The Role of Women in the Church

                                                         The Role of Women in the Church

There are many misconceptions on male headship. Headship is not about leadership, authority, decision making, and ruling over others. The head is positionally higher than the body, yet it doesn't mean that the body is under authority of the head. For example, Bill Gates is a high authority in the technology world, but it doesn't mean he has authority over all the people in the state of Pennsylvania. Yes, it's true that men were considered higher than women in society. However, this cultural position did NOT give them some sort of divine authority over their wives. In fact, Jesus' taught an elevated humility, which focused on elevating others over one's self. The head was considered the source of origin (the two shall be one-Genesis 2:4), provision, and nourishment. This makes sense because the husband practically owned everything in his household. This is why the infamous Ephesians 5 penned by Paul was so revolutionary in the first century. Christ called all men to forsake their cultural privileges and rights, so they can exalt their wives just like Christ exalted his Church through his death. In response, wives were called to honor and stay committed, loyal, and to hold fast to their husbands through Christ because of the false teachings that were threatening the Church's unity. Such false teachings were the forsaking of marriage (1 Timothy 4:3), the suppression of sex for holiness(1 Corinthians 7:5), and the Eve Primogeniture doctrine (1 Timothy 2:13-14).These false doctrines were passing through the house churches like wildfire.

The word submission, which is hypotasso in the Greek has been interpreted by Modern Christianity as a lowered position with limited rights. However, when examining hypotasso in other New Testament letters, this is incorrect. It has a wide semantic range. The patriarchy tends to focus on the military definition of hypotasso instead of the non-military definition (see screenshot below). For example, in 1 Corinthians 14:32-34, it can mean self-restraint. In 1 Corinthians 16:16, it can mean cooperation, commitment, or loyalty. In Philippians 3:20-3:21, it can mean an exalted humility. The problem is that critics tend to isolate Ephesians 5 from the rest of the epistles as well as its immediate context.


The head-body metaphors are used to describe how husbands should love and provide for their wives. We should approach caution when trying to build a doctrine with metaphors. The head-body metaphor is used to describe the unity between two individuals. The Church is NEVER under the feet of Jesus. Likewise, wives are not under the feet of their husbands. All throughout Ephesians, it is a striving for growth and maturity. Wives are called to be like Jesus- who is the head. They are glorified equals.


The word "head" in English (Greek word Kephale) has nothing to do with authority (exousia). Exousia, which is used over 100 times in scripture is NEVER used for any of the wife submission passages: Ephesians 5:21-33, 1 Peter 3:1, Colossians 3:18, and Titus 2:4. Furthermore, the Greek words to teach, guide, and instruct are NEVER paired with the so-called male headship. See common Greek words for lead, instruct, and guide below.

sōphronizō-teach to discipline
ago-lead, guide, and direct
Laleo-talk/preach
parago-lead forth and bring forth
hodégeó-to lead, guide, and instruct.

Men as heads do not have a more deeper or more developed relationship in Christ than women. Husbands are not called to sanctify and wash their wives in the Word in Ephesians 5:25-30. The "He" in verse 26-27 is Jesus. The "She" is the Church. Verse 28 is the actual instructions for the husbands. They are called to love their wives like their own bodies. That's all. The problem is that the patriarchs overgeneralize Christ's responsibilities with theirs. If this was true, that would mean single women, divorced women, and widowed women were lacking something in their sanctification, which we know is not true. All Christians acknowledge that Christ is an authority figure over creation. He is not heavy handed. However, when it's in relation to the Church. The words authority and dominion are not emphasized, but the words love, nourish, and cherish are.

Another problem with headship is that it doesn't work with non-believing spouses Ephesians 4-5 is about being filled with the Spirit. The head-body metaphor of headship immediately breaks down with the non-believing marriage. The believing husband/wife cannot be the head and the body at the same time. What about female slave owners with male slaves? Would they be considered the head since they are masters of their households? That would mean a male slave would have to submit to their female slave owner. See Ephesians 6:5-9.


The infamous 1 Timothy 2 passage- Patriarchs presuppose that the text is talking about a single lead/senior pastor. However, the lead/senior pastor is a 16th century invention. This would be anachronistic. Scripture teaches a plurality of elders and deacons consisting of both men and women. There is no biblical evidence of a hierarchy between elders and deacons. It appears that they worked alongside of each other.

1 Corinthians 14:35 states that women are not allowed to speak. However, when you go back to 1 Corinthians 11:5, it clearly has women talking during prayer and prophesying in front of the church assembly. You have to speak to pray or prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:35 is about disruptive speaking, which is the overall context in 1 Corinthians 14 about orderly worship. 1 Corinthians 14:3 has women prophesying. Chapter 14:5 shows that Paul wants even women to speak in tongues. Prophecy is greater than tongues. 14:24 has "all" with prophecy. "All" is included again in 14:39-40.

With 1 Corinthians 14 in mind, this makes sense with 1 Timothy 2:12-15 context. This is about a woman quarreling with a man. Quarreling is even mentioned about the men in 1 Timothy 2:8. Would it be farfetched to think that the women and men were quarreling with each other?

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Decision making in the Bible
There is no example of a husband overriding his wife's decision or an elder doing it for him. No 3rd party to twist arms.


Luke 12:13-15 English Standard Version 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

NOTE: Jesus did not solve their problem for them. He told them to look into their hearts about Greed.

Philippians 4:2-3 English Standard Version 2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

NOTE: Paul did not use any of his authority to choose sides. He wanted the two women to come to an agreement (in the Lord) with a mediator.


Genesis 24:57-59 English Standard Version 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ASK HER.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.

NOTE: Notice the father and mother asked his daughter. He didn't make the decision for her.

An analogy to consider is two oxen, who are equally yoked, pulling a cart or a plow. They must be on the same page or the cart will be pulled off course. See Amos 3:3.



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Husbands and Wives have Equal Authority

Nowhere in the Book of Proverbs has the husband teaching his wife. The husband teaches the children. Throughout Proverbs, the children are called to respect their mother as equal to the father. In fact, in the Old Testament, both the husband and wives were called into the solemn assembly. They were taught by the Rabbi or whoever God used as a mediator like Moses, Joshua, etc.

Proverbs 31:16 New American Standard Bible 16 She considers a field and buys it; From HER EARNINGS she plants a vineyard.

NOTE: Her earnings, not her husband's earnings. This is an example of the principle of agency. Similar to Eliezer, Abraham's servant in Genesis 24:2 who goes out as a representative of Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. Likewise, the husband trusts his wife that she is going to make the best transaction for the family.


Proverbs 6:20 English Standard Version Warnings Against Adultery 20 My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.

Proverbs 10:1 English Standard Version The Proverbs of Solomon 10 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Proverbs 19:26 English Standard Version 26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach.


Proverbs 20:20 English Standard Version 20 If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.


Proverbs 23:22 English Standard Version 22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.


Proverbs 28:24 English Standard Version 24 Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “That is no transgression,” is a companion to a man who destroys.


Proverbs 30:11 English Standard Version 11 There are those[a] who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.


Proverbs 30:17 English Standard Version 17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

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Both Husband and Wives are Head of the Household
Managing the household is not a gender specific job. Both men and women are called to do this in this text- men (3:4,3:12) and women (2:15,5:14).

1 Timothy 3:4 English Standard Version 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive

1 Timothy 3:12 English Standard Version 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

1 Timothy 2:15 English Standard Version 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

1 Timothy 5:14 English Standard Version 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.

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Love and Respect: Husbands need Respect/Wives need Love Error

Ephesians 5:33 English Standard Version 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

1 Peter 3:7 New International Version 7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Titus 2:4 English Standard Version 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children