Why don’t you Ordain Women

The questions arises by some denominations saying, “why don’t you ordain women?” Why! Do you have this prejudice against women taking a leadership role in the church? Women have the right to be preachers, elders, deaconess and so on. They should not be made second class members of the church! A women may be just as good a Christian as any man, if not better.

I suppose we have all seen on television or heard on radio, women preaching and teaching. And if its on television or radio it has to be right! Wrong! This question deserves an honest, unbiased, non-prejudicial answer.

Where do we begin in answering this question? We must go to the ultimate source of truth and authority. The “Bible” has the answers to all our questions on this subject (2 Timothy 3:16-17). First, the Bible teaches us there are three guidelines we must use to follow the teachings of the Lord. The Bible teaches us by “commandment,” “example” or by “inference.” We must answer the question in this manner. One, did God give us a “commandment” for women to preach and teach men? Two, did God give us an “example” of women preaching and teaching men? Three, did God give us an “inference” of women preaching and teaching men?

The word “inference” is defined by Webster's dictionary as: “1.a. The act or process of deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed to be true. b. The act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.” The conclusion here would have to be: of the 31,173 verses of the Bible, there are no “commandment,” “examples,” or “inferences” for women to preach and teach men or take leadership roles in the church. However the contrary is true, there are various passages that teach against the very idea.

It should be noted; that women are equal with men in every respect concerning religion, except in the case where the “women takes authority over the man in the worship services.” “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (1 Tim.2:12). The word “usurp” means according to Webster; “To seize and hold (the power or rights of another, for example) by force and without legal authority.” Women can not seize, hold or take the rights of men in this spiritual matter. There is no authority for such, and no Bible for this conclusion. “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection” (1 Timothy 2:11). The women in the church were to be very submissive, while the men took the leadership role in the church. This is not a slight against women. “For Adam was first formed, then Eve” ( 1 Tim. 2:13). Man is not given authority over the women because she is inferior. No! she is his equal. Man was created first. In the Old Testament the first born son had a double portion (birth rights and inheritance were (doubled) but not so for the other children.

My personal feeling is; that the majority of women are more religious then men. You will often see more women at church then men. And they often have an extraordinary aptitude. It is not the case that women are incapable of doing the leadership role in the church, they could do an excellent job. However, that is not God’s plan or design for the church. The Lord built his church (Matt. 16:18). He will run the church his way and not ours. The church is not a “democracy” it is a “monarchy” (Rev. 22:18-19; Deut.4:2).

I think of it in this way; In the garden of Eden they could eat of every tree except one. Today in the spiritual realm, a women can do everything a man can do. And she will be held responsible for doing just that. With only one exception; she can not, must not “usurp” authority over the man.

One other thing, it is not possible for a women to be an elder or deacon. Why? Because she can not be the “husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2, 12; 1 Tim. 2:12). There are thousands of things that women can do to show Godly perfection. There is only a few things she is not permitted to do. And that would be usurping authority over the man in worship. The man is also suppose to take the leadership role in his home. Some men do and some do not, they will be judged for their negligence. Have a Good Day!