A Few Thoughts On Women in Ministry Roles: Can Women be Pastors? Exploring Function vs. Governing Office
For thousands of years, women’s roles in the Church have been diminished and marginalized to next to nothing.
This is something that the Holy Spirit deeply desires to vindicate and restore.
In response to this, there are now those who rightly see this injustice and are attempting to rectify it.
However, in this attempt at creating equity, there are those who have gone beyond the apostolic boundary lines of women in ministry.
To recover what was lost, we must go back to the Word without the bias of age old tradition nor a tainted zeal for false equality.
Jesus wants women functioning in the ministry positions they are ordained for because it glorifies Him.
When we as a Church return to His design for ministry, we will see the Gospel spread like never before and marvel at how the Kingdom of God will flourish once this foundational issue has been repaired.
Biblical Women’s Roles in Ministry
When I am saying women can be apostles, prophets, teachers & evangelists, I am talking about function, not office in the sense of governing over a local church body.
In early church history, there are active women apostles & prophets, but not pastors or elders. Here are some scriptural examples of what I mean:
Women Apostles
“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.” Romans 16:7 NKJV
The Greek phrase episēmoi en tois apostolois means of note or notable among the apostles, not merely admired by them.
Junia is a woman’s name in every known Greek manuscript. Origen, Chrysostom, and Jerome (church fathers and leaders from the first few centuries of the church) all read Junia as female and an apostle.
So she and the other apostle are not among the 12 apostles of the Lamb, but they are sent ones and recognized as apostles by Paul and by the Holy Spirit.
Women Prophets
Miriam, the sister of Moses, was a prophet:
“Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.”Exodus 15:20 NKJV
Deborah the judge of Israel was a prophet:
“Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.” Judges 4:4 NKJV
She functioned as a prophet in and over Israel as a whole in the Hebrew Bible.
Huldah was a prophet (2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22).
Isaiah the prophet’s wife was also a prophet (Isaiah 8:3).
In the New Testament, here are some women prophets as well:
Anna who recognized Jesus as Messiah when He was a baby was a prophet:
“Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher…” Luke 2:36 NKJV
Philip’s four daughters were active in prophetic ministry:
“On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea… Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.” Acts 21:8-9 NKJV
Prophesying doesn’t necessarily make them prophets, but if they were recognized for prophetic activity by the Holy Spirit through the Word in a positive manner, then it verifies women can prophesy in a public sense.
Women Can Preach and Proclaim the Gospel
Women cannot be pastors or elders biblically. That isn’t biblical and isn’t seen in the Bible or in early church history at all.
Women can preach and prophesy. They can teach & proclaim the gospel.
Preaching and pastoring are not the same function biblically. Everyone can preach the gospel, including women. I’ll give some scriptures for this below.
Women Preachers
Mary Magdalene
“Jesus said to her, ‘…go to My brethren and say to them…’ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord…” John 20:17-18 NKJV
Jesus commissions her to proclaim the good news of His resurrection to the eleven apostles.
The Samaritan Woman
“The woman then left her waterpot… and said… ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did…’” John 4:28-30, 39 NKJV
She performs the function of an evangelist and preaches the good news of Jesus to the Samaritans, evidenced by the fact that they come to believe in Jesus as Lord.
This also opened the door for Philip the evangelist in Samaria in the book of Acts.
Anna
“Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess… and coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36-38 NKJV
Pentecost and Prophetic Outpouring
In Acts chapter 2 at Pentecost, Peter preaches that “your sons and daughters will prophesy.” This is after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
According to the book of Revelation, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). Which means that women who prophesy are preaching as well because they are testifying of Jesus, and they are meant to.
Priscilla and Aquila
“So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” Acts 18:26 NKJV
Priscilla and Aquila were a wife and husband team.
Notice that it does not just say Aquila alone teaches Apollos, but the both of them. Priscilla is even named before her husband in this case, and the Scripture is God-breathed & without error.
Older Women as Teachers
“the older women likewise… that they be teachers of good things, that they admonish the young women…” Titus 2:3-5 NKJV
The apostle Paul instructs Timothy to instruct the older women to be teachers of good things to the younger women.
Women Praying and Prophesying
“But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head…” I Corinthians 11:5 NKJV
If women were not expected to prophesy at all in public, he would not need to explain head covering.
He does not forbid women from prophesying publicly; he just lays out the conditions for it.
To those who are faithful to Jesus but are not yet fully persuaded, I ask that you study the Scripture like a Berean to examine and see if the case that I am presenting is true.
Not whether it is preferable, convenient or easy, but is it what the Bible and what the Holy Spirit are saying about this issue.
This is not to attack women who feel called to pastoral ministry or even currently identify as pastors, but to examine what the Bible says about this issue that Jesus would be most glorified through a global Church operating on one accord with Him and with one another.
In my next writing on this topic, I will examine the rebuttals and objections given to these arguments, both modern and historical.
But this first article on this is to lay foundation and to show God’s heart on this issue in regards to what women are able to do in ministry, not the few things they are not eligible to do according to God’s guidelines for the Church laid out by the apostles of the Bible.
P.S. If you have any questions, comments, or even rebuttals, feel free to drop them below. This is a conversation that needs to be had but the Holy Spirit desires this to be done with respect, honor, and above all, love.