John Piper on Women as Senior Pastors
Image via Wikipedia Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:12 , "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man ." In light of this, is it appropriate for men to listen to female speakers and teachers ? I'm a guy. Is it wrong for me to listen to Beth Moore ? No. Unless you begin to become dependent on her as your shepherd—your pastor . This is the way I feel about women speaking in Sunday school . The Bible is clear that women shouldn't teach and have authority over men. In context, I think this means that women shouldn't be the authoritative teachers of the church—they shouldn't be elders. That is the way Rick Warren is understanding it, and most of us understand it that way. This doesn't mean you can't learn from a woman, or that she is incompetent and can't think. It means that there is a certain dynamic between maleness and femaleness that when a woman begins to assume an authoritative teaching role in your life the manhood of a