1. To make that idea clear Paul would have to add “of deacons,” “their,” or some other expression indicating their wives such as “having wives” (cf. “having children” in 3:4).

2. “Women similarly” in verse 11 exactly parallels “Deacons similarly” in verse 8, and so, as in the former case, is most naturally read, “Similarly the qualifications for women deacons are ….” The parallel structure and the word “similarly” implies something parallel to “Deacons similarly.” Both instances of “similarly” join parallel sets of qualifications: for overseers, deacons, and women deacons. Each case identifies a church office followed by qualifications that apply directly to its office holders. If, however, “women” is translated “their wives,” the verse would not be similar either in identifying a church office or in listing qualifications for those office holders themselves (women deacons). Everything else in 3:1-13 addresses church officials’ qualifications; nothing else is about their wives.

3. Reinforcing this parallel structure, both sentences, “Deacons, similarly” (vv. 8-–9) and “Women, similarly” (v. 11), have no verb, but rather presuppose the reapplication of “it is necessary for … to be” from verse 2. All these parallels would be broken if “women” did not identify a group whose qualifications for office follow.

4. If γυναῖκας in 3:11 refers to wives, it is hard to explain why there is no similar qualification for the wives of overseers since their position was more influential and had stricter requirements. It would be more important for church reputation for the overseers’ wives to be worthy of respect. Its position in the middle of qualifications for deacons does not permit it to refer to overseers’ wives as well as deacons’ wives.

5. In order to avoid reason 2 above, those who argue that verse 11 refers to the wives of deacons typically describe these wives going along with their husbands to perform deacon functions for other women. If, however, these wives join their husbands in diaconal ministry, then they should be recognized as deacons, not just deacons’ wives. Furthermore, if the only women who can serve are deacons’ wives, this requirement would disqualify all single women, all women whose husbands are not deacons, and all otherwise qualified men whose wives do not qualify. Most of the gifted women willing to do these tasks were not married to deacons. Consequently, restricting “women” to “their wives” severely limits the pool of women and men eligible for this service. Such a reading is particularly awkward if the author is Paul since he makes it clear both in practice and in principle (e.g., Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 11:11) that in Christ women have equal rights and privileges with men.

6. It would be strange for non-office holders to be required to meet practically identical qualifications, listed in the same order, as the qualifications for deacons listed in 3:8. Both must be “worthy of respect,” “not double tongued/not slanderous,” “not addicted to much wine/sober,” “not fond of dishonest gain/trustworthy in every respect.” Being sober is also the third overseer qualification, and, if anything, is more restrictive than the parallel in verse 8, so is more appropriate for a woman deacon than a deacon’s wife. Similarly “trustworthy in every respect” is more demanding than “not fond of dishonest gain” and so, too, is more appropriate as a qualification for a woman deacon.

7. The first requirement for overseers, deacons, and women (deacons) is that they hold public respect. “Worthy of respect” in both verses 8 and 11 is a requirement that is much more appropriate for people who act on behalf of the church than for their wives.

8. The statement about women in verse 11 is surrounded by other qualifications for deacons. If this is a reference to the wives of deacons, it is out of place at this point and should more logically have followed all the qualifications of the deacons themselves.

The reason some people have chosen the translation “their wives” is that they have felt uncomfortable with women being church leaders of any sort, including deacons. The following eight observations answer the key objections to understanding 3:ll as referring to woman deacons.

1. Paul must have condoned women deacons, since he refers to Phoebe as “deacon of the church in Cenchrea” in Romans 16:1.

2. The position of verse 11 in the middle of qualifications for deacons makes the repetition of “deacon” unnecessary.

3. Since “deacon” applied to both men and women at that time, there was no need to repeat “deacon” in regard to women in the paragraph about that office.

4. In Greek, the expression “woman deacons” would be clumsy.

5. The absence of the later term “deaconess” points to the primitiveness of this letter and argues for the less technical translation, “women deacons.” Furthermore, since there is no evidence the church office term “deaconess” existed at that time, interpreting 1 Tim 3:11 as identifying qualifications for deaconesses is anachronistic.

6. Some argue against women deacons because they think women should not be church leaders. However, in addition to the many official-sounding titles Paul attributes to his female colleagues in ministry, 1 Tim 5:3-11 lists qualifications for officially recognized “widows” under church support. Since verse 9 states that widows are “enrolled” into this position, it is clear that it is a recognized church position. A qualified widow “continues night and day to pray” (v. 5) and is known for “showing hospitality to strangers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds” (v. 10). Reference to “the saints” implies that their ministries were not limited to other women and makes it clear that Paul did intend at least these unmarried women to work for the church.

7. If women are excluded from the office of deacon, they are deprived both of the blessing given to deacons (“those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus,” 3:13) and of the opportunities the office affords to bless others. Such deprivation is not consistent with Paul’s treatment of and statements about women elsewhere.

8. Most patristic and modern commentators writing on this verse say it advocates female deacons. Kevin Madigan and Carolyn Osiek, eds., Ordained Women in the Early Church: A Documentary History (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2005), 23ff, cite sixty-one inscriptions and forty literary references to female deacons through the sixth century AD in the East, where the church in Ephesus was located.

All this evidence shows that according to 1 Tim 3:11 women are eligible to be deacons, with the same title (deacon, not deaconess) and same requirements as men. The case is so strong that even leading complementarians like Köstenberger, Schreiner, Hurley, Clark, and Grudem (April 13, 2005 at Wheaton College) say 1 Tim 3:11 refers to women deacons. For documentation of the statements in this post, see Man and Woman, One in Christ, pages 454-459.

One of the TEDS students wrote, “I continue to hear reports of the transforming work your message has brought to people here at Trinity. Truly, truly a blessing. Tonight I spoke with the wife of the Chinese student, John, that had come and also met with you. He has since read your book – and his view on the role of women, and their marriage is transformed. Another friend of mine, a woman student here from Kenya, has been transformed – she came from a very closed and restrictive Christian tradition – and now sees her life and ministry in a new, free light.

My wife, Nancy, and I were greatly encouraged about the future of Africa by responses to about a dozen lectures or sermons there and experiencing their exuberant worship. In three sermons at the large Anglican St. Luke Nintinda’s Church in Kampala, I shared how I came to assurance of faith when I realized I had been calling God a liar by not accepting His promise that whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life. Our wonderful host, Medad Birungi, challenged those who, like me, believe in Jesus but questioned their salvation, to raise their hands if they wished to show that they repented of calling God a liar and now accept His promise. Well over 60% of those attending raised their hands. And, oh, did we have joyous worship!

A student at the Anglican Martyr’s Seminary in Kampala asked, “Here in Uganda we have a custom that the wife bows at the feet of her husband. Is this OK?” I believe the Lord gave me His response, “Yes, I suppose that is OK, as long as the husband also bows at the feet of his wife.” Everyone roared with laughter and approval for about five minutes.

The response was also outstanding at a marriage seminar and a gathering of Pentecostal pastors. It was wonderful how God blessed even more mightily when things did not go as planned.

The Annual Conference of Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) in St. Paul’s University, Kenya, co-sponsored by the Ekklesia Community for Advocacy and Peace Initiative, was amazing. It seemed like every talk leading up to mine at the end of the first day said what we need most is a clear exegetical explanation of what the Bible says about man and woman. You guessed it, that was my topic, and the eye contact and joyous response was amazing. The next night I showed how early church fathers, especially African church fathers, reinforced my exegesis on point after point. They all went away knowing that the affirmation of the equality of man and woman in Christ is not just a new western idea, but is solidly rooted in God’s revelation and its early proclamation.

I am so grateful to all my students in my Fuller Seminary Northwest class on “Women, the Bible, and the Church” for a wonderful class. One of them invited me to give a seminar on this at his Chinese-American Lighthouse Church. I also am grateful for the reception to talks at Western Washington University in Bellingham and University Presbyterian Church in Seattle.

In April I had the joy of giving two plenary lectures at the Houston CBE Conference in April. One examined each of the twelve alleged biblical reasons for male hierarchy. The other gave 42 exegetical reason why Galatians 3:28 should not be limited only to who can be saved. Both talks were published in a special journal mailed to every member of the Evangelical Theological Society.

Listeners to Chris Date’s podcast asked me to provide an egalitarian response to his complementarian podcasts. You can listen to Parts 1 (May 17, 2012) and 2 (May 21, 2012) of my response to alleged biblical reasons for male hierarchy at:
http://www.theopologetics.com/2012/05/17/episode-85-one-in-christ/ and
http://www.theopologetics.com/2012/05/21/episode-86-adams-rib/
Dr. James Hamilton of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary responded to my talks.You can hear Parts 1 (Oct. 5, 2012) and 2 (Oct. 24, 2012) of my rejoinder to his arguments at: 
http://www.theopologetics.com/2012/10/05/episode-103-shes-her-own-boss/
http://www.theopologetics.com/2012/10/24/episode-104-she-leads-the-way/  

So, yes, it has been an amazing year, and I thank God for it all.

Chris Date has posted Part II of his podcast interview with Phil Payne at www/theopologetics.com/2012/5/21/episode-86-adams-rib/ in which I answer the most important Biblical objections to the egalitarian view.

Shari Monson, M.Div., Fuller Seminary Northwest

Thank you for a great class this quarter.

Laura Terasaki, M.Div. student, Fuller Seminary Northwest

Enjoyed and learned so much through your teaching and class discussions!! Thank you for a wonderful quarter!

Gina Yejin Kim, MA in Theololgy student, Fuller Seminary Northwest

I just wanted to thank you again for such a wonderful class. I’m not sure I have even fully been able to process all that has occurred—that may take some time. But what I do know is that this class and your book have been the missing puzzle piece to what I believed in my heart was true: that the Bible is univocal on the issue of the equality of women and the practical output in the life and ministry of the church that equality assumes and indeed provides. I believe with all my heart that we are at the crux of something huge and unpacking this issue will allow us to revisit as Gordon Fee’s great book says, “how to read the Bible for all it’s worth.” And it is worth so much. I have so many ideas of how your book can be used to reach people who desperately want to follow Jesus with their whole lives and not have to ignore or gloss over certain parts of Scripture. So, thank you for being courageous and telling the truth, even when I know it hasn’t been easy from some of those who are too afraid to admit where they’ve gone wrong. I’m only sorry that with no prior knowledge of Greek and the often overwhelming demands of life with two young children and my church responsibilities that I wasn’t able to engage even further with some of this material. I know, however, that I will look back at the class as truly life-changing. Thanks so much!!

Marisa Gulbranson Gronholz, MA in Theololgy student, Fuller Seminary Northwest

Dr. Payne:  Thank you so much for offering Women, the Bible, and the Church at Fuller Seminary Northwest this past quarter.  The class was an important academic and spiritual experience in a variety of ways.

1.  You shared with us your 38+ years of research and exegesis into the Pauline passages in the NT that seem at first glance to limit the roles of women in the church, home, and society. Your careful work shows us that what we have known in our spirits and in our practices is valid scripturally as well:  that God is a God of freedom, and that he desires all believers, regardless of gender, to fully employ their gifts and callings to further his kingdom.

2.  You demonstrated to us an appropriate posture of scholarship, willing to be challenged and corrected by others, but also to challenge and correct others, all for the purpose of bringing us all into full kingdom membership and function. You modeled both humility and courage, and as a result we will be better pastors and leaders ourselves.

3.  You shared with us your vast collection of original historical documents, and allowed us to study and handle them.  Besides showing us the importance of textual criticism and demonstrating some of the methods by which you arrived at your conclusions, you also inspired in us a profound respect for our heritage, especially for the dedication and sacrifice of so many scholars, scribes, exegetes, theologians, and other ecclesiastical leaders who have gone before us.

4.  You did not spare us from the uglier side of our heritage, where there has been deliberate deception and clouding of issues by those with an ungodly agenda or genuine fear for the reputation of the gospel. We learned that if we hold to the truth, the “slippery slope” disappears and God is glorified.

I am grateful for the experience, for the training, and the exposure to a wide variety of viewpoints and methods. God bless you as you continue to serve our God.

Debbie Montzingo, M.Div. student, Fuller Seminary Northwest

Your scholarship and study into the topic of women in ministry is setting me free! Thank you, Dr. Payne, for writing the book and, therefore, sharing with me and others what you have ferreted out in God’s word. I no longer feel I have to apologize to explain that God has called me to teach and preach the Gospel. Thank you again!

Carol N. Springs, M.A., Fuller Seminary Northwest

Philip Payne is a wonderful professor and a fantastic man. Consider yourself blessed if you are ever able to take this class. The knowledge you gain will speak for itself.

Michelle Wong, M.Div. student at Fuller Seminary NW

Redmond, WA, March 31, 2012, main speaker at the Christians for Biblical Equality Puget Sound Spring Meeting at Overlake Christian Church, 9900 Willows Road NE, Redmond, WA  98052 from 2:00 – 4:30 PM.

Houston, TX, April 27-28, 2012, two plenary sessions, each with Q & A at the conference entitled “New Creation, New Tradition. Reclaiming the Biblical Tradition of Man and Woman, One in Christ” at the Heights Church of Christ, 1548 Heights Boulevard, Houston, TX 77008. http://www.cbehouston.org/Pages/aboutus.aspx

Friday 7 – 9 PM, “Examining the Twelve Biblical Pillars of Male Hierarchy.”

Saturday, 3:45 – 4:30 PM, “The New Creation and the Equal Standing of Man and Woman”

This conference is geared toward changing the paradigm of a male-dominated hierarchy in church leadership to the ancient, yet always fresh tradition of “one in Christ, equal to serve.” Through sound biblical teaching, the conference intends to address the nagging fears that pastors, leaders, and influential lay people have concerning women serving in authoritative ministries. Also addressing the conference are Dr. Todd Still (Truett Theological Seminary), Dr. J.R. Daniel Kirk (Fuller Theological Seminary), and Dr. Katie Hays (Senior Pastor at Northwest Christian Church).

Uganda:

July 14, 2012- speak at Couple’s Dinner

July 15, 2012- preach at Kyambogo University Chapel

July 16, 2012- speak at a Pastors conference in the Kampala area

July 17, 2012- Public lecture at Uganda Christian University

Limuru, Kenya July 20-22, 2012. Equal to Serve: Gender and Authentic Biblical Leadership.

Friday, 6 – 7 PM “Examining the Twelve Biblical Pillars of Male Hierarchy.”

Saturday 3:00-4:00 p.m. “How Early Church Leaders Viewed Women” 

http://www.cbeinternational.org/?q=content/2012-kenya-speakers Christian leaders, scholars, and activists from all over the world will conduct sessions about gender, leadership, justice, and what it means to be the body of Christ.

I want you to know what an absolute privilege it has been to sit under your tutelage this quarter. I am so amazed at how the Lord has woven your life together with all the experiences He has brought your way. I do believe you are doing what the Lord has called you to do and on that great day (if you are not hearing it now in your spirit) when you see Him face to face, I know you will hear “Well done, good and faithful servant”. Dr. Payne, you are a gift to the Church, the body of Christ. Thank you  for sharing all your wisdom and years of research with us. It was truly a privilege for me to sit under such quality and inspired teaching. One of the many whispers I have had in taking this class is that in order for the Church to break down the gates of Hell and to expand the Light in this dark world, we must as men and women together, partner and stand strong against the schemes of the enemy. He likes nothing more than to divide the body of Christ. You, I believe are a modern day Prophet, one who has been given a Spirit of wisdom and discernment, one who has been charged to speak into the darkness of complementarianism and feminism alike, much like Martin Luther King Jr. who spoke into the hearts of this country and the Church demanding equality for the races. This is not a losing battle no matter what obstacles get in your way, because you are on the side of the Divine Warrior. May He strengthen you and keep you in the palm of His hand and may He whisper to you His deep mysteries of revelation for your work!

 I have absolutely loved writing my first and second exegesis and first position paper. It is like putting a puzzle together with the Holy Spirit as my guide. You have been tremendously encouraging and have been an inspiration for scholarship. I think what I have produced are works in progress and I hope to return to them time and again to seek greater insight and refine the message.

 This class and the instruction I have received has been very close to my heart as I have two daughters who love the Lord with all their heart and desire to be a vessel for His servant. Who knows, maybe next time you teach this class, my oldest daughter who plans on starting seminary this summer/fall may be in your class! Trust me, she is far ahead of me and absolutely brilliant.

 Again, I appreciate so much the time you have taken to give me feedback; it has been a blessing to me. I also would like to add that if ever there is an opportunity as a TA under you, I would find it most valuable. 

Blessing to you and again thank you for your service to the Lord!

 I would be honored if you would include this message with other feedback from the Fuller class.

 Colleen Orrestad, MA in Theololgy student, Fuller Seminary Northwest

On Saturday, July 30, from 2:50 – 3:50 PM I will lead a workshop on “Justice and Equality for Women Created in God’s Image: The Scriptural Mandate for Ministry and Marriage.”

Hope to see you there!

Kriste Patrow is the contact person to use special discount coupon UPCBE11 for a discount on your registration, also available on site. Her telephone number is 612-872-6898 (good until she leaves for the Conference Wednesday, July 27, 9:00 AM CST).