Women, Leadership, and the God Who Calls

It has been taught from pulpits, written into church denominational traditions, and passed from one generation to the next until many people no longer recognize it as an interpretation. They simply accept it as biblical fact. I have heard it argued that because Paul corrected or instructed women in certain passages of Scripture, women are therefore disqualified from ministry leadership. According to this interpretation, a woman who teaches, preaches, pastors, or leads in the church is stepping outside of God’s design. When in fact, Scripture is filled with women who God called, empowered, entrusted, and used to accomplish His purposes.

“Pastor” Isn’t a Gendered Biblical Office

One of the first things I want to clarify is the word pastor itself. The English word pastor comes from the Latin pastor, meaning shepherd. In Scripture, shepherding describes a function of ministry rather than a gendered title.

The Greek word poimēn, meaning shepherd, appears only once in the New Testament as a ministry gift, in Ephesians 4:11. It is important to realize that the New Testament actually describes ministry through words like:

• apostles
• prophets
• teachers
• elders (presbyteros)
• overseers (episkopos)
• deacons (diakonos)

None of these words is inherently male simply by definition. So, when someone says, “Women can’t be pastors,” they are often arguing for a modern church structure and actually applying that structure in reverse onto the biblical text. I do think that the question of women in ministry deserves to be examined – but it must be through what Scripture actually says about a persons calling, authority, teaching, leadership, and spiritual gifts, not only through the lens a particular church tradition looks at it.

The Passages About Paul, Often Used Against Women

Most objections to women in ministry come back to two passages attributed to Paul.

 1 Timothy 2:12: “I do not permit a woman 
to teach or to exercise authority over a man.”

This verse has been used for centuries as though Paul were issuing a universal, timeless prohibition against women teaching or leading. But I believe that the context matters here. The context is that Paul was writing to Timothy in Ephesus. This was a city deeply influenced by the cult of Artemis and experiencing serious problems with false teaching and disorder within the church. The letter itself is concerned repeatedly with false doctrine, deception, unqualified teachers, and the need for sound teaching.

• The Greek word translated “exercise authority” is authentein.

Its precise meaning and range have been debated by scholars, but it is important that we don’t automatically assume it means ordinary, healthy leadership simply because some English translations use the word “authority.” The way to understand the actual context of a word, is to look at the surrounding context of the statement, which is to understand who it was written to and why.

• Paul was addressing a particular church dealing with particular problems at a particular point in history. Turning a situational instruction into an absolute statement that God can never call a woman to teach or lead requires us to go beyond what the text is actually saying.

And there is another problem. Paul’s own writings show women actively participating in Christian worship. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul discusses women praying and prophesying. He gives instructions concerning how they should do so appropriately within the gathered church. So Paul cannot simply be understood as saying, “Women must never speak publicly.” The evidence within Paul’s own letters is more nuanced than that.

“Women Should Be Silent”

The second passage frequently used is:

1 Corinthians 14:34: “Women should remain silent in the churches.”

This sounds like the standard when looked at or read on its own, but 1 Corinthians 14 is contextually concerned with the order in gathered in general worship. Earlier in the same letter, Paul already acknowledges women praying and prophesying publicly. So whatever Paul means by “silent” in chapter 14, it cannot reasonably mean that women are forbidden from ever speaking in church under every circumstance.

The Greek word sigao, translated “be silent,” is also used within this same chapter when Paul instructs others to stop speaking under certain circumstances. Prophets are told to be silent when another receives a revelation. Those speaking in tongues are told to be silent when there is no interpreter. The word does not mean that the person is permanently forbidden from speaking. It means, in context, stop speaking at this moment.

The context here is that Paul is addressing the issue of order. He wasn’t writing on a law from God, in regards to the inferiority of women. He was correcting disorder in a chaotic church gathering and i would say that this distinction matters when determining how God sees women in the church.

Scripture Is Filled With Women Who God Used

If God intended to make gender an absolute barrier to leadership, teaching, prophecy, proclamation, or influence, we would expect Scripture to consistently demonstrate that restriction, but instead, we find women everywhere throughout the biblical story.

• Deborah judged Israel and exercised national leadership. People came to her to have their disputes decided.
• Huldah was a prophet who interpreted God’s word for King Josiah’s officials when they discovered the Book of the Law.
• Priscilla helped teach Apollos, an educated and influential preacher, explaining the way of God to him more accurately.
• Junia is named by Paul alongside the apostles in Romans 16:7. Her identity and the precise meaning of the passage have been debated throughout church history, but the longstanding claim that Junia could not possibly have been a woman has become increasingly difficult to defend.
• Phoebe is described by Paul using the Greek word diakonos, the same word translated “deacon” or “minister” elsewhere in the New Testament. Paul also describes her as a benefactor or patron of many, including himself.
• Mary Magdalene was the first witness entrusted with announcing the resurrection. Jesus Himself sent her to tell His disciples what she had seen.
• The Samaritan woman encountered Jesus and then went back to her city telling people about Him. John tells us that many believed because of her testimony.
• Philip’s four daughters prophesied.

There are even more women that could be mentioned here, but the point is that – this is not a picture of women being absent from God’s work. The lives of these women, clearly paint a picture of how God used women to further His purposes.

The Women In The Bible Changed History

The Bible is filled with women whose faith, courage, wisdom, obedience, and leadership changed the course of generations, women like: 

• Rahab protected Israel’s spies and became part of the lineage through which Christ came.
• Ruth, a foreign widow, chose faithfulness over comfort and became the great-grandmother of King David.
• Esther risked her life before a king to save her people. Her courage changed the destiny of an entire nation.
• Miriam led Israel in worship after the Red Sea and is identified as a prophet.
• Hannah turned her grief into prayer, and her son Samuel became one of Israel’s most significant prophets.
• Jochebed, Moses’ mother, risked everything to preserve her son’s life. That child would eventually become the deliverer of Israel.
• Jael acted courageously during Israel’s conflict with its oppressors, becoming an unlikely instrument of deliverance.
• Abigail used wisdom and discernment to prevent David from committing bloodshed.
• Mary, the mother of Jesus, accepted an assignment that would change human history forever. She carried and gave birth to the Savior of the world.
• Elizabeth faithfully waited through years of disappointment before giving birth to John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah.
• Anna, a prophet who spent her life in worship, prayer, and fasting, recognized Jesus when He was brought to the temple and spoke about Him to those waiting for redemption.
• Dorcas devoted herself to serving others. When she died, the community mourned deeply because of the tangible difference her life had made.
• The Shunammite woman demonstrated remarkable faith and hospitality.
• Rebekah showed extraordinary generosity at a well, an ordinary act that became part of an extraordinary story.

These women were not simply background characters in the stories they appear in. They  were very clearly main examples of women who were participants in God’s story that He used for His glory.

So, Can a Woman Preach?

Scripture gives us numerous examples of women proclaiming God’s truth.

• Deborah was a prophet, judge, a military leader and led Israel.
• Huldah, whose prophetic authority was recognized by the king’s officials.
• Priscilla helped teach Apollos.
• Mary Magdalene was commissioned by Jesus to announce His resurrection.
• The Samaritan woman became a witness to her entire community.
• Philip’s daughters prophesied.

And then there is Pentecost. Peter stood before the crowd and declared that the prophecy of Joel was being fulfilled:

“Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.”

Not sons only. Sons and daughters. The Spirit was being poured out on God’s people. The Gospel was going forward through ordinary men and women empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Great Commission was not given because the male gender possessed a greater spiritual capacity than a woman. The ENTIRE church made up of men and women were commissioned to make disciples, proclaim Christ, and bear witness to the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. I do not believe based on all the examples I have read that the Holy Spirit becomes less powerful when He fills a woman.

Creation Order Does Not Automatically Mean Leadership Restriction

Another argument often used against women in leadership is what is called “creation order.” Because Adam was created before Eve, some conclude that this establishes a permanent hierarchy in which men must always lead and women must always follow in every sphere of life. But creation order establishes sequence, not automatically every conclusion we might want to draw from that sequence. Also, does anyone remember when God made Adam, and God said for the first time in creation, “it is not good…” If you look to the context of why this was said, it is because we need eachother. Men and women are given different gifts from God and we are called to work together as equal heirs in the kingdom.

1 Peter 3:7: "as with someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. 
Show her honor and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, 
so that your prayers will not be hindered or ineffective."

This is of course talking about marriage, but it is interesting to me that women were among those who received the Holy Spirit and prophesied at Pentecost and throughout Scripture, God repeatedly chooses unexpected people to accomplish His purposes. 

You may be thinking, well what about the man being the “Head” in Scripture? The key New Testament word is kephalē (κεφαλή), usually translated “head.” It appears in passages such as:

Ephesians 5:23: “For the husband is the head of 
the wife as Christ is the head of the church…”

The important thing is that Paul immediately defines what that “headship” looks like through Christ’s behavior.

We see through Christ’s example:

• Loves
• Sacrifices
• Serves
• Protects
• Nourishes
• Cares for
• Gives Himself for others

Paul says:

“Husbands, love your wives, 
just as Christ loved the church a
nd gave himself up for her.”
Ephesians 5:25

So whatever “head” means, Paul does not use Christ as an example of domination. He uses Christ’s self-giving love as the model. Well, what about “managing his household”? This is particularly relevant to your discussion of 1 Timothy 3.

Paul says an overseer should:

“Manage his own household well… for if someone 
does not know how to manage his own household,
how can he take care of God’s church?”
1 Timothy 3:4–5

Notice the connection Paul makes: Household → church.

The ability being tested is not simply authority. It’s the person’s ability to care for, lead responsibly, and steward people well. The Greek verb is proistēmi, which can carry the sense of leading, managing, directing, or caring for. Interestingly, Paul uses the same word in Romans 12:8 when discussing someone who exercises leadership:

“the one who leads, with diligence…”

And in 1 Timothy 5:14, Paul uses it in the context of women managing their households:

“to marry, to have children, to manage their households…”

That is significant. Paul does not treat household management as an exclusively male capacity.

“Head of the household” isn’t a biblical synonym for “male ruler” In the ancient world, households were structured differently from modern Western families. The male head of a household generally possessed legal and social authority. But Scripture doesn’t simply endorse every aspect of that cultural structure. Jesus repeatedly challenged hierarchical ideas about power. When His disciples argued about who was greatest, Jesus told them:

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
Matthew 20:26

And:

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
Matthew 20:28

That is the model Jesus gives for leadership. Biblical leadership is fundamentally stewardship and service, not entitlement. And this matters for your argument, because if someone says, “The man is the head of the household, therefore men must lead the church,” there is an additional assumption being made. They’re moving from:

“Paul says an overseer should manage his household well”

to:

“Therefore only men can possess the leadership qualities necessary to lead God’s people.”

It’s interesting because, scripture gives us numerous women exercising extraordinary leadership, wisdom, spiritual authority, and responsibility. And there is another fascinating point: the Bible contains households in which women clearly exercise substantial authority and influence.

Proverbs 31 describes a woman who:

• Manages a household, buys property, conducts business, makes financial decisions, employs servants, provides for her family, speaks with wisdom, earns the respect of her community.

The passage concludes:

“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”
Proverbs 31:28

People love to compare men and women. To decide who is more powerful, more capable, or more needed. But God created both male and female in His image, uniquely reflecting who He is to the world.

When we turn our differences into competition, we stop recognizing the unique gifts and callings God has given each of us. We begin to see difference as deficiency and assume that someone who is different from us is less capable or less qualified.

God didn’t create us to compete. He created us to reflect Him, serve His Kingdom, and use the gifts He has given us in the world He placed us in

When Tradition Becomes Doctrine

Sometimes what we call “biblical truth” is actually an inherited interpretation that has been repeated for so long that nobody thinks to examine it anymore. Tradition can be valuable, but tradition can be dangerous when we place it above the true meaning of Scripture. Jesus Himself confronted religious traditions that had become barriers to God’s purpose. And Jesus consistently treated women with a dignity and seriousness that challenged the culture around Him.

• He spoke with women publicly.
• He taught women theology.
• He received women as disciples.
• He allowed women to sit at His feet and learn.
• He revealed His identity to people like the Samaritan woman.

And after His resurrection, He entrusted women with the announcement of the greatest event in Christian history. The early church did not receive the Spirit according to the cultural expectations of who was “qualified” to speak.

The Standard for Leadership Is Character and Calling

When Scripture describes the qualities required for spiritual leadership, the emphasis is overwhelmingly on character. Biblical qualifications for spiritual leadership:

• Faithfulness — 1 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 2:2
• Integrity / blameless character — 1 Timothy 3:2, 7; Titus 1:6–7; Psalm 15:1–2
• Sound doctrine — 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:13–14
• Wisdom — Acts 6:3; James 3:13, 17; Proverbs 11:14
• Self-control — 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; Galatians 5:22–23
• Maturity — 1 Timothy 3:6; Hebrews 5:12–14; Ephesians 4:13–14
• Servanthood — Mark 10:42–45; John 13:12–17; Philippians 2:3–7
• Spiritual fruit — Matthew 7:16–20; Galatians 5:22–23; John 15:5, 8
• A life that reflects Christ — 1 Peter 5:2–3; Philippians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Titus 2:7–8

The two passages that are especially useful for understanding who is able to lead is mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:1–13 and Titus 1:5–9, because these are among the clearest places where Paul lays out qualifications for church leadership and notice what Paul emphasizes:

• “Above reproach” — 1 Timothy 3:2
• “Temperate” — 1 Timothy 3:2
• “Self-controlled” — 1 Timothy 3:2
• “Respectable” — 1 Timothy 3:2
• “Hospitable” — 1 Timothy 3:2
• “Able to teach” — 1 Timothy 3:2
• “Not violent but gentle” — 1 Timothy 3:3
• “Not quarrelsome” — 1 Timothy 3:3
• “Not a lover of money” — 1 Timothy 3:3
• “Manage his own household well” — 1 Timothy 3:4
• “Not a recent convert” — 1 Timothy 3:6
• “Must have a good reputation” — 1 Timothy 3:7

Titus gives a very similar list: above reproach, faithful, not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not violent, not greedy, hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, upright, holy, disciplined, and holding firmly to sound doctrine (Titus 1:6–9).

It is also interesting to note that Paul actually lists qualifications for church leadership, his emphasis is overwhelmingly on the character, maturity, conduct, doctrine, and spiritual life of the person—not on gender.

I think a verse in 1 Timothy 3 that people get stuck on in verse 2 it says, “husband of one wife,” This actually isn’t as straightforward as it sounds because of the english translation. The Greek expression is μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα (mias gunaikos andra), literally something along the lines of “a one-woman man.” It describes marital faithfulness. That’s why you will see it translated in different ways, including:

• “husband of one wife”
• “faithful to his wife”
• “a one-woman man”

The question many people have is whether Paul is establishing male eligibility for the office, or whether he is describing the kind of marital character expected of a person who serves in leadership. And there is another important piece of evidence: Romans 16:1. Paul introduces Phoebe using the word διάκονος (diakonos), the same Greek word used throughout 1 Timothy 3 for “deacon.” Paul writes:

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.”

So when we encounter 1 Timothy 3 and see a passage describing diakonos, we can’t simply assume the role is inherently male when Paul elsewhere describes a woman using that same term.

I think overall the qualities listed in all of these verses are things God cares about. The Bible does not present a person’s chromosomes as the ultimate test of whether they can be used by God.

• God calls people.
• God equips people.
• God gives spiritual gifts.
• God produces fruit through people.

And throughout Scripture, He has repeatedly demonstrated that He is not limited by the boundaries human beings create around a calling. The women I have mentioned came from different backgrounds. Some were queens. Some were widows. Some were servants. Some carried painful pasts. Yet each of them responded to God with faith, courage, and obedience. Because of that, their stories still shape the world thousands of years later.

These women were not accidents in the biblical narrative. They were part of God’s work. So when a woman knows she has been called to preach, teach, lead, serve, or proclaim the Gospel, she should not automatically assume that a human tradition has the authority to override what God has placed within her.