Newlife

Paul’s Masculine and Feminine Leadership

Some Christians believe that being a leader is a man’s role, and that it is unfeminine for women to be in leadership.[1]  These Christians dismiss female leaders mentioned in the Bible as rare exceptions and anomalies.[2]  They maintain that God does not generally allow women to be leaders in society, in the church or even in their own homes.  Does the Bible teach that leadership is masculine?  Or that leadership is unfeminine?

The Apostle Paul was an impressive and influential church leader.  Interestingly, in 1 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul describes his apostolic ministry (and that of his colleagues’)  using the metaphor of a woman breastfeeding her infant children.

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle [3] among you, as a nurse [i.e. a breast-feeding woman] cherishes her own children. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 (NIV 2011)

Few images could be more womanly than a mother breastfeeding her baby; yet Paul states here that he ministered in ways that he himself identified with womanhood.

One of the greatest leaders in the Bible was Moses.  Moses’ complaint to God in Numbers 11:12 indicates that God wanted Moses to lead in a maternal way:

Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse [i.e. a breast feeding woman] carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors? Numbers 11:12 (NIV 2011)

From Moses’ words, we can see that God does not necessarily associate  leadership with masculinity; and that God did not want his people to be led in a purely paternal or masculine fashion.[4]

After describing his ministry in maternal terms in 1 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul goes on to speak about his ministry using the metaphor of a father.

For you know that we dealt with you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God . . . 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12a (NIV 2011)

If Paul, as a man, can lead and minister in both a motherly and fatherly manner, does it seem unreasonable to suggest that some women can lead and minister in both a motherly and fatherly manner?  Is it only fatherly men who can encourage and comfort believers and urge them to live lives worthy of God?

Generally speaking, men and women are different, and they tend to have different leadership styles.  While there are many exceptions to these generalisations, women tend to be more relational, collaborative and flexible in their leadership than many male leaders.  They also tend to be more sensitive, intuitive and nurturing in their dealings with people.  These qualities are considered advantageous in leaders within post-modern society; especially when leading and mentoring people belonging to Generation Y.

Many women leaders have also demonstrated that they can be assertive and goal-oriented; qualities often associated with male leaders.  Moreover, women have shown that they can be successful, effective leaders without necessarily compromising or losing their femininity (which seems to be a concern of some.)[5]

The church needs spiritual fathers and mothers in leadership.  Just as families benefit when they are led by both a father and a mother, churches benefit when they are led by gifted and called men and women, who are able to minister according to their gifts and abilities and are not constrained by traditional gender roles.

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Endnotes

[1] Complementarians are Christians who believe that the Bible teaches that only men can be leaders.  They have very narrow and rigid ideas of leadership which do not allow for feminine expressions.   Leading Complementarian, John Piper believes that all men are designed by God to be leaders; and that all women are designed by God to be submissive followers of all “worthy” men.  (John Piper and Wayne Grudems (editors), Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Westchester, Il: Crossway Books, 2006.)  Yet, while insisting that leadership is a masculine trait, Complementarians do not seem to have a problem with women who lead (or teach)  women or children.

[2] Deborah is just one of several notable women leaders mentioned in the Bible.  At some point in Israel’s history, Deborah was their leader.  Judges chapters 4 and 5 records Deborah’s leadership and does not mention that there was anything peculiar about her being a leader and a woman.  In fact, her gender does not seem to have been an issue at all.  Deborah was an excellent leader.  She was a prophetess, a judge and a military leader.  In comparison with other leaders (judges) mentioned in the book of Judges, there are no negative words about Deborah; yet Complementarians still assert that leadership is for men only. (There is no hint in Judges that Deborah became a leader because there were no men capable of the task.)  [More about Deborah and other Bible women with spiritual authority here.]

[3] Some Greek manuscripts of 1 Thessalonians 2:7 have that the apostles became “infant children” nēpioi, rather than “gentle” ēpioi; however it is unlikely that Paul was saying that he and the other apostles became like children.  Epioi may be translated as gentle, mild or kind, etc. (Strong’s number: 2261)

[4] God describes himself using maternal metaphors in the Old Testament; as did Jesus in the New Testament (Mat 23:7; Luke 13:34).

[5] Because Complementarians regard leadership as a masculine domain, they are concerned that women who lead will lose their femininity.  However, women frequently engage in activities that do not enhance their femininity.  What is so feminine about vacuuming carpets, carrying baskets of wet washing, cleaning toilets, or the numerous other domestic chores which the Complementarians have no issue with?

© 7th of July, 2010; revised 17th of May, 2012; Margaret Mowczko

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Refuting the Complementarian Concept of “The Created Order”
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Old Testament Priests and New Testament Ministers
The Women who Protected Moses
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Tags: Biblical equality, can women be pastors, complementarian, Deborah, gender roles, Leadership, masculine and feminine leadership styles, Paul and Women, women in ministry debate

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Equality and Gender Issues, Equality in Ministry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.