Does the Bible Permit Women to Operate as Preachers or Members of the 5 fold ministry?
1) Direct answer
No. The Bible does not authorize women to serve as preachers or to hold the fivefold ministry offices (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers). God uses sisters mightily, but the governmental offices and public authoritative teaching over men are not given to women.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Ephesians 4:11 shows God set the fivefold offices. The same New Testament that names those offices sets the order for who may hold them.
- 1 Timothy 2:11-14: “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man…” Paul grounds this in creation (Adam first, then Eve; and the deception), not in local culture. That makes it a lasting order.
- 1 Corinthians 14:34-37: “Let your women keep silence in the churches… it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience… What? came the word of God out from you?… If any man think himself to be a prophet… let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” Now notice, this is not a suggestion; it is the Lord’s command for church order.
- Qualifications for overseers/elders and deacons are male-only: 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9—“husband of one wife,” “one that ruleth well his own house.” If women were to pastor or serve as elders, Scripture would have given female qualifications. It doesn’t.
- Yes, the Bible shows women whom God used:
- Daughters who prophesy (Acts 2:17; Acts 21:9). That’s a spiritual gift, not the governmental office of a prophet who sets doctrine and governs a flock.
- Older women instructed to teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5). That is beautiful and commanded—but it’s not preaching over men nor holding church office.
- Deborah and Huldah were prophetesses under Israel’s national life, not New Testament church pastors. Their existence does not cancel the apostolic order for the Church.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). He set order in the Body. The same chapter that speaks of spiritual gifts also fixes church order and forbids women to teach or exercise authority over men.
- Prophecy as a gift is not the same as the office that governs doctrine. A sister may prophesy, pray, testify, win souls, and labor in many good works—yet not take the pulpit office that rules and teaches men.
- Paul ties the restriction to creation, not to culture; therefore time or modern trends cannot overturn it. If someone says it changed, who changed it? The Bible says these are the Lord’s commandments.
4) Reinforcing statement
Sisters are essential in the Church—faithful in prayer, helps, missions, hospitality, instructing children and younger women, and manifesting spiritual gifts under proper headship. But the pulpit offices of the fivefold ministry and governing eldership are reserved to men by the clear order of Scripture.
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Identification
63-0123 §93
Or let me ask you one more thing. This might hurt a little bit, but I want to ask you something. When the issue come up in the Corinthian church about women preachers, and them bobbing their hair (the women)... And the issue come up, and Paul took the state that they should not be made preachers. Paul took the state that a women cut her hair she dishonored her husband, and she ought not even be seen praying in public. What, in your present estate, what issue would you take? Now look in the glass. I better leave tha...
Show us the Father and it'll satisfy
56-0422 §62
And so, she wandered around out in the country, and first thing you know, they ... some promotion, his job called him to go to another city. When he went to another city, then he took a job there. And she's a pianist, so she become the pianist in that church. And come to find out, that Methodist church wasn't very spiritual. And noticed that nearly all the women smoked cigarettes. Shame on you. Biggest fifth columnist move the world's ever had. Wish I had time to dwell on it. Preachers will do that though. Look, I'...
The Faith of Abraham
55-1118 §6
I was just thinking of a real outstanding minister, that I was talking to one of the members of his staff not long ago. And he said before this minister will come into a neighborhood, that churches for a hundred miles area has to sign on the dotted line that they're cooperating. And they'll be in Louisville, Kentucky, this coming year, this party, and there's seventy big Baptist churches in Louisville alone. That ain't the sma... big Baptist churches, seventy, and it's a Methodist town, 'cause Asbury College is jus...
One man's influence on another
62-1013 §48
And I said, "Brethren, there's something wrong. You fellows are businessmen. The first place, you don't understand the approach. You don't understand the approach to the ministry, because the ministry is a God-called gift." "God hath set in the church first apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors." God set them in there for the perfecting of the church. Businessmen should testify. Women, housewife, no matter if you're the maid in somebody's house, testify. Do everything you can for the kingdom; but d...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 10:E-13
...alse vine is the vine of Satan. Their gathering is of him (Satan). They meet in the Name of God and lie that they are Christ's. They preach, they teach, they baptize, they worship, they partake of various rites given by Christ to the church, yet they are not of God. But since they say they are, God will hold them responsible and in each age He speaks of them and to them. They remind us exactly of Balaam. He had the prophetic office. He knew the proper approach unto God as demonstrated in the sacrifice of the clean...