Can A Woman Be A Pastor?

Can A Woman Be A Pastor?

There are about eight major Christian Denominations who do not allow women to serve as Pastors. The first mention of Pastor in the Bible is in Jeremiah: “As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.” Jeremiah 17:16 KJV

We find the word in the plural in Ephesians: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” Ephesians 4:11 KJV

The verse that most folks camp out on when they say women should not be allowed to serve as Pastors is found in Paul's first letter to Timothy: “A woman should learn in silence with full submission. I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent.” 1 Timothy 2:11-12 HCSB

Why did Paul want women to be silent? When studying a Bible verse, it's always wise to consider these things:

1. Who is the author and what is the purpose of his message?

2. The recipient or audience of his message.

3. The cultural background, customs or way of life.

4. The historical time period. Analyze the context of the message through the lens of these four steps and it will broaden your understanding.

Now let's go directly to 1 Timothy 2:11-12. Paul is the author who is writing to Timothy, the Pastor of the church in Ephesus. The city was the home of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of the Greek Goddess Artemis. Men were subservient to women, and the creation story was inverted to give the woman first place and domination over man. The culture of the time period revolved around the superiority of women over men. This served in contrast to Paul's message to Timothy.

Many people will interpret this passage differently, but here's my take on it:

1. If a person comes into your church as a new convert or a stranger that nobody knows, would you allow them to teach a lesson or pray over other people? There's a vetting process that investigates the trustworthiness of newcomers. You've got to get to know somebody before you allow them to speak.

2. The Bible is full of women leaders trusted by God to shepherd His people. Deborah was a great leader. In the podcast/video, I mention that Mary, the mother of Jesus, shepherds me through her humble obedience. I am moved to follow her example.

The word “Pastors” in Greek is, “poimēn.”

Outline of Biblical Usage: a herdsman, esp. a shepherd he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow * metaph. the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church of the overseers of the Christian assemblies of kings and princes

“A shepherd in the Near East was responsible for watching out for enemies trying to attack the sheep, defending the sheep from attackers, healing the wounded and sick sheep, finding and saving lost or trapped sheep, loving them, and sharing their lives and to earn their trust.” *Taken from the Blue Letter Bible

Here's a good question to think about: Is a pastor the title of a job or a spiritual calling?

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

How To Subscribe To Our Podcast and YouTube Videos | Biblebob.org