The most recent issue has been women's rights in the church. I never thought much on women speaking in the church. I knew I wasn't very comfortable with the idea of a female pastor, or even sometimes a female worship leader. Maybe it was the way I was raised, or the church environment I grew up in, but something in me feels more led, protected and comforted when a man has those positions. But for women to not be allowed to teach in a college ministry -- that is something I have begun to challenge.
Having a Jesus-loving feminist for a roommate -- who also loves the occasional rant about this very topic from time to time -- has made me think more about why women should or should not speak in the church.
"When I came to college, I started getting involved in ministries where I realized it wasn't assumed that women could and would speak and teach," said my roommate Rachel Hemperly, a junior at CSU. "I grew up with a very strong mother who isn't necessarily gifted in speaking and teaching; but my parents always told me that God can use me, and if there's something I can do through Him, I should do it. So it made me sad when I realized not everyone thought the same thing."
"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve."
(1 Timothy 2:11-13)
"As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."
(1 Corinthians 14:33b-35)
These verses used to always throw me off when it came to this issue; some people would say that women should indeed be able to speak in church, but I didn't understand how if these verses were in the Bible. Some would simply say those verses are outdated and don't apply to our modern society; but then, couldn't you say that about any verse in the Bible you didn't want to abide by?
I visited Intervarsity, another campus Christian ministry, about a month ago because my friend, Taylor Webster, a senior at CSU, was playing the banjo in worship (so awesome) and speaking that night. It was so refreshing to hear a woman teach, because you never hear a woman teach both genders in the college ministry I'm involved in -- unless she is accompanied by her husband.
But Taylor spoke with diligence, she was funny, she was relatable and relevant, and she spoke with the Holy Spirit. Both men and women enjoyed her speaking that night, and both men and women learned from her.
Afterward, as they were cleaning up, one of my friends I went with asked Julie Butler, one of the Intervarsity staff, what the biblical basis was for women speaking/teaching. Her response was the most sensible and grounded explanation I've heard on this topic.
Julie referred to one of the previously quoted Scripture, 1 Timothy 2:11-13. This verse is often taken out of context, she said. If we look back to what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:3-7, we see that he urges Timothy to "command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies... They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm" (vs. 3b-4, 7).
Julie went on to explain that Paul is reprimanding everyone who tries to teach the law but doesn't speak truth because they haven't studied the Word diligently. As James 3:1 says, those who teach will be judged more strictly, their words tested against the Bible.
"As a woman who has had the privilege of preaching to my entire campus ministry, I can say that it is no easier for a woman to speak than it is for a man," Taylor said. "Preaching requires careful study, diligent preparation, and a constant listening ear to the heart of God for his people. Teachers are held to a higher standard, and the responsibility of teaching should not be accepted lightly."
Therefore, Paul is referring to both men and women in 1 Timothy 1:3-7. Because if we think about the culture of that time, women did not have access to the Scriptures. As Taylor said, "They were illiterate, uneducated and incapable of studying and teaching."
So in 1 Timothy 2:11-13 when Paul says that he forbids women from teaching or having authority over men, Julie said he is referring to the women of that time who would stand up in church and talk back to the men in authority, using unfounded arguments that didn't hold truth because, the fact of the matter was, they didn't know truth -- they couldn't unless the men taught them.
Makes sense to me. To conclude, I can't put it any better than Taylor did when I asked her about this topic. I know the proper thing to do is shorter her quote to a couple sentences, but everything she said has such value that I can't bear to leave so much of it out! Please read, and spend some time doing your own research so you can have a better-rounded opinion on this issue:
"The principle that closes our hearts to woman ministers is the same logic that closes our ears to ministers of different races, denominations, cultural and economic backgrounds, ages, and political affiliations. We fear that because the other is not exactly like us, we will not connect with their message. Their message may challenge our assumptions, make us uncomfortable, give voice to a population we have marginalized or ignored, or speak a truth we have not yet accepted into our own paradigm.
"And to those fears, I say yes, encounters with those who are different are scary and difficult. But isn’t that exactly what our relationship with God is? An encounter with a being who is so different from ourselves that we have to intentionally seek his voice in order to understand Him? So, shouldn’t we be seeking to hear His voice, the messages and blessings he has given us through His people, from as many different and diverse sources as possible?
"For God does not only speak through man. He does not only speak through clean-cut white American men. He speaks through all of His children. And all of His children are called to listen. Who are we to say that the revelations He has given are not worth hearing? What we must remember is that preaching is not about hearing the voice of man or woman, black or white or Latino, poor or rich, obscure or famous. It is about hearing the voice of God for his people... It takes both [men and women] to give a complete picture of God’s kingdom."
