The Clarity of the Scriptures

In the New Testament it is quite clear that the oversight of the New Testament Church was exclusively male (1st Timothy 2:11-12, 1st Timothy 3, Titus 1:5-9). It is quite impossible to argue from the apostolic writings that the ordained people should be anything other than male as New Testament Scholar, William Hendriksen observed:

“Let a woman remain a woman!  Anything else Paul cannot permit…because God’s law does not permit it (1^st Corinthians 14:34)…hence to teach, that is, to preach in an official manner, and thus by means of the proclamation of the Word in public worship to exercise authority over a man, to dominate him, is wrong for a woman.  She must not assume the role of a master”.[1]

Spiritual Chauvinism Rejected

Those who follow this biblical model are accused of a form of spiritual chauvinism.  It is regrettable that some evangelical groups do display spiritual chauvinism towards their sisters in Christ.  Refusing ladies, the right to pray in public prayer gatherings is a glaring example of this kind of attitude.  The scriptures nowhere teach that the prayer meeting is a male reserve.  Quite the contrary, there are strong indications that women, in the New Testament, were valued participants in the prayer meetings.  If their presence was commended at the first prayer meeting in Acts 1 and when the Church prayed for Peter when in prison, then the implication is that they were equal with the men when beseeching the throne of grace.[2] [3]  Are the sisters not the daughters of God, as the brothers are His sons?  This being so, and by virtue of their equal adoption all have an equal right to petition the heavenly Father.

This kind of spiritual chauvinism has never been a part of Free Presbyterian witness.  In addition to encouraging our ladies to pray in public, we have all been enriched by our sisters in Christ as they have testified, taught in Sunday School and related stories to our children, sometimes in public worship when the entire Church was assembled, such as Children’s Sundays.  In addition to this we have benefited from our lady missionaries as they have brought reports of their work abroad and at home, often with an accompanying devotional message.  On occasions these reports have been brought on the Lord’s Day to the assembled congregation. 

Embracing a Role for the Sisters

There is in the New Testament, a role for the sisters in Christ, within the Church, which congregations and denominations ought to recognise.  From a review of the characters Paul mentions in his epistles, it is clear that he valued the role of women within the Church, even to the extent where he selected a sister called Phebe to be his letter carrier to the Romans. The commendation and description of Phebe may well indicate that she was more than a simple carrier of the letter.  John Murray, a solid conservative exegete of Scripture, deduced what Phebe’s service would have entailed:

“If Phebe ministered to the saints, as is evident from Romans 16:2, then she would be a servant of the Church and there is neither need nor warrant to suppose that she occupied or exercised what amounted to an ecclesiastical office comparable to that of diaconate.  The services performed were similar to those devolving upon deacons.  Their ministry is one of mercy to the poor, the sick and the desolate.  This is an area in which women likewise exercise their functions and graces.”[4]

We thank God for the many ‘Phebes’, who have blessed and edified the Christian Church and enriched our lives.

Charging the Free Presbyterian Church with spiritual chauvinism, therefore, is ill founded.   Our position is that the leadership within the Church should be male because this is the biblical pattern laid down by the New Testament, where the elders and deacons are concerned.

The Biblical Role for the Brothers

Those who argue for female ordination insist that Paul was a child of his times who must be understood culturally.  But such reasoning makes Scripture a captive to our own thinking and logic and is essentially modernistic.  Within the Free Presbyterian Church, as I have demonstrated, we have always prized our sisters in Christ; the deep spirituality of many is an encouragement and challenge to the whole body of the Church.  This, however, is not an argument to give them a role which God does not intend for them.  Christianity when rightfully practised never denigrates women.  Quite the contrary, Christianity with its message of love and grace has been the most liberating philosophy for women in world history.  Male ordination is not a matter of dominance but of specific roles appointed by God.  I know from personal experience that there are ministers within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, for example, who share these same convictions and have even taught these truths to their flocks with great ability.  Even they, perhaps more especially so, will recognise the contradictions of their position, a position which they share with ladies ordained to the same ministry.

The Challenge for Men

There is a necessity for men to be coming through the ranks of Church membership, proving themselves over time, being mentored and prepared for spiritual leadership. Male leadership fails, the work passing to the sisters because there are no men qualified or willing to take the role. The rise in female leaders across Christendom generally, is in some cases, but not always, attributed to the lack of men for the task. Deborah in the Book of Judges is a classic example of a female leader raised up by God. There is every indication in the narrative that hers was an age in which men had failed in spiritual leadership.. Even Barak her general, who perhaps was the best of men, was weak, refusing to go into battle without Deborah’s presence. This was a highly unusual request for a warrior to make of a woman.

The Biblical qualifications for the Deacon and Elder are onerous. They demand the highest standards of Christian integrity and faithfulness. A Church which has such men to lead will be blessed in every department. The prayer for faithful men of God must be be constantly on our hearts for the future well being of the gospel work.

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[1] New Testament Commentary, 1^st Timothy, Henriksen and Kistemaker, Baker Books, 2002.

[2] Acts 1:14

[3] Acts 10

[4] The Epistle to the Romans, John Murray, Marshall, Morgan & Scott, London, 1967.