A Study of Women in the Ministry
By Rev. Timothy E. Russ
There is a very ironic story behind this teaching. A man who grew up in a female dominated home created this study. Before experiencing salvation he absolutely hated women and only had relationships with them if necessary or to use them. The domination in his home life was so severe that in today's society it would clearly be called abuse. This study began as an attempt to "more clearly explain" to a local church that women could not be deaconesses. But while studying the scriptures, the history & customs, early church history and the Greek texts MY eyes opened and I could see the will of the Holy Spirit. I learned that I sinned against my sisters in Christ through prejudice. I repented and generally share this study with other men.
I do not expect everyone to agree with this teaching. My only request is that you ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth of the scriptures. If he asks you to disregard this teaching then who am I to insist that you accept it? God bless you as you study his word.
Rev. Tim Russ
All scriptures quoted in this study will be from the New International Version unless otherwise stated. As much as possible we will begin from the front of the Bible and move toward the back. This should speed up our study if you are checking another version of the scriptures or if you are double checking the scriptures quoted.
Lets begin with Miriam the Prophetess.
EXODUS 15:20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. (NIV)
Please note that this is a female reference (prophetess) not a male reference (prophet). This clearly shows that as far back as Exodus the bible teaches that women held spiritually powerful offices.
Moving forward a bit, let's look at Esther.
ESTHER 4:5 Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why. (NIV)
Notice that Esther exercised authority over a man.
ESTHER 4:17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions. (NIV)
Again we see Esther exercising authority over a man. He submitted to her authority and carried out her instructions.
ESTHER 8:2 The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman's estate. (NIV)
Esther was the one who appointed Mordecai to oversee the estate of Haman. Her husband could have done so but he gave her the position of authority here.
(Esther 9:18-32 NIV)
(18) The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. (19) That is why rural Jews - those living in villages - observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other. (20) Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, (21) to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar (22) as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. (23) So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. (24) For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. (25) But when the plot came to the king's attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. (26) (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, (27) the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. (28) These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants. (29) So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. (30) And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes - words of goodwill and assurance - (31) to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. (32) Esther's decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.
The significant thing about this section of scripture is that it was Esther's decree that made this celebration a reality. This signifies some spiritual authority in addition to the legal authority due to her office of being queen.
(Judges 4:1-24 NIV)
(1) After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. (2) So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. (3) Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help. (4) Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. (5) She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. (6) She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: `Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. (7) I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'" (8) Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." (9) "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, (10) where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him. (11) Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. (12) When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, (13) Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. (14) Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. (15) At Barak's advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. (16) But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left. (17) Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. (18) Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid." So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him. (19) "I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. (20) "Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, `Is anyone here?' say `No.'" (21) But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. (22) Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show you the man you're looking for." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple - dead. (23) On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites. (24) And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him.
In verse 4 we see that Deborah is also a prophetess. She differs from Miriam in that she is clearly a married woman. She is also the legal ruler of Israel.
Notice in verse 6 that Deborah speaks with the spiritual authority of the Lord in COMMANDING Barak to do something. This shows that she not only has legal leadership of the nation but also spiritual leadership!
Barak did not immediately follow Deborah's command from the Lord but made Deborah lead even into battle. She rebukes him later in verse 14 and again instructs him to go into battle.
Clearly the Lord placed this woman in authority over not just men but an entire nation. And he did so not just with legal authority but also with spiritual authority. And he continued to bless Israel under her leadership.
(2 Kings 22:14-20 NIV)
(14) Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. (15) She said to them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, (16) `This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. (17) Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.' (18) Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, `This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: (19) Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. (20) Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'" So they took her answer back to the king.
Notice that the prophets Jeremiah and Zephaniah were active in the ministry at the time of this account and they consulted neither man. Instead they sought out a prophetess! If no other passage in the Old Testament showed a woman in the position of spiritual authority and on the same level as a man this one does. We also see that this is a married woman and yet there is no mention of her husband leading her ministry.
ISAIAH 8:3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. (NIV)
This is just one further reference to prophetesses. Again this prophetess is a wife but she is also a mother. God seems to have placed absolutely no restriction upon women as prophetesses in the Old Testament!
At this point we move from the Old Testament to the New Testament. For now I would like to show you that women truly did minister.
There are two definitions that we are examining. The first is to minister as every Christian does while serving. The second is to minister in the sense of the ministry.
(Mark 15:40-41 NIV)
(40) Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. (41) In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
Here we see that women minister in the first sense of the word by their Christian service to the Master.
(Luke 2:36-37 NIV)
(36) There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, (37) and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
This scripture gives us our first glimpse of the New Testament mention of a female ministry. The Greek word we translate as prophetess is clearly in the feminine gender. If God appointed female prophets before Christ's resurrection then there is no reason that women cannot hold this office after his resurrection. To my knowledge there is no scriptural support to show that this office is no longer held by women after the resurrection. It seems only reasonable that having found scriptural support for something that remains unchanged elsewhere in scripture that it is still in existence.
(Luke 8:1-3 NIV)
(1) After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, (2) and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; (3) Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
The Twelve referred here are without reference to the Twelve what. It is obvious that these are Twelve disciples. When the scripture says "and also" it shows that these women are also disciples. I don't think that anyone would argue that women cannot be disciples.
These scriptures show that female disciples traveled around with Jesus. It does not specifically say that they ministered in the Ministry definition of the word though. Notice that women contributed financially to the ministry of Jesus.
(Luke 10:1-20 NIV)
(1) After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. (2) He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. (3) Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. (4) Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. (5) "When you enter a house, first say, `Peace to this house.' (6) If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. (7) Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. (8) "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. (9) Heal the sick who are there and tell them, `The kingdom of God is near you.' (10) But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, (11) `Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.' (12) I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. (13) "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (14) But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. (15) And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. (16) "He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (17) The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." (18) He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (19) I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. (20) However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
There are several points to be made about this section of scripture. Let us begin by recognizing that it does not state whether these are men or women or both.
Also we note that although it does not specifically mention the word preach, clearly these people were to share a specific message. That is apparently the ministry of preaching.
We clearly recognize verse 19 as applying to both men and women. If that is the case then the context of verse 9 must apply to women also. This is a clear call for both men and women to preach.
This section of scripture does reference the male gender in that it says "the worker deserves HIS wages". We believe that women in Christ have power over all the power of the enemy, if they are truly in Christ. We must believe that the context of the rest of the chapter applies equally to women!
LUKE 23:49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. (NIV)
LUKE 23:55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. (NIV)
Notice that in these two scriptures we have reference to women who have followed him from Galilee. We see that these women were disciples right along side of the Twelve.
(Luke 24:9-11 NIV)
(9) When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. (10) It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. (11) But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
Some of these are the same women mentioned in chapter 8 of Luke. These women were loyal to Jesus beyond the end of his death just like the Twelve or any of the men.
Previously everything has preceded the resurrection of Jesus. Now lets turn to the establishment of the New Testament church and see how God deals with women in the ministry.
ACTS 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (NIV)
Note that men and women are side by side. They are not separate but joined in unity of prayer. We know that both men and women received the baptism of the Holy Spirit simultaneously.
ACTS 8:3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. (NIV)
(Acts 9:1-2 NIV)
(1) Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest (2) and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
ACTS 22:4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, (NIV)
These verses show us that women shared equally in the suffering of persecution for the sake of the gospel.
(Acts 16:13-15 NIV)
(13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. (14) One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. (15) When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
Although this section of scripture does not show that women should necessarily be in the ministry it does display that the attitude of God toward women is not secondary. These were the first people in Macedonia to hear the gospel. God did not deliver the gospel first to men and then to women.
There is a clear distinction in the ministry of Paul to deliver the gospel to the Jews first and then the gentiles. In this way he has delivered the message to those on the priority list of God. However, when it comes to men and women there is no priority list.
ROMANS 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. (NIV)
This was the key scripture in my study of this issue. It was the first scripture that I simply could not refute. The word translated as servant here is the identical word translated as deacon elsewhere. The Greek word is DIAKONOS. It is inconsistent to translate that word as deacon when referring to men and servant when referring to women. The true meaning of the word DIAKONOS is servant. Its usage in this passage is identical with its usage in other passages where the translation is deacon. Here we have a clear example of a woman holding a spiritual office that began in the New Testament.
(Romans 16:3-5 NIV)
(3) Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. (4) They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. (5) Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
Just a few verses down we find a reference to a husband and wife pastoral team. It was customary to refer to the man first during these times. Reversing the order of the names implies that Priscilla had the higher position in this ministry team. But whether that is truly the case is not relevant in this situation. The important thing to notice is that these two people are copastors of the church that met at their home. So we have a New Testament example of female Pastors!
ROMANS 16:6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. (NIV)
Mary's identity is not clear. Clearly she worked for them. She is serving them in some capacity, probably spiritually.
ROMANS 16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. (NIV)
It is impossible to establish the gender of Junias because the name occurs in the accusative form in the Greek. Some think that the name refers to a woman because it appears with Andronicus and means a person named Junias, wife of Andronicus.
Also the Greek word for kinsmen (ASV & KJV) (SUNGENES) is more accurately translated in the NIV as relatives. The translation as kinsmen in ASV & KJV does not indicate that these are men.
Outstanding among the apostles could mean that this husband & wife team were great apostles. At the very least it could show that this husband & wife team were highly respected by the apostles.
It is very possible that we are looking at a reference to a female apostle.
(1Corinthians 11:5-16 NIV)
(5) And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head - it is just as though her head were shaved. (6) If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. (7) A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. (8) For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; (9) neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. (10) For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. (11) In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. (12) For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. (13) Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? (14) Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, (15) but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. (16) If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice - nor do the churches of God.
(1 Corinthians 14:33-35 NIV)
(33) For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, (34) women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. (35)
If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
Many have taken 1 Cor 14:33-35 to mean that women cannot preach. After all it clearly says that women should be silent in the church.
We cannot take one section of scripture and interpret it separately from the rest of the scripture. If we are to follow the context of the book of 1 Corinthians we must look back to chapter 11. We see a clear instruction for women to follow during their prophesying.
It is obvious that women cannot prophesy without speaking in the church and yet this is an apparent contradiction in chapter 14 where scripture forbids women to speak in church.
During this period it was customary for the churches to meet in the synagogues. The men sat on one side of the building and the women sat on the other side. The Corinthian church had women yelling across the church to their husbands and asking what the preacher was explaining. This created much confusion and completely disrupted the service. This section of scripture is simply saying that the service should not be interrupted by women shouting across the church.
COLOSSIANS 4:15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. (NIV)
The NIV is the only translation that clearly speaks of Nympha as a woman. The ASV says their house and the KJV says his house.
PHILIPPIANS 4:3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. (NIV)
Possibly these women are not apostles but they received commendation by Paul as fellow workers contending for the gospel with Paul. Can we give these women any less of a position of Silas, Barnabus, Timothy, Titus and many other notable men in the ministry? Paul made no such distinction.
(1 Timothy 2:9-15 NIV)
(9) I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, (10) but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. (11) A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. (12) I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (13) For Adam was formed first, then Eve. (14) And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (15) But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
This section of scripture is apparently the main problem in the entire bible as to women in the ministry. It appears that women are not to teach men. If this is the case we clearly have direction that women are not to be in the ministry. Also, women are not to have authority over men. So women would be completely rejected for ministry purposes.
We have already cited many examples of the scriptures portraying women in ministry roles. Do we finally have a contradiction in the scriptures? Absolutely not!
The context of the scriptures shows that we are talking about a marital relationship. We learned in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 that women were to learn in silence and to talk with their husbands at home to clarify what they had heard at church. This is simply a continuation of that doctrine.
In a husband and wife relationship this scripture clearly states that there is one head. If a man is a pastor and his wife is part of the congregation their relationship is one of pastor to parishioner. The same thing can be applied to a woman pastor who's husband is part of the congregation. This is not a contradiction of scripture but a distinction between two different relationships. One is marital and the other is pastoral.
Any other interpretation of this scripture rejects the context of entire bible up to this point and the context of the bible after this point. Again, we cannot take an isolated section of scripture and reject everything else we have learned about a subject in the entire bible to come up with a doctrine.
ACTS 18:26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. (NIV)
This verse shows that a woman (Priscilla) working with her husband (Aquilla) TAUGHT a man (Apollos) in the knowledge about God. This is a clear New Testament illustration of a woman TEACHING a man. So the context of 1 Timothy chapter 2 MUST be that of a husband and wife or the scripture would be inaccurate (and we know that isn't so).
1 PETER 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (NIV)
The scriptures plainly teach that we are to respect wives with equality. If we do not, our prayers will be hindered. The work "weaker" here is speaking of physical strength not spiritual.
CONCLUSIONS
1.Salvation comes equally to men & women.
2. Men & women equally suffer for Christ.
3. Men & women equally receive their reward in heaven.
4. Our prayers will suffer if we don't treat wives equally.
5. Christ had men & women disciples.
6. Clearly women hold some offices mentioned in Eph 4:11.
7. The culture of the new testament times was extremely male dominated.
8. The new testament reflects the male authority perspective.
9. There are many references in the new testament that say men but mean the body of Christ.
A. Rom 12:1-8 is a prime example of this.
B. Rom 12:1 says brothers but refers to the body of Christ.
10. It does not dishonor God for men to accept women as equals or to place ourselves (as men) under their authority except in the marital relationship.
11. Husbands are the designated heads of the home. Their requirement is to treat their wives as equals and to submit to them. Eph 5:21-33
12. There is no distinction in the scriptures between women in ministry and women elders.