Women And Early Church Authority -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Volume: JBMW 01:4 (Oct 1996)
Article: Women And Early Church Authority
Author: Anonymous


Women And Early Church Authority

Did women occupy positions of leadership and authority in the Pauline churches? This recent essay investigates this important question. The author notes that Paul refers to a total of thirteen women, of which five had leadership roles in their respective communities: Chloe (1 Cor. 1:11), Prisca (Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19), Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:2), and Phoebe (Rom. 16:1–2). In keeping with Roman culture, it is argued, but ultimately transcending its boundaries, each of these women functioned in equal partnership with men in the church: Chloe as “a patroness of some kind”; Prisca in teaching with her husband, Aquila; Euodia and Syntyche by “visiting friends and setting up networks for ‘evangelization’”; and Phoebe as “a benefactress and guardian” and as a deacon[ess].

The essay helpfully takes inventory of women who are mentioned by Paul and who functioned in leadership roles in the Pauline churches. It indicates that women were indeed operating in spheres of genuine, significant responsibility. The illumination of the Roman background illustrates the way in which such roles were in keeping, or out of keeping, with prevailing cultural norms. As will be seen, however, the article ends up proving the exact opposite of what it sets out to demonstrate. In particular, the following criticisms apply:

1. Acknowledgment should be made of the very limited number of references to women in leadership in the Pauline churches. The fact that only a handful of women are mentioned does not alter the fact that there were women in leadership positions in those congregations; it nevertheless may be significant to get the balance right.

2. In what kinds of positions of leadership did these women actually serve? It turns out that none of the women mentioned in Paul’s letters were overseers or pastor-teachers. Thus, while women were involved in exercising some sort of leadership, they do not seem to have occupied places of ultimate human responsibility for God’s church.

3. What, exactly, is meant by “leadership” or “authority” in the first place? If what is meant is positions of genuine, significant responsibility, then the implication is that women in churches today, likewise, should be given roles where they can exercise their spiritual gifts in significant ways. If what is meant, however, is positions of ultimate responsibility for God’s church, that is, women pastor-teachers or elders, this article does little to substantiate the functioning of women in such roles in the Pauline churches.

4. The study of the...

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