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"May Women Serve the Lord's Table?"
Harrell Davidson |
We are always appreciative of questions that are submitted for this column. The question this month is "May women serve the Lord's Table?" The first argument in favor of a woman serving at the Lord's Table came from a congregation in northern Alabama. It was argued that since during the partaking of the bread which represents the Body of Christ and fruit of the vine which represents the shed blood of our Savior on the cross and giving is commanded in passages like First Corinthians 16:1-2, since the woman sitting in the pew passes each of these on to the person sitting beside her, there would be nothing wrong with her serving at the table. This particular congregation followed this argument and within two years they announced that they were going to appoint women to be deacons and how they planned to have a woman serving as a "Youth Minister" — ever what that means. The problem with all of the above is that it is without Divine origin. Paul forbade such in First Timothy 2:12-15. "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." The word "silence" here means "quietness." There are at least two things under consideration here. They are teaching and usurping authority over the man. A woman may pass the various plates to the next person sitting beside her without assuming a leadership role, but she cannot serve in any position at the table before the congregation without usurping authority over the man. Take into consideration that many denominations do not partake of the Lord's Supper on the first day of every week. There are some that take it twice a year such as Easter and Christmas while a few others partake quarterly. Suppose that some person from a denomination is visiting the worship service where the saints meet and women are serving at the Lord's Table! What does the visitor see? He sees a woman — or women — in positions of leadership. She could not give thanks for the unleavened bread or the fruit of the vine because men are to pray everywhere lifting up holy hands (cf. 1 Tim. 2:8). The woman's example in such cases would show her to be in an unscriptural position because she is presiding over the men of the congregation. There is no scriptural authority for her to serve at the table. There is not an approved example of her doing so. It most certainly is not an expedient for a woman to serve. However, she may prepare the emblems without sinning. In older times there were many women who made the unleavened bread. We remember one woman who made the unleavened bread and shaped the loaf into little squares that would break off very easily. It took great time and dedication to so do. Much of the time, back when we used glass cups, women took them home and washed and dried them with a soft cloth making sure that there were no smudges of any kind on any cup. Such dedication and hard work is almost unequaled presently among us. Study carefully those things which a woman may not do with scriptural authority and think about what she may do to make preparation for the Lord's Supper. There is a great difference between the two. |