Our views of women do not come in a religious vacuum. Culture and history have an influence on our presuppositions, without a doubt. What transpires in evangelical denominations all too often becomes transgressions within the kingdom, the church of Christ. Our endeavor must be to look past those things that color and blind our eyes like growing cataracts. With high regard, we look at the Scriptures as though we see truth for the first time. Does our Teacher not say that if we abide in His word, we shall be His disciples, and learning the truth we shall be set free, free from sin, free from the dark ignorance we stumbled in? Our views of women in the church must become a yielding view. We choose to take the perspective of the revealed truth of God in the sacred writings as absolute and it is exclusively there that we arrive at a legitimate view of women, their roles, and their functions in the body of Christ.
The world is confusing when it comes to human relations, but the church should not be. Father God has seen to it that we have an understandable Bible. But we come to it with our presuppositions. Those presuppositions hinder us with influences of those who prey on our ignorance. The church is being carried away with winds of change since she has ears enticing her. The end goal of radical feminism is women going beyond what God permits. The true goal is to make the Bible preeminent, not sociology, as the final authority from God. The issue we have at hand is whether women may serve in leadership roles over men in the local church of Christ. Progressive-minded writers and teachers introduced the idea in the late 20th century.
Today churches are appointing women as elders and deacons. Women are preaching in the general assembly. They are praying over the Lord’s Supper and devotionals are being given by them.
We must raise the question, does the LORD accept such worship? And will He remove the candle stand of those churches with female leadership? Or are they permitted by Scripture to operate as they have been? May we continue our fellowship with them? May we take part in their worship, or would that place us in the same danger as Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu?
On December 8, 2019, Minter Lane Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas appointed two female elders. Cynthia Litton Cooke and Rendi Young Hahn were ordained by the congregation. According to Authentic Theology, an online journal, Minter Lane lost a few families from its membership, but the majority supported the appointments.
Having women preach at Minter Lane is a direct result of the teaching of the professors from Abilene Christian University. These men are training preachers, and our churches are hiring them. Not only that, but they are also traveling to convert the Lord’s church to radical egalitarian gender roles. Either it is the case that men like these are heroes championing the cause of Christ or they are false teachers we are to expose.
When the Minter Lane Church of Christ appointed two women as elders, they traumatically tested God, violating the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
The debate erupts in verse eleven regarding deaconesses and hinges on the word “likewise.” Let’s examine the passage. “Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.” Many of the words are supplied and the Greek word for wives, γυνή, may also be translated “woman.” BDAG says, “an adult female person.”25 Context, however, would merit γυνή to be rendered as wife and serve as a qualifying characteristic of the marriage relationship of the male deacon. Likewise, elders ought to have well-behaved wives. Also, since elders are to be the husband of one wife that disqualifies women because they cannot have wives.
Men and women are equally disciples of Christ. Many women have the natural ability to lead others. However, that does not mean they should usurp men’s roles in the church of Christ. God designed the Lord’s church to function in a certain manner, be governed in a specific way, and worship in spirit and truth. The maxim is clear: “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Timothy 2:11-14).
Women are (1) to learn in silence; (2) to do so with all submission to men; (3) not permitted by God to teach men; (4) not permitted to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence. These prime directives are supported by two fundamental reasons by the inspired apostle Paul: (1) Adam was formed first, then Eve; (2) the woman was the first to be deceived and fall into transgression. It does not matter how many counter arguments men make against this passage. God is very clear in these statements.
Women are not to teach or have authority over a man, but churches are employing women preachers and appointing female elders and deacons. Congregations are selling out to ecumenicalism and dying on the vine. We cannot afford to lose them.
– Donny Weimar
