1 Timothy: Women Preaching as Pastor or as a Guest Violates Scripture, even with “Permission”

By Elizabeth Prata

SYNOPSIS

The article discusses the misinterpretations of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 regarding women’s roles in the church. It critiques arguments allowing women to teach or preach under male authority, emphasizing adherence to biblical authority and order. The essay cites theologians like John Piper and John MacArthur, reinforcing traditional views on gender roles in ministry.

A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. (1 Timothy 2:11-12).

Did you know how many ways this simple “Instructions for Women” as most translations term this section of First Timothy, is misinterpreted? Many.

They misinterpret the concept by saying a woman preaching in church occasionally isn’t adopting the title of pastor or the role of pastor, so it’s OK because she is doing so under the authority of the official pastor or husband. This is the stance of Phil Hopper, lead pastor of Abundant Life church, where Homeschool Maven Heidi St. John has preached. He ‘explained’ his stance on Heidi’s podcast recently on why it’s OK for women to preach.

Or they misinterpret the word authentein, used only in this verse in 1 Timothy in the entire NT, to say authentein means a bullying, domineering kind of authority, but if a woman is not a bully or domineering, she can preach. No. It just means, according to the Lexicon, “literally, self-appointed (acting without submission).” The domination is part of the usurping. If a person is usurping a position, they are dominating. They’re synonyms.

Phil Hopper appearing on Heidi St. John’s podcast, explaining (wrongly) why women CAN preach. Source

Or they misinterpret the extent of the pastor’s authority by claiming he can tell women to do this because he IS the authority. That was how Beth Moore got started. Her pastor, John Bisagno, brought her into his office one day and said he would like her to ‘speak some evening on a Sunday night’. Moore balked, saying she could not do that, she was a woman under authority. Bisagno replied that he is the authority. A fellow pastor noted at Bisagno’s memorial service that Bisagno had been “a great pioneer for empowering women in ministry”.

Hopper also uses this misinterpretation when saying Heidi can preach. The hierarchy goes from God to Jesus to the man to the woman, he said. If the woman’s head is covered by her husband or her pastor’s authoritative permission, she is good to go preach, he explained.

Or they claim the descriptive historical examples in the Old Testament such as Miriam, Huldah and Deborah are parallel models for the New Testament woman.

Or they extend what is a limiting qualification for eldership into an wider absolute: as in, ‘women may not preach or teach men’ means women may NEVER teach ANYWHERE, EVER, and the Bible can’t mean that, so it must mean that it is OK to preach.

Aimee Byrd’s pastrix, preaching with her child on her hip. Substack by Byrd. Screen shot from youtube

Or they say that the way the verse is phrased, ‘I do not allow’, is that it’s just Paul saying it, not God, so it’s cultural and expired. A man on Twitter told me that just last week.

Or they just claim women can have ‘a calling from God’ or a “gifting” from God, as Christine Caine says, which sadly involves God in their usurping interpretation by putting the onus onto on God for a women preaching.

Those are a LOT of ways that people misinterpret a very clear verse. Satan sure is subtle in ways to get people to work around God’s instructions.

John Piper/Wayne Grudem say–

Q. Do you deny women the right to use the gifts God has given them? Does not God’s giving a spiritual gift imply that he endorses its use for the edification of the church?
A. Having a spiritual gift is not a warrant to use it however we please. John White is right when he writes, “Some people believe it to be impossible that the power of the Holy Spirit could have unholy consequences in an individual’s life. But it can.”

Going back to what Beth Moore had said, that she would not have found this kind of ‘favor’ in any other church of this size in the nation. If women preaching is normal and allowed, why is it favor? Why would a woman preaching be special?

It is not up to a pastor to usurp himself above the authority of Jesus as the true head of the Church, by negating the clear scripture that denies a woman the ecclesiastical authority to teach men or be an authority in the church. (1 Timothy 2:12.) I’m speaking of a women being a full time pastor with the title and the role, a woman regularly teaching men like in Sunday School weekly classes, or a woman being an occasional guest preacher in church services. All of it is a no-go for women.

John Piper in an “Ask Pastor John” Q&A answers this well in 10 minutes. He first sets out the context and then answers the question, Can a Woman Preach If Elders Affirm It?

The answer is here, with transcript. Below is an excerpt-

My answer is no. Neither of those qualifications — that is, an extension of or under the governing authority of — overrides the teaching of verse 12. Paul would say a female is not a proper extension of male leadership. That doesn’t make sense. That is a contradiction of male leadership, not an extension of male leadership. [A] woman teaching men with authority under the elders is not under the authority of the New Testament. She may be under the authority of the elders, but she is not under the authority of the New Testament, and neither would they be for putting her in that situation. So I would conclude, no. It is inappropriate for churches to do that. –end John Piper

John MacArthur says, In verse 12, Paul defines what he means: “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man.” Women are to keep quiet in the sense of not teaching, and they are to demonstrate subjection by not usurping authority. … Women may be highly gifted teachers and leaders, but those gifts are not to be exercised over men in the services of the church. That is true not because women are spiritually inferior to men, but because God’s law commands it. He has ordained order in His creation—an order that reflects His own nature and therefore should be reflected in His church. Anyone ignoring or rejecting God’s order weakens the church and dishonors Him. Source- book Divine Design by John MacArthur

Let’s take the reasoning that Phil Hopper gave for Heidi to be able to come preach at Abundant Life church during regular Sunday Services. He said that he is the authority and Heidi would be under his authority, thus, not usurping. If this is acceptable reasoning, then how about the qualification of a young man wanting to preach? 1 Timothy 3:6-7 says not new converts.

Using that same reasoning, a pastor says to a young man, ‘You are a new convert. Even though 1 Timothy 3:6-7 says new converts may not preach, I am the authority in church and I give you permission to preach.”

Or the verse at 1 Timothy 3:2 says a man must be dignified to be a deacon, a man who has been arrested numerous times for disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, and battery, if the pastor said, ‘I am the authority and though the Bible says a deacon must be dignified, I give you permission to be a deacon because you would be under my authority.’

A pastor may not transfer his authority to spheres where the scripture disallows. It is an authority that is loaned, and at great cost to Jesus. Pastors should not abuse that authority by lending it out to places where Jesus said no.

John 17 Jesus declared many times His authority comes from God the Father. The authority in the church flowed from God, who gave all authority to Jesus (Matthew 28:18), and Jesus is the Head of the church. All under-shepherds must obey His instructions for how the church operates. Pastors or leaders have NO authority unless it is given from above (cf John 19:11a).

The creation order is set. Jesus humbly submitted to the Father in all things. He was given all authority in return. Jesus governs the church and set out its workings in His word. The creation order is that man was created first and then woman was created as helper. Women have many marvelous talents and gifts. We see many female names in both the Old Testament and the New, doing God’s work. But preaching in church or teaching men should not be one of them. It is against the Order.