] had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.

Acts 21:9
⁹ Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.

Also are plenty of named prophetess in the OT.

Judges 4:4 - Deborah
⁴ Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

2 Kings 22:14–15 - Hilkiah
¹⁴ So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (and she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her.
¹⁵ Then she said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: 'Tell the man who sent you to Me,

Luke 2:36–38 - Anna
³⁶ And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,
³⁸ And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak about Him to all those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Evangelist

Duh..

The Samaritans at the well spreads the Gospel. It's the duties of all believers.

John 4:28–29
²⁸ So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and said to the people,
²⁹ "Come, see a Man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is He?"

The function is there. But only ONE evangelist was mentioned by Office, that was Phillip.

Acts 21:8
⁸ On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

Pastors (I prefer Shepherds)

No one was named as Shepherds in the scripture. There are people with that function though.

For a time, Peter have performed the function to "feed my sheep". So he was shepherding. 1 Peter 5 commanded the elders to "shepherd the flock of God".

John 21:15–17
¹⁵ Now when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."
¹⁷ He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was hurt because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.

1 Peter 5:2
² shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness;

Are there named female elders? No.

Are there clear instruction to place women as elders of churches?
No.

Have women performed functions related to elders' functions?
Maybe.

Nympha in Colossians 4 have a church met in her house.

Colossians 4:15
¹⁵ Greet the brothers and sisters who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

Chloe's in 1 Corinthians 1 opens her house to church meetings.

1 Corinthians 1:11
¹¹ For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.

Priscilla and Aquila hosted a church in Romans 16.

Romans 16:3–5
³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
⁵ also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.

Paul clearly honor their name and the church in their house. Likely shepherding and overseeing (elders function)

Teachers (Jesus ofc)

Paul described himself as a teacher.

1 Timothy 2:7
⁷ For this I was appointed as a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Barnabas used to teach with Paul.

Acts 11:26
²⁶ and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers of people; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Apollos was taught by Aquila dn Priscilla.

Acts 18:26
²⁶ and he began speaking boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately to him.

—> so even Apollos was taught.

Older women taught younger women as well.

There is an argument that women should not teach men but many prophetess have done that before Deborah, Huldah and Anna.

Anna in Luke 2:38 "At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem."

Luke 2:38
³⁸ And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak about Him to all those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Functions vs Offices

The function is there.
But the office is not always named.

Elders are required to teach.
Teaching is pervasive but rarely titled.

Women clearly perform the functions.

So can Women be elders?

Idk.

They seems to perform the functions.
But Paul did not mentioned them in Titus.

Can they be deacons?

Yes, clearly mentioned in 1 Timothy.

Phoebe is a deacons mentioned in Romans 16.

1 Timothy 3:8–11
⁸ Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not insincere, not prone to drink much wine, not greedy for money,
¹¹ Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.

Romans 16:1
¹ I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea,

Who can the Call?

The call shall come but do you meet the requirement?
Many be you meet the requirement but are you of Good Courage?

Many are called but few are chosen.

God used Deborah to deliver the enemy into the hand of Barak. But he refused to go up unless Deborah went with him. Thus, God gave Sisera into the hand of a woman named Jael.

Judges 4:6–9
⁶ Now she sent word and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has indeed commanded, 'Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun.
⁹ She said, "I will certainly go with you; however, the fame shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Judges 4:21
²¹ But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

That's the way of God.

Summary

What's the Wisdom?

Women in both Old and New Testaments clearly exercised spiritual authority, teaching, and prophetic roles.
Paul's restrictions addressed local cultural distortions, not universal exclusion from leadership or spiritual offices.
When men failed to come into the calling God has for them, Women are then called forth. But God is not one to revoke a gift or a calling (Romans). Thus, the gifts and calling remain on them as they stepped up into that calling.