Man and Woman According to Scripture
The last 50 years has seen tremendous changes in how Christians understand gender roles in the home and in the Church. The practice and understanding of the previous 1900 years has been re-evaluated and in many cases either rejected or significantly changed. Marriage, long understood as being between one man and one woman for life and that there are only two fixed biological genders, male and female, are increasingly being questioned. The distinct Biblical roles of men and women, in the home and in the Church are often portrayed as sexist, viewing and treating women as inferior to men. While this might be expected of those in the world it is of great concern that such ideas are infiltrating and being adopted by many churches. The consequences of these ideas being adopted by the Church are or will be seriously damaging for Christians personally and for the Church’s witness in this world.
Volumes have been written on this subject (especially over the last 50 years) and what I intend to express here can only be a relatively brief overview.
The Bible, as the ultimate authority on all matters of Christian faith and practice, should lay to rest any idea of inferiority or superiority between the sexes.
God’s Word teaches that men and women are equal. This equality, in the sense of ‘equal worth and status‘, can be seen in five key areas.
1. In Genesis 1 we find God’s first words about men and women:
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28).
Man and woman were both created in the image of God equal in worth and dignity, neither superior or inferior to one another, having different but complementary roles which God purposed at creation. Both bore the image of God. As spiritual beings before God, men and women are equal in status and worth.
2. Both men and women are equally fallen into sin (Genesis 3:6-7). All (men and women) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
3. Men and women are equally in need of a Saviour (Romans 3:20).
4. Jesus is the Saviour of both men and women without partiality (Acts 2:21).
5. Both men and women are co-heirs of the kingdom of God and life in Christ (Galatians 4:7 and 1 Peter 3:7).
Though equal before God, man and woman were created with unique abilities, roles and responsibilities but without any inference of superiority or inferiority. By God’s design, men and women are the same in value but different in nature. This is obvious physically, in marriage and our roles in reproduction, but also emotionally and how man and woman relate to one another.
However there is a contrary view – feminism – which links equality to nature and function. It says that men and women are essentially identical beings who just happen to be different physically but because their natures are identical their roles are (or should be) interchangeable. In this view it is held that men and women must have the opportunity to exercise the same function and to deny this is discriminatory.
Christianity, on the other hand, links equality to worth. It says men and women are not equal because they share identical natures and can fulfil identical functions, but because they share identical worth in the eyes of their Creator and Redeemer. To have different and unique functions is not discriminatory but essential for the spiritual health of men and women and the Church.
This is revealed when God created woman:
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18)
God’s creation of woman was unique. When God created all other creatures he made male and female separately but woman was made from man – from his very flesh. God created woman from man and for man – to be his helper in carrying out their purpose on Earth. Man was given the role and responsibility to lead and woman the role and responsibility to help him. Again this does not infer any superiority on man’s part. This only defines their relative roles. I am aware that some have referred to Psalm 46:1 which uses the same Hebrew word to describe God as being our “help”. Certainly God is our help in times of trouble, but that is not His primary role. What husband does not help his wife in times when she needs him?
In the 17th century, a time when it was thought no-one had a right understanding of gender relationships, Matthew Henry said this in his commentary on Genesis:
‘When God made woman He did not take her out of man’s head for her to lord it over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled on by him; but out of his side to be equal with him, from under his arm to be protected by him, and from near his heart to be loved by him.’
What Paul Taught
Paul, in his letter to the church at Galatia also reveals the equality of men and women before God:
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise (Gal 3:26-29).
The apostle Peter likewise reveals the equality of men and women before God:
You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honour as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered (1Peter 3:7).
Paul, in the context of Christians being justified by faith in Christ, says there is no distinction on the basis of sex, race or status in human society. We are all sons of God and one in Christ. Yet while we live in this world such distinctions obviously remain. These verses don’t mean distinct roles and responsibilities as men and women, of master and servant or the uniqueness of Jew and Greek have been done away with. But in the resurrection and eternity these distinctions will cease to exist.
However many have taken these verses (and verse 28 in particular) to justify that there are no distinctions between the roles and responsibilities of men and women in the church. In their view to make any such distinction is discriminatory. This is a serious error which has great consequences to the detriment of the Church’s witness and function in this world today and the future. Like all errors the consequences may not be immediately apparent but in time they will be revealed. More on this later.
What I have noted among those who believe there are no distinct roles of men and women within the home and in the Church has been a fixation on the words superiority/inferiority and equality/inequality. Terms such as subordination, hierarchy and domination are regularly used to imply that men have abused their role to maintain power and authority over women. In this view a person who has leadership and authority is automatically superior to the one or ones being led. This is worldly thinking. Christians should not think this way. It is possible to have leadership among equals.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)
This is the attitude every Christian needs to have. Though he is Lord, Jesus gave us the example of serving and washing the feet of his disciples (John 13:5).
Jesus and Women
If there is to be one example of how women should be treated and honoured it is Jesus. Although in a culture which viewed women as inferior beings Jesus saw them as equal in worth and status to men and for whom he came to redeem. He frequently spoke personally with women in public – unusual for that era. Women were among his disciples who followed and supported him, were the first witnesses to his resurrection and were together with the apostles praying on the day of Pentecost. Yet Jesus did not appoint women to be apostles when he could have done so to establish the new order for his Church. This shows that although women were equally valued in his eyes he did not determine that they should also be apostles – leaders of the Church.
Who Will Be Honoured?
We have a tendency to give greater honour to those who are in the public eye – even putting them on a pedestal. But in God’s kingdom this is not the case. The woman who stays at home caring for her family or the widow, who unseen, faithfully prays day and night are not less in God’s eyes than the popular pastor of a megachurch. In God’s kingdom it is not the rich and famous, the strong, the eloquent and wise who will be honoured but those who humbly and faithfully serve God in whatever role they have been given (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
Submission – Who Submits to Who?
This brings us to the Biblical teaching on submission. To submit means to willingly yield to the will of another. In God’s kingdom it is never the responsibility of the one who leads to forcefully impose his (or her) will but on those under leadership to willingly yield. The one who leads is not necessarily by definition superior or the one who submits inferior.
The Bible clearly teaches the willing submission and obedience of us all:
The Son to the Father (Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, 1Corinthians 11:3 and 15:28)
The Church to Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23 and 5:24, Colossians 1:18)
All to God (James 4:7)
All to church leaders – elders/shepherds/overseers (Hebrews 13:17)
All to governing authorities (as far as it depends on us) (Romans 13:1, Titus 3:1, 1Peter 2:13)
Wives to husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24, Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:5, 1Peter 3:1)
Children to parents (Luke 2:51, Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20, 1Timothy 3:4)
Young men to to elders/older men (1Peter 5:5)
Bond-servants/servants to masters (Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:22, Titus 2:9, 1Peter 2:18)
Submission is clearly God designed. It reflects the order within the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is submission based on love, not force and domination, because God is love.
If Scripture is our final authority in knowing God’s will then Scripture alone must be our source of truth and practice on this subject. We need to humbly accept and obey God’s word and not try to impose our wisdom on what it plainly says. Paul, writing to the church at Corinth says:
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3).
Though Christ is equal to God the Father (John 5:18, Philippians 2:6) he willingly submitted himself to the Father’s authority. This shows a divine order of responsibility, of role – not superiority. Some have said that ‘head’, when used symbolically, means ‘source’ (as in ‘head’ of a river). However the symbolic use of ‘head’ cannot convey a different root meaning than the literal. That is, since the role of the head in the body is to direct it, so the role and responsibility of man as head of woman is to provide leadership and direction. This does not mean man (in this context the husband of a wife) has to make every decision any more than our head consciously controls every functioning within our body (which of course it doesn’t). A husband takes responsibility, willingly loves his wife as his own body and cares for her. And a wife willingly submits to her husband’s leadership.
Chauvinism?
Though the principle of headship is clearly shown in Scripture some have dismissed it with the accusation that it is only chauvinism with some questionable verses to back it up. Chauvinism is a man dominating a woman whereas spiritual headship is a man who is subject to Christ, accepting his God-given responsibility by sacrificially loving and caring for his wife. Chauvinism is the use of force to impose a man’s selfish will upon a woman. Headship is prayerful and concerned, tender and forgiving.
Therefore there should be no confusion here as to what Christ-like headship really is.
Does Scripture reveal distinct roles for men and women in the home and in the Church?
The answer to this is clearly yes.
God’s Order In the Home
Paul, in his letter to the church in Ephesus says:
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24 ESV).
Here Paul clearly says, just as Christ is head of the Church so a husband is head of his wife. The Church submits to Christ and so a wife submits to her husband. While this of course relates to the marriage relationship we should not think this has no bearing on the unmarried as we shall see.
God’s Order In the Church
Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, outlines God’s order in the church:
Likewise, ‘I want’ women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint (1 Timothy 2:9-15).
and similarly when he wrote to the church at Corinth said:
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. 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 (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
As these Scriptures plainly read, Paul teaches that a wife willingly submit to her husband’s leadership and that it is improper or disgraceful for a woman to teach or exercise authority over men within the Church. So God’s order in the home reflects that in the Church. Many try to avoid the plain meaning of these words by saying Paul’s words were to address an issue unique to the church in Corinth. But there is no indication in Paul’s letter that this was the case and he refers back to Adam and Eve to establish God’s order in the Church. Others have said ministry in the church should be determined by gifting, not gender. This only clouds our understanding. Scripture does teach us that we all have been given gifts – abilities by the Holy Spirit – to build one another up in Christ. But Scripture also teaches us that these gifts are to be used according to God’s will not ours.
Women can have the gift of prophecy and obviously it cannot be exercised in silence! So this instruction should be seen to apply for women to keep silent during regular church teaching and not exercise authority over men in this regard.
The instruction that women are to keep silent in the church should be understood in the context of teaching and exercising authority over men. It does not mean that women cannot sing or pray, give information or share their testimony. Women have many opportunities outside of a church setting to witness for and serve Christ. Two great examples in recent times are Corrie Ten Boom and Joni Eareckson Tada. Women as authors have contributed greatly to educate and inspire other Christians.
Some might object here and say this is an inconsistency: if a woman can teach as an author why can’t she teach in a church? But there is a significant difference between a woman who might teach as an author and teaching given by the elder/pastor of a church. I can read a book written by a woman (and I have read many) or a man – but they do not have the authority of that held by the elder/pastor who teaches in a church. Furthermore, every Christian author should be accountable for what she or he writes to the church leadership. I am subject to my church leaders who teach the word (Hebrews 13:17) but not Christian authors (male or female).
Qualifications of Leadership in the Church
Paul goes on to reveal God’s qualifications for leaders of the church – elders, pastors and overseers (which are all terms used to describe those who have responsibility, under Christ, for leading, teaching Scripture, correcting false doctrines, pastoring and keeping discipline within the church):
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)
Again, (as in Paul’s letter to Titus) the qualifications of an elder/overseer include that he be “the husband of one wife“. Whatever other meanings might be suggested for this expression, it does say unambiguously that an elder be a man.
Because some men have abused their role as leaders in the home and in the Church doesn’t mean we should therefore create a new order. Such men have disobeyed God in their role as husbands and leaders in the Church. The Bible says men are to love and care for their wives as their own body and not treat them harshly (Ephesians 5:28, Colossians 3:19) and shepherds of the flock are not to lord it over those in their care (1 Peter 5:1-3).
Mutual submission?
Some have said (according to Ephesians 5:21) that there should be ‘mutual‘ submission within the church, that is we all submit to one another, woman to man, man to woman and so on. But this is not what Paul says here. He says ‘be subject to one another in the fear of Christ‘ and then goes on to give specific examples: the church to Christ, wives to husbands, children to parents and servants to masters. Submission is always in an order. No one would suggest ‘mutual’ submission means parents should submit to children and masters to their servants.
So going back to God’s order of submission: the Son submits to the Father, the Church to Christ, wives to their husbands, children to parents and all church members to their church leaders.
Now some may point to a number of Scriptures which appear to contradict this, but these apparent exceptions do not make the rule clearly stated as above.
Does It Matter?
Yes it does. First we cannot reinterpret what the Bible plainly teaches about God’s order in the home and in the Church to address perceived injustices and inequality in the Church. What seems just to us is not necessarily God’s way:
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Our guide must ultimately be God’s word for even our sense of justice can be corrupted by sin because we are by nature self-centred, not God-centred. The Bible in many places reveals God’s laws which to our humanness seem difficult and unjust. In the final analysis we must trust God’s wisdom here and not our own.
Those who argue that women can and should be elders/pastors/overseers who teach and exercise authority in the Church rarely acknowledge the innate differences between men and women which bear on leadership.
Women are by nature more relationship oriented; men are principle-oriented. Women are more inclusive, loving, nurturing, and more willing than men to sacrifice a principle rather than a relationship. Men are more likely to see and uphold doctrines and standards, and less willing to sacrifice them for the sake of relationships.
These are generalisations but true none the less which most of us observe in life, have positive outcomes in marriage, the home and have practical bearing on leadership in the Church. The home and the church needs the God given natures of both men and women. There should be no thought that one is more important than the other.
Do the Innate Differences of Men and Women Bear on Roles in the Church?
One of the important roles of the elder/pastor of a church is to expose and correct false doctrines (Titus 1:9) it is therefore a disciplinary role. Because it is a disciplinary role it would not be fitting for a woman (and by nature be less inclined) to fulfil. This is we see in the apostle Peter’s instruction that a woman of God have ‘the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit‘ (1 Peter 3:4).
One practical consequence of appointing a woman to lead a church is the very possibility, if she is married, that her husband be required to submit to her direction (Hebrew 13:17) which clearly contradicts that she submit to her husband (Ephesians 5:22-24).
Surveys have shown that churches and denominations which allow women to be pastors of a church are twice as likely to accept practicing gays and lesbians as members and three times more likely to accept gay and lesbian leaders as churches and denominations which don’t allow women to be pastors (Andrew Whitehead found in analysing data from the 2006-2007 National Congregations Study). My own survey of 31 denominations which allow female pastors revealed these facts: of the 31, 20 now accept gays and lesbians as members. There are notable denominations which have had women pastors for a long time (such as the Assemblies of God – AOG – and Wesleyan Churches) but do not accept practicing homosexuals as members. Significantly the acceptance of women as pastors always preceded the acceptance of practising homosexuals as members and leaders. So the connection is there and consistent with the innate differences between men and women.
Of course homosexuality is not the only or deciding issue here. Never the less it is a significant one as it relates to God’s created order for man and woman. Once we depart from or compromise on one principle we will be more likely to depart from or compromise on another. Apostasy happens little by little, not just in one step.
Conclusion
I am not a misogynist, in fact personally I don’t have an issue with women who teach in the Church. I have heard many messages by my sisters in Christ which have been edifying and thoroughly Biblical. After all they have the Holy Spirit just as much as men. But none the less Scripture is clear about women’s role in the home and Church. It may be argued, ‘Our Church has been blessed under the leadership of our female pastor’. This may be true but if God only blessed us when we are perfect we would never know His blessing! That is God’s grace and patience with us.
There is no issue with a woman to minister within the Church. She can, for example, teach to probably over two thirds of the Church – other women and children. One of the important teaching ministries in the Church is for older women to teach the younger (Titus 2:3-5). Yet I do wonder how many churches actually see this as a priority and formally appoint older women to this ministry. It should be seen that in many circumstances and on certain subjects it would be inappropriate for a man to teach young women.
So there are numerous opportunities to serve within the church and just because one is not appropriate for women should not be seen as restrictive or discriminatory. Again it simply comes back to God’s word and order which we should not dispute out of a mistaken idea of equality.
To go against God’s order in the home and in the Church can only lead to disharmony in the home, be seriously damaging for Christians personally, for the Church’s witness in this world and lead to further departures from the word of God. This is not an issue we can be neutral on for fear of offending. To remain faithful to God’s word in this world will be increasingly difficult. Repentance (where a church has appointed women as pastors) will be even harder, but it is what a brave and faithful church needs to do (as the Presbyterian Church of Australia did in 1991).
Further reading: The Role Of a Christian Man by Alan Bailey
Evangelical Feminism & Biblical Truth by Wayne Grudem
The Feminist Mistake: The Radical Impact of Feminism on Church and Culture by Mary A. Kassian