This week, the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention disfellowshipped 3 churches for having a woman as their Senior Pastor and they kicked out Saddleback Church which recently came under fire for ordaining women as pastors and having a woman in the role of Teaching Pastor.
As I began to study the Biblical requirements for an overseer of the church found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, I discovered something shocking. The passage contains 9 Male pronouns which, on the surface, would seem to strongly indicate that this position may only be filled by a man. But when I began to dig deeper, I learned that in the original Greek language, there are NO Male pronouns.
Pronouns matter because the truth matters. I realize that our nation is embroiled in controversy over pronouns. On the one hand, some people use pronouns to deceive others about their gender. On the other hand, folks pitch hissy fits over individuals sharing their personal pronouns. Language should be used honestly. It is never ok to intentionally use misleading, deceptive or made-up pronouns. Nor is it wrong to use pronouns accurately.
But, when it comes to the translation of Scripture, this can be an even more complicated issue. This is because the languages of the Bible, Hebrew and Greek, do not always include the same parts of speech or sentence structures that we use in English. Consequently, pronouns are often added to help the text read more smoothly in English, which is nice for eloquent Sunday sermons, but
What happens if the translators make a mistake that changes the meaning of the text or leads the reader to a wrong conclusion?
Bibles translations are the result of hundreds of scholarly contributors meticulously studying, discussing and debating the best way to translate the text. The result is that we have beautiful and accurate English versions of Holy Scripture which are instructive, helpful and inspiring, but they are not perfect. Only the original Greek and Hebrew Scriptures are without error.
In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, the qualifications and
requirements to be an overseer of the church are provided. In most
English translations, there are about 9 MALE pronouns that appear in
this passage. But in the original Greek language—the exact words that God Himself
inspired---there are NO exclusively male pronouns. There are only three places where an indefinite
pronoun is used and each time the word tis appears which is best
translated as one or anyone because it is not a gender specific
pronoun. In the passage below, I have highlighted such indefinite
pronouns in PINK. There is one instance where the neutral pronoun autos is
used which can be translated as he, her, they or them. I have
highlighted it in YELLOW. I have highlighted the pronouns in GREEN that do not
appear at all in the Greek text but are new words, added to the word of God, by
translators.
IP—Indefinite Pronoun which best translates as ONE or ANYONE
NP—Neutral Pronoun which may be translated as he/her/they/them
None—No Pronoun appears in the Greek Text at all
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the
office of overseer, he
desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband
of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to
teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of
money. He must
manage his own
household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not
know how to manage his
own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with
conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought
of by outsiders, so that he
may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. (ESV)
A cursory reading of the passage strongly implies that this is a position that can only be held by a man.
In Baptist churches, the office of Pastor is believed to include the role of
Overseer, Elder and Shepherd. (Many denominations consider these three positions to be separate offices) Therefore, these requirements for overseers are viewed
as disqualifying women from being pastors of Baptist churches based on the overwhelming male-centeredness of the English rendering. But here’s the problem: As you can
see, there are NO male pronouns in the original Greek text. Below is an example of a
translation that employs only the appropriate pronouns that God Himself
inspired to be used.
This saying is trustworthy: Anyone who aspires to
be an overseer, desires an excellent and noble task. Therefore an overseer must
be above reproach, the husband of one wife, calm and of sound mind, organized,
hospitable, able to teach, not a drunk, not a bully but fair, not contentious, not
greedy or covetous; one
that watches over one’s
household well, keeping the children in cooperation with all dignity (If anyone
does not know how to manage their own household, how will they take care of God’s
church?); not a new convert or they may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, they must be well thought of by outsiders,
so as not to fall into disgrace, into the devil’s trap.
I believe that every single word of the Bible (in its original languages) is exactly the word that God intended to be used with precisely the detail and nuance of meaning he desired. I am not implying malicious or deceptive intent on the part of the translators. I had to leave the "IF" out of the first sentence or it would have required the addition of a pronoun to make sense in English. But I wanted to avoid adding pronouns because this is simply NOT a gender-oriented passage of Scripture. There is one male word and one female word in, what happens to be, one of the most difficult verses to translate in the entire Bible. Based on the interpretations of the early church father’s verse 2 is most commonly rendered as:
the husband of one wife
In Greek, this reads: aner heis gune. Aner is the Greek word for both Man and Husband. Heis is the word for One. Gune is the word for both Woman and Wife. Here are some possible translations of that phrase:
man one woman
husband one wife
the husband of one wife
a one-woman man
a man or a woman
a man and a woman
a husband AND wife
While I was attending Seminary, we would sometimes have philosophical discussions around the janitor’s room at the church where I was employed as we waited to clean up after an event. All of us were Seminary students and one of the discussions was over this passage. One of the Doctoral students admitted that no one really knows how to translate these 3 words. We all rely on what the church founders in the 2nd and 3rd centuries taught. But we simply cannot know for sure. Stop and think about that for a moment. Those three words are not translated the husband of one wife simply because linguistic experts truly believe that is the correct interpretation. The phrase is translated that way because no one can be 100% certain and the early church fathers translated it that way so modern scholars continue to do so based on that tradition. Maybe they got it exactly right, but what if they didn't? Is it really worth breaking fellowship over a difficult and disputed passage? Imagine if the time spent arguing, searching and feuding online over this issue had been spent sharing the Gospel.
What if the intended meaning is to appoint a married couple to watch over each local church? A lot of the early churches met in people's homes. Priscilla and Aquilla hosted a church in their home in Ephesus. There is also a married couple, Andronicus and Junia, who are listed among those church leaders highly esteemed by the apostles in Romans 16. Another couple, Philologus and Julia, are greeted as well. If a husband and wife are one, as Scripture says, then how can one be called to a pastorate and the other not?
Or what if the phrase is meant to indicate that a church should choose a man OR a woman? God used women such as Huldah and Deborah who are featured as important prophets in the Old Testament. Deborah was a judge. There are gates in Jerusalem named after Huldah which serve as a testimonial to remind us that the people would go out to her as she sat under a tree to receive judgements and wise advice. Several other women are on that esteemed list of early Christian leaders in the New Testament found in Romans 16 including Tryphena, Tryphosa and Persis.
I, for one, would not dare to pass judgement on a woman who loves God and faithfully serves him by proclaiming the Gospel and caring for the church. I would caution others against rushing to condemn a woman who has dedicated her life to the service of God by watching over His people, especially when the basis for such condemnation comes from a 3-word phrase of uncertain meaning combined with a disputed definition of the word pastor that some claim disqualifies her for the position. Now, the Bible does forbid a woman from usurping authority over a man in the church. That means that she can't push him down and use him as a stepstool to elevate her own position. Well, men shouldn't do that to women either. Pastors have been entrusted with the responsibility of introducing people to Jesus, discipling them, equipping them for ministry and then empowering them to use their gifts in the fullest way possible to serve God. As long as a pastor is doing that, it would be hard for a man or woman to run afoul of Scripture. I do not believe that a person's gender (and by gender, I mean biological sex) can disqualify her from performing the ministry God has called her to. It seems like preventing half of Christians from preaching the Gospel and watching over the flock is something Satan might want, not something God would want.
I would encourage you to ask yourself these questions:
Is the good news about Jesus being shared?
Are people being discipled and ministered to by a caring believer who loves them?
Jesus gave the Great Commission to all believers.
The prophet Joel declared:
I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy...even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29)
Speaking of the equality of our standing and calling before God as his servants and his children, the apostle Paul wrote:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
The list in Romans 16 of those first century church leaders who were held in such high esteem by the apostles contained the names of men, women, married couples and family members. It was not their gender that qualified or disqualified them, it was their faith and life that qualified them.
What we can and should focus on is
the qualities that an overseer should have AND those sinful, disqualifying personal traits that one should be without.
An Overseer SHOULD:
1. Be Above Reproach
The
word Anapileptos means to be blameless. A pastor should be someone that
no one can bring a charge of wrong-doing against.
2. Be Calm
Nephaleos
describes a person who is serious minded. A leader should be difficult to
rile up. One should remain calm, cool and collected.
3. Be of Sound Mind
Sophron is a compound word formed from sozo and phren which translates
literally as a “Saved Mind.” Sozo is the word for salvation in the Bible. An
overseer must be someone who is born again and has experienced the renewing of
their mind, and the redemption of their thinking that comes from
the Holy Spirit. Their mind should be full of Scripture which the Spirit can bring to bear in moments when their thoughts needs protection.
4. Be Organized
Kosmos is sometimes translated as well-behaved. But this type of structure involves even more. I envision this as someone who can see the whole picture. A minister should be an orderly thinker with a governmental mind to plan, prepare and watch over the ministries of the church.
5. Be Hospitable
Philoxenos is the word for hospitable. A minister should be welcoming and friendly. This comes from two words. The first is
the word for a host. The second word can describe a representative of the bridegroom
who presents the marriage covenant to the bride and helps to make the wedding
preparations. This is the role of a pastor—to present Christ’s marriage
contract to his bride, the church and to get ready for the arrival of the groom. All Christians, in fact, are called to serve
as God’s representatives and to invite people into a saving relationship with
Him. Imagine if you were Isaac's representative, sent to present him in the best possible way to Rebecca to make a good impression for him by telling her what a good man he is, conveying his promises and his excellence. We know Jesus, the world doesn't. We have the privilege and honor of telling them about him. Ministering a church service should look a lot like hosting a loving
family gathering.
6. Be an Excellent Teacher
Didaktikos describes a person who is a skillful teacher, well-practiced in the art
of instruction so they will be able to explain the nature of God and salvation,
disciple others and train them to carry out the work of ministry. A teacher's conversation and worldview should be saturated with Scripture.
7. Be Fair
Epieikes
is contrasted with bullying. An overseer with this quality will be equitable, fair,
mild and gentle.
8. Have a Good Reputation
An
overseer must be well thought of and lead a life that is a good witness to those
outside of the church.
An Overseer MUST NOT:
1. Be a Drunk
Paroinos describes someone who is overly fond of alcoholic beverages and tends
to indulge in them. Refraining from alcohol is also implied two of the other descriptors. A leader must be fully of the Holy Spirit and never impaired in their thinking, actions or decision making abilities.
2. Be a Bully
Plektes, derived from a word similar to plank, comes from the idea of
flattening someone out. This word describes someone who runs over and bulldozes
others both physically or spiritually
3. Be Greedy or Covetous
Aischrokerdes is someone who desires money so much they will cross boundaries to
get it, someone who is willing to take advantage of others and use them for
their own personal benefit. Aphilarguros is covetousness which pairs together
with this. A pastor must not be jealous of what others have and this includes power.
A pastor who is consumed with power will not allow church members to use their
own gifts, let alone encourage and empower them as they should.
4. Be Contentious
Amachos. Take a moment to look at that word…macho…A pastor must not be quarrelsome,
a brawler or a contentious person. One must abstain from strife, arguing and
fighting. Machisimo, or false bravado, is at odds with the ministerial life. Blustery, angry words and actions are out of line for a pastor.
5. Be a Recent Convert
It
would be a mistake to place someone who is new to the faith and unconfirmed in
a position of leadership over others. A novice might become arrogant and full of
themselves, incurring judgement.
Final Thoughts
A further comparison is made between the way an
overseer watches over their own household and the way one watches over the
church. The passage
describes someone who is a protector. A Shepherd must be someone who cares for,
guards and defends their flock in the same way a parent watches over their own family. A pastor must gently usher the congregation into partnership in the same
way that a loving parent brings their children into willing cooperation. An
overseer must be the caretaker of the church. Take care of people.
The inappropriate addition of NINE male pronouns
to the text of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 has caused people to obsess over the issue of sex to the point
that a person’s gender is often the only qualification even being discussed for
qualifying or disqualifying a person for the pastorate. This unfortunate circumstance
has almost completely stifled any further discussion about the amazingly
detailed description of the qualities and characteristics that a pastor should
have. I hope you will help to shift the debate.
If you would like more study on this issue, including a close look at 1 Timothy 2:12, click on the link to the previous article from this series below:
