What Does the Bible Say About Women In The Church - Chuck Swindoll

Excellence in Ministry: Doing What's Right in the Work 

of Ministry-A Study of 1 Timothy 1-3

(... those who take their cues from the world will neither accept nor appreciate this teaching. ~ Chuck)

Master Bible teacher, Chuck Swindoll looks at 1 Timothy. 

Charles Rozell "Chuck" Swindoll is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher.  Chuck is the Chancellor of Dallas Seminary and also Senior Pastor of Stonebriar Community Church. Few can say it like Chuck!

8Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

11A woman^a should learn in quietness and full submission. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;^b she must be quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15But women^c will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

1 Timothy 2

"...those who take their cues from the world will have difficulty with this passage.  ...the church is to be different from the world!" 
Chuck Swindoll

The role of women in the church is a hot issue, best handled with sensitivity and compassion—and maybe a pair of asbestos gloves! This is not because Scripture is controversial but because the role of women in the culture is different from what Scripture teaches about the role of women in the church. So, questions rise like steam from a boiling kettle. What positions should women hold within the church? Can they serve as elders and be ordained to preach? Can women pray in mixed company? Or should they remain quiet altogether? Some say women can serve in the highest office of church leadership. Others muzzle women, treating them as second-class citizens. 

What does the Bible say?

 LET’S DIG DEEPER 

1. What about Today’s Woman? In 1968, a new cigarette brand was introduced and marketed to young, business-savvy women—Virginia Slims. The tagline was “You’ve come a long way, baby.” It’s true, women had made considerable strides at that time, and women’s rights have continued to advance in the generations since. Let’s examine four general areas of change, some positive and some negative. 

First, in the world, women have become liberated more than restrained. 

Second, on the job, women have become respected more than exploited. 

Third, around the home, women have become assaulted more than supported. 

Fourth, at the church, women have become confused about their roles more than informed and affirmed. 

1 Timothy 2:9–15 2. What Does the Bible Say about Women in Church? (1 Timothy 2:9–15) 

• When the church takes its cues from the culture, the church becomes culturally irrelevant. It loses its saltiness and its light (Matthew 5:13–16). 
• The church is culturally relevant when the church is counter-cultural. And few things are more countercultural than the Bible’s take on the role of women in the church. 

• Several Major Passages Addressing Women in the Church What’s Expected Regarding a Woman’s Appearance and Behavior (2:9–12) Why It’s Expected, Based on the Order of Creation and the Issue of Deception (2:13–15) 
• LET’S LIVE IT ~The subject of a woman’s role in the church will always be controversial. People will always tend to misinterpret and misapply the clear, sensitive teaching of the Bible. So, we need a few clarifying remarks before we end this message. 
• First, men, these limitations on a woman’s role in the church are to be respected—not exaggerated, expanded, or exploited. 
• Second, women, your positive response to this teaching helps the church maintain its distinctiveness. Women, what, if anything, do you need to change—in your appearance, your attitude, or your actions—to become obedient to Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 2:9–15? 
• Third, those who take their cues from the world will neither accept nor appreciate this teaching. 

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Related Studies:

Reformed Minister Looks at Headship

What Does The Bible Teach about Headship ~ Kostenberger

Headship in the Home

The Church As God Planned It ~ Swindoll

What Does the Bible Say About Women In The Church ~ Swindoll

Peter Lange's Commentary on Choosing Deacons

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