Obedient or Disobedient?

“You’re disobedient. Genesis says only men can lead the flock and women shouldn’t lead, preach or teach” I was told by a congregant this week.

Firstly, I would like to just state that following God’s call and doing His will is not disobedient. The opposite in fact is true. However, ignoring His call, not listening and deliberately ignoring a vocation is indeed disobedient.

Genesis does not, in fact, explicitly state that a woman cannot hold a leadership role, minster, preach or teach. In actuality, NO WHERE in the Old Testament does it explicitly forbid a woman to hold these roles.

What often happens is that less accurate translations of Genesis 2:18 and Genesis 3:16 are misquoted and taken out of context.

Genesis 2:18 – And the Lord God said “It is not good for the human being to be along; let us make him a helper just like him.”

Genesis 3:16 – And to the woman he said “I shall greatly multiply your griefs and your groaning; in pain you will bring forth children, and your inclination shall be for him. And he will lord it over you”

Nicholas King Translation

So it was not good for the human being to be alone and a helper just like him was created. Equal. A companion. Sharing the load, living and working together as equals. And to “lord it over you” meaning false authority, displaying an inflated sense of self importance, condescending and intimidating instead of genuine leadership and humble service. This does not grant man power over woman. It does not say that women cannot be ministers, preach, lead, or teach. It just says that man will think he has power and importance that he does not actually have.

Indeed there are many examples in the Old Testament where God called and used women to lead, preach and teach. Whilst the Old Testament is patriarchal it also shows that God used women in ways which defied the cultural norms. These women had direct access to God and communicated directly with God. They did not need a man to be a go-between.

Examples of such women from the Old Testament are:

• Deborah (Judges 4-5)
• Miriam (Exodus 15:20)
• Esther (Esther)
• Huldah (2 Kings 22:14)
• Athallah (2 Chronicles 22:10-12)
• Abigail (1 Samuel 25)
• The Wise Woman of Abel (2 Samuel 20:15-22)
• King Lemuel’s mother (Proverbs 31:1)

Moving on to the New Testament, again there are two small misinterpreted sections in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 14: 34-35) and Timothy (1 Timothy 2:12). The rest of the New Testament does not, in fact, explicitly state that a woman cannot hold a leadership role, minster, preach or teach; on the contrary the examples in the New Testament actively promotes women taking on these roles.

To address the aforementioned verses from Paul’s epistles it must be remembered that we only have one half of the conversation, that Paul’s letters were addressing particular situations and that they are heavily weighted by the male dominant culture of the time. Paul was not addressing all women in ministry. He was instead addressing those in the congregation who were out of order, who were gossiping instead of worshipping, speaking out of turn and who were not displaying modesty and restraint in a reverent way.

This is evidenced in the fact that many women held influential leadership roles in the early church. Not only is this documented in the New Testament but in Romans Paul is commending their service as ministers and deacons, preachers and teachers of the church.

Examples of these women from the New Testament are:

• Phoebe – Deacon and Minister (Romans 16:1-7)
• Junia – Apostle (Romans 16:1-7)
• Priscilla – Church Planter and Leader (Romans 16:1-7)
• Lydia – held church in her home (Acts 16:14-150
• Philip’s daughters (Acts 21)
• Nympha – held church in her home (Colossions 4:15)
• “Chosen Lady” – Church and Pastoral Leader (2 John 1:1)

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Jesus Christ.

Galations 3:28

Leadership roles are assigned by God as a spiritual gift.

God bestows capabilities and positions upon individuals for His own purposes, these subjects told me, and when He looks for a human vessel He “sees” only the willingness of the soul to serve.

Kwilecki 1987,66

More importantly, Jesus regarded women as fit for preaching and delivering news about Himself to other men. In John 4 the Samaritan woman is the evangelist to an entire community. Jesus entrusts the news of the resurrection to women before men. Also, women are listed as prophets in Acts and Corinthians and prophets clearly have the authority to preach and teach.

Or long answer short: “Tough! God tells me to so I will continue to follow His call whether you agree or not”