Many churches today are embracing the ordination of women.  What does the Bible say about this? 

Firstly, it should be understood that there are only two offices to which anyone can be ordained, and they are overseer (episkopos) and deacon (diakonos).  For an explanation of this see “What are the offices of ordination?  (There are only two)”

One of the criteria for being an overseer or a deacon is to be the husband of one wife.

1 Tim 3:2  A bishop [episkopos] then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 

1Ti 3:12  Let deacons [diakonos] be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

From this alone it should be clear that no woman can be ordained.  But the apostle Paul makes it abundantly clear that women should not be placed in a position of ecclesiastical authority.

1Co 14:34  Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.

1Ti 2:12  And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

Paul then gives the reason for this.

1Ti 2:13  For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
1Ti 2:14  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

It has nothing to do with ability (some women are much more capable than other men).  It has to do with how mankind was created and how sin entered the world.  Since the Biblical teaching is that women are not permitted to serve in roles of teaching or have spiritual authority over men, they cannot be ordained as overseers or deacons.

The rest of this article covers some common objections.

Sometimes Romans 16:1 is used as an argument to ordain women.

Rom 16:1  I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant [diakonos] of the church in Cenchrea,
Rom 16:2  that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

Because the Greek word diakonos is used to describe Phoebe, some assume she was a deaconess.  As the above verses make clear, Phoebe was “a helper of many”, a servant.  The Greek word diakonos means servant, so this verse is describing what she did.  It is not in any way asserting she was ordained (which would contradict the Biblical teaching covered earlier in this article).  God took the common word “servant” (diakonos) and used it as an ecclesiastical role to emphasize that church leaders are servants, not overlords.

Sometimes Priscilla is cited as an argument to ordain women.

Act 18:24  Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Act 18:25  This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Act 18:26  So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Rom 16:3  Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

Aquilla and Priscilla were fellow workers who were able to teach and explain God’s way.  Women can certainly teach others one on one, but nowhere does it say Priscilla was ordained.

Sometimes Miriam (Moses’ sister), Deborah (a judge), and Huldah (a prophetess) are cited as examples of women in authority, as a means of supporting the ordination of women.  We should be clear about one thing.  Not one example can be found in the Bible of a woman having an ecclesiastical role in the worship of God.  In the Old Testament the priests were always men.  In the New Testament the overseers (episkopos) and deacons (diakonos) were always men.  Only in paganism do we find priestesses!

Miriam had a prominent role, as the older sister of Moses.  Deborah had a judicial role, not an ecclesiastical role.  What about Huldah?

2Ki 22:14  So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess [nebeeyaw], the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her.

She was a prophetess.  The Hebrew for prophetess (nebeeyaw) means prophetess, inspired women, or prophet’s wife.  Huldah might have just been a prophet’s wife, or she may have been a prophetess.  The New Testament has references to prophetesses, that is, women who speak under inspiration. 

Act 2:16  But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
Act 2:17  ‘AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS, SAYS GOD, THAT I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH; YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY [propheteuo], YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS.

Act 21:8  On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist [euaggelistes], who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
Act 21:9  Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied [propheteuo].

The Greek word propheteuo means to speak under inspiration.  So being a prophet or prophetess, that is speaking under inspiration, is a gift from God, not an office of ordination.

1Co 12:9  … to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
1Co 12:10  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy [propheteia], …

The Biblical teaching is clear.  Women cannot be ordained.  Some might think this is unfair, but in reality most men are never ordained either.  And who are we to question God’s wisdom?

Rom 9:20  But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”