Why I Believe Women Can Serve In Leadership
The short answer is that some of the injunctions found in the Bible (like the one that at first glance appears to prohibit women from leadership roles- see 1 Timothy 2:12) are not timeless truths, but concessions to culture. If you don't think that there is such a thing as God making cultural concessions consider the following. Did God endorse polygamy, or did He simply allow it? Did God command frivolous divorce, or did He allow it (Matthew 19:8, NLT says, "Moses permitted divorce as a concession..." emphasis added)? Did God prefer slavery, or allow it? Did He want Israel to have a king, or did He make a concession to Israel's demand for one? On and on we can go.
The Bible is full of examples of women in leadership (NOT an exhaustive list): Miriam (Micah 6:4 ranks her with Moses and Aaron as Israel's leaders), Deborah (Judges 4,5), Esther (the Book of Esther), Junia (referred to as an apostle in Romans 16:7), Phoebe (Romans 16:1,2), Priscilla (Romans 16:3,4). If women have served as leaders in Israel's history and if they are seen as leaders in the New Testament church, what did Paul have in mind when he told Timothy not to allow them to lead?
I won't give a detailed response- I don't think I can do a better job than Pastor Greg Boyd did in a sermon devoted to this passage. It's worth the 35 minutes of your time to hear what he has to say (go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxryKp8vVc4&t=488s). For now, perhaps it will help to consider that in 1 Timothy 2:9-12, Paul is prohibiting 5 things: braided hair, wearing gold, pearls, expensive clothing and women in leadership. Bible interpreters almost universally agree that the prohibitions relating to dress were culturally relative and are not timeless truths. Why then, do some of them insist that the one prohibition is still valid, the one that prohibits women from teaching and exercising leadership?
Please tread lightly when you are ready to make a vigorous defense about one of your pet beliefs. Ask yourself, "Is this essential to orthodoxy?" and "Is it essential to connecting with God?" If not, what does a vigorous defense gain? Can we disagree with someone's position without disrespecting it or them? Remember the warning of a wise seminary professor. He told his students, "There is absolute truth- and you know less of it than you think!" Isn't this always the case?