The Law is made for the Lawless and the disobedient

by Rev. Dr. D. M. Hoffmann, B.Th., M.Th., Ph.D., Ord./IAOGI, (CNC).

Some people use 1 Timothy, chapter 2, v. 11-15 to say that women have no place in the church as ministers, pastors, preachers or leaders.

"Let the woman learn in slilence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be I silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve,. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety."

First of all the statement alone says that there is something wrong in this teaching against women in ministry. Would God tell 50% of the population to keep silence in the matter of preaching the Gospel? In Acts 1:8 and Luke 24:49 Jesus is speaking to both men and women (see also Acts 1:14).

Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Acts 1:14, "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."

Luke 24:49, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."

1 Timothy, chapter 2, v. 11-15

Let us examine this passage of Scripture. Why does Paul have to say in 1 Timothy 2, v.8 "I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."? Because some were not doing so.

Why does Paul have to say in 1 Tim.2:9 that "In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."? Because some were not doing so.

In the same manner, why does Paul have to say "let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."? Because some were not doing so, some were disrupting the service.

The issue of this passage of scripture is order in worship -- like the Church at Corinth -- not preaching the Gospel or being against women in ministry !

Earlier, in chapter 1 v. 9, in the same letter, it says "the law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and the disobedient" (that includes man, woman, boy and girl). Scriptures must be read within the whole context - not just one scripture at a time, isolated from the whole theme or issue.

Now right here, this scripture has been misinterpreted. It is speaking not to all women but to those who are "lawless and disobedient". And we have even another thing to recognize here: The New Testament is not about Law, it is about freedom. However, freedom still requires proper order.

Then Paul goes on to explain his statement by saying that the reason is because Adam was formed first and the woman was deceived and not the man. There is no problem with this. Man was given responsibility first. But it does not mean that woman cannot minister in church also.

Now because of v. 15, I thought, "why would Paul all of a sudden bring 'childbearing' within this same discourse?". This brought to my mind the question to God, "Would by any chance the word "woman" here actually mean wife?" So I went to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, with a feeling of anticipation, thinking, wow that would really be something. If that was the case, it would change the whole understanding of this passage.

Sure enough, to my amazement, the word used here is "gune " (goo-nay), which means wife or married woman. To confirm that even more precisely, the word "man" in the same verse is the Greek word "aner" (an-ayr) which is used to denote "husband".

So the passage reads this way: "Let the wife learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a wife to teach nor to usurp authority over the husband but to be in silence". Nothing to do with women in ministry.

It does not say "Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not women to teach nor to usurp authority over men but to be in silence" as in a general sweeping quotation for all women. It is speaking to wife/husband relationships in public and specifically in the church as they gathered in their new free way of worshipping God.

We have to remember that in those days women were uneducated. Only men were educated and engaged in religious or philosophical, or political discussions. In public places including the Synagogue men and women were kept separate so that the women would not disrupt or interfere with their husband's participation in the service activities - and for other reasons as well as seen in backward countries even today.

Paradigm Shift

Now, Christianity comes along and says "you are no more under the law". The Christians began to meet together in their own "churches" and no longer was there any separation of men and women, "for 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." (Galatians 3:28).

The common problem that Paul faced in pioneering and establishing churches was that of divisions in the church. Divisions over legalism and traditions and keeping order in the services. These were brand new Christians at the beginning of a brand new era of "religion".

Let us remind ourselves that we still face the same divisions in the church today, women in ministry being one of the many issues.

Let us remember also that at this point, Christians still went to the Jewish Synagogue services on Saturday as was the Sabbath custom. Then they gathered on Sunday to have a Christian assembly. Most of the converts were Jewish at this time.

Now that women could be in the midst of assemblies along with the men, they had to be educated in proper public behaviours, they were not used to that. Wives would talk to their husbands and ask and argue over issues as they would at home. So Paul instructs these wives to not talk to their husbands or correct them publicly in matters taking place in the Christian assemblies.

We have to also remember that in any church we do not only have all truly saved, born-again, Christian individuals. Many come to church for the ritual not for the true heart-changed, heart-after-God reasons. There are many non-Christians or immature Christians who do not respect their husbands.

I've seen plenty of wives who belittle their husbands publicly, and scriptures like these are directed to that kind of attitude ("the law is not made for a righteous man (woman) but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for the sinners…").

They are not targeted to those wives who are already submitted under God and thus under their husbands. We are also to submit to one another as Christians "as becometh saints" (Ephesians 5:3).

As far as the issue of women in ministry goes, it is often women who are not totally saved and completely given to God who cause the problems that many men translate into a sweeping issue across all women in ministry.

If a husband and wife work together in ministry and the husband lets his wife speak to a congregation, she can do so with all the blessings of her husband and certainly of God. I recently visited a church where the pastor's wife preached on that particular Sunday. There was nothing wrong with it and she gave a good, professional message to the congregation who received God's word positively.

Jack Van Impe for another example presides over his own ministry. His wife works alongside him, as a vice-president does in a corporation. It would not be right for her to usurp authority when he speaks to a congregation or to the viewers by television about an issue. If she did have something she disagreed with, she is not to bring that up or usurp the subject matter publicly. It is easy for husbands and wives to candidly speak to one another at any given moment. But that is not appropriate. You do that at home.

So, the proper thing to do here would be for the wife to wait until they are off the air (or out of the church) to bring that matter up for discussion with her husband. Paul, in the issue we are discussing now, is addressing a specific problem that existed with the wives doing this to their husbands. In any given situation where the matter would be the other way around, he would also instruct the husbands to not do the same to their wives. We cannot take any scripture passages out of context.

In the case of Joyce Myers Ministries, here it is the other way around. It is her ministry, she presides over it because she founded it. And her husband works along with her - by choice. It is obvious that God has blessed and is blessing that work, and they appropriately behave in the proper manner.

Another ministry is Dr. Pat Francis' "Deeper Life Ministries". It is her ministry, she is the one who started it with a small group of 10 people and now preaches to a crowd of over two thousand people attending her church every Sunday morning in Mississauga, Ontario, plus the national audience.

Now she recently got married. Is she to drop her ministry and her calling because of that? Of course not. If her husband is not threatened and is comfortable with this work, he can work along side her - behaving properly "as becometh a wife and husband team".

Judging from the success of these women, God is not against women in ministry. Why should man?

Practical and Logical

God is practical and logical. We should not have any problem understanding Him or what He is saying, because we are made in His image.

The same problem existed in the church of the Corinthians and Paul told those wives to also keep silence. Paul even told the men to keep silence too in 1 Cor.14, v.28, but we don't hear men preach about that one too often, do we.

He tells them that if there are no interpreter when a message in tongues is spoken then the man should keep silence. It was the same issue of keeping proper order in the service. There was a specific problem of "order in worship" that Paul was addressing. (For an exegesis of this passage, please see my Special Report "What God has cleansed, that do not call unclean".

Now on this issue of the "speaking in tongues" many of those who speak the loudest on the "women in ministry and women keeping silence in the church" issues don't believe that speaking in tongues is for today. Well, it's in the Bible is it not! Jesus, Himself said "they shall speak in other tongues". And His Word "shall not pass away."

If they can say that some scriptures are not for today, then how can they insist that any scripture on the issue of women in ministry AS THEY READ IT AND MISINTERPRET IT are not also "not for today".

In other words, what I mean is, if they read it wrongly by saying that women are not allowed in ministry and someone comes along and says "well that is not for today", then they will say that that person is discrediting the Bible. But when they discredit a scripture over speaking in tongues or laying on of hands for healing, which they don't believe either, then they do not think this is wrong.

It is so clear that these passages were never meant to be speaking to women in general that they were not allowed to speak in the church or to serve in ministry as leaders. It is without question that God did not tell 50% of the population to keep silence in the church in the matter of spreading the Gospel and doing God's work for the Kingdom.

Now about v.15 which I mentioned earlier. Paul went from telling wives to dress properly in church, then to wives not usurping their husbands, etc. then after explaining that it is because Adam was first, etc. he says, "Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety."

The word "childbearing" is the Greek word "teknogonia" (tek-nog-on-ee-ah) which refers to the performance of maternal duties. It is the only place used and it is not in reference to the giving of birth or the birth pangs which is "odino" (o-dee-no). Paul here is thinking of the common wife who has children and who is expected to behave as a mother and wife, and then repeats some of the qualities he gave in v.9.

Again, it is not referring to all women, but to those who need to change their inappropriate behavior.

When Jesus went to Martha's home in Luke 10:38-42, he defended Mary's choice to sit at Jesus' feet to learn His Word. Dr. Luke records: "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Jesus did not say: "Yeah, Mary, go on, your place is in the kitchen." What Mary chose was to be taught by the Master like his other disciples. And what does the Bible say we do after we have been taught? We go and teach others. That's what its all about. What we hear God tell us in our ears, we are to go and shout from the rooftops. When we receive, we must go and give it to others. If we receive we will go and give it to others. And those who do receive will give it in various ways according to their circumstances and personalities, and in various levels according to their education and dedication to God and His Word.

Not everyone receives - only a few. Most are too busy with the things and comforts of the world to hear what God is trying to say. They are content to go to church one day a week and hear what others (preachers) have received, taking it in year after year -- many even without questioning and testing it against the Word of God -- without expensing it in works of faith as James talks about in James 2:26.

Those men who would like to see all women barefoot and in the kitchen do it because they are insecure, having let women who do not know how to behave in mixed company, or at home, intimidate them. Again, none of this has anynothing to do with women in ministry.

According to experts who deal in men counselling, the two top fears that men have is "to be belittled by women and to be dominated by women". That's because they've given in under the intimidation. They've given away their responsibility that God gave them in the first place, they've sold their birthright for a bowl of lies from he devil.

When God gives authority or responsibility to his people, he gives the empowerment also that goes with it.

One does not cringe under every bit of pressure that is sent our way - men or women. That empowerment is love, servanthood, humility, responsibility. Proverbs says, "A soft answer turneth away wrath". If a woman tries to intimidate a man, he should walk away, and not crumble under the pressure and become insecure. That's what the devil wants to do and has been doing in a lot of cases. And he is using ignorant women to do it, to get his agenda carried out.

Scriptures that are used to keep women down are interpreted out of context. It is mostly men who supposedly "interpret" these scriptures and teach others. In other doctrinal and theological issues they use all the exegesis needed to make their point and to get their message across.

But when it comes to issues that keep women in bondage, they have no interest in doing the same work (for more on this, see my special report "What God has cleansed, do not call unclean").

So those passages are read and given out of context and thus not only keep 50% of the population in bondage but also create many marriage problems and issues that are responsible for today's distorted views on husbands and wives relationships. Another scripture that is used to speak against women in ministry is v.1-2 of chapter 3 of the same book we are now discussing, where Paul turns his thoughts to "the office of a bishop".

The verse says, "If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work."

The word "man" in the bible is translated from several Greek words: "oudeis" (oo-dice), "tis" (tis), "neaniskos" (neh-an-is-kos), "medeis" (may-dice), "anthropos" (anth'-ro-pos) and "aner" (an'-ayr). Most of these words are described in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance as being capable of interpretation for any person, whosoever or man, woman or thing, except for "neaniskos" which means a youth under 40, and "aner" which refers to a husband.

In this scripture of the office of a bishop, the word used is "tis" which is described as "some or any person or object…… used for whosoever."

Then in v. 2 where it says "A bishop must be.... the husband of one wife...". Paul is of course thinking at this moment about a man and uses the "husband - wife" relationship because he is speaking to Timothy.

In those days men were bishops. It was not common for a woman to be a minister of the Gospel, nor did they use the term "he/she" as we do today. But it was applied one way or the other as appropriate under the circumstance. For example in 1 Tim., chapter 3, v. 12, Paul says, "Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife..." In other places, Paul speaks of women deaconesses, who then would be the wives of one husband.

Throughout the Bible, we have the same use of the masculine noun which applies also to women: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is" (Jer.17:7)... bless is the woman also who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. In the same way, there are also Isa.56:2; Ps.94:12; Ps.84:5; Rom.4:8; Ja.1:12 to name just a very few.

When Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to "go and sin no more", that applied to a man as well who would be caught in the same situation. That's why the men who had brought her to the Lord left one by one when Jesus said to them "let him who has no sin cast the first stone"!

In the ministry of Aquila and Priscilla, if Paul had been talking to her about a woman in ministry, he would have said, "let the minister be the wife of one husband..." When he talked to Timothy, he used the male relationship to the wife.

We have to be careful to quote scripture to one another that would put people under bondage and legalism, because the Bible frees us, not binds us. Such a sign should warn us that something is not right and more study and research are required.

The Bible commands us to "search the scripture" and test it against anyone's interpretation.

We are to do that ourselves just like we do with medical doctors who take care of our health and our children's - we check it out, get a second opinion, we insist on further tests, etc… If we don't, we are like cult followers who take in any teaching and don't question the leadership.

The devil will give you nine truths to get through one lie that will damage the body of Christ.

Nobody is perfect in everything. All leaders are human beings and can be used to get some lies through unaware if they are not diligent and humble in their responsibilities.

If any one says that women should be at home and not work, then they should start doing what the Bible says to provide for the widows and the unmarried women, because, today, women have to work to feed their family or themselves where their "dead beat dads and husbands" have left them, or where they have not married. Does that mean a woman can only take menial jobs? If she is to earn for a family she needs to get a decent job that pays more than just support-level employment. For this, she needs to get into managerial or leadership positions which the church also says she cannot do.

When it comes to ministry work though, I believe a woman must be truly called of God. She must throw away the feminine frillies and trivia that Adamic society has wrongly poured upon her, and learn from the Master first, get formal training, letting the Lord open the doors in the right time. If the husband is not threatened by her vision and calling, she is free to go ahead as God calls. But if the husband is not comfortable with it, she must keep on praying until the Lord either changes him or takes away the burden in her heart.

We must look at the context of every scripture and not look only at those that affect us but also those that affect our fellow Christian and human being. We will be accountable to God on that day when we stand face to face with Him - that is a sobering thought. We better make sure that our hearts are right and our understanding of the Word of God is thorough -- especially if we've been placed in a position of leadership in the Church./dmh

Dr. Diane M. Hoffmann is president of the Link School of Ministries Inc., a Christian Bible Correspondence School and Internet Theological Reading Room that can be seen at http://www.linkschool21.com . She is the author of numerous Christian seminars and theological articles, tracts, e-books and books, including "The Horizontal Chronology of the Four Gospels". (Article copyright Diane M. Hoffmann. You may reprint this article without changes and including author's name and resource box).

For a personal invitation to know God click here