Essential Order

Why are the following listed among our essential doctrines? The Roles of Men and Women and the Corporate Practice of Tongues and Prophecy are part of biblical order, and Paul teaches us to withdraw from people who “walk disorderly” — who don’t submit to biblical order and apostolic tradition (2 Thessalonians 3:6).

The Roles of Men and Women in the Church 

Equality
Men and women are equal in value, worth, and rank (Galatians 3:28), but differ in regards to nature, role, and responsibility. “From the beginning…God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6); male and female are still distinct from one another. They do not share exactly the same function.

The Bible’s General Ordinance for Biblical Order in Teaching (which is the authoritative delivery of doctrine) – Women should not exercise teaching authority over men (1 Timothy 2:11-15), whether to one or to many. Due to the features of headship (Ephesians 5:23,26), qualified men–fathers of the church–should lead in the teaching/doctrine that’s delivered to the church, while they are encouraged to cooperate with their wives in this work. Therefore, married women may help their husbands teach men and women if they are in evident agreement and cooperation with their husbands (Acts 18:26). Titus 1:5-6, 2:1-5, 1 Timothy 2:8-15, 3:1-2, Acts 18:26, 1 Corinthians 11:2-3.

The Married Man’s Role – A husband must function as the head of his wife (Ephesians 5:22-33), leading and nourishing her, and exercising authority in his home with truth and love, not force or intimidation. He is to maintain headship in every area of he and his wife’s activities, his wife taking the role of supporter and helper. Also see 1 Corinthians 11:2-3, Genesis 2:18-23.

Heart of the Matter (The WHY) – We need to keep looking to God’s best – a married man pastoring with his wife, being the leader in his home and in his church. We need to persevere for what is best–to provide a godly example to both men and women. Yes, both single men and single women have the ability to teach sound doctrine. For women, however, what is most proper for sound doctrine (what builds up and supports sound doctrine) is that mature women teach less mature women. Men need a male example, and women need a female example. Leaders are expected to serve as examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:3) as their primary mode of teaching.

The Mature Woman’s Primary Role – Management of the home, faithfulness to a husband, childbearing, and teaching younger women to do the same things…these are responsibilities highlighted to women as being especially important for them to obey (Titus 2:3-5, 1 Timothy 5:14). Before anything else (regarding service to the church), a woman should endeavor to obey this command of God. Let her not neglect this call and be faithful to it before moving on to other activities. Titus 2:1 says that older women teaching younger women is what’s “proper for sound doctrine” in the church. Therefore, it is God’s best that more mature women teach less mature women first.

The Mature, Single Woman’s Primary Role (especially if she is a widow) – Older women are commanded to teach “younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (Titus 2:4-5). Before anything else (regarding service to the church), a single woman (especially if she is older and widowed) should endeavor to obey this command of God. Let her not neglect this call and be faithful to it before moving on to other activities. In addition, widows are commanded to observe these commands: “…lodge strangers, wash the saints’ feet, relieve the afflicted, diligently follow every good work” (1 Timothy 5:10).

The Woman’s Freedom to Speak – Just as men, women in the church should pray, prophesy, exhort, encourage, share words of wisdom and knowledge, give tongues and interpretations, etc. 

Practical Qualifications for Leaders

Churches & Pastors: Groups of believers that gather with established leadership are to be pastored and/or taught by a married couple. We do not permit any single person to pastor a general assembly because the Word of God commands us that a bishop/pastor “must be the husband of one wife” (married, and to one spouse) and must “rule his own house well”, which includes being in unity with his spouse (1 Timothy 3:1-2). In addition to this, every pastoring couple must meet all of the qualifications spelled out in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. If a pastoring couple has children who are old enough to exercise their own free will, they must be proven to be submissive. 

If believers (men and women) gather to study and discuss Scripture in a group that is to be facilitated and taught by a leader (a Bible-study group, for instance), that leadership should also be a married couple (the husband and wife should teach together, or the husband should teach). Why? Men should teach and be an example to other men (1 Timothy 2:12, Titus 2:6-8); and women should teach and be an example to other women (Titus 2:3-5). In groups of both men and women, there should be a unified, married man and woman leading (Acts 18:26).

Teachers: All those who teach (explain doctrine) to groups of believers, whether they are a man or woman, must be more mature in the faith than those they are teaching (Titus 2:3), and they must be found to be trustworthy and faithful people (2 Timothy 2:2) who have also “studied to show themselves approved, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). We will not quickly appoint anyone to teach, because the Word of God says, “Let not many of us become teachers, for we shall undergo a stricter judgment” (James 3:1).