Philippians 4:2-3: Women Leaders

2 I entreat and advise Euodia and I entreat and advise Syntyche to agree and to work in harmony in the Lord.

3 And I exhort you too, [my] genuine yokefellow, help these [two women to keep on cooperating], for they have toiled along with me in [the spreading of] the good news (the Gospel), as have Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life.

There is a ton of debate today over can women be the leaders of a church. So let's look at what we are told through our Father's Word to see what He has to say about it.

In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God’s unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot pray effectively.]. 1 Peter 3:7

I allow no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to remain in quietness and keep silence [in religious assemblies]. 1 Timothy 2:12

Our Father also describes to us in 1 Timothy 3:2-13 what a leader or an elder of a church should be. As we talk about this I want you to look at what our Father has Peter write, it is honoring a woman to treat her as if she is weaker, it is not demeaning her. This is called an act of love and we are told that it actually empowers our prayers. Our Father had Paul glory in having women help him, we see this with Eudia and Syntyche. But our Father did not suffer these women to be leaders. The question is  why doesn't He?

I have been used by our Father to lead several Bible Studies around Columbus over the last 20 years. I can tell you that when you are called and chosen to lead a truly Christian gathering there are a ton of attacks that our Father allows to come with it. I have been attacked, not physically, close though, but verbally at all of them. It has come to the point that I do not feel that I am truly being used if I am not being attacked, Romans 8:17. So it is not that our Father is being mean to woman or belittling them by not wanting them to lead, He is honoring them. A true leader will be attacked, right to your face and behind your back. Our Father does honor women by using them though. Look at how He used Mary to tell the Apostles that Jesus was risen. Our Father uses woman all of the time to further our Kingdom, but He does not suffer them to be the leaders. Actually our Father has Peter write that it is honoring women to act as if they are the weaker gender, while acknowledging that they are not lessor in any way.  

In todays world we are told that we are chauvinists or bigots, but it is actually love when we do not want women to lead. It is a position that brings with it great trial and tribulation. Why would we ever want that on our mothers, daughters, or sisters? That does not mean that we do not want woman to help and be there at every step, we do and they are used powerfully and miraculously as they are there.