Is the Church Male-Dominated and Does it Oppress Women?

Here are the notes for the next section of the discussion from They Like Jesus but Not the Church


Primary Texts: 1 Corinthians 14:34–35; 1 Timothy 2:11–15

General Theme: There is a perception by many outside of the church that the church is male-dominated and restricts women’s roles. Whatever viewpoint on the role of women in ministry we may have as a church, it is important to be able to articulate why we believe what we do and know how to respond to some of the key Scripture verses in question.

Introduction

• This is a topic that causes a lot of tension within the church because of the strong opinions people have about the issue.

• Illustration: Personal illustrations of where this issue surfaces in the church today

• Is what we just heard on this video true? In our church? In other churches? Do we know how to respond to the questions and criticisms raised in the video, questions being asked not only by females but males within our emerging culture. (Even if your church does empower and honor women, you need to be ready to address these theological questions.)

1. Women in the Church

• Imagine a scenario where an educated, young professional female who is just beginning to get interested in church and Jesus opens a Bible and reads:
1 Corinthians 14:34–35

1 Timothy 2:11–15
At surface glance these passages seem to indicate that:
(1) a woman should not say anything in church, only men can
(2) that a woman cannot teach the Bible to men in any way
(3) that a woman is only saved through childbearing.
How do we respond to these passages and how would you answer the questions that an educated, young professional female would have about the verses as she reads them?

• There are two primary views that the church has developed on how to view these passages and the role of women in the church:
Egalitarian—Define and teach the basic ways egalitarians would look at these specific verses and why they hold the position they do.

Complementarian—Define and teach the basic ways complementarians would look at these specific verses and why they hold the position they do.

• There are strengths and weaknesses to each theological position and often there are variations of each position within many churches. So resolving issues may not be as “cut and dried” as we would like.

• We need to honor and respect godly, Spirit-filled pastors, scholars, and people who hold differing views on the role of women in ministry than the one we as a specific church hold. Do, however, state the position your church has about the role of women, so that people are clear about it.

• Galatians 3:28—Teach the specific way this verse applies in the church today and how we view and treat one another.

2. How Our Churches Can Respect and Honor Women

• We want to be modeling our hearts and actions after the life of Jesus.

• Take time to teach directly from Scripture some of the ways Jesus broke taboos and honored women. (See page 50 in the They Like Jesus but Not the Church Participant’s Guide.)

• By asking ourselves as a church how are we honoring and respecting females (give specific examples of how, no matter what your theological position is).

• By asking ourselves as individuals how we are honoring and respecting females (give some specific examples of how this impacts our personal lives and attitudes).

• Recap the Bubble diagram and the Bridge illustration, showing the slides of each, as a reminder that we need to be Christians “out in the world” (John 17:15), so people learn that most churches do not oppress and devalue the contribution of females. As with other misperceptions about Christianity and the church, people hold them because they haven’t experienced churches and Christians who teach and live otherwise.