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organization, does not violate her worth to men who aspire to serve as overseers
or minimize her importance as a person. (3:1-7). He gives Titus a similar list to help
Satan, unsurprisingly, hates headship him recognize elders in the assemblies of
and undermines it whenever he can (Isa Crete (1:5-9). In both lists, Paul restricts the
14:13-14). He upended headship in the qualifications to men. He consistently uses
Garden by isolating Eve from Adam (Gen only masculine pronouns and adjectives
3:1-7), and the aftermath brought sin into and includes “the husband of one wife,”
the world (Rom 5:12). Today, God calls His a phrase that can only apply to males (1Ti
people to restore and maintain the original 3:2; Titus 1:6). The biblical model is servant
creation order by practicing headship, not leadership, not oppressive tyranny. Peter
only in the home but also in the assembly. writes that overseers should not domineer
By intelligently and willingly submitting those in their charge but serve as examples
to headship women can honor Christ in a to the flock (1Pe 5:3). Shepherds must nev-
way open only to them. In assembly meet- ertheless teach and exercise authority over
ings, we communicate this headship by the flock – headship functions designed by
male leadership and teaching, and female God for men. Godly men lead and godly
head covering and silence (1Ti 2:12-15; women serve in crucially important sup-
1Co 11:2-16; 14:33-35). When men act as porting roles.
men and women as women, they portray Teaching gender roles for men and
the relationship of Christ to His body, and women clashes with the egalitarianism
delight not only angels (1Co 11:10) but that now prevails in the Western world
God Himself. and in some Christian circles. Fearing
Before Paul turns to discuss the quali- reprisals from the state and buckling
fications for overseers in his first letter to under feminist pressure, even conserva-
Timothy, he asserts that “a woman should tive Christian groups are now open to
learn in quietness and full submission.” “reinterpreting” the plain statements of
He continues: “I do not permit a woman Scripture on gender roles. In this age of
to teach or to have authority over a man; mass media, these trendy opinions and
she must be silent” (1Ti 2:11-12 NIV). He hermeneutical oddities have flooded the
makes the same argument in 1 Corinthians evangelical world and are seeping into
14 where he writes, “The women should assemblies.
keep silent in the churches. For they are Egalitarians herald Galatians 3:28 as
not permitted to speak, but should be in their manifesto and the last word on the
submission, as the Law also says” (v34 subject. When Paul wrote, “There is no
ESV). Paul bases his inspired teaching not male and female, for you are all one in
on current cultural issues in Ephesus or Christ Jesus” (ESV), they say he reached
Corinth but on the man’s priority in cre- his noblest thinking; in the “problem pas-
ation (1Ti 2:13) and the woman’s “priority” sages” where he taught male headship,
in the fall, where the headship order was he was relapsing into his pre-conversion
reversed from God-man-woman-serpent Pharisaism. From this they conclude that
to serpent-woman-man-God (v14). women and men are interchangeable
After affirming male headship in as- everywhere, and that there should be no
sembly gatherings in 1 Timothy 2, Paul gender-based restrictions on any church
applies this principle in the next chapter “office” (their term) or ministry.
Continued on p. 136
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