Possibly one of the most hotly debated subjects among Christians is the topic of women in ministry (along with predestination, but we won’t go there today). 

Some circles preach women can do anything in ministry that men do. Others disagree — passionately. 

We can’t all be right, so which is it? 

First Things First

Before we dive in to the debate, let’s define some terms so we’re all on the same page at the start. There are two main schools of thought on this topic: Egalitarianism & Complementarianism (though Complementarians seem to hold a wide range of beliefs within this view). 

Simply put, Egalitarians believe that women and men are created equally and do not have different rights or gender restrictions when it comes to ministry work. Under this view: 

• Women can teach and exercise authority over men as clergy (or perform any ministerial role) 
• Women and men have equal responsibilities within their family units 

Complementarians, on the other hand, believe men and women have gender-specific roles and responsibilities. As I mentioned, there are a wide range of beliefs under this view, but the most conservative complementarians believe:

• Women cannot exercise spiritual authority over men (this restricts which ministerial roles they can perform)
• Women cannot teach men (some believe this, some don’t) 
• Women are under the authority of their father or husband and are the primary child caregivers & household managers (again, a wide range of beliefs on this one) 

Now that we’ve defined terms, let’s get into it.  

What does the Bible Say About Women? 

This is a topic I have prayerfully wrestled with for years, and am still wrestling with now. I grew up in soft complementarian circles, meaning that women couldn’t be pastors or deacons, but they could do most anything else. 

Currently, I have found myself attending a church that holds a hard complementarian view. They believe women cannot teach or hold any type of authority over a man. Women are “permitted” to teach other women & children (so long as they’re girls).  

Hard spot to be in for a woman who surrendered to ministry a decade ago and loves to teach ….

In both circles, I’ve experienced the devaluing of women, and the belittling of women’s roles and contributions during sermons on the subject. Regardless of what your views on gender roles are, Scripture certainly does not view women as “less than.” 

Don’t just take my word for it though. Let’s look at some women in Scripture. 

Deborah — Prophetess & Judge  

Chapters 4–5 of the book of Judges follows a prophetess, Deborah, as she leads the Israelites to victory over Canaan. 

In this time, judges ruled over the nation of Israel in place of a king, as well as commanded the Israelite army. Prophets delivered and taught messages from God to the people. Each office commanded authority and respect, and Deborah held both. 

Huldah — Prophetess

Moving over to 2 Kings 22, we find young King Josiah in need of answers. The Israelites were worshipping idols and leading sinful lives, but the king desired to follow God. The high priest at the time, Hilkiah, gives King Josiah a copy of the Book of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), and after reading it the king is distraught at how badly the people had been disobeying the Lord. He desperately needs to know how to correct their situation and avoid destruction, so he gives orders to Hilkiah and other officials to inquire of the Lord for him, and who does Hilkiah seek out to advise the king?

Huldah. A female prophet. 

Priscilla — Teacher 

In the New Testament, Acts 18, we see Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, traveling with Paul to Ephesus. Upon their arrival, they encounter a Jewish man, Apollos, teaching in the synagogue. Apollos is described as well-educated and instructed in the way of the Lord, but that he only knew about John’s ministry. Upon hearing him teach in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila pull him aside and further instruct him in the way of the Lord. There’s much debate on this passage as to who was doing the teaching, but Scripture clearly says they taught Apollo. It also lists Priscilla’s name first here, whereas in every other reference to the couple, Aquila’s name is listed first.

Regardless of how much she taught him, Priscilla, a woman, instructed a well-educated Jewish man theologically. 

There are plenty of other examples, but we’ll stop there for now.  

What does this Mean? 

Paul states in one of his letters: 

I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. — 1 Timothy 2:12

Now the complementarians are “Amen”-ing and the egalitarians are groaning.

Later on in the same passage Paul talks about overseers (pastors): 

Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife… — 1 Timothy 2:2a

Again, cue the hearty “Amens” from you-know-which section. 

Does this mean Paul is contradicting what God has previously permitted? Or does it mean God allowed women to only fill in where there was not a qualified man present? 

Can women teach men in some or all circumstances? Are they able to perform any ministerial role? 

Scripture is not completely clear on that, despite what each side may believe. However, Scripture is absolutely clear on this: women have occupied, at times, in both the Old and New Testaments, roles that complementarian circles would argue only men could hold.

Scripture is also clear on something else: 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…”— Genesis 1:27–28a

Both genders were created in the image of God. 

Both genders are equal recipients of salvation. 

Both genders are equal recipients of spiritual gifts. 

Both genders are of equal value to the Lord. 

Regardless of which camp you find yourself in, ministerial gender roles are a secondary doctrinal issue. Important, yes, but not essential for salvation. Scripture isn’t explicitly black and white on the topic, and I believe that to be for good reason. 

Scripture is, however, crystal clear on the fact that women were not put on this earth only to have babies and teach the younger women how to make their husbands happy. We have more value than that, and it’s demeaning to say it’s our sole contribution to society (which yes, I’ve heard stated from the pulpit). 

For any confused complementarians, that means if you’d give consideration to an educated man’s thoughtful theological input, it would be loving to give consideration to an educated woman’s thoughtful theological input as well. 

I have my own personal views on the subject, but I won’t share those here. Rather, I want to challenge each side to think biblically about the subject. Read all of Scripture, and not just one verse. Let Scripture explain itself instead of simply accepting what culture, or another person, has to say on the matter.  

Lastly, don’t forget there are born-again, saved, Christian men and women on BOTH sides of this debate.

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Other articles you might want to check out: 

The Spiritual Battle I Did Not Expect
That time the enemy tried to silence us, and almost won…medium.com

Trauma, Sin and Breaking Cycles
My response to a beautifully written half truthmedium.com