When Women Pastor

According to the Bible, women are not to be pastors or teach in authority over men. This is a controversial stance in today's feminist age, where the western culture is told that women can and should do everything that men do and that nothing should be denied them. It's counter-cultural to think that there are settled spheres of complementary roles, that when working together, form a bond and an order that helps marriages, families, and societies functional at maximum efficiency.

We see the beauty and power of creation in Genesis 1, then the tremendous creative energy of God's mind making man and then woman. In Genesis 2 He outlined the roles and gave them "a garden to keep". Man was to work it and woman was to help. Unfortunately this unity of purpose within separate but complementary spheres did not last long. The woman was deceived and transgressed.

For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:13-14).

The transgression was that Eve listened to the serpent, and ate the forbidden fruit. In her conversation with him, in the Bible's very first recorded words of woman, she misrepresented the Word. She added to it.

The Bible is meaningful when it comes to firsts. One of the guidelines people use in biblical interpretation is the Law of First Mention. In its place with other hermeneutical rules, the law of first mention is that,

The law (or principle or rule) of first mention is a guideline that some people use for studying Scripture. The law of first mention says that, to understand a particular word or doctrine, we must find the first place in Scripture that word or doctrine is revealed and study that passage. The reasoning is that the Bible’s first mention of a concept is the simplest and clearest presentation; doctrines are then more fully developed on that foundation. So, to fully understand an important and complex theological concept, Bible "students are advised to start with its "first mention." (source)

It's not a hard and fast rule to be overlaid on every verse but it's a good principle to notice the first time things are mentioned. When outlining gender roles, Paul reiterated the creation order, Man was made first. It's interesting to note that in Eve's first conversation she twisted the one command from God.

Women as the weaker vessel (1 Peter 3:7) does not mean woman is less valuable than man, because we are equally loved by God and made in His image. But we are obviously physically weaker. The 1 Timothy verse indicates women have a tendency to be weaker in other areas too, since she was deceived first by the serpent.

Hence the Lord's command that men occupy the office of pastor. When women usurp men and charge into that role, folly follows.

Here is an example.

The Azusa Street Revival was a historic revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California, and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 9, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915. The revival was characterized by spiritual experiences accompanied with testimonies of physical healing miracles, worship services and speaking in tongues. The participants were criticized by the secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time. Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century. (Source)

The 20th century focus and fascination with signs and tongues began here. Prior to that time, their existence in the church was practically nil. It began in Topeka Kansas in 1901, and exploded in 1906 at Azusa Street mission in Los Angeles.

There were several women involved with this Holiness movement who were at its forefront. Men were involved too, and pushed the false doctrines and error into American consciousness just as much as the women did. But at the top leadership included several powerful women operating in usurping roles leading as pastors, teachers, and spokesmen in authority. Agnes Ozman, Julia Hutchins, Lucy Farrow, Rachel Sizemore, Jennie Seymour, Aimee Semple McPherson were all leaders and several were pastors who had founded churches or missions and were actively preaching to congregations (such as Julia Hutchins and Lucy Farrow).

This article at Grace To You recounts Ozman's and Charles Parham's duplicity and deception.

Satan can and does counterfeit miracles. He can appear as an angel of light and a minister of righteousness. He was able to show Jesus all the kingdoms in the world. (Matthew 4:8). He deceived the woman Eve. He still deceives. Modern day women of today believe they have been "called" or "gifted" to "step into leadership roles" such as preaching and teaching men. Many of these women then or later reveal they heard a voice or felt a strong inner impulse or saw an angel that prompted them toward their path to ordination. These are counterfeit miracles originating with satan.

Women today are the ones at the forefront of the widespread mystical practices, personal prophecies, and channeling.

1 Timothy 2:11–12 is the main verse speaking to women's authority over men in the church. Women can and do teach, help, evangelize, explain, and pray in the church (and out). Women's spiritual authority, however, does not extend to preaching to a congregation or pastoring in authority over the sheep.

Any so-called female pastors that exist are not interpreting the scriptures rightly, so therefore their pastorship is based on a lie. Others might be interpreting the scripture rightly but ignoring what it says. Her pastorate will also fail also, because it is based on rebellion.

There's both a beauty and a difficulty of operating within biblical boundaries of the roles outlined for us as women. We have a natural tendency to want to help. We nurture. We also have the seed of rebellion in us (Genesis 3:16). But it is our privilege and our joy to obey the Lord, who is omniscient and knows all. He does know what is best. He did say that our tendency will be to want to overstep, but we must resist that desire. (Genesis 3:16, 4:7b).

All gears mesh well when there is oil to lubricate the metal. The oil for men and women meshing in unity is obedience to God and submission to each other.

Image from TheGraphicsFairy.com