The question of whether women should preach is becoming increasingly debated and discussed even in very conservative churches and denominations. Surveys continue to suggest that a majority of self-identified evangelicals believe women have the right to preach, not just in women’s conferences or to children but in the primary Sunday gathering. This contradicts Paul’s instructions about men and women in 1 Timothy 2:8-15, and it demonstrates why we should hold our positions based on Scripture and not the majority opinion.
But what about serving as a pastor? Some might say this is just a title similar to “minister” or “leader” so that a church could have a woman serve as a children’s pastor or worship leader or minister of education. And there is a sense in which this may be true. The New Testament does not generally use pastor as a title for a church officer, but overwhelmingly speaks of them as elders and overseers or bishops. The primary exception would be in Ephesians 4:11 where Paul says that Christ has given “some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.”1
A Word About Titles
Typically, the word pastor is used as a verb and is translated “shepherd,” and it refers to the duties of an elder or overseer/bishop.For instance, in Acts 20 Luke says that Paul “called for the elders of the church” in Ephesus, and when he met with them he charged them to keep watch over themselves and the church, saying that the Spirit had made them overseers and that they were “to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Another example is in 1 Peter 5:1-2 where the apostle says, “The elders who are among you I exhort…Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers.”
In light of this, it is difficult to separate the title of pastor from elder and overseer as used in the NT. This means that the qualifications given for elders or overseers must also apply to pastors, since the three terms are essentially synonymous. What are those qualifications, and do they speak to the question of women serving as pastor/elder/overseer?
1 Timothy 3:1-7
The first qualification is that the person who desires the office of a bishop be blameless, that is, have integrity and wholeness of character so that no one may be able to bring a credible charge against him. This in and of itself does not limit the office to men, but the next qualification is much more important for our consideration here: husband of one wife. This phrase has been subject to much discussion and debate over exactly what Paul meant, especially as it refers to marriage and divorce, but what is clear is that it limits the officeholder to men only. Why? Because the literal phrase is “a man of one woman” or “a one-woman man.”
Now some have tried to argue this point, saying that this was just a kind of an informal expression that didn’t intend to be as gender-specific as we’re making it out to be. But this argument fails when we consider that just a couple of chapters later Paul uses the same language but reverses the genders when talking about widows who qualify for church support. He says, “Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man” (1 Tim. 5:9), literally, “a one-man woman.” No one is suggesting that widows could be either male or female and that either sex could apply for financial support from the church.
The rest of the standards for bishops include being sober and sound-minded, living a well-ordered life, showing hospitality to strangers, being qualified to teach, not given to drunkenness, violence, or greed, but known for his gentleness and generosity. He must exercise authority rightly in his home and not be a new or inexperienced believer, and he must have a good testimony to the unsaved world. Of course women could demonstrate these qualities as well as men, but the requirement of a bishop to be “a one-woman man” excludes any possibility of a woman serving as pastor.
Titus 1:6-9
Here Paul gives a list similar to that found in 1 Timothy 3, the primary difference being that he uses the term elder instead of bishop or overseer. But as we have already seen, these terms are interchangeable in the NT. For our purposes it is noteworthy that Paul uses the exact same phrase in v.6, “the husband of one wife,” which limits those qualified for the office to men.
But what about the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20? Aren’t all disciples, both male and female, called to make disciples, baptize, and teach them everything Christ commanded? And what about those in the upper room on the day of Pentecost who received the Spirit and spoke in tongues? Didn’t that include both men and women? And what about the women like Mary Magdalene in John 20 who were privileged to be first to tell others of Jesus’ resurrection? Don’t these texts show that the Bible does not limit preaching or pastoring to men only?
The qualifications for elders restrict the office of pastor to men only, and Paul’s teaching about order in the church limits the role of women, excluding them from teaching the congregation (1 Tim. 2) and judging prophecies (1 Cor. 14). None of these passages says anything about making disciples or telling someone the gospel. It may be unpopular, but it is not inconsistent to restrict the office of pastor and the role of authoritative teacher/preacher in the church to qualified men, while encouraging women to still make disciples, pray, and read Scripture.
The letter to Titus has more to say about the ministry of women in the church, and we will consider those instructions next.
1The word translated pastor is the Greek word for “shepherd,” as reflected in the ESV which reads, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers.”