Over the last few decades, there has been a growing movement in the religious world pushing for women to be able to serve as preachers, pastors, or in other leadership roles within the church. In fact, I wrote an article back in 2009 commenting on a study that indicated then that the number of women pastors has doubled in a decade. This trend has only accelerated since that time.
As more “conservative” religious groups feel pressured to welcome women in various leadership roles in their churches, there is more of an attempt to defend this practice by appealing to the Scriptures. Lately, I have noticed some religious people citing certain women mentioned in the New Testament as “proof” that women are permitted to preach in any public forum, oversee a local congregation, or exercise some other leadership role in the work or worship of the church.
In this article, I want us to briefly notice some of these prominent women of the first century church and see what the Scriptures actually have to say about them. We will also be reminded about what the New Testament says about women serving in these roles.
We will not list every woman in the church in the first century. However, the women mentioned below are often cited by those who advocate for women preachers or pastors today.
- Priscilla – “And [Apollos] began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26). This husband and wife were involved in converting Apollos. And while she helped to explain the truth to him, this was done in private and with her husband. She was not standing before the church in Ephesus preaching a sermon or anything like that.
- Phoebe – “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea” (Romans 16:1). This woman is described as a servant. Some have pointed out that this Greek word (diakonos) is the same word used for the deacons who would be appointed in the church (1 Timothy 3:8, 12). Yet the official role described to Timothy would necessarily be held by men (1 Timothy 3:8, 10), in particular, husbands (1 Timothy 3:12). However, all Christians can serve in different ways, even without being appointed as a “deacon.” This is what we see with Phoebe.
- Junia – “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me” (Romans 16:7). Many have pointed out that Junias should be Junia, a woman’s name. They then argue that this woman was a fellow apostle. Yet even if Junias/Junia was a woman, this verse does not say that this individual was an apostle, only that he/she served with the apostles.
- Euodia and Syntyche – “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:2-3). These women were “fellow workers” with Paul, yet the type of work they did is not mentioned. Those who assume that their work involved public teaching or leadership are reading something into the text that is not there.
- Philip’s daughters – “Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses” (Acts 21:9). In the first century, when there were miraculous spiritual gifts to strengthen the early church, there were both men and women who had the gift of prophecy (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:5). Yet there is no mention of where Philip’s daughters prophesied. In fact, the passage that describes the prophesying done by the women in Corinth indicated that it was done outside of the assembly of the church.*
- Nympha – “Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house” (Colossians 4:15). This is one example of a woman who hosted the local church in a particular city in her house. Yet the only certain conclusions that we can draw from this are that (1) she was willing to welcome the brethren into her home, and (2) she had a home that was large enough to accommodate the brethren assembling there. Nothing is implied here about teaching or leadership on her part.
None of the passages that mention these women describe them preaching publicly, overseeing a congregation, or holding some other type of leadership position in the work or worship of the church. Those who cite them as “proof” that women can do these things are reading their preferred interpretation into the text.
Yet someone may wonder if these passages are ambiguous enough to allow for women in leadership positions in the church. In other words, does the New Testament specifically forbid women from holding such positions? To answer that question, notice a couple of passages that describe the limited role that women have in the church:
“The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says” (1 Corinthians 14:34).
“A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet” (1 Timothy 2:11-12).
Whatever was done by Priscilla, Phoebe, Philip’s daughters, and all the other faithful women mentioned in the New Testament had to have been in harmony with these instructions. After all, as an apostle, the things that Paul wrote were “the Lord’s commandment” (1 Corinthians 14:37). These women would not have been commended for their faithful example if they were in direct contradiction to what the apostles taught as the Holy Spirit guided them “into all the truth” (John 16:13).
Those who want to cite the examples of Christian women in the New Testament as “proof” that women can serve in various leadership roles in the church today have to either ignore or somehow explain away the plain statements of Paul. In doing so, they are elevating their opinion – which has been undeniably shaped by modern culture – over the words of the inspired apostle.
There are times, places, and situations in which women can teach. There are many things they may do to serve and help the cause of Christ. However, that does not mean we should ignore the limitations plainly given in the New Testament. Nor does it mean we allow the men to forsake their responsibility to teach and lead in the role they have been given. If more men in the church would preach and lead in a faithful, bold, humble, and Christ-like manner, then the ones advocating for a departure from the Bible’s teaching on gender roles in the church would have a much harder time finding people willing to consider their arguments.
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* For more of an explanation of the prophesying done by the women in Corinth, see the article, The Head Covering.
