Simply from this verse there is an understanding of an authority/submission relationship in the Trinity. The Father works his plans and the Son and Holy Spirit submit to it accordingly. Submission is not a bad word. In our culture the word submission has been torn apart by feminists giving complete negative connotation. Man and woman alike submit to God as head. As Paul states in Ephesians 5, the husband is supposed lead his wife by serving her. This is what true leadership is. It’s a constant attitude or serving your wife like Christ served the church and gave himself up for her. Is this vain or anti-woman? Absolutely not! Husbands are supposed to hold their wives up in high esteem and love them to the glory of Christ imaging his love for his church in dying for her! What a beautiful thing when understood properly!

If the family is the first institute in which the Bible demands male headship, it will also rightly demand it of the 2nd institution – the church – as the church is made up of families. Concerning 1 Timothy 3, verses 1-7 are prescriptive qualifications for those seeking to be pastors/elders (these words can be used interchangeably). One qualification that is essential to note that Paul also states in chapter 2 is that of being able to teach. Verses 8-13 are prescriptive qualifications for deacons. The word deacon in Greek is only masculine and does not have a feminine counter part. Therefore, that is why so much confusion has been given over verse 11. Diakonos is the word Paul is using here. In verses 8-10 he gives qualifications for male deacons. In verse 11 he uses the word Gunaikos (which means woman or wife) and this is where the ambiguity comes in. I believe to be completely strict to the text we must read this as being either woman or wife (forfeiting any interpretive decision), therefore coming to the conclusion that Paul is speaking of both women and wives who aspire to be Deacons. In verses 12-13 he goes back to discussing qualifications for men deacons.

When understanding the office of the deacon as a ‘servant position’ it must be available to both men and women.

A major qualification for an elder compared to a deacon is ‘teaching.’ Paul says elders must be able to teach, again appealing to 1 Timothy 2, but does not give any qualifications of this matter for deacons. My understanding from this text is that elders/pastors must be men because of the qualification of teaching and deacons can be either men or women.

Those are just a few comments and thoughts to this post. Thanks.