What does the Bible say about a woman as Pastor?

It has been written quite a few lines about women as pastors. Arguments going back and forth. Some say this and some say that. But what is the word of GOD saying about this issue? What is the Bible saying? Is it Biblical for a woman to be a pastor or is it something that man came up with, deviating from the teaching of the apostles, the word of GOD?

I am not writing this to offend anyone nor to tell you what to do or believe. I am writing this to show what the Bible says about it. I am writing what I have always believed in when it comes to this issue. You can choose to accept it, agree with it or you can choose to refuse it. Whatever you do with it, make sure it’s according to the word of GOD. If you’re in doubt, pray over it and let The Holy Spirit show you! Because The Holy Spirit is the only one who can open up the word for you. «But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.» John‬ ‭14:26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Let me say first of all that I 💯 believe that GOD uses women. The Bible tells us that clearly through many passages in the Bible. Prophets, «And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.» Exodus‬ ‭15:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬ «And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.» Judges‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬ «So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.» 2 Kings‬ ‭22:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬ «And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;» Luke‬ ‭2:36‬ ‭KJV‬‬

One of my favorite passages of how a woman was used, is seen in the passage with the woman at the well. After she had a personal encounter with JESUS and was convicted, convinced and converted, she immediately went into the city and said, “Come and see!” She lead thousands to JESUS that day. «The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.» John‬ ‭4:28-30‬ ‭KJV

I could have written so many things about what the Bible says about women being used. But the question remains. Can a woman, according to the word of GOD, be a pastor?

Let us turn the question around a little bit. No, I didn’t say to twist the word of GOD. There’s no way I will be a part of such. I am saying, when did the issue of women pastors begin? Because you don’t find coverage anywhere in the Bible of a woman being a pastor. Contrary! And I will come back to that.

The whole thing about a woman being a pastor arose around 35 to 40 years ago. A few places a little before that. This in itself should raise a lot of warning signs among ALL of us. Stones has been moved. The old path disregarded.

It coincides with what we all know as the feminist movement period. And of course the spirit behind it. Women should be equally to man. What the man can do, so can the woman do. Hmmmm.

How quickly we have a tendency to fall away from GOD’s ordinance. He created man and woman. He didn’t create man to be woman or wise versa. GOD said, «And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.» Genesis‬ ‭2:18‬ ‭KJV‬‬ A helper. Not a slave. Not someone to abuse. Not someone to look down upon. No! A helper! And GOD created Eve out of a rib from Adam. Men are to care for, cherish and love the woman as CHRIST loves and care for the Church. GOD created man and He created the woman. Each one for specific positions and “duties” if you will.

GOD sat the man as the head of the family. The woman was not to be the head. The ordinance is, GOD the Father, GOD the Son, GOD The Holy Spirit, Man(Husband), Woman (Wife) and Children. This is GOD’s ordinance. «But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.» 1 Corinthians‬ ‭11:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬ «For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.» 1 Corinthians‬ ‭11:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Now all that said, let’s move into the issue of a woman being a pastor. She cannot according to the word of GOD. GOD will not call a woman to be a pastor, because GOD doesn’t go against His own word. Let’s take a look at what the word of GOD says about it. Let me also as a digression clearly say that many pastors today, male, has never been called by GOD, but by men. Either one is displeasing to the LORD, and He cannot nor will He bless it.

Because the word of GOD clearly states that a woman is not to be the head, she cannot be a pastor. The Bible speaks clearly about the requirements, what GOD’s ordinance is. A pastor is a head, a shepherd. I want us to go through the Bible and look at the ordinance GOD has set as the standards and His holy ordinance. Let’s begin in the Old Testament and the old covenant, which was a picture of what was to come, the new covenant CHRIST and Him crucified. The Old Testament shows us how strict it was to be a priest and high priest.

It had to be a man. You won’t find any woman as a priest or high priest. Not only had it to be a man, but it had to be from a specific tribe, and age requirements. Well, that said, let’s look at the scripture. «And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.» Exodus‬ ‭40:13-15‬ ‭KJV‬‬ Only men, Aaron and his son’s, Levite’s. «But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.» Joshua‬ ‭18:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬ And you can read through Exodus the requirements, the ordinance GOD had set for the priests an the high priest. To not make this part of it too long, I’m not pasting in anymore scriptures, but I would just encourage you to read about it.

As we know that the old covenant couldn’t take away sin, it could only cover over until our everlasting high priest, JESUS CHRIST came. He was the only one who could hold the entirety, down to the last comma and period in the law without sinning. And now we’re moving into the new covenant, the New Testament, and the general priesthood. The Church, congregations and positions there in. What is the Bible telling us about the office of pastors, or as the Bible calls it, bishops and the office as elders and so forth.

Let’s look at what the ordinance is, what the word of GOD is saying. «A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;» 1 Timothy‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬ Where in this scripture does it say that a woman can be a pastor (bishop). And don’t give me the devilish argument that it doesn’t say anywhere that she cannot. This is the ordinance of GOD. Because Satan used the same argument in the garden of Eden, when he tempted the woman, «...Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?» Genesis‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭KJV‬ Twisting of the word, the truth.

The word of GOD says furthermore, «Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.» 1 Timothy‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬‬ Which means not a newly convert.

The Bible tells us more about the ordinance of GOD when it comes to women. «But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.» 1 Timothy‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭KJV‬ A woman is not to be a teacher. And again, don’t think for a minute that a woman cannot talk, witness, preach, because it’s not that what is meant with the words, “...be in silence.”

The same ordinance, as for a bishop (pastor), is set for the elders in the church. It has to be a man, not a woman.

Let’s go back to the part with, where it started, the issue of women pastors. It’s actually not many years ago, but yet plunged in and adopted in so many places. Not from GOD. Not Biblical. When I grew up physically and spiritually in the Pentecostal Church I belonged to, it was never an issue. Yes the pressure was there, but the Church ‬yielded to the word of GOD, not opinion of men.

I cannot condone what’s not from GOD, what’s not Biblical. If you should be of another opinion, that’s your prorogative. But no one has ever been able to prove out of the word of GOD that a woman can be a pastor. It’s simply not there. It’s man made.

I believe GOD would sanction powerfully if we came back to the old rugged cross, to the old path, the narrow path. Not moving the stones, the lines set by those who went before us, which feared GOD and adhered to the word of GOD.

Pray over it!

With brotherly love

Kjell Magne Longva 
Pastor 
TNICC