Manslick Road church of Christ

It Doesn’t Matter to God

A Methodist church in our community recently hired a new “pastor.” For the first time in the history of the congregation, their pastor is a woman. In an interview with the local newspaper, she is quoted as saying, with reference to serving in that capacity, “Being a woman doesn’t matter to God.”

How do we know what matters to God and what does not? If He has not spoken it is all guesswork, and one’s guess would be as good as another’s. However, the Bible affirms that God has spoken. “God . . . in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2 ). That divine communication which started in Christ was completed through the apostles, Jesus’ inspired spokesmen (Jn. 16:13-15; Mt. 16:19; 1 Th. 2:13 ). When we read what they wrote, we can know the mind of God.

Being a woman doesn’t matter to God regarding one’s salvation. All are one in Christ (Gal. 3:28 ). But it clearly does matter to Him when it comes to being a preacher. He commanded through the Apostle Paul, “A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet” (1 Tim. 2:10-11; see also 1 Cor. 14:34-35 ). The same is true for pastors or elders or overseers. (Denominational people often confuse this function with that of preacher or evangelist.) One requirement of a pastor is that he be “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2; Ti. 1:6 ).

In view of these plain statements, how can one assert that in this context, “Being a woman doesn’t matter to God”? Is it ignorance or rebellion?

In the Old Testament, God’s requirement was that priests be taken from the tribe of Levi, specifically the family of Aaron. On one occasion, some men from other tribes and Levites not from Aaron’s line affirmed their right to be priests too. “All the congregation are holy,” they argued. In other words, “Being from Aaron’s family doesn’t matter to God.” God responded by sending fire from heaven and opening the earth to swallow them up (Num. 16). What was true then and now is this: it matters to God that we respect and obey His revealed will.