Women Pastors: Five Scriptures Used to Justify the Practice

I’ve already stated in a past article the real reason why God prohibits women pastors. This is a quick follow up to that article which gets so much attention that I had to close the comment section because of all the hate from supposedly “Christian” men and women defending this practice. The truth really brings out the rebellion in people’s heart and the devils that bind them.

Women can do a lot of stuff in the Church of Christ, but pastoring ain’t one of them. Here, we’ll review five common scriptures used to defend this practice, but when one removes the filter of rebellion, these scriptures just don’t support women leading God’s flock.

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus

This is quoted, followed by: Since we’re all the same, or equal, in Christ, we can all perform the same duties. First, that interpretation would contradict other scriptures prohibiting women pastors and second, it simply doesn’t mention anything about pastoring in the Church. Let’s look at in context:

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26-29)

We see that this is talking about being children of God and, more importantly, being unified no matter our gender, nationality, or social status. We are the children of God if we have faith in Christ Jesus. This doesn’t mean our roles and differences that distinguish us are now blurred because of our relation to God.

With that kind of thinking men can start claiming they’re women, and women can start saying they “self-identify” as men. “Christian” transgender people can use this verse to justify their lifestyle. So if you think it’s absurd that this verse justifies transgenderism, then it’s just as absurd to think this removes the roles of men and women in the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 16:19

The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house (1 Cor 16:19). And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly (Acts 18:26).

Aquila and Priscilla are often used as a pastoral couple who taught the saints and ran a church in their home. First of all, opening up your home for fellowship is not pastoral work.

In the Second letter of John, a woman called “the elect lady” opened her home up for the Church, but it’s clear she’s not a teacher there because elder John warns her: “If there come any [teachers] unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed (2 John 1:10). Also notice John said, “Him”, referring to the teachers (read the entire short letter for yourself).

Just because a woman or married couple opens their home up for church business doesn’t automatically mean they are teaching and leading the saints.

Second, we see both Aquila and Priscilla helping a man understand the good news of God’s kingdom. This isn’t pastoral work, it’s what any saint would do if led by the Spirit of God. We’re all called to preach the gospel when led to. And preaching and teaching isn’t the same thing. All they were doing is helping someone understand the way to Salvation. This is not the wicked pastor and co-pastor marriage teams we see today. This was simple witnessing for God. This also goes to show that women can share the gospel with anyone, but pastoring Christ’s church is prohibited.

Acts 21:9

And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

Pastoring and prophesying are two different things. How do people mix these two gifts up?! This just goes to show the confusion and lack of biblical teaching in the Church. How are you going to say because some women were prophesying that this means God is OK with women teaching?

Read the series on pastoring and the series on prophets and you’ll see these positions/gifts are two different things. Just because a woman can prophesy doesn’t mean she can also lead the flock of God as a pastor.

Acts 2:17-18

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸ and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

Once again, this doesn’t say anything about pastoring! Just because God gives the gift of prophecy to women and men doesn’t mean that woman can also shepherd the saints of God as men do. The scriptures are specific. And again, prophetic ministry is totally different from ministry of shepherding.

Judges 4

And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment (Judges 4:4-5).

In the Old Testament, Deborah was a judge (and a prophet) in Israel and had authority over men. This is true, but an Old Testament judge is not a New Testament pastor.

A fine example of a judge in action is the TV show Judge Judy. This is where we watch a woman judge disputes between people and issue a verdict. She judges matters of right and wrong, this isn’t the same as pastoring a church! Judging and pastoring are two different things! And let’s look at the reason why God had to use a woman to judge Israel at that time: because all the men were sissies! See this verse:

And Barak said unto her [Deborah], If thou wilt go with me [to war], then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go (Judges 4:8).

What man is so discouraged he looks to a woman for strength? A “pussy.” Why wasn’t he looking to God as his strength, because he “had no balls.” This was the state of Israel’s men at that time, therefore God couldn’t use any of the men but instead accomplished his will through a woman.

And even if God just wanted to spice things up and use a woman instead, and that there were capable men back then, and though she had authority to judge matters back then, it doesn’t validate women pastoring the church of God today when the Word is explicitly against it. See the scripture again:

But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence (1 Timothy 2:12).

Pastoring includes teaching. It’s a mandate to be gifted to do so (1 Timothy 3:2). But if New Testament scripture prohibiting the practice isn’t good enough for you, let’s look at the pastors of Israel in the Old Testament. Yes, there were pastors back then too, not just prophets (Jeremiah 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 22:22; 23:1-2). Check out the gender:

And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, ¹⁶ Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ¹⁷ which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd. (Numbers 27:15-17)

The scriptures are clear.

The only reason why women are flocking to this position is because of the rebellion in their hearts and the seduction of Satan. With disorder in the Church, Satan can come in and dis-empower the husband and destroy the family.

An exhortation to women pastors

I’m no male chauvinist, just a man of God who loves you women of God. I don’t want to see you destroyed because of this practice. Heed these words:

Women, if you feel that God called you to pastor, that wasn’t God. That was the devil seducing you into disorder and rebellion. While some of you have taken the bait, are in active ministry, and can see the nuggets of truth you teach on a consistent basis, and the lives you’ve changed, you will end up under a strong delusion (2 Thess 2:11-12).

But you may say,” Obviously God agrees with what I’m doing because the good fruit I bear.” But just because God is using you doesn’t mean he agrees with you. He uses everyone. Every soul and spirit is his property. He uses the wicked for his purposes. He uses the righteous for his purposes. He uses demons, Satan and fallen angels for his purposes. He used a donkey to save a man from the sword of an angel. Is the donkey going to heaven because God used it?

Likewise, God uses everyone, some of which are in ministry for the wrong reasons. God will use them and give them words of power to help people, but the person themselves will be called to account for their deeds. And the deeds of women pastors are rebellion and witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23).

When you stand before God, he’ll say, “Get away from me you worker of iniquity! But you’ll say, “Lord, Lord, didn’t I pastor in your name and change lives for your glory?!” (Matthew 7:21-23) And he won’t deny it, because he allowed you to do so. But he’ll say, “But you rebelled against me, my order, and my will. I gave you room to repent, but you didn’t. For that, you cannot be apart of my kingdom.”

What a sad end. Do you really want to play with something God has explicitly prohibited? Just submit to God, confess, repent, step down; and don’t allow the devil to deceive you into rebellion against God anymore.

Repent while there’s still time!

This ministry is no longer in service. I left the Christian faith and no longer agree with some of the content posted here. However, this website will remain available for archive purposes. Read the details in my last post.

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