One of the biggest topics in the Christian world today is women pastors. The Church traditionally taught that women can’t take up a pastoral role but they could still serve in other areas of service. This traditional teaching is now slowly being changed.
There are different ways supporters of women pastors rationalize their new teaching. Chief among them is by using the example of Deborah. They argue that God allows women to take up a pastoral role as evidenced by the story of Deborah in the book of Judges.
So, today, we want to know, is the story of Deborah proves that women can be pastors? That’s what we are going to answer today! So, stick around to the very end to learn more.
Who is Deborah?
Today, I’m going to talk about Deborah and the topic of women being a pastor in the church. By the way, if you wish to learn more, I have created a full study of this topic. This presentation is actually part of a more in-depth study, which you can also go through. The title of the presentation is “Can Women be Pastors?” You can find the link to that presentation in the description box.
So, let’s go now to our main topic. Is Deborah proof that women can be pastors? Let’s find out.
To begin our discussion, we must first ask, “Who is Deborah?” Deborah is a prominent female leader and judge in the Old Testament. We don’t really know how she rose up the rank, but perhaps because of her status as a prophetess, many people started to seek her advice, and this made her famous throughout Israel. In fact, in Judges 5:7, she was also called a “mother in Israel.”
Deborah, Barak, and the Book of Judges
During the judgeship of Deborah, it was the time when Jabin, the king of Hazor, held Israel for twenty years. Jabin had a massive army, and the spirit of Israel’s patriotism was crushed. No one wanted to stand against Jabin, not a single man.
We read in Judges 4:4-5:
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
God revealed to Deborah that Barak, the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, should “go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor” and “take with [him] ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun” (Judges 4:6).
Now, here’s an important point that we should take. God asked Barak to lead the army against Jabin’s army. God didn’t ask Deborah to do it. Deborah was already a prominent leader. She could have been easily the right person for the job of delivering Israel and yet, God was looking for a male leader. Thus, it is evident that God was still looking for a man to lead His army.
Barak’s cowardly decision
Regrettably, Barak wasn’t up for the job. Out of fear, Barak agreed to accept the task but only if Deborah would accompany him. Notice, Barak’s response in Judges 4:8:
8 And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”
Deborah lived when Israel’s men don’t have the courage to do God’s will and commandments. They were so cowardly that even the best man God could find is someone who will only go to war if a woman is behind him.
As a result, Deborah responded to Barak in Judges 4:9:
9 So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.”
True enough, Barak eventually defeated their enemies; however, the glory of his victory was given to a woman.
So, we can now answer the question, does Deborah’s story prove that women can be pastors? The answer is no. Here’s why.
God still choose men to rule
From this story, we can conclude that God still prioritizes men to lead his people and not women. God was looking for men to lead, not women.
However, when men are weak, and there was no man worthy to take the position of leadership, women were permitted to take the role. Like in the time of Deborah and Barak, we have seen the detrimental state of men. The time when Deborah and Barak lived was not the ideal setup. As they say, desperate times need desperate measures.
Barak seemed to be the man closest to becoming a leader; however, even, he was too weak to the point that he looked at a woman, like Deborah, as a source of strength instead of looking to God.
Yes, Deborah served as a judge. However, a judge and a pastor are different things. Judging includes determining what’s right and wrong. However, pastoring is the act of leading the flock of God.
When there’s no man worthy of becoming a leader, God can use women to fulfill his plan and purpose. However, this only happens in extreme circumstances. As long as there are men who can act as a leader, they are given priority over women. The story of Deborah is, therefore, not proof that God allows women to be pastors or preachers.
Clear Bible verses against female pastors
The Apostle Paul clearly tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35:
“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. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.”
He would then add in 1 Timothy 2:10-12:
“Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in SILENCE.”
So, there’s no doubt that the intention and design of God is that men take up the leadership role. This is not actually a question of who is better men or women but rather it’s a matter of avoiding confusion within the church and establishing a uniform, functioning, and stable structure within the Church of God.
I hope that helps and that answered the question of whether Deborah is proof that women can be pastors or not. If you wish to learn more, please watch the full video, “Can Women be Pastors?” In this video, you will learn the following:
- Who are the famous female pastors today
- The role of women in the Old Testament
- The role of women in the New Testament
- How did Christ treat women
- The clear instructions against female pastors
- Understanding the instruction of Paul
- What does it mean for women to be silent in the church?
- What are the reasons God forbids women to pastoral roles?
- What women can do in church
- Possible objections to God’s instruction
- What happens when women lead the church?
As you can see, there are just so many things you’ll learn from this video. So, don’t miss this golden opportunity to better understand the topic of women pastors. I have included the link in the description box.
That’s it for me. Thank you for joining us today. Again, I’m Joshua Infantado of Becoming Christians Academy, praying that God will bless us with His love, truth, and grace. See you next time!