WOMEN AND ELDERS: PT IV WOMEN SHOULD HELP LEAD THE CHURCH
Steve Behlke
August 18, 2008
If you're just joining us you may want to check out part I or part IIor part III
It is quite clear that the church of the New Testament benefited from godly, female leaders. Gospel-shaped women ascended to prominent roles of influence and service in the church community.
From a quick survey of the New Testament, women served as deacons (1 Tim. 3:11). Phoebe was a "servant" [GK, deacon] of the church (Rom 16:1).
Priscilla was a "worker in the Lord" and a gifted teacher. If name order is significant in the Bible, she apparently took the lead over her husband in discipling Apollos (Acts 18:24-28). Together, they hosted a church in their home (1 Cor 16:19).
Lydia (Acts 16:14) was not only the first Christian believer in Thyatira but was a leader in the church that met in her home (16:40)
Tryphaena and Tryphosa were "workers in the Lord." (Rom. 16:12).
And besides these women, who wouldn't want to be discipled by, say, Martha's sister Mary who learned at Jesus' feet in humility and adoration (Luke 10:38-42)?!
Who wouldn't wouldn't want to learn about true worship from the woman who lavished her perfume upon Jesus' feet in tearful worship and love (Matt 26:6-13)?! Fact is, Jesus infers that we should be discipled by her (26:13).
How many townsfolk — men and women — did the Samaritan woman lead to Christ after she encountered and trusted Jesus Christ at Jacob's Well (Luke 4:39)?!
Again, no women appear to have been "elders" in the New Testament, yet women held prominent roles of leadership. Women also had prominent relationships of influence upon such stalwarts as Apollos, Timothy, and Paul, and each of the church communities they participated in.
Our earlier question was: Are Women Meant to be Church Elders Today? That question is subject to sound Bible interpretation, prayer and reason. Biblically, the early church never taught this nor practiced it. Now the question becomes, was this merely descriptive of 1st century churches or is it prescriptive for all churches? The jury is still out.
But, which ever side you take in this discussion, women can and must arise to roles and relationships of significant influence in the church today!
We need godly women discipling other women (Titus 2:3-4). Women understand female-specific application issues better than most men. Women may be the best at helping other women to get and trust and follow Jesus in certain aspects of life and, particularly, in one-on-one settings.
Likewise, certain Christ-loving, theologically-informed women might be best to teach men regarding certain issues too. Think of it: How blessed I would be to learn trust from the widow who gave her last penny as an offering to God?
Could I not benefit in a thousand ways from the woman who anointed Christ with her expensive perfume?!
Is there nothing I could learn from Mary in the way of contemplative spirituality?!
Imagine if we weren't shaped at all by the woman caught in adultery regarding the healing power of God's forgiving love or of the power of the Gospel to change a life forever?!
It seems that, no matter which side of the "women as church elders" discussion you hold to, Gospel-shaped, theologically-informed, Christ-loving women can teach most all of us a thing or two about a host of important discipleship issues like Christian service, sacrifice, love, submission, humility, faith, hope, trust, surrender, devotion, giving, shepherding, endurance, dependence, self-denial, etc.
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