The issue of women having leadership roles in the church and how, and to whom, they can exercise their spiritual gifts in a church setting has been controversial for centuries. Certain scripture verses have been used to exclude women from teaching and preaching in mixed company. For example, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:12, “I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man (or husband); she must be quiet.” He writes again in 1 Corinthians 14:34, “The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission.”

The dominant patriarchal culture influenced how women have been viewed in society and within the church. Women writers almost never mentioned themselves as the author because the works of women were not respected and therefore not read. Influential thinkers, including Aristotle, regarded women as biologically and intellectually inferior to men. The early Church Fathers had similar views. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Tertullian referred to women as “the devil’s gateway” and held them responsible for humanity’s fall through Eve. He and other church leaders viewed women as inherently more susceptible to moral and spiritual failings, reinforcing their exclusion from positions of authority. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) viewed women’s primary roles as reproduction and marriage, and he emphasized Eve’s guilt in the Fall. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the church’s organizational structure mirrored the political offices of the day — women’s roles were tightly controlled. The Council of Laodicea (363 AD) prohibited women from presiding over the Eucharist. The exclusion of women from becoming priests was justified through theological arguments as well — all of the disciples were male, and Peter was named the head of the church.

Based on these and other teachings, certain denominations and churches do not allow women to preach or teach to men or exercise any type of authority over men. The perspective that restricts women from church leadership roles is known as a “complementarian” view of scripture. Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and some conservative evangelical Protestant groups maintain traditional male-only leadership structures. Other Protestant denominations and independent churches hold a much different view: they allow women to be pastors and hold other leadership positions in a congregation, such as being an elder. They hold an “egalitarian” view of scripture. Mainline Protestant denominations began ordaining women as pastors, priests, and bishops in the 20th century.

Since most readers of this blog are familiar with the complementarian perspective, this essay focuses on reasons given to support the egalitarian view. This essay can hopefully bring a greater understanding about the egalitarian view of women’s role in the church. It can also help women who struggle with their own calling and others who know a woman who is gifted spiritually and don’t understand why she is not permitted to be a pastor or serve in other authoritative roles. Parts of my book, The Bible I Never Knew, are included in this essay.

The Complementarian and Egalitarian Doctrines

The complementarian view of scripture believes men and women are equal in spiritual worth before God, but that they are created to have distinct and complementary, not interchangeable, roles in the home and the church. While men and women are both made in the image of God, they believe God gave them different functions based on the creation order. A male (Adam) was created first, then a woman (Eve), so male leadership in the home and church is part of God's design (Genesis 3) — there is a hierarchy.

This view has implications for how families and churches should run. In the home, the husband is expected to provide for, protect, and lead the family with love, which is a model of Jesus sacrificing his life for the world. The wife is expected to support and submit to her husband's leadership, ensuring a peaceful partnership. In the church, leadership positions, which include teaching to the entire congregation and being an elder, are restricted to men. Women are to use their spiritual gifts in many areas of ministry that avoid leadership over men, such as teaching other women and serving in the church in ways that avoid authority over men.

The egalitarian (“Biblical equality”) view of scripture believes men and women share an equal right to exercise their spiritual gifts, regardless of their gender.[1] This means in the home, marriage is a mutual partnership with shared leadership and mutual submission: In Ephesians 5:21, Paul begins his teaching about the family with a general statement: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This emphasizes the importance of service and humility in the family — nobody is to rule over others.

In the church, those who hold the egalitarian view quote Galatians 3:28 to support the idea that there is no hierarchy, that all are equal and worthy: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Therefore, women in the church should be able to hold any office or role of authority, including being a pastor, elder, and teacher. Their role should be based on their spiritual gifts, not their gender.

A correct understanding of Genesis 2:18 is also stressed in the egalitarian view. Both males and females were created in God’s image, and Eve was created as Adam’s “helper” or “help meet.” But the Hebrew term used, ezer kenegdo (עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ), doesn’t mean she was his “assistant” or “servant.” The word is mentioned 21 times in the Old Testament, and a better translation of the term is “rescuer” or “protector,” as in “God is our help.” When ezer (“helper”) is paired with kenegdo (meaning "corresponding to" or “equal” or "matching"), ezer kenegdo signifies a companion of equal strength and counterpart, not a subordinate. Eve was not created to serve Adam but to serve with him; the verse says it was “not good for a man to be alone.” Hence, Eve was made to be a co-partner with Adam. This has implications for a woman’s role in both the church and the family.

The concept of the “priesthood of all believers” complements this view. In the Old Testament, God tells Israel they will be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Peter wrote to encourage Gentiles who suffered under Roman rule, saying “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness" (1 Peter 2:9). John wrote in Revelation that Jesus made Christians “to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father" (Revelation 1:5–6, 5:9–10). In effect, all Christians are “priests.”

The two different views about a woman’s role in the church means some churches still have only men in leadership positions, while others use both men and women to fill teaching and preaching roles. Some Protestant denominations have split apart based on these different views.

Spiritual Gifts and Roles

Scripture says all Christians are given one or more special gifts from the Spirt. Paul explains these different gifts and roles in his letters to believers in several churches (Romans 12, I Corinthians 12–14, Ephesians 4). Peter also mentions a few gifts (1 Peter 4:10–11). The gifts and roles are meant to build, equip, and strengthen the church — they are like the many parts of a body that must work together. Some are more obvious than others, but all are important in some way. We don’t earn the gifts given by God, although they can be developed, and the gifts often exhibit themselves in our daily lives and vocations as well as within the church.

The lists of spiritual gifts found in scripture overlap while having some variations. This suggests that none of the lists are intended to be comprehensive. Instead, they show the diversity of ways God equips Christians to serve the body of Christ, which means other gifts are possible (e.g., intelligence, memory, business sense, linguistic, oratory, literary, analytical, logic, rhetoric, music, visual arts, athletic, strength). Here are the gifts in Paul’s lists and what they mean.

• Prophecy: declaring a message from God with confidence, often to build up, encourage, and console others, but also to confront evil or predict a future event
• Wisdom: having insight to make good decisions based on the situation
• Knowledge: having a comprehensive understanding of an issue or situation
• Faith: having a strong trust in God and an ability to inspire others to trust God in any situation
• Teaching: able to help others understand a topic or issue using different methods
• Leadership: providing vision, overseeing, shepherding, training, feeding, coaching, and motivating people in the church
• Administration: able to keep things organized, effective, and efficient
• Healing: able to use God's power to cure a person who is ill, wounded, or suffering
• Miracles: able to display signs and miracles that show God's power and truth
• Discerning Spirits: able to recognize whether or not something is from God or is righteous
• Tongues: able to communicate in an unfamiliar foreign language; also the Spirit’s language for individual use
• Interpreting Tongues: able to interpret the speech and writings of a different language and translate it to others
• Service/Mercy/Helps: an unusual desire and capacity to serve and help others
• Giving/Contributing: releasing material resources in generous ways to further the work of the church
• Exhortation: motivating others to action and purpose
• Encouragement: identifying with and coming alongside others to provide comfort and emotional support

Many of these gifts are at the center of the debate about a woman’s role in the church, mainly prophecy, wisdom, knowledge, teaching, leadership, and exhortation. Nothing is written about who, when, and in what context these gifts are to be exercised. Those who hold an egalitarian view of scripture believe that without any explicit restrictions, there is no rationale for why women should be prevented from exercising their gifts, especially when a gift is confirmed by others.

Roles Within the Church

The Bible provides few instructions about what qualifications are needed for a person to carry out specific roles within the church. In Ephesians 4:11–12, Paul lists several roles — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers — that Christ uses to equip people for works of service, to build up the body of Christ. But the roles and titles have no job description or list of qualifications.

Paul sent practical messages to both Titus and Timothy about how to pick church leaders (elders/bishops and deacons). The two church leaders were to pick men who were mature spiritually and emotionally and exhibited high integrity and compassion. They also had to be faithful to their wives (Titus 1:5; 1 Timothy 3:2). These instructions assumed the church leaders were men. Instructions were also given about how to pick deacons who had a “helping role” within the church (Act 6:1–3; 1 Timothy 3:8–13). The guidance assumes they were only men, and their qualifications included having a dignified wife and being a husband of one wife. (Polygamy was common at that time.)

Ephesians 4:11 is the only place where the English word “pastor” (ποιμήν, poimēn, meaning “shepherd”) appears in the New Testament as a ministry role, and it does not describe the office we imagine today. Paul doesn’t describes a weekly sermon delivered by a single individual from behind a pulpit. He doesn't outline a job description, such as counseling duties or Sunday morning preaching schedules, nor does he list qualifications, such as ordination requirements and seminary credentials. The earliest churches looked very different than ours today. They met in homes and leadership was shared — different people exercised different gifts as the Spirit enabled them. Teaching, prophecy, exhortation, prayer, hospitality, administration, and pastoral care were distributed throughout the body rather than concentrated in a professional clergy position. The modern office of “pastor” is a product of centuries of church development, not something described in scripture. Nevertheless, fierce debates now center on who is allowed to hold the office.

Prophesy

One of the most important roles within the church is prophesying. As noted above, prophecy means declaring a message from God with confidence, often to build up, encourage, and console others, but also to confront evil or predict a future event. Paul tells people in the church in Corinth to “eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy” (1 Corinthians 14:1). His audience included women — he did not exclude women from desiring this gift.Prophesying and “preaching” are related gifts of the Spirit. The Greek word for prophesy is προφητεύω (prophēteuō), from προφήτης (prophētēs), “prophet.” The word literally means “to speak forth” or “to speak before.” In the first century, it mainly meant speaking a message from God under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us what prophecy is in 1 Corinthians 14."

"Those who prophesy speak to others for their strengthening, encouragement, an consolation.”

“The one who prophesies speaks to people...”

“The one who prophesies builds up the church.”

“You can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged” (emphasis added).

New Testament prophecy performs many of the same functions as preaching today. A prophet publicly proclaims God's message in a church to strengthen, build, and encourage it. Preaching includes several of the ministries mentioned in the New Testament — it proclaims Christ (kērussō), teaches scripture (didaskō), announces the gospel (euangelizō), and exhorts and encourages the congregation in ways very similar to prophecy (prophēteuō).

Interpreting Scripture

Understanding a woman’s role within the church requires a clear understanding of what scripture says and means. The variation in literature forms and figures of speech used by the different authors of the Bible over hundreds of years and the different geographic and cultural contexts make it a challenge to understand what certain passages mean. Some passages are meant to apply as universal truths that always apply everywhere. Others relate to specific situations. Thus, interpreting the Bible correctly requires careful study.

The process of interpreting scripture starts by trying to understand what the author meant to say, not what the text means to a reader now, which would impose our belief system on the Biblical text. To understand what a Bible passage means, we need to know five things:

·  The literary form the passage was written in;

·  The cultural and historical context of the passage;

·  Who the author was writing to and for what purpose(s);

·  The meaning of the words that were written; and

·  What other scripture passages say about the topic (letting scripture interpret scripture).

Informed readers understand that not everything is to be taken literally — what was written or said may be metaphors or hyperbole or fiction to make a point. For example, when we read that “God is our fortress,” we know it’s a metaphor — God doesn’t look like a castle. Jesus said we should cut off our hand or pluck out our eye if they offended us, but he didn’t mean for people to actually do it — it was hyperbole. Parables are made-up stories to make a point; Job is fiction that talks about suffering and other important ideas.

Some passages are meant to be taken literally, but they may be cultural and no longer apply. Sometimes we don’t understand the context, so we misunderstand the meaning. Since the local context influenced what was written, specific instructions provided to people in one place at a particular time may not relate to those living in other areas or times — the guidance may apply to the local culture rather than reflect universal truths for all to always follow.

For example, in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul said women believers should cover their heads, and he made comments about the length of a person’s hair. These instructions were valid because they related to the local customs of Corinth at the time. However, some interpret these instructions to be mandates to be followed at all times. (This situation is explained in more detail in the next section.) Leviticus 19:28 says a person should not get a tattoo, but the context of the verse related to people who cut themselves as part of a pagan ritual related to the dead. Paul commanded Christians to “greet each other with a holy kiss” because it was the traditional greeting in the Mediterranean world at that time. While this is what the verse says, it’s not what it means, which was to express warmth and friendliness to others.

We must also understand the meaning of the words used, which might not be translated accurately into other languages. For example, the English word love has many meanings: we love certain foods, parents love their children, friends love each other, and people “make love.” Knowing the difference between the three Greek words for love — eros, philia, and agape — is key to understanding the meanings of the great “love” chapter of the Bible (1 Corinthians 13). “Fear” is another word with different meanings. For example, Proverbs 9:10 has been translated, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” but other translations use the terms respect, reverence, and awe. Many scripture verses tell us not to be afraid.

Lastly, we need to look at scripture in its entirety and consider what has changed in order to know what applies to us today. Some instructions given in the Old Testament may not be valid for Christians because circumstances have changed. For example, the Israelites were forbidden to eat pork, but Jesus said that it’s not what people eat that defiles them, and pork was part of Peter’s vision as acceptable food before meeting Cornelius. The correct interpretation of the instructions in the Bible are those that are consistent with the main themes running through all of scripture, and the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament take priority over those mentioned in the Old Testament.

Other Factors Related to Interpreting Scripture

Four other factors must be considered to interpret scripture accurately. First, some Biblical accounts describe situations that were normal at the time, but this does not mean they are always justified. Slavery, for example, is mentioned hundreds of times in ways that seem to justify it as an acceptable social practice or ordained by God. Christians justified slavery for centuries, but over time we developed a better understanding of the context and the underlying principles of scripture, and we now see slavery as an unacceptable practice. Polygamy was a normal part of Jewish society and was first mentioned in Genesis 4:19. Sometimes it was required, and it made sense in the context of the culture and time. Paul told Timothy and Titus that church leaders should only have one wife, which implies polygamy still occurred in the early church (1 Timothy 3:2,12; Titus 1:6). No verse condemns it, but this doesn’t make it the model for a correct marriage. Jesus clarified and sometimes disobeyed Jewish religious laws because they were misunderstood and therefore misapplied.

Second, scripture may appear to contradict itself on important matters, but a closer look that accounts for the context reveals no such contradiction. For example, God says a person who kills another person should be put to death (Genesis 9:6), which seems like the statement that contradicts itself. Later, the sixth commandment says “Do not murder” (Exodus 20:13). But God commanded the Israelites to kill all the inhabitants of Canaan during its conquest. These “contradictions” can be explained by their context. In these examples, the command not to kill is directed to individuals, and governing authorities are to administer justice and keep peace within the community (Paul says the sword doesn’t exist for nothing, Romans 13:1–4). All civil authority works on behalf of God’s authority, so God uses humans to punish evil. A soldier in the military is a tool of the government and may kill an enemy, but the soldier must not kill somebody when he is not in that role.

Third, some verses were meant to be taken literally but are widely misunderstood because we don’t understand the ancient context. For example, Paul quotes Proverbs 25:21–22 in his letter to Christians in Rome (Romans 12:20): “If your enemy is hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them water to drink. This will heap burning coals on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” These verses should be taken literally within the context of the culture, and it applies universally, not just to those who lived in Israel and Rome. At the time, somebody who was running out of fuel to keep their fire going would ask many neighbors for a small amount. Eventually this would provide enough fuel to keep their own fire going through the night. Paul says that by providing a large amount of wood or charcoal (heaping burning coals) to a neighbor, it relieves the neighbor from having to get these items from many others — it’s a sign of extreme generosity. At that time (and still today), people carried things on their heads, so in this context, the heaping coals were put on the person’s head to carry home. Paul was telling Christians to do their best to be at peace with everybody and to let God provide vengeance to their enemies, to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17–21). We are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), and generosity shows our love. While most sermons on Romans 12 ignore the verses related to the “burning coals,” those that mention these verses often imply people can harm an enemy in a subtle way. But the phrase, taken literally at that time, doesn’t mean that at all — serving an enemy is not a way to hurt them by burning their head. Rather, generosity increases the chances of achieving peace.

The fourth issue relates to the authority of scripture. The Bible claims to be the “inspired” word of God (theopneustos in Greek, meaning “God-breathed”) and “is useful to teach us what is true and help us realize what we have done wrong” (2 Timothy 3:16). Both Paul and Peter said the teachings in scriptures didn’t come from human understanding — the writers were moved by the Spirit and spoke for God (1 Corinthians 2:12–13, 2 Peter 1:20–21). So God is the true author of the Bible and used humans as scribes, and this makes it authoritative and true when it was written. As a result, some Christians say that people with a true faith must believe the Bible is totally accurate, including accounts related to history, science, and a man’s role in the church and family — new ideas may threaten the truthfulness of the Bible.

Historically, the church has been suspicious of science and its methods because they sometimes appear to undermine religious faith. For example, Galileo questioned conventional wisdom and used the scientific method to discover the earth was not the center of the universe. He was arrested by the Inquisition in 1633 and ordered to deny his beliefs. In 1925, the Scopes “monkey trial” pitted science and the teaching of evolution against literal interpretations of creation described in the Bible. A Tennessee state law prohibited the teaching of evolution, and the trial was broadcasted by radio nationally. A journalist ridiculed Biblical teachings during the trial, which caused some Christians to oppose science and the press because they were viewed as being anti-Christian. A “circle the wagons” mentality developed among some Christian groups who felt the faith was being attacked — they thought believers needed to be protected from sinful and unorthodox influences in the world. These groups viewed science, the press, and intellectuals as secular forces that opposed the faith.

What is true about the world should not threaten Christians. St. Augustine and many others have said, “all truth is God’s truth.” Science has helped us learn the truth about the world and human beings, which can strengthen our faith and living conditions. But people often resist change. Jesus himself noted that new ideas are often incompatible with our traditional ways of thinking, and we resist changing our mind. He concludes his analogy of wineskins (Luke 5:36–39) by saying, “Nobody who first drinks old wine wants the new wine: they will say, ‘The old is better.’” We are creatures of habit and usually cling to our beliefs and routines, even when there is evidence there is a better way to think and behave.

Context Matters

We know a correct understanding of scripture requires us to consider the cultural and historical context of the passage, who the author is writing to, and for what purposes. Paul’s writing to the church in Corinth and to Timothy, the leader of the church in Ephesus, must be understood in the context of those two cities. A strict reading of a passage without knowing the context and audience results in misinterpretations of what was written.

As noted earlier, the cultures of the ancient world are usually described as patriarchal. Most women were not respected and were near the bottom of a caste-like system in society (the poor, sick, and immoral women were at the very bottom). To estimate the size of a crowd, only the men were counted, and nothing a woman wrote was read by men. A normal genealogy named only the men, and a child’s family name was their father’s name. A woman did not inherit the resources of her father or husband when they died. The Bible names 163 women (about 6% of all the people named), and less than 50 of the named women are quoted. When Jesus broke cultural norms in his treatment of women, people were astonished.

In addition to the patriarchal context, the local context of Corinth and Ephesus also matters when understanding the meaning of Paul’s letters. Some of his instructions were clearly meant specifically for them at that time.

Corinth was a rough port city with many taverns and prostitutes, and most of the new believers were not well educated. Paul said women were not to disrupt worship by asking questions if they didn’t understand something — they were to ask their husbands about it later at home (1 Corinthians 14:34–35). Women were told not to have disruptive side conversations and to be quiet unless they were praying and teaching as part of the worship activities. Paul also said women should cover their heads, but men should not, and he made comments about the length of their hair.

Ephesus was where the Temple of Artemis was located. Artemis was a pagan deity and the goddess of the city and had a strong cult following in the region. Women who uncovered their head were often prostitutes, and respectable married women wore a veil or head covering in public as a sign of modesty and honor (in some cultures, women still cover their heads as a signal of modesty). An uncovered head signaled sexual availability and a rejection of accepted social norms. Paul’s letter to Timothy, the leader of the church there, was writing about best practices, not a theology related to church leadership.

Silence and Submission



While some verses say women should be quiet in worship and not teach men, there are exceptions. In the 1 Corinthian 11 passage, women were told to be silent, but the passage also says a woman can teach in worship. If a woman is teaching to the whole congregation, she is no longer quiet — she is speaking and teaching men. When Paul says women should cover their heads when praying and speaking in church, he is saying how they should pray and prophesy. The prophet Joel predicted the Holy Spirit would be poured out on the church and “sons and daughters will prophesy” (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17–18).

So when we later read 1 Corinthian 14, we know Paul expects women to speak in worship. That means “women should remain silent in the churches” (1 Corinthians 14:34) can’t mean women must never speak in church. The entire chapter is about orderly worship. Paul tells those speaking in tongues to remain silent if there is no interpreter; he tells prophets to be silent when another receives a revelation. His concern is not silence but order within a church gathering; being silent isn’t directed only at women. Throughout the chapter, Paul tells multiple groups to stop speaking in certain situations so worship can be conducted “decently and in order.”

In his letter to Timothy, Paul provided advice and guidance on specific issues in a specific setting that confronted the church in Ephesus. He told Timothy. “I want men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes” (1 Timothy 2:8–9).[2] But the Old Testament has verses that say there is nothing wrong with wearing nice jewelry (Genesis 24:53; Exodus 3:22 and 35:22; Proverbs 25:12). His instructions were valid because they related to the local customs at the time and could be labeled “best practices” for the situation. They were not meant to apply to all situations for all time.

The instructions in 1 Timothy 2 are immediately followed by instructions about women: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet” (1 Timothy 2:11–12).[3] Paul’s “I want” and “I do not permit” statements appear to be his preference for best practices for that time, not commands from God. Oddly, Christians who hold a complementarian view treat the first set of instructions in the chapter as culture-specific but the instructions about women being silent as being universal, to be taken literally at all times.

Another part of the 1 Timothy 2:12 passage merits a closer look. Paul writes, “I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man (some translations say “her husband”). The Greek verb translated “exercise authority” (authentein) is extremely rare — this is the only time it appears in the New Testament, and it’s rarely used in ancient literature. Unlike Paul’s usual word for healthy, legitimate authority (exousia), authentein seems to mean domineering or controlling authority. He appears to be warning against the misuse of authority, not about legitimate church leadership. Scripture consistently warns against domineering leadership, which is consistent with Jesus's teaching that leadership in God’s kingdom never lords power over others — leaders are to be servants. Ironically, some churches are still led by domineering and controlling men who use scripture to exclude women from exercising their spiritual gifts in a church setting.

1 Corinthian 11:10 contains two interesting details about authority. It reads, “Therefore, a woman ought to have a symbol of authority (exousia) on her head, because of the angels.” First, “symbol of” does not appear in the Greek text. The Greek simply says: “a woman ought to have authority (exousia) upon her head.” Many scholars say Paul is describing a woman’s own authority, not submission to someone else — a head covering was a cultural sign that identified her as a respectable woman authorized to participate in worship. Second, the phrase “because of the angels” is not explained because Paul felt it needed no explanation. It may refer to a common belief at the time that a woman’s hair was connected to the heavens. This made her vulnerable to “bad” angels who had sex with the beautiful daughters of men (Genesis 6:4). Covering the hair prevented this from happening. An alternate explanation is that angels like to watch us from heaven (1 Peter 1:12), so those in the church should be worshiping properly. In either case, there was an angelic reason for women to cover their hair, one that could still make sense and one that no longer does.

Since women were rarely educated and not respected by men, it made practical sense to avoid having women in leadership positions. This probably influenced Paul’s teaching about women’s role within this specific church context. However, times have changed — many women are now educated and often serve in leadership positions in society.

Within a patriarchal and local context, along with traditional views toward women’s roles in society, simple interpretations of isolated verses should be examined in light of what we know about Paul’s other experiences with Christian women and what we know now about women’s capabilities. The context, new facts, all of scripture, and insights from the Holy Spirit should inform our understanding of what the scriptures mean, not just what they say.

Many Women Held Leadership Roles in the Bible

Many women had major roles and held positions of leadership in the Bible. Their examples show how God has always used women in different ways, sometimes in leadership roles.

In the Old Testament, only men from the Levite tribe were priests and workers in the tabernacle and Temple. However, numerous women had leadership roles, and there is no indication they were unusual in some way. Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, is a prophet. Huldah is a prophet that authenticates scripture. Deborah is a judge, prophet, and leader of Israel before being asked to be a military leader — other than Samuel, she is the only judge referred to as a prophet. Abigail saves Israel from civil war, and a woman in Abel negotiates peace when she successfully confronts a top military commander and ends a siege on the city. Rahab helped the Israelites conquer Jericho, and Esther, the queen of Persia, saves the Jews from genocide. In the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, two other women are noteworthy. Judith is a brave woman who uses her beauty, charm, and savvy to save Israelites from the Assyrians — God delivered the people by the “hand of a female.” In the book of Daniel, Susanna is a wife of a wealthy businessman who maintains her integrity despite being threatened with accusations of adultery (a capital offense for women). A young Daniel saves her from being executed.

In the New Testament, women were prominent in key events in the life of Jesus. Mary gives birth to and raises Jesus. The Samaritan woman becomes the first evangelist. Women financially support Jesus’ ministry. Women remained at the cross and were the first witnesses of the resurrection and the first to proclaim it.

Paul lists many women who had leadership roles. Phoebe is a deacon entrusted with Paul’s message to the church in Rome. Junia (a Greek name for Joanna, a Hebrew name) is “outstanding among the apostles” in Rome (she may be the same Joanna identified in Luke as the wife of the manager of Herod’s household — she may have moved to Rome when Paul wrote his letter). Priscilla, along with her husband Aquila, hosted church meetings in their home in Rome and taught Apollos (it’s possible they were co-authors of the book of Hebrews). Euodia and Syntyche worked with Paul, Lydia hosted and may have led the Philippian church, Nympha hosted a church, Chloe led a household congregation, and Tabitha/Dorcas is called a disciple. Paul reminds Timothy who taught him his faith — two women, his mother (Eunice) and grandmother ( Lois), which is ironic because the letter to Timothy is the one that has created so much controversy over women’s ability to teach and preach.

Conclusion

Most women don’t grow up wanting to be a pastor. They usually experience this calling later in life when they recognize how their spiritual gifts relate to being a nurturing “shepherd.” Most of them initially resist this calling — they know how hard the journey will be. They can expect to face constant scrutiny, degrading name-calling, abusive work environments, higher standards and less pay than their male peers, being treated rudely and condemned for being a spiritual leader, and being subject to comments about their appearance. Given these conditions, few women would want such a role unless they are certain of their calling, which ideally is confirmed by others.

God calls everybody to certain roles. Not allowing women with the gifts to serve in leadership roles in the church is not consistent with a complete understanding of scripture and is therefore a form of oppression and unnecessary control. It violates the principles of equality and inclusiveness within the church. We should not constrain others’ aspirations or scope of influence, and we should not insist on excluding half the world’s population from a particular ministry role because of their gender, something they cannot control.

We should ask ourselves if we should defend certain views and traditions that, upon closer examination, are inconsistent with all of scripture and work of the Holy Spirit. We should reflect on one clear example given in Acts 10:1–11:18, Peter’s dreams and meeting with Cornelius. Peter realized Gentiles were to be included in the church when the Holy Spirit entered them — past prohibitions had to change. When Jewish believers criticized Peter for meeting and eating with Gentiles, he gave them all the facts and concluded, “if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in Jesus Christ, who was I to think I could stand in God’s way?” The Jewish Christians were then persuaded and rejoiced with the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s kingdom. This inclusion led to tremendous diversity within the body of Christ.

We should be cautious about embracing a theology of women’s ministry based on a few verses that, when examined closely, puts them into a context that does not always apply everywhere. Faithful interpretation does not isolate a few verses and make everything else conform to them — it asks how every passage fits within the larger framework of scripture. When we let all of scripture interpret scripture, we should look closely at a passage that seems to contradict other verses.

Changing our views and practices can be uncomfortable, and initially it may feel awkward to accept women in leadership roles. But making changes is a necessary part of the spiritual journey and Christian growth. It can take decades and even lifetimes to change beliefs and feelings that are not biblical, but our discomfort should not prevent women from using their God-given gifts.

  [1] I acknowledge the writings of Rebecca J. Craig, a Lutheran pastor, in her essay “Who Told You Women Can't Preach?,” posted on The Quirky Pastor Substack on August 7, 2026, and Bobby Gilles, who dedicates his Substack to uplifting the roles of women in ministry. Other helpful resources on this topic can be found at The Center for Biblical Equity (CBE).

[2] Peter says similar things (1 Peter 3:3–4).

[3] This passage is followed by three odd verses: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety.” The verse about women being saved by giving birth is at odds with all other teachings about what saves a person. This raises doubts about the universal applicability of the passage.