Women, Ordained Ministry, and Preaching: Two Views

Should a Woman Preach Next Sunday? Digging for the Root Difference with Andrew Wilson

Why do Andrew Wilson (here and here) and Tom Schreiner (here) and John Piper (here) take their valuable time to write about their differences over secondary matters, when they enjoy such enormous agreement on glorious things that are more important? The most immediate answer is: because we have to decide who’s preaching next Sunday. Our attention to this issue is because we have no choice.

In other words, unlike secondary issues such as eschatological differences, the present issue simply can’t be avoided for pastors. It’s the kind of issue that immediately affects what you do in worship. And it’s the kind of issue where doing it both ways is not an option. If women are called on to preach, we are doing it Andrew’s way. If they are not called on to preach, we are doing it Tom’s and my way. We can’t have it both ways.

I wish there were no issues like this. The implications for working on the same church staff are limiting. And that is sad. Of course, there are dozens of other things we can do together, but keeping a good conscience while working on the same church leadership team would be tough.

To put it another way, the reason pastors argue about these things is because we love our people and want to do what’s best for them. That is a really good thing; but it sometimes has awkward consequences. Keep reading

What Paul Really Says about Women in Ministry

A closer look at key Pauline passages reveals that egalitarian interpretations make better sense of Paul's instructions. In fact, Scripture itself provides the best argument against complementarian interpretations.

Bible-believing Christians divide into two camps in answer to this question. The first camp is complementarianism, also known as "biblical manhood and womanhood." It teaches that God created men and women equal in dignity but distinct in roles, both at home and in church. Thus, while it affirms that all Christian women have ministries of some kind, it denies that they can teach or lead the church as a whole. Only men can perform certain roles of teaching and leadership. The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood [1] is a representative complementarian institution; and "The Danvers Statement"[2]and Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood [3]are representative publications of the complementarian position.

The second camp is egalitarianism, also known as "biblical equality." It teaches that God created men and women equal in all things. Thus, while it affirms that men and women are distinct from one another, it denies that these distinctions warrant exclusively male leadership in the church. God can call and empower any person, regardless of gender, to fill these roles. Christians for Biblical Equality [4]is a representative egalitarian institution; and "Men, Women, and Biblical Equality" [5]and Discovering Biblical Equality [6] are representative publications of the egalitarian position.

Though both camps appeal to the entire Bible for support of their position, their debate centers on a handful of passages in Paul's letters that expressly limit women's ministries in some way: 1 Corinthians 11:2–16; 14:34–35; and 1 Timothy 2:11–15.[7] However, a closer look at these key Pauline passages reveals that egalitarian interpretations make better sense of Paul's instructions. Historically and presently, the Assemblies of God official position on women in ministry supports the egalitarian interpretation. In fact, Scripture itself provides the best argument against complementarian interpretations. Keep reading