Seeking Scripture in Addressing Role Differences in the Church

Before reading this devotion, please read the 1-minute devotion Is Submission Degrading to Women? No!

Male and female roles in the church and family are under attack. We must have an accurate understanding of what the Bible teaches. 

In seminary, I studied this subject in depth, reading feminist, egalitarian, and traditional complementarian views. Most importantly, I studied the history, context, and original languages of pertinent Bible passages. As a woman, I wanted to genuinely understand what Scripture teaches. 

This is the bottom line: Men and women are fully equal in value, intelligence, and capability (Galatians 3:28; Philippians 4:3), but they have different roles in the family and in the earthly church. And certain leadership roles are reserved for men (1 Timothy 2:11-15; 1 Timothy 3:2). 

This shouldn't bother us women. Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit are equally God, but Jesus took a submissive role in our salvation (Philippians 2:5-11). We can't say that a submissive role is beneath us if it wasn't beneath our Savior. And we can't say it devalues us because it certainly didn't devalue Christ.

Human philosophies have always been at war with God's design (Colossians 2:8). And our finite minds cannot fully grasp God's infinite wisdom (Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Corinthians 13:12). But we can trust that God's design is best for us.

If you've been taught that women can serve in any role in the church, please read the passages linked in this devotion and ask the Lord to help you understand them.

May God give us wisdom to understand and grace if we disagree.

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More resources: 

Sometimes it's helpful to examine the reasoning behind teachings that contradict traditional church roles so you can recognize their errors. For that purpose, I've written a review of Rick Warren's recent switch from the traditional view to the egalitarian view: A Well-Known Pastor Changes His View About Female Pastors. And I've prepared a review of The Boundaries claim that husbands must submit to wives: Denying Submission.

I also encourage you to read:

4 Things Feminists Overlook

3 Bad Arguments for a Female God

Don't Mock God

A Serious "Christian Feminist" Error

Let's Step Up to the Plate

In addition, please check out the Bible Love Notes collection Biblical Submission.

Abusive leaders: We don't judge God's commands by the people who misuse them. Every biblical principle can be incorrectly applied. If we discarded submission or church roles based on men who abuse them, we would have to discard marriage and parenting because people abuse those as well. See Sexual Abuse in the Church: Placing Blame Where It Belongs.

Specifics: Each individual and each church must decide how to apply Scripture in specific situations. Most people who hold the traditional view allow men and women to jointly teach mixed groups, especially in regard to subjects like marriage and parenting. They typically allow women to share testimonies with mixed groups. But there are hundreds of situations that are not specifically addressed in Scripture, and while we may agree on the principles, we may not apply them identically. This is when the instruction in Romans 14:1–15:4 applies.

Female authors: I have both male and female readers on Bible Love Notes, and I know that both men and women are reading my book Wisdom for Life. My husband is the administrator of Bible Love Notes. He helps me, advises me, and gives me wise counsel. But I write the devotions. Have you ever wondered if it's wrong for a man to read Christian teachings written by a woman?  Most people who hold the traditional view of male leadership see no problem with a man reading things written by a woman because an author holds no leadership or control in the life of his/her readers. For more on this, see:

I'm Complementarian and I Read Books by Women by Tim Challis.

Do You Use Commentaries Written by Women? answered by John Piper.   

Bible Love Notes