The Standard July 4, 2026
A few weeks ago, the Southern Baptist Convention made headlines for its annual meeting where a constitutional amendment passed three to one to ban churches that employ women as pastors. How can some ministers in the SBC and other conservative denominations have different views concerning women in leadership?
Many Christians take an originalist approach when interpreting Scripture. They believe an unchanging, loving God gave us the Bible through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that these internally-consistent words are authoritative and eternally true, giving us everything we need for life and practice. God’s Word is sufficient for teaching us about salvation and how to live a God-honoring life; it is not a science book nor is it anti-science. These believers take great care to discern the context of each Bible writer and his intent in writing to that original audience. Miracles are not explained away. The text should not be interpreted or applied differently through various ages and cultures. Christians using this grammatical-historical hermeneutic still come to different stances after reading the numerous passages related to women in ministry. Some are complementarians who see men and women as equally important in building up the Kingdom of God, but with different roles. Egalitarians, on the other hand, read the New Testament as showing women and men teaching, proclaiming, prophesying, and witnessing within the church.
The Apostle Paul writes about orderly worship in his letter to the church at Corinth, where services had gotten loud and a bit chaotic, likely with women asking questions to men. “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:34-35
“Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.” 1 Corinthians 11:4-6
“I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” 1 Timothy 2:9-12
Luke describes a learned Jew named Apollos coming to Ephesus. “He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.” Acts 18:25-26
Paul recognizes the roles of several important ladies. “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.” “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Jesus Christ. They risked their lives for me.” “Great Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.” Romans 16:1, 3, 7
Paul also mentions Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis as women who worked very hard in the Lord. Certainly, women are instrumental in passing on the faith. Their role in the church is crystal clear to some, but more of a gray area to others. This is one issue which behooves us to to study, weigh, and listen to different Bible-centric interpretations.
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