{"id":38003,"date":"2013-03-24T21:26:00","date_gmt":"2013-03-25T02:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=38003"},"modified":"2021-09-16T21:29:47","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T02:29:47","slug":"why-cant-women-be-priests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-cant-women-be-priests\/","title":{"rendered":"Why can’t women be priests?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Hello,<\/p>\n

I’ve got a question: Why can’t women be priests? I’ve already asked my dad and he says it’s just because of tradition. I’ve been wanting to know more about God and I’m a lot more curious about why things are. A thing I do believe is that there are certain things that women should do and certain roles men play. Like, women should do laundry and wash dishes and also look after the babies but when it’s time to change a tire or cut the lawn then that’s when the man takes over. Some women believe that now men and women should split that chores 50-50 (dishes, clothes) but it’s a proven statistic that most marriages end up in divorce when they split chores. Another thing is that I do believe that the man should be the breadwinner but now in the United States the economy is so bad that it’s almost impossible for you to take care of your family on a single salary, so it’s okay for the woman to find a job.<\/p>\n

Anyway, back to my question. Please reply. I’m 15. I can’t wait to read your response.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

The answer would depend on how you take the word “priest.” Technically a priest is someone between the worshiper and God, who brings the offerings of the worshiper before God.<\/p>\n

In the Old Testament, the people found it terrifying to face God directly, so they ask for Moses, and later others, to serve between them and God. “Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die” <\/em>” (Exodus 20:18-19).<\/p>\n

In the New Testament Christians no longer have a special class of people between them and God. Every Christian has the right to approach God and offer worship. There is no “priest and laity,” there are only priests. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy<\/em>” (I Peter 2:9-10).<\/p>\n

Therefore, one way to answer your question is that there is no priestly class today, despite some denominations claiming to have such anyway. In that sense, no Christian is above another Christian — male or female. But if you look at it as Peter said, that all Christians are priests, then again no Christian is above another Christian, we are all priests — male and female. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus<\/em>” (Galatians 3:28).<\/p>\n

But just as there are different roles to be done within a home, there are different roles in a church for men and women. The roles were assigned by God. See:\u00a0All the Members Do Not Have the Same Function<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: Hello, I’ve got a question: Why can’t women be priests? I’ve already asked my dad and he says it’s just because of tradition. I’ve been wanting to know more about God and I’m a lot more curious about why things are. A thing I do believe is that there are certain things that women…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[277,82],"class_list":["post-38003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-priests","tag-womens-roles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":70557,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/equal-in-christ-distinct-in-roles-a-scriptural-case-for-male-leadership-in-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":38003,"position":0},"title":"Equal in Christ, Distinct in Roles: A Scriptural Case for Male Leadership in the Church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Gregory Alan Tidwell I've been a preacher in the church for over forty years, and over time, I've seen many debates rise up among us. One of the most enduring, particularly in recent decades, is the question of women's leadership in the church. Many voices today, both from within\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36673,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-does-the-woman-have-to-run-the-household-and-look-after-the-children\/","url_meta":{"origin":38003,"position":1},"title":"Why does the woman have to run the household and look after the children?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I've been wondering about men's rules, women's rules in marriage.\u00a0I know about the leadership thing and the submission thing.\u00a0I don't know what's the difference between women looking after children and men doing it; I mean, in a family, what's the difference between a mother and a father? Why does\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8230,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-the-writings-of-women-a-form-of-teaching-men\/","url_meta":{"origin":38003,"position":2},"title":"Are the writings of women a form of teaching men?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 16, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I understand the principle of women not teaching a man (I Timothy 2:12 ). I occasionally run across articles written by women on Bible topics. Oftentimes these are on websites targeted toward women, though anyone can read them. But I've also seen them on general audience websites, and even\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":84605,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/may-women-serve-as-priests\/","url_meta":{"origin":38003,"position":3},"title":"May Women Serve as Priests?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 The priesthood of the Mosaical dispensation was a special priesthood limited by the Law to certain males of the tribe of Levi. These ordained representatives of God had the exclusive right to offer sacrifices on behalf of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/considering-300x200.avif","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":85222,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-woman-as-bishop\/","url_meta":{"origin":38003,"position":4},"title":"A Woman as Bishop","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Vance Trefethen via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 1, March 31, 1990 The recent elevation of Barbara Harris to the position of bishop in the Episcopal church stirred up a great deal of controversy within that denominational body and called the attention of the world at large to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27828,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-women-cannot-preach-then-why-can-they-sing\/","url_meta":{"origin":38003,"position":5},"title":"If women cannot preach, then why can they sing?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question regarding the preaching of a woman in church. Last Sunday my friend told me that in church one woman is leading and also preaching the message. In that meeting, men were also there. 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