Research Paper
7 November 2012
Women as Preachers and Priests The church has changed over the years. Today it is not uncommon to find women pastors over a church. Though the bible says that no women should be head over the church, and in I Timothy 2:12 it states, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” This states that a woman should not teach the church or have authority over men. They should be silent unless they are told or called to the alter to speak by the man. This is why women should not have a place of authority over men in traditional Western Christian churches. Let’s take a look at the definition of clergy. It is the group or body of ordained persons in a religion (Goldman 63). Women from many centuries have been ordained into the church but not as pastors or priests but to gather the people and draw them to the church. This is what God has intended women to do, such as Mary of Magdala (Magdalene) and Julia Chatfield. Mary of Magdala is also mentioned later. The men are ordained to the authority positions of the church. This has been happening over many centuries and caused many sacred traditions where women weren’t involved. Though, women play an important role on society and in scripture they should not hold authority over the men in the church. Women should not be pastors or priest because in the scriptures it states, “Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was the transgression.” (I Timothy 2:13-14) This means that women are easily deceived by their emotions unlike men. God created Adam first then Eve. According to Genesis 2:18 God knew that it was not good for the man to be alone and made a “help meet for him.” God then took a rib from the man and made a woman. (Genesis 2:22) Also, in the bible “Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out