Brief Statement on "Why Male Elders?"

The Biblical Position of Male Elders Briefly Stated
Elders are to be men, as stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-3. In 1 Timothy 2:11 women are forbidden to “teach or have authority” over men. In 1 Corinthians 14:35-36 women are not to take part in determining whether a teacher is teaching sound doctrine.

Elders are leaders who admit or dismiss people from the church, and they do “quality control” of members’ doctrine. These are the only things that elders exclusively can do. Others can teach, disciple, serve, witness.

There are a number of qualifications for this office—God must call and give elder gifts. When the congregation elects elders it is not to elect people it likes, but people God has gifted along the lines of 1 Timothy 3. Most men and all women do not qualify and will never be elders. It is not something they can attain through hard work. It is a calling from God the King.

Why does God call certain ones? Because they are inherently more worthy? That has never been the case. It is the same question: why did the Father rule while the Son submitted? The answer is that both were great and wise persons who did not resent the submission-and-rule pattern but rejoiced in it.

Does exclusion from the eldership mean that women are inherently unfit for leadership in the church? The only thing we can conclude is that women do not fit this particular kind of leadership. Consider the types of leaders in Israel. There were prophets, priests, kings, and elders. Though kings had physical, political power over the priests and elders and prophets, they could not take over their duties. Saul, for example was forbidden from doing priestly work, offering sacrifices.

Women were prophets and also were heads of state. On the other hand women could not be priests or elders. Not only were women precluded from the priesthood, but so were all men not of the tribe of Levi. Was God being arbitrary? No, he was acting like a King. He called some to be people into some kinds of leadership and precluded other people from other kinds. Sometimes the preclusion was done on the basis of gender, other times on the basis of nationality. All people gladly submitted to God’s Lordship if they understood his rights over them. –by Tim & Kathy Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC

For a much longer article, see Vern Poythress'