When dealing with any Biblical issue the first question a true believer should ask is; What does God say that I should do in His Holy Word the Bible?                                                The second question a believer should ask is;  Am I willing to obey God’s Holy Word the Bible without question and without hesitation? A believer’s mindset should always be to make his or her life fit God’s Holy Word the Bible, and not try to make God’s Holy Word the Bible fit his or her life. Let us study these passages of Scripture with hearts that are willing to obey God’s commands without hesitation. 

To answer the question: Can a woman hold a position of authority in the Church of God. We are going to study the following passages of Scripture; these are the primary passages of scripture that deal with this issue. 1 Timothy 2:11-12. 1Corinthians 14:34-38.      

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. 1Timothy 2:11-12.                                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.  Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?                    If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. 1Corinthians 14:34-38

These passages of Scripture are very clear and in no way difficult to understand. God’s command is that a woman cannot teach the congregation nor hold a position of Authority over a man in any capacity within the Church of God.  A woman is not allowed to hold the office or position of an Elder, Bishop, or Pastor. It is important at this point to understand that, Elder, Bishop, or Pastor are all just three different words to describe the same office of leadership. Deacons are those who are called to help an Elder, Bishop, or Pastor to cater for the needs of the congregation. You will also notice that those who are called to be Bishops and Deacons are always men. Nowhere in God’s word will you find a woman in a position of leadership or authority in the Church. When we look at the pattern of spiritual leadership that God has ordained in Scripture, it is always one of men. Priests were always men, the apostles were all men and those who hold the office or position of Elder, Bishop, or Pastor today, are all to be men, and men only. This is beyond doubt or dispute, what the Holy Word of God teaches. There are those who have, and will continue to use the example of Debora in the Old Testament to refute the teaching that a woman cannot hold a position of authority, or spiritual leadership in the Church of God.  However, never does the Bible tell us that Debora functioned in any spiritual capacity. Deborah was a judge and not a spiritual leader. The role or office of spiritual leadership in the Church of God has never been given to a woman, nowhere in Scripture will you find any such  thing. Women who function in the role of Elder, Bishop, or Pastor in the Church are in open rebellion against God, and against what God teaches in His Holy Word the Bible.        This simply means that they are knowingly, willingly and defiantly sinning against God, and if they continue to do so unrepentantly, then they will suffer eternal damnation. Therefore, true believers should not support in any way, women who function in the role of Elder, Bishop, or Pastor in any Church. Instead, in love, we should be calling them out of their sin and saving their souls from death.

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20.

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. 2 John 1: 9-11.

But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person. 1Corintians 5:11-12. 

If God gives a commandment, and we deliberately break that commandment then we are willingly and deliberately sinning against God, and that comes with eternal consequences. We do well to remember that God is the Creator of all things and as such it is God who decides the natural order of all things, not man. It was God who decided that a man, and not a woman would hold the position of authority and Spiritual leadership in the Church. However, when God created man, He gave man freewill, so that man could decide to either obey or disobey God’s commandments. And as we can clearly see in the world that we live in today. There are a great many who blatantly disobey and disregard God’s commandments, and still claim to be Christians. We also do well to remember that the decisions that we make have a knock-on effect. The knock-on effect of allowing a woman to have or to hold a position of authority in the local Church, or any Church undermines the Gospel. It does so by teaching that acceptance and obedience to all of God’s commandments is not essential to receive Salvation. Those who accept and teach that a woman can hold a position of authority in the Church, are clearly stating that a person can choose to disregard any of God’s commandments that they don’t like, and don’t want to obey, and still be saved. Nothing could be further from the truth; a person cannot openly defy and disobey one of God’s commandments and still be saved. Women who function in roles of authority and spiritual leadership in the Church, and those who accept and willingly place themselves under a woman's authority and spiritual leadership.  Are openly and willingly rebelling and sinning against the commandment of God. And if they continue to do so in an unrepentant state, then they will suffer eternal punishment for defying God’s commandment.                                                                                        And He {Jesus} said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. John 8:23-24.                                                                                                                                                                                        If anyone says that they are saved and do not obey the commandments of God, then their claim to be saved is a lie.                                                                                                Now by this we know that we know Him {Jesus Christ}, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him,[Jesus Christ} and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His {Jesus Christ} word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him {Jesus Christ}. 1 John 2:2-5

May God’s Word be a light to your life and a lamp to your feet.