“Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” (1 Timothy 2:11-12)
Given the ongoing debate in the traditional Anglican Church as to the legitimacy of women bishops it seems appropriate to raise the interpretation of these verses. The Anglican communion allows women priests in most places and female bishops in 14 of its 38 provinces. Opposition to them comes from both the Catholic and Evangelical wings for different reasons. The Anglo-Catholics oppose them on the grounds of church tradition, i.e., they’ve never had them so why should we start now; also, that Christ only appointed male disciples and only a man can represent Christ as the altar. The evangelicals turn to Scripture and quote the above verses amongst others; yet, different evangelical interpreters offer varying opinions.
A true biblical literalist has no choice but to close off the teaching ministry to women, but they would still be inconsistent if they did not also stone disobedient children, accept slavery, and order women to cover their heads. The Catholic, meanwhile, to be consistent should only allow male Galilean Jews to be preside and study church history more closely for tradition did not begin at Nicaea in the 4th century, nor Ephesus a century later, and was both more varied and more Jewish 300 years earlier.
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Author: K. J. Went
Keywords: Female bishops, Female pastors, Female leaders, Women in the church, Women serving in the church, Bishop, Overseer, Pastor, Female overseer, Women bishops, Women pastors, Usurp authority, Authority over a man, Women have authority, Women do not have authority, Women should not have authority, Women should not have authority over men, Women should not have authority over a man, Female submission, Wives submit to your husbands, Wifely submission, Female elders, Equal rights, Equal rights for women, Women's rights, Equality, Equality of the sexes, Equality of women, Role of women in the church, Role of woman in the church, Gender equality, Female clergy, Women should not speak, Women should not speak in the church, Women speakers, Only men should be pastors, Only men should be church leaders, Only men should be priests, Female priests
Bible reference(s): Acts 18:26, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Timothy 2:9-12, 2 Timothy 2:2, 1 Peter 3:1, Titus 2:3-4, Titus 1:5, Titus 1:8-9, 1 Timothy 3:2-3
Source: Difficult Sayings.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.