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Bible Question: I
have just read through your comments on women
in the church. I fully agree with you. However, we have a woman
pastor in our church. She claims that God called her to be a pastor.
Her reasons for this are as follows:
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1. |
If
there is no man available, God will use a woman.
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2. |
If
God could use a donkey to speak, He can use a woman.
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3. |
When
Paul speaks about the husband and wife who have a home church
(I can't remember their name) Paul mentions the woman's name
first and therefore she must have been the pastor.
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4. |
Paul
states something to the effect that in the last days God
will pour out His spirit and even the daughters will begin
to prophesy. |
I
know that the bible teaches us not to get into silly arguments. This
issue is important to me since I have never felt comfortable with
a woman as head of our church. How should we as the members deal
with the situation. Unfortunately like all women (I am one myself)
she does not cope well with any form of confrontation, correction
etc. And you the member are labeled as being rebellious and not submitting
to the leadership set in place by God! This often causes most of
the people to remain silent with their questions etc.
Bible Answer: First,
we look to see what the Bible says about each of the four reasons
and then we look at some practical advice.
Reason
#1: If there is no man available, God will use a woman. Scripture never,
anywhere, says God will use a woman if a man is not available. No scriptural
passage can be found. But there is scripture that prohibits an elder (that is,
pastors) from being a woman,
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An
overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one
wife . . . (NASB) 1 Timothy 3:2 |
The
NASB accurately reflects the Greek. An overseer must be a one-woman-man.
That is, the elder must be a MALE. The fact that an elder is a pastor
is shown to us in Acts 20:17 and 28,
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And
from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of
the church. (NASB) Acts 20:17
Be
on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church
of God which He purchased with His own blood. (NASB) Acts 20:28 |
In
this passage these men are called elders in verse 17, and then in
verse 28 they are encouraged to pastor (that is, shepherd) the flock
of God. A pastor is one who shepherds the flock of God. Scripture
requires that pastors be males.
Reason
#2: If God could use a donkey to speak, He can use a woman. Yes, this is
true. If God could use a donkey, He can use a woman. But God never used a donkey
as a pastor of a church! God could use a donkey in all of our lives from time
to time, but He does not do that . . . This is not a biblical reason for a woman
to be pastor.
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