This is probably one of the most controvercial issues in the church. The following is something I posted some time ago.
Women were ordained as deacons. The word servant is one word for deacon and minister.
Romans 16:1 ??¶I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
Priscilla and her husband Aquila were workers in the church.
Romans 16:3-6 ??Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
Women were the first to go to the tomb and the first to see the resurrected Christ (
John 20:11-18 and were also persecuted for their faith.
There was a wealthy unmarried woman named Lydia who had church services at her home not only with her household but also with 'the brethren'
Acts 16:14-15 ??And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Acts 16:40 ??And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
Women were also presecuted.
Acts 8:3 ??As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
1 Corinthians 16:19 ??¶The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
In the ancient world the place of women was low and the Jews had even a lower idea of them. In Jewish culture to teach the law to a women was to cast pearls before swine and it was forbidden to speak to a woman on the street. And the Corinthian church was mostly made up of Jewish believers who came out of the paganistic practices of the city of Corinth.
Paul mentions how he was taught in the Scriptures by Timothy's mother and grandmother.
Philippians 4:2-3 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
Women were also able to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:17 ??And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
We need to remember that Paul was dealing with an infant church in a paganistic city whose influence infiltrated the church. So we shouldn't take this out of context and consider when and to whom it was written. There were a host of problems in the Corinthian church including a host of sexual problems. It was filled with paganism and the city is best known for it's immorality. Much of these paganistic practices were brought into the church. Sexual sins of all kinds were commonly practiced and accepted. The city had 1000 sacred prostitutes that would walk the streets at night. These were just some of the problems Paul had to deal with in the Corinthian church. We should not make this issue of women preachers a universal rule for the church. Women keeping their silence and usurping authority to men was more applicable to the Church at Corinth.
The gifts of the Spirit was not only avaliable to men but also to women.
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:.
What seems to be prohibitted in the Corinthian church was women speaking. In the home, the teaching of men by women was prohibitted since men had authority over them in spiritual things. And this was largely influenced by Jewish culture and the background of the city of Corinth, and the condition of the church and all of it's problems. He is not prohibiting a woman from evangelizing or sharing with men since there are several instances of women having the brethren in their home. Women were responsible for bearing and teaching children and keeping the household. They had more responsibility than men at home. Couple that with the sexual issues of the Corinthian church one can understand why Paul found it fitting for women to keep silent in the Corinthian church.
Titus 2:1-5 ??¶But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Paul's conception of the role of women in the Corinthian church was influenced by the background of the age, the low status Jews held toward women, and the paganism of the city of Corinth and how that infiltrated the church. It shouldn't be a universal teaching about women in the church.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Chuch Smith said,
Paul in writing to the Corinthians mentions the women praying or prophesying in a public assembly and he doesn't come down on them for that. He doesn't say that that's prohibited. And "he that prophesies speaks to the church for edification, for comfort, for exhortation" (
I Corinthians 14:3), and I see these as areas where women can minister effectively.
I have said that
servant was one word for minister and deacon. But the point is this. You have to look at the context and setting. The Corinthian church was mostly Jews in a paganistic culture. The Jews already had an even lower view of women. You couldn't talk to a woman on the street and teaching the law to women was considered casting pearls before swine. We have to consider all of this in Paul's teaching.
I think this is why certain limitations are placed on the women at Corinth.
Women usually make up more than half the congregation in todays churches. So I see it as a plus. And I think there are different roles for men and women anyway.
This was the bible in it's infancy and in today's world those limitations are gone.
