Written By Ken Alexander

Biblical Womanhood is open to all Christian women who desire to study what God specifically speaks concerning the role and responsibilities of women in marriage, the home, and the Church. God has specifically called on all who claim the name of Jesus to become “the servants of all” and to live sacrificial lives that are pleasing to our Lord Jesus. Within the context of servanthood, the older, godly Christian women are particular commanded to “teach the younger women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5).

The Biblical Woman Study Guide which provides our foundation explores the key verses throughout the Bible that particularly apply to women with each command given to women set apart in its own chapter for study and discussion. One of the chapters is specifically devoted to the verses in God’s Word where we are told:

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church… the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 14:33-38).

We understand that there is presently much disagreement in the Church over these verses and similar verses to Timothy on this important matter which read: “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor” (1 Timothy 2:11-14).

The clarity with which these two passages are written cannot be in dispute as to what is intended for women when it comes to the gathered church. The main argument used to disqualify these verses and turn them upside down to mean the opposite of what they actually say, is to deem them as “cultural” and relevant only to the church to which the apostle Paul is addressing at the time. Yet, as one can see in the context itself, the address is to “all of the churches of the saints” and addressed to Timothy who was an overseer of many churches, not just one. Furthermore, to eliminate any ambiguity, the apostle in the Corinthian passage goes on to say that “the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.”

The willful setting aside of such clear commands to the Church as “not presently culturally relevant” fails to recognize that God’s rationale for why women are not to be leaders and pastors in the church predates culture: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” There was no culture in the garden, yet God chose to make Adam first instead of making man and woman at the same time. He chose to make Woman as Man’s Helper, to come alongside of him and help him achieve the mandates that God gave to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion” over the earth.

God’s Word to woman at the Fall that “your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16) speaks again clearly to God’s intention that men will lead, and particularly husbands are to lead their wives. Throughout the whole life of Israel and history of the Church, we see God’s intent for men leading and providing, and women caring for the things of the home. With very few exceptions, this is the rule of life, and rightfully so, as to do as God promised; preserve mankind through childbirth, and ultimately, grant us deliverance through the God Child in Christ Jesus, Savior of the World.

Our position aligns with what the scriptures clearly teaches us and shows us. God never assigned a woman to be King over Israel, nor one of the great prophets, and no priest. Jesus chose no woman to be one of the twelve disciples and no apostle, and no leader of the Church for 1900 years of church History. It is only with the advent of feminism, as some desire to make the church more relevant to culture of these last days, that we find women being ordained as pastors and elders. And why?

Are women necessary for the fully functioning of the Church and family? Definitely! Man without women is incapable of achieving God’s will for the family or the Church, yet God has established an order of things that mirrors the order He has placed throughout this earth; for good reason and for our benefit. God’s instruction manual to us is not intended to somehow hold women back from becoming all they can be, but rather instructing us on what is their best life now and for eternity.

Very few have any issue with designated authority in the workplace, military, or any organization. A committee without an appointed leader, or set of leaders, generally ends up with a lot of talking and few results. Someone must stand at the helm of the ship and give it direction, and to give direction without the authority to accomplish is meaningless. God has granted to husbands the rights and responsibilities to rule over their home for both its immediate wellbeing and to achieve God’s established purpose of raising up the next generation of godly offspring who will love and serve Him.

The same is true of the Church. The men are to be the elders and leaders/teachers in the Church, and the women are to come alongside of them as the helpers who help keep much of the church’s day-to-day ministries going, especially to children, women, and the those in need. We see this play out beautifully in a fully functioning harmonious Church, yet some want to upset and upend God’s clear direction so that the women in the Church may feel empowered.

There is no better set of verses in the Bible on empowerment than those of the kenosis where God becomes not just a man, but the suffering servant, and example to us all:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him” (Philippians 2:5-11).

Notice in the context of leadership what we all must aspire to; to put off self and selfishness, to give our lives away, even to obedience to the point of death. If we want the world’s empowerment, we seek for an office and to rule over others. If we want God’s empowerment, we seek to throw off self, and humble ourselves as servants of the God most High, and allow Him to stand us where He may. For both in leadership and in service, we are His humble servants and obedient to God’s Word.

I trust you grasp why God has placed men in the leadership of the Church, and particularly for the teaching of doctrine. Simply put, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace,” and just imagine the confusion that comes from appointing a woman elder to rule over men, not just contrary to God’s clear Word on the matter, but also contrary to the nature of the home. Is the husband to lead his wife at home while she leads him in the spiritual matters of the Church? This will never stand in God’s design against His clear commands. It leads to confusion and confusion is Satan’s playground in the Church.

Yes, within the Church we have many things we may disagree agree about and yet still call each other “Brother and Sister in Christ.” This issue is not a salvation issue, but it is still a vital one in that speaks to one’s view of the authority of the scriptures. It is not by accident that a vast majority of churches who began by ignoring the Pauline passages concerning women, soon run down the slippery slope to ignore much of Paul’s writings and to race headlong into becoming “culturally relevant.” Once the authority of God’s Word is undermined, it becomes easy to slide into all sorts of permissive sexuality outside of marriage, and the ordaining of homosexuals and even transgenders with the excuse, after all, Jesus never said “no!”

Brothers and Sisters, we stand firm on God’s Word, the same word yesterday, today, and tomorrow. For God in His Word and Promises has given to us all we need for life and godliness (1 Peter 2:3). If you choose to supplement to God’s Word and direction, that is between you and your Maker. Our business is to go about teaching all of God’s Word, particularly focused on Biblical Womanhood. For we now have the richness that comes from seeing God do mighty miracles in the lives of thousands of women by empowering them to become all that God desires of them within the framework of His will and His ways. Testimony after testimony can be seen each day in this forgotten yet essential ministry of the Church. May God open up the hearts of godly women, pastors, and churches everywhere to desire to study what God has to say and commands from His mighty Word concerning Biblical Womanhood. The fruit is spectacular to those who will believe Him and follow as servants of the God Most High.

 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
Timothy 2:11,12