Center for Biblical Coaching

What is the biblical teaching of ordaining women as officers of the church?

This has been an area of major compromise by the church in our day and I believe the church has forsaken the clear biblical teaching for a culture that glorifies gender neutrality. There are only two ordained offices recognized in the New Testament. They are the office of Pastor/Teacher and the office of Deacon. In many denominations the office of Bishop and Elder are also added but I believe the office of Bishop, Elder, Overseer, Pastor/Teacher is actually the same office.

There is no way to have a proper hermeneutic and apply the office of pastor/teacher to a woman. This office is for the husband of one wife. It uses the personal pronoun of “he” and “man” in speaking about this office.

There is some disagreement on the issue of deacons though. Many people will take 1 Timothy 3:11 and apply the word for “women” to the office of deaconess. They argue that the office is not one where authority is exercised and is simply a serving office. The church I am a member of believes this passage is speaking of the wife of a deacon and not the office of deaconess. While I clearly understand both sides of the argument, I personally, can argue for the office of deaconess and do not consider this an issue where I have to be dogmatic one way or another.

While the office of pastor/teacher is only for men, the Holy Spirit still gives the spiritual gift of pastor teacher to a woman. This is a vital gift within the body of Christ as the teacher of the younger women is supposed to be the older woman (Titus 2:3-5).

Women are critical to the health of the church. While many people in our day see the biblical role of women as chauvinistic, this is simply not the case. Men and women are equal in God’s eyes but we have different roles. Men are called to lead in the family and in the church. There are too many weak men are in our churches today that simply allow the women to teach mixed gender Sunday Schools, preach in our churches, and sit on elder boards. This is a sad state and a call for men to lead the way God has designed us to lead.

Mike DeGuzman is a biblical life coach who speaks on a variety of topics that relate to marriage, parenting, and teenagers. Contact him at cbcdeguzman@gmail.com or (843) 812-7690.