Regardless of your personal feelings, denominational traditions, what someone might have told you, or what our chaotic culture has to say, the Bible (God’s Holy Word) is crystal clear: Women may not be pastors. To be clear, they may not hold the title of pastor or exercise the duties of a pastor. They may not wield any sort of pastoral authority, influence, or impact in the church of God…Cue the enraged shrills of Satan and his seedlings! But no matter what you think or feel, the Bible is clear, women may not be pastors…

From the pastoral epistle, 1 Timothy 2:11-15, “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” Offended? Mad as ever? Friend, you’re enraged against your Maker, not me…Women may not be pastors.

And then in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer [pastor], 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.” Notice it is only MALE pronouns that are used in this list of qualifications for a pastor. Don’t like that? Want to try to bypass the clarity of Scripture with your cultural gymnastics? Go ahead, but God’s Word is clear…Women may not be pastors.

With these Scriptures in mind, this is how I describe the situation to my lovely daughters…”Can Daddy give birth to children? The answer is no. Only Mommy can have children. Does that mean Mommy is better or more gifted than Daddy? The answer is no. It just means that in God’s good design, only Mommy can birth children, not Daddy. In the same way, only men can be pastors, not women. Does that mean men are better or more gifted than women? No! It just means in God’s good design, only men can be pastors, not women.”

And lest you think I’m a chauvinistic, male-power-hungry pig, just check out my wife and children. See how joyful and content they are! Notice the women of Prairie Flower Baptist Church. Notice how joyful and content they are! The beautiful evidence of biblical, properly administrated male eldership speaks for itself. But rage, rage, rage all you want…We’re ready for battle.