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.
Questions and Answers
61-1015M §76
QUESTION: "Brother Branham, please explain ... please make clear if women should testify or speak in tongues in the assembly." Well, I believe that if the woman is a preacher in the assembly, she isn't supposed to be a preacher. But if she has a gift of tongues and speaks in the assembly, where there are prophets and the gifts are gathered together, I believe she has a right to do that. Because in the Bible we find out that they had prophetesses like Miriam and them, and they wasn't ... they had no jurisdiction......
Why are we not a denomination?
58-0927 §90
Now, I don't think we have time to get this other one. Maybe I better leave it for in the morning. All right, let's just take this little short one. We got here "baptism in water," we also got "predestination," and, oh, many things. So let's just take this, this little short one of "women preachers," and get this one. Now, now, lady preacher, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I want to tell you something. You haven't got one speck of Scripture, not one in the Bible. Yeah, I know where you're going to, and I'v...
Does God ever change His mind about His Word?
65-0418E §25
[A brother speaks to Brother Branham.] Now what's your name? Brother Correll. This is Brother Correll from Cincinnati. Anybody know Brother Correll, raise your ... Being from Cincinnati, I doubt it. He says that he was with a group, and the group wanted to ordain women ministers. He couldn't stand it, and he had to break away from them. That's exactly how I broke away from the Missionary Baptists. Dr. Roy E. Davis, how many ever heard him? Sure you did. He wanted to ordain some women preachers, and I said, "No, sir...
Why are we not a denomination?
58-0927 §104
Let your women keep silent in the churches: ... it's not permitted to them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. Then, in the Old Testament they wasn't allowed to speak, because Paul said here they wasn't. Is that right? "Let your women keep silent, it's obedience." Now if you want to run your marginal reading there, take it back to Genesis 3:16, see. All right. "Under as under the law." And if they ... learn any thing, let their ... ask their husbands at home: for it's a sh...
Being led of the Holy Spirit
56-0219 §42
And so, you see, women sometimes will catch it and... Now, you have to watch this. Now, you all know that... You know my doctrine, so you might as well... You see, I'm against women preachers, because I don't think it's absolutely the Bible. I don't think it can be proved. But anyhow, women are real receptive to spirits. And then if you don't watch, watch who the mediums are on the street. It's Madame So-and-so, see. You just... And then the Gospel should keep the woman lined up and in her place, see. So then, but...