Women Preaching in the Church

There has been disagreement among Christians and in the last few years on the question of women preaching. The scope and degree of disagreement varies depending on cultural and denominational conditions. The focus of this paper will be on women preaching in the context of Tanzanian Adventism.

Some of those who oppose women preaching base their argument on some Pauline texts which they allege prohibit women from preaching. They argue that, based on the uncleanness described in Leviticus 15:19-24, and the fact that neither God nor Jesus did call a woman to either the apostolic or priestly office, Paul prohibited women to preach. The pulpit, it is argued, is holy and women may defile it with their menstrual uncleanness.

The Pauline texts in question are 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:12-14.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the strengths of these arguments and to reveal that the great apostle never intended in his epistles to prevent women whom God has called from preaching.

Because it is alleged that Paul drew his authority from the Leviticus 15 text, our study will begin from this text.

And if a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And if it [be] on [her] bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even. And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean. Leviticus 15:19-24

Regarding this argument, let us ask ourselves a few questions. Is the pulpit holier than the rest of the church building? What makes it holier? Is it holier than the women in whom Jesus dwells through the Holy Spirit? If women are not clean enough to step on the pulpit, will they make it to heaven?

When we dedicate a church, how much of it is set apart for holy use. In the first place the pulpit is made by the hands of men while the woman was created by God in his own image. Placing the pulpit above the woman amounts to worship of the "works of their own hands" (Jer 1:16). It is idolatry in disguise. Not only that, but this argument put the cleansing power of Jesus' blood to question. That is, it cannot cleanse women well enough to get to the pulpit.

Secondly women are expected in heaven. There is no place holier than heaven and if God will allow women into heaven, he surely will allow them on the pulpit.

But, what about their menstrual uncleanness? If we are to take the passage as a guideline for deciding whether a person is clean enough to step on the pulpit, we will end up without a preacher. The passage says that everything that is touched by the unclean woman becomes defiled and whoever touches a defiled object becomes unclean too. How many men run away from their homes to avoid menstrual defilement? The woman with an issue of blood most likely defiles everyone and everything in the house.

But, is it only women who are capable of defiling? Those who oppose women preaching tend to forget what the chapter says from verse 1-18,

And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, [because of] his issue he [is] unclean. And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it [is] his uncleanness. Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And he that sitteth on [any] thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth [any of] those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean. And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest: And the priest shall offer them, the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD for his issue. And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even. And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even. The woman also with whom man shall lie [with] seed of copulation, they shall [both] bathe [themselves] in water, and be unclean until the even.

Here the same conditions are laid out for uncleanness of men. According to Leviticus 15, both men and women may become unclean and their uncleanness is contagious. If therefore the pulpit needs to be protected from human uncleanness, then none of us is good enough for it. It is therefore doing injustice to Paul to allege that he used this text to prevent women form preaching, for by so doing, he would leave the church with no preacher.

The other argument against women