Church of Houston

Women & Authority by Rick Porritt

WOMEN & AUTHORITY
Excerpt from the study His Church by Rick Porritt
Available at http://www.newtestamentpattern.net


This topic is better discussed under a much broader biblical study of Male and Female.  However, it may seem unreasonable to some to simply state that women are not permitted to function in any of the above-mentioned roles (Elder, overseer, deacon, pastor, teacher - in authoritative expositional type teaching) and leave it at that.  That this is the case is quite clear in Scripture, there are many references that make this patent.  Here is one verse of Scripture that would automatically exclude women from all authoritative function in the Church/churches: “But I suffer not (do not permit) a women to teach (DIDASKO), nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence (lit. distil from bustle).  For Adam was first formed, then Eve.  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (1 Tim. 2:12-14).  Some may think that this is only with respect to women teaching men but if this were the case why does Paul go on to talk about the woman being deceived? If Eve’s susceptibility to the Devil’s deception is part of the reason, how then could we say that it doesn’t matter if they are only teaching (DIDASKO) other women?

This quote from the Epistle to Timothy may lead one to think that the exclusion of women from serving the Church in these ways is solely a matter of susceptibility to deception.  If it were only a matter of natural strengths and weaknesses, there would always be enough exceptions to the rule to give ground for argument against such restriction.  No, the whole topic of Male and Female and our God-given roles is much more glorious.  When we begin to see these things in our spirits, every true child of God should glory in what He has made him or her.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion ... So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” (Gen. 1:26,27).  The whole essence of male and female is that God has created us as a pictorial reflection of the Holy Trinity.  God is three in one, and Man + Woman (which equals child/children) is a purpose-made ‘tri-union’ for the glory and pleasure of God.

We cannot here begin a study of the Trinity, but most relevant to our topic are two manifest facts: 1) there is absolute equality of being between Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and 2) at the same time there is clear order and authority among them.  Here are just two examples where these two principles can be seen between the Father and the Son: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery (a thing to be grasped at) to be equal with God.” (Phil. 2:5,6) and the centurion addressing the Lord Jesus recognizes that He was a man under authority: “For I also am a man set under authority ...” (Lk. 7:8).  There is no ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ quality to male and female.  We are of equal value and worth, interdependent and yet at the same time we were made to reflect the order of the Godhead.

This paradoxical principle is something rarely reflected in our fallen, distorted world, but in God’s Church, as we live by His Spirit, this should be restored.  The Devil hates this image of God in mankind and his first tactic in seeking to corrupt God’s creation, was to reverse this order by approaching the woman first (Gen. 3:1).  Any subsequent role reversal or even merging works to destroy this testimony of God’s image.  Throughout the Bible, the allegories of God found in male and female vary; e.g. in Eph. 5:22-33 we see that the man represents Christ and the woman His bride i.e. the Church.  In 1 Cor. 11:1-16 the relationship between man and woman is likened to the correlation between God the Father and Christ.  In this instance the man is representing the Father and the woman, Christ.  This latter portion of Scripture is a beautiful picture of the equality of men and women while displaying absolute obedience to God’s order.  Although the pictorial roles we play vary, it is always consistent that the man represents the higher authority and the woman the submissive.  This is the way God chose to make us.  It is our wonderful privilege as believers to live out before men and angels (1 Cor. 11:10) the roles for which we have been begotten of God.  To put this in its perspective let us note the fact that the majority of males will not be called on by God to serve in a specific named role during their lifetime.  Remember James 3:1! Every child of God has already received the highest calling that any created being can have - to know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.  The whole Bible testifies that God has created us according to His pleasure.  It is not for the vessel to say unto the potter “why hast thou made me thus?”