Women :
The biblical position on
church officers (2)
Last week, we began answering the question “why do we not
have female church officers at First Presbyterian Church?” So far, we’ve said
the following: the simple answer is “because that is what the Bible teaches.”
The New Testament consistently teaches that the ministry of the word and rule in
the church is to be exercised only by qualified male leadership (see, for
example, 1 Timothy 2:8-15, 3:1-2, 12; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35; Acts 6:3). In 1
Timothy 2:11-14, Paul teaches that (1) Women are to receive instruction in a
submissive manner in the public assembly. In other words, the headship of men,
and the authority of the elders is never to be tested or challenged by Christian
women in the public assembly, instead they are to receive teaching
willingly, rather than give it. (2) Women are not to teach or exercise authority
over men in the public assembly. Paul explicitly restricts the teaching and
ruling ministry of the church to qualified and called men. (3) Paul says
that he is not the primary author or inventor of this view or rule. In 1
Corinthians 14:34-35, he says that this is an Old Testament, that is, biblical
principle (“just as the Law says”) and it is binding on the churches. In sum,
Paul teaches that the Bible teaches that there are to be role distinctions
between the sexes in the ministry activity of the Christian church.
Now some folks agree with what I’ve just said with regard to
the office of elder, but believe that the office of deacon is open to women, (1)
since it is not a ruling office but a serving office, and (2) since they can
make a case for women deacons from Scripture (whereas there is no good case for
women ministers/elders that can be made from Scripture). So, what do we say
about this? What about the diaconate and what about the women mentioned in 1
Timothy 3:11? What about Phoebe?
Well, let’s look at 1 Timothy 3:11, where Paul says (in the
context of talking about elders and deacons): “Women must likewise be
dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.”
What does verse 11 mean? To whom does it refer? Let me respond plainly and
straightforwardly and then explain my rationale: it refers to “the women who
assist the deacons.”
The context of this passage (see especially 1 Timothy 5)
strongly suggests that this verse means that the women who assist the deacons in
diaconal ministry must also possess godly character. It shows the involvement
and qualifications of women in diaconal care in the local church. Interpreters
have suggested five possible translations of the word “women” in verse 11 — (1)
women deacons; (2) deaconesses, distinct but comparable with deacons; (3) female
assistants to the deacons; (4) wives of deacons; or (5) wives of elders and
deacons. In light of 1 Timothy 5, the third is the most likely rendering (though
4 and 5 remain possibilities too).
Those who argue for women deacons or deaconesses suggest that (1) deacon is a
servant position therefore no authority is exercised and thus it is open to
women without violation of 1 Timothy 2:11-14; (2) the passage above speaks of a
separate class of women officers; (3) that Romans 16:1-2 provides an example of
a female deacon/deaconess. In response to these three arguments, I would simply
note that (1) those in charge of a ministry, including deacons, invariably rule
in some manner; (2) the fact that Paul simply calls these female Christians
“women” and does not title them (though he has already titled both elders and
deacons is a strong argument that he is not speaking of a distinct office of
deaconess); (3) Paul’s word for Phoebe in Romans 16:1, servant, diakanos,
most frequently designates the standard role and character of a Christian in the
New Testament, rather than an official title. No conclusive contextual argument
supports its understanding as a title in Romans 16:1. John Murray says: “Phoebe
is one of the women memorialized in the New Testament by their devoted service
to the gospel whose honor is not to be tarnished by elevation to positions and
functions inconsistent with the station they occupy in the economy of human
relationships.” Furthermore, there are a number of compelling arguments against
women serving as deacons that can be drawn from the New Testament. (1) In Acts
6, where deacons are first appointed, the Apostles explicitly say “select from
among you seven men” — andros is used here specifically (meaning men)
not the generic anthropos (meaning persons). Furthermore, Acts 6
specifically calls for men to minister to women — if ever there were a situation
that called for women deacons it was here, and yet men are appointed. (2)
Consider the evidence from 1 Tim. 3:11, if Paul wanted to institute women
deacons, this verse was the perfect opportunity to use the term, but he doesn’t!
(3) The general Pauline doctrine of male headship suggests
that it is the qualified men of the congregation who are to lead both the
shepherding and mercy ministry of the church.
All of this shows that our position on church officers is
rooted in Scripture rather than dictated by unbiblical tradition or cultural
patterns.