Cheryl

Hello there,

I am back in the saddle although I am doing ministry work at the same time as I am packing up our second load of belongings. Busy times!

I appreciate that your husband is trying hard to follow God’s word. What is needed though is to make sure that it is God’s word, not just human tradition that we follow. 1 Timothy 3 does not say that a woman cannot be an elder. That is an assumption that many have come to because of the phrase “husband of one wife”, but the bible does not say that an elder cannot be a woman or that an elder must be a man or even that an elder must be a “husband”. I have heard men say that a woman cannot be an elder because a woman cannot be a “husband”. However if we take this passage to mean that women are denied the opportunity to serve the church in leadership because they cannot be a “husband”, then we must also deny the opportunity for anyone who is not a “husband”. Yet churches do not deny leadership opportunities to single men. Why? It is because churches understand the principle that carries across the years and across the culture from the New Testament until now.

Today we would take the principle to mean that if one is married, they must be faithful to and maried to only one spouse. No polygamists allowed. The passage does not mean that one must be married or that one must have children or that one must be male. To deny a woman in this passage would also mean that one MUST deny an unmarried man and MUST deny a man without a family. We cannot deny one without following the pattern to its logical conclusion.

If the Holy Spirit had wanted us to know for sure that women were not qualified to be elders or deacons in the body of Christ, then he would have done two things. First of all, he would have told us that women were not to be elders or deacons. That is plain and simple and easily understand as a prohibition. Second of all, he would have inspired the word for males only “aner” instead of the generic word for people in 1 Timothy 3:1. Paul wrote and the Holy Spirit inspired the term that includes women. Men or women may aspire to be an overseer (elder) according to 1 Timothy 3:1.

The other argument that Genesis 2-3 is referenced in 1 Timothy 2 is another place where some have taken a leap beyond what is actually being said. I agree that Paul takes us back to Genesis to prove his point. But what is his point? His point is show that the first creation of Adam was important because the first one created was not deceived. Paul also tells us that the second one created was deceived. Paul takes us back to Genesis to make an important point about deception. Paul says nothing about the leadership of the man and he does not tie leadership into Genesis. Paul ties in the deceived state of the second one created to the reason of the prohibition of a teacher(s) that Timothy was reminded of in chapter one and again in chapter two. Those who are deceived must not teach or influence others with their deception. Timothy is to put a stop to false teaching not true teaching.

In my DVD on 1 Timothy 2, I follow the Holy Spirit’s lead back to Genesis to find out why the first one created was not deceived. What did Adam see that caused him to know that the serpent was lying about God? Adam’s unique experience with God is highlighted when Paul states emphatically that the first one created was not deceived.