One subject that I keep mulling over is what it means to be a leader and have authority in the church. Did Jesus commission his first disciples to be church leaders? What was their job description?
Jesus’ teaching on leadership and community in Matthew’s gospel shows that Jesus promoted the social values of humility and equality. In Jesus’ kingdom, the humble are exalted, the lowly are the greatest, and the last are first.
In this post I link to a video where Wade Burleson explains that there is no Greek word for “over” in the verses about church leaders in Hebrews chapter 13.
“The scriptures … offer an impressive number of examples of women exercising social or political authority without raising any questions as to the propriety of that authority.” ~ Gordon Hugenberger
In this post, I list approximately forty Bible women who were queens, leaders, teachers, and prophets, as well as ministry associates of the Apostle Paul.
Many Christians are concerned with who has authority in the church. In particular they are concerned about whether a woman can have authority over a man. Who has authority in the church?
This article looks at several shortcomings to the argument “Jesus’ twelve apostles were all male, so women cannot be church leaders.”
Some Christians believe that because Jesus is a man, only men can represent Jesus to their congregations. Does the fact that Jesus is male mean that women cannot be church leaders?
Does Paul’s statement in Ephesians 5:23, “the husband is the head of the wife,” mean that the husband has leadership or authority over his wife? And what about 1 Corinthians 11:3?
Some Christians believe it is only men who are given spiritual authority by God. Yet in the Bible, God speaks to women and equips them for ministry.
Do the qualifications for church leaders (i.e. overseers) in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9 apply only to men? Do these verses exclude women from church leadership?
Would you like to support my ministry of encouraging mutuality and equality between men and women in the church and in marriage?
© 2021 Marg Mowczko