by Bobby Graham<\/p>\n
From beginning to end under every dispensation, the Bible is clear about the role of woman in relation to men.\u00a0\u00a0 Hers is a secondary role of submission to her husband in the family and to men in the local church (Ephesians 5:22-24;\u00a0I Corinthians 14:34-35;\u00a0I Timothy 2:8-15).\u00a0\u00a0 Whatever the culture, Lord always dictated His will on such matters on some other basis than culture.\u00a0\u00a0 What the Scriptures mandated along this line was never the reflection of society\u2019s norms (current practice), though Christians were urged to conform to those norms that are not in conflict with God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n
Instead of leading, they submit to their husbands or to elders.\u00a0\u00a0 God consistently has placed man in the primary position of leadership.\u00a0\u00a0 The wife\/woman cannot submit to God without submitting also to her husband or to her elders.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the congregational relationship and in that of the family, elders and husbands also must submit to their wives\/women in the exercise of their leadership (Ephesians 5:21,\u00a028;\u00a0I Peter 5:2-3).\u00a0\u00a0 Under the headship of the husband, the wife also has a charge from God to guide the household (I Timothy 5:14).\u00a0\u00a0 To discharge her task in this guidance, she submits first to her husband and then to her own family, because she must act in the best interests of her charges, not of herself alone.<\/p>\n
This kind of teaching has become the focus of attack from those unwilling to accept the teaching of the New Testament.\u00a0\u00a0 They have objected to this idea that there are limitations imposed on women in the Scriptures.\u00a0\u00a0 A consideration of these objections is the purpose of this study.<\/p>\n
The unique role of woman in the home and in the church does not denigrate her worth, quality, dignity, or significance.\u00a0\u00a0 Her divine assignment, in fact, serves to accentuate her supreme worth in the areas in which God has positioned her to function.\u00a0\u00a0 Those objecting to woman\u2019s subjection have historically decried the writers of the Bible as woman-hating chauvinists, while the opposite is really the truth of the matter.\u00a0\u00a0 Many have labeled Paul and others as despisers of women who were trying to oppress them.\u00a0\u00a0 It was quite common to hear some modernist charge Paul with being an old bachelor who neither understood or cared for women.\u00a0\u00a0 Such a charge is altogether inconsistent with their writings.\u00a0\u00a0 No one can fairly conclude this about Paul after reading his instructions to the husbands concerning their tender and gentle treatment of their wives.\u00a0\u00a0 No more exalted status has ever been given to women that they enjoy in the ideals and principles of the New Testament.\u00a0\u00a0 Neither Rome, nor Greece, nor traditional Judaism, nor the current modern \u201cliberation\u201d movement accords them such honor.\u00a0\u00a0 In view of the elevating and ennobling influence of the teaching of Christ on women, there is absolutely no evidence for this charge.<\/p>\n
Earlier we have alluded to this allegation.\u00a0\u00a0 Some have recently referred to Biblical restrictions on the role of women as merely cultural, reflecting the biases of the society of that ancient day.\u00a0\u00a0 The truth stands out as quite different.\u00a0\u00a0 Every passage dealing with such restrictions has within it the reasons for the restrictions, and they never were cultural.\u00a0\u00a0 In I Corinthians 11 and 14, the apostle very carefully showed that the reasons behind the limitations were related to the creation and to divine law.\u00a0\u00a0 Likewise in I Timothy 2, some of the same reasons were given for the restrictions imposed, with the additional one of woman\u2019s being thoroughly deceived in Satan\u2019s temptation.\u00a0\u00a0 Paul\u2019s admission that woman enjoys the first-class status of a full-fledged member of Christ\u2019s body and his insistence that Christians live according to God\u2019s will, not the norms and standards of society, shows the gospel of Christ to be trans-cultural and counter-cultural\u00a0 (Galatians 3:28;\u00a0Romans 12:2), not merely reflective of current society.<\/p>\n
The claim is that society (including religious leadership) has always deprived women of their deserved place and that even husbands have abused their wives.\u00a0\u00a0 According to the vocal proponents of such ideas, women now deserve to have their shackles removed.\u00a0\u00a0 Let it be understood that no defense is made here for any society or religious leaders who promoted female enslavement, either officially or unofficially.\u00a0\u00a0 No such abuse or deprivation of God-given rights or dignity ought ever to exist, though it sometimes has happened and still happens.\u00a0\u00a0 Such never resulted from an application of biblical principles; in fact, the understanding and application of them would immediately erase all such abuse and mistreatment.\u00a0\u00a0 Marriage, as established and governed by God, has never resulted in \u201cinstitutional slavery, as Hillary Clinton once charged.\u00a0\u00a0 Divine restrictions must still be respected.\u00a0\u00a0 Historic mistreatment of women does not justify anyone\u2019s disregard of what the Lord has said.\u00a0\u00a0 Furthermore, the limitations of the Scriptures will not hinder any woman from performing all of the service that God designs and desires.<\/p>\n
Women who are blessed with a gift from God ought to able to use that gift, according to even \u201cconservative\u201d religious people.\u00a0\u00a0 One able to be a public speaker or lead a church ought to be able to function as a preacher or a pastor, it is claimed.\u00a0\u00a0 While this argument might sound good to some, may we recall that such a line of reasoning (?) has never been followed in the New Testament as justification for any role or function.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If you can find it, then send the information to this writer.\u00a0\u00a0 It is important for all to use whatever abilities they have from God but within the framework of God\u2019s will.\u00a0\u00a0 No talent would ever allow anyone to go beyond the teaching of Christ or to ignore the restrictions found there (II John 9).\u00a0 \u00a0Women might sometimes function as teachers\/speakers if they maintain the restrictions.<\/p>\n
While woman has a nature equal to that of man, she does not have the same position or function that God gave to man.\u00a0\u00a0 It might be useful to remember that Jesus on earth had equal ability with the Father at His disposal, but not equal position.\u00a0\u00a0 In His decision to leave heaven for redemption\u2019s work, the Lord voluntarily gave up His heavenly rank and glory to become a servant (Philippians 2:5-8).\u00a0\u00a0 He never gave up His divine nature.\u00a0\u00a0 Position (function) bears little relation to nature or worth; it relates more to divine assignment, which is sometimes based on need and qualification.\u00a0\u00a0 Rank and position do not reflect the value and importance of work in anybody\u2019s case \u2014 Jesus\u2019 or ours.<\/p>\n
The contention is often heard that\u00a0Galatians 3:28\u00a0removes all distinctions based on one\u2019s sex, in that \u201cthere is neither male nor female<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 In the context of this verse, however, Paul is not even hinting that all of these distinctions are removed.\u00a0\u00a0 If this were his point, why would he direct a slave to return to his master in the Letter to Philemon, thus indicating that the master-slave relationship still obtained?\u00a0\u00a0 If this were Paul\u2019s point, why did he allow some Jewish national customs to continue without religious connection (like circumcision in the case of Timothy)?\u00a0\u00a0 His point is that these distinctions do not bar one from full status in the church, enjoying all blessings in Christ.\u00a0\u00a0 A Greek woman can be a Christian as readily as a Jewish man.<\/p>\n This writer has heard nothing from the proponents of \u201cfull rights for the women\u201d that would overturn this teaching.\u00a0\u00a0 The problem, as too often is the case, is that many will not allow the Lord\u2019s teaching to overturn (correct) their notions or ideas.\u00a0\u00a0 The only rights that any person \u2014 male or female \u2014 has are those that the Lord has given and the Bible recognizes.\u00a0\u00a0 No one has the right to differ with God!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Bobby Graham From beginning to end under every dispensation, the Bible is clear about the role of woman in relation to men.\u00a0\u00a0 Hers is a secondary role of submission to her husband in the family and to men in the local church (Ephesians 5:22-24;\u00a0I Corinthians 14:34-35;\u00a0I Timothy 2:8-15).\u00a0\u00a0 Whatever the culture, Lord always dictated…<\/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":[27],"tags":[165,701,82],"class_list":["post-4095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-feminism","tag-womens-liberation-movement","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":4095,"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":50254,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-i-corinthians-113-teach-about-the-role-of-women\/","url_meta":{"origin":4095,"position":1},"title":"What Does I Corinthians 11:3 Teach About the Role of Women?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by T. Doy Moyer Guardian of Truth\u00a0- February 2, 1995 I Corinthians 11 has been surrounded by controversy due to the teaching about the covering. It is not the purpose or scope of this article to try to expound a pro or con position on the covering today. Women do\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":7892,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-role-of-women\/","url_meta":{"origin":4095,"position":2},"title":"The Role of Women","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 20, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some people like change. It doesn\u2019t matter if something is broken or not. They have in mind how they would like the world to work, so they proceed to change it. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One of the largest changes in the last 50 years or so has been in our view in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4089,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-the-role-of-women-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":4095,"position":3},"title":"Can the role of women change?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I hear that women roles are changing within the group of churches as a whole. What are the roles women are permitted to do? In my congregation women now talk and teach, they read scripture, and pass communion trays. On the web, they are saying that women may do\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":89747,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-woman-greet-people-at-the-door\/","url_meta":{"origin":4095,"position":4},"title":"Can a woman greet people at the door?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question. Can women serve as door greeters alongside men? And should young men be participating in overseeing the nursery? For years, our door greeting has been done only by men, and I think it's odd to change that. We have a young man who participates in\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":26934,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-women-submit-to-female-leaders-in-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":4095,"position":5},"title":"Should women submit to female leaders in the church?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a young woman. I was wondering, what do you think about women having to submit to female leadership or authority within the church? 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