My Thoughts In Regard to Women Being Pastors And Teachers In Christianity

1 Timothy 2:12 KJV

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

I've seen this brought up a few times this year, in different forums. Before I go further I want to make this clear: I'm not intending to contradict scripture nor to offend anyone. Nor am I intending to lead anyone to be disobedient. I am not trying to be disobedient. I am not advocating for women pastors or teachers, but I'm also not going to advocate against them either.

Do we deny that God can and will also use anyone to achieve His purpose? Do we not remember that God made Deborah a judge?

If there isn't a man around to do the job, then God absolutely WILL use a woman. Sometimes women lead their husbands to faith, sometimes husbands lead their wives to faith.

The man is supposed to be the spiritual leader of his household. If he isn't doing his job, if he isn't around for his family, are they supposed to stay spiritually ignorant? If he's not doing the job, then God may just move the woman into the position as the teacher of their household.

I do agree that women are supposed to defer and to be submissive to their husbands. But that doesn't mean we have to be doormats either. And like it or not, the times we live in are very different from when Paul was alive and women were second-class citizens, and considered to have no value or worth outside of childbirth.

You can call me disobedient if you want to, and you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I ask you this: Does God not use both men and women to achieve his purpose? And does it really matter what gender the vessel is as long as God's will and purpose is realized and achieved through them?