Our discussion thus far leads us to the conclusion that the Bible's teaching on headship is still valid today—even as it has always been since Creation. This understanding adequately explains the absence of Biblical precedent for ordaining women, not only as priests in the Old Testament but also as apostles and elders/pastors in the New Testament. The headship principle, not an accommodation to culture, is also the basis for the specific prohibitions against women having "authority over men" (1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:2; Titus 1:6; 1 Corinthians 14:34, 35).
In this section, we will examine certain issues that raise Biblical obstacles to women's ordination. Does the Bible include gender among the qualifications for the leader of the worshipping community? What are the key Bible texts that bear on this question, and what do they mean? When these issues are clear, two other questions that are often asked will need addressing: Was the Bible's instruction on this theme shaped by the culture of those times (and therefore not applicable outside of that culture)? and, Is the Bible silent on the question of ordination for women? |