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It is not fair and wise that men should be secured in safety and comfort while
women would be exposed to struggles and dangers – it should be the other way
round. This original PRESERVATION INSTINCT to protect women for the
good of the race has often become misconstrued by both misogynist men
and misandrist women as if it were of PERSECUTION INTENT to
marginalize women. It is unfortunate that misogynist versus misandrist polemic
has confused, polarised and perverted postmodern concept and attitude about
manhood and womanhood! This bitter acculturation needs to be ameliorated.
Men should guarantee spiritual and physical safety to women because of their
delicate roles (especially pregnancy and breastfeeding). Women should be shielded
from bearing spiritual blame and brunt (Num 30) but not exposed to forms of
BIBLICAL BASIS FOR WOMEN MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme 1
harassment and hazards, though they share the same dignity with men (1Pet 3:7).
The necessity to protect the preciousness of women as the delicate incubators of
the race is one of the reasons why men were the ones exposed to the dangers of
the military and ministry, so that women and children would be preserved in
safety. In the Scriptures, apart from Eve, women were never sent into the rugged
warfront of spiritual ministry to be Apostles, Bishops, Priests and Preachers on
behalf of men.
The Apostle Paul admonished that it is disgraceful for women to ask contentious
questions and argue with opinionated assertions during fellowship/service but
maintain orderly decorum in the congregation (1Cor_14:33-35). Women should
desist from issuing authoritative directives and instructions (1Co_14:34;
1Ti_2:12) and from raising argumentative contentions in the Church
(1Co_14:35; 1Ti_2:11). This also applies to men who misbehave similarly to
leaders (2Thes_3:6-7). Women in Christ should not presume to contend
with or dictate to men IN THE CHURCH. Such personal assertiveness
TOWARD OR OVER MEN in the congregation should be eschewed NOT ONLY
IN CORINTH BUT IN EVERY APOSTOLIC CHURCH.
St Paul’s ‘not to speak’ and ‘keep silence’ and ‘not exercise authority over
men’ in the Church here (1Co_14:34; 1Ti_2:11-12) indicate that women should
not assume presbyterial authority nor be ordained into priestly overseer
office IN THE CHURCH (1Cor_9:11-16; Tit_2:15). However, this does not
mean muteness or dumbness but ‘courteousness’, ‘submission’ and
‘obedience’ which equally applied to non-leading male members. Notice that
this does NOT extend outside the Church.
Again, this could NOT have abrogated other utterance or spoken ministrations
and responsibilities enjoined and permitted for women in other portions of
Scripture such as:
(1) prophesying, praying, tongues-interpretation and singing (before all in
Church) Luk_2:36-38; Act_21:9; 1Co_11:3-12; Eph_5:18-21; Exo_15:20-
21; Jdg_4:4-9,
(2) teaching (before women in Church) Tit_2:3-4,
BIBLICAL BASIS FOR WOMEN MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme 2
(3) teaching and even questioning but no contentions (before men after
Church in private and at home) Act_18:26; 1Co_14:35; Pro_31:1-2, and
(4) other spiritual ministrations, exhortations and helps (Act_16:14-15;
1Ti_5:10).
Also, their ‘subjection to authority’ does not exclude official delegation (Rom
_6:1-4); even reporting negligence and voting for lay church leaders of their
choice (Act_6:1-6).
One proviso is that such women should minister IN CHURCH GATHERING with
their messianic worship veils of authority on their heads: not for submission
to men or culture as is often mistakenly believed, but for dignity before the
messianic Church and for authority before the liturgical Angels (1Co_11:5-
6, 1Co_11:10). This apostolic ordinance and Church custom was meant to
cover all symbols of human glory (long-haired women’s heads) and uncover
only the symbols of divine glory (short-haired men’s heads) when in the
Church’s messianic Assembly for the sake of the Angels.
BIBLICAL BASIS FOR WOMEN MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme 4
Offices and Authorities are NOT the same as non-ordained Spiritual
Gifts and Abilities:
➢ Spiritual GIFTS and voluntary ROLES are variously given
to all males and females alike as ABILITY for ministry and
ministrations among the saints, who by their faith in
Christ are given the same RIGHTS of sonship irrespective
of gender, age or race.
➢ Apostolic or presbyterial OFFICES and ordaining
RESPONSIBILITIES are reserved for a few (Jas_3:1) as
positions of Spiritual AUTHORITY for oversite presidency
and discipline over the saints (1Ti_4:11-13; 5:19-21;
Tit_2:15; Heb_13:17) – all such PRIESTLY AUTHORITIES
in the Scriptures (for both OT Sanctuary and NT Church)
were delegated to males only.
This divine wisdom and rule found in God’s settled Scriptures should
not be challenged or changed by our cultures, but upheld without
revision (1Cor 14_37-38).
“All Christian men and women, young and old have one Spiritual Gift or
the other for which they could all be encouraged or COMMISSIONED to
exercise and minister (1Cor 14:5, 31) but ordination is not simply by
Spiritual Gift or human desire or design. Only the few Christian men found
to be exposed to apostolic practice (2Tim 3:10, 14), trained in and faithful
to biblical truth (2Tim 2:2), approved and blameless (1Tim 3:1-7; Tit 1:5-9)
should be officially instituted or ORDAINED to exercise doctrinal oversight
or spiritual authority in the Church as Presbyterial/Priestly officers who rule
over, are accountable for and shepherd the Church. Even the Diaconate
(1Tim 3:10-13) in the Apostolic times was not sacerdotal clergy but
administrative lay assistants to the clergy (Act 6:2-4). This is the
difference between lay commissioning for clerical ordination. This
distinction has been muddled and blurred over time, especially recently,
and has disordered and confused the Church of today. The sad result is
that the Church has sought to revise and overrule the divinely revealed
Scripture on the mundane basis of cultural experiences and logical
reasons.”
BIBLICAL BASIS FOR WOMEN MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme 7
These ordained godly and grounded men were instituted into clerical office to
use their prophetic, evangelistic and teaching gifts to lead the Church in
sacerdotal matters during worship services and teach the Word as oracles of
God (Act 6:2-4; 13:1-2; 1Pet 4:11). They are also to duly conform to the
paradosis received from the Apostles according to the canonical
Scriptures (Rom 16:17-19; 2Thes 2:15; 3:6, 14) and duly obey their
Mentors according to due canonical order (1Cor 4:15; 1Thes 2:10;
2Thes 3:7). On the other hand, the Scriptures (Acts 6:1-7)
show that the Lay Diaconate who administered the table and
financial LOGISTICS was congregationally elected to local
responsibility.
Apparently due to abuses and Christ’s warning, the Apostles avoided the use of
then controversial titles such as Father, Rabbi and Master for Church Leaders,
but used Bishop, Presbyter, Pastoral-Teachers (Eph 4:11), even Angel? (Rev 2-
3) and Deacon which were then thought to be less prone to abuses (Mat_23:4-
11). The Church must therefore avoid ostentation and extravagance in her
honours.
It is important to point out that the "Presbyter" designation was borrowed from
traditional and religious CUSTODIAN leaders, while the "Bishop" designation
was borrowed from the political SUPERINTENDENT officers. Both terms were
used by the Apostles to describe aspects of the shepherd-servant work of
sacerdotal Church leaders (Act_20:17; Act_20:28; 1Pe_5:2) under Christ the
ultimate Pastor and Bishop (1Pe_2:25; 1Pe_5:4). The Apostles apparently
applied both terms interchangeably, even to themselves (Act_1:17-21; 1Pe_5:1;
3Jn_1:1). However with the growth and spread of the Church the “primus-inter-
pares” Presbyter who acted as the circuit Presbyter and superintended other
Presbyters soon came to be especially and more often referred to as the Bishop
or Patriarch, even by fellow Presbyters.
The vestments the clergy wear today are not spiritual dress but ancient normal
and official garments preserved despite changing fashions and cultures over the
centuries, which goes to show the antiquity of these offices.
BIBLICAL BASIS FOR WOMEN MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme 9
In the ancient Church, before the diaconate was clericalized, Deacons and
Catechists were not initially considered sacerdotal clergy from what Chrysostom
(4th Century) wrote in Homily XVI,
“Maintain a Teacher (Catechist), maintain a Deacon, and a sacerdotal
body (Priests) complete.”
Deacons were considered lay and not admitted into the sanctuary except in
exigencies as Letter XVIII of Clement of Alexandria (2nd Century) to Flavian
indicated.
“At last the approach to the Altars was thrown open, and we were admitted
to the sanctuary; the crowd, however, were excluded, though my Deacon
entered along with me, supporting with his arm my exhausted frame”
After the death of the Apostles, the Bishops and Presbyters began to recruit
some of the male Deacons into the Presbytery. Later the male Diaconate
assumed pre-presbyterial curacy status and became part of the Clergy
appointed by the Bishop and the Presbytery to serve as their Clerical Assistants
(with liturgical in addition to welfare and administrative functions), and was no
longer elected by the congregation. This is how Deacons began to be ‘made’ by
ordination rather than by election (hence the ‘clericalization’ of Church
leadership). The Deacon assisting the Bishop was also called Arch-Deacon.
The female Diaconate (the celibate deaconess ministry for virgins and widows)
who catered for female catechumens especially during baptism, continued to a
lesser extent in the Church, till about the 11th century, when it was overtaken or
swallowed up by the conventual nuns (i.e. Reverend Sisters and Mothers of the
Roman Church). Reversal of this ‘clericalization’ of Church leadership began
after the Reformation and during the synodical movement, which reincorporated
the laity (first lay men and later lay women too) into Church leadership.
To be sure, today's push to bring women into the Presbyterate and the
Episcopate is based on liberal dynamism and cultural revisionism, which
is entirely revolutionary with no scriptural or historical authority
whatsoever. To discuss the place of Women in the ministry of the Church
with discrete clarity, we must not muddle up issues but distinguish:
• between Cultural TRENDS and Scriptural TRUTH (women ordination to
the presbyterate and episcopate is Cultural Trend not Scriptural Truth),
• between Spiritual Gift/ABILITY for all Lay Ministries and Ecclesiastical
Office/AUTHORITY for only Oversight Clergy (every ordination to the
Church’s presbyterate and episcopate is meant for Church Office/Authority
not to Spiritual Gift/Ability),
BIBLICAL BASIS FOR WOMEN MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme 10
• between Sociological reasons and Theological exegesis (women
ordination to the Church’s presbyterate and episcopate stands on
Sociological reasons not Theological Truth),
• between Our struggle for Rights to Power and submission to God's
Pattern of Service (women ordination to the Church’s presbyterate and
episcopate is a struggle for our rights not a submission to God’s pattern),
• between The Women’s RIGHTS of spiritual sonship or spiritual ABILITY
and the biblical example of their taking up AUTHORITY for presbyterial
RESPONSIBILITIES (women contention for ordination to the Church’s
presbyterate and episcopate on the basis of ability, forgets that ordination is
not into ability but into authority),
• between Presbyterial OFFICE and Prophetic GIFT (ordination to the
Church’s presbyterate and episcopate is like priestly oversight and not like
endument to prophecy and prowess),
• between Human Protestation or Presumption and Divine Revelation or
Inspiration (women ordination to the Church’s presbyterate and episcopate
is human presumption not Divine Revelation).
Such muddling without distinguishing these issues has beclouded the
Church into becoming a liberal modern Church that though it is of the
Gentiles, yet it is not of the Gospel of Christ and His Apostles.
The Scriptures have much provisions or example for women to minister their
Spiritual Gifts (ABILITIES) for the Church and in the Church like all other gifted
men, but have no provisions or example for women ordained to exercise
Ecclesiastical Oversight (AUTHORITY) over the Church.
BIBLICAL BASIS FOR WOMEN MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme 11
But the Scriptures have examples of women SECULARLY leading and ruling
OVER the nation/State as judges and queens, as well as heads OVER the
academia as instructors.
The apostolic Church is also shown in the Scriptures to accord respect and
recognition to women for commitment and exploits (e.g. Dorcas Act_9:36-42;
Lydia Act_16:13-15, Act_16:40; Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary and possibly Junia
Rom_16:2-7); for advanced age in godliness (1Ti_5:9-10; Tit_2:1-5); for
social influence (e.g. Euodias and Syntyche Php_4:2-3; as well as the
Athenian prominent women Act_17:4, Act_17:12).
Notice that in place of bishops, deacons and saints (Php_1:1) which were
the usages in the apostolic times, many Churches now use the terms:
clergy, council and congregation.
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