In this video, celebrity pastor Rick Warren explains how he became an egalitarian. With this statement, the minister decided to ordain women as pastors at Saddleback Church. Finally, he proceeded during a podcast interview with Christianity Today’s Russell Moore.
Video Where Rick Warren Makes a Scriptural Case for Female Elders: Biblical Support and Insights
Pastor Rick Warren presents the biblical basis for including women in elder roles within the church. He quotes several key scriptures and theological points to support his views.
Biblical Foundation for Female Elders
Pastor Warren cites Galatians 3:28, which emphasizes equality in Christ, stating,
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
This verse underpins the idea that spiritual gifts and leadership roles are not limited by gender.
Historical Context and Church Tradition
Warren also references historical church practices. He shows that early churches, as seen in Romans 16:1, included female leaders such as Phoebe, who is referred to as a deacon. This proves that women played significant roles in the early church.
Role of Female Elders in Ministry
In addition, Warren discusses the qualifications for elders outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. He argues that these qualifications focus on character and leadership skills, not gender. Therefore, the church should consider women who meet these criteria for elder positions.
Theological Implications of Women as Elders
Pastor Warren concludes that the inclusion of female elders is consistent with biblical teachings on equality and leadership. He encourages churches to revisit their traditions and consider the scriptural evidence supporting female leadership roles.
Finally, look through the Bible at strong women like Ruth for examples. This video presents a compelling argument for the inclusion of female elders, drawing on biblical texts and historical examples to support his case.
Peace out Rick, what a mess.
Elders and pastors can’t be conflated with witnessing.
Prophecy is speaking God’s word but it is not Eldership or pastor.
Rick can women be men?
This is not a new argument and he’s lying that MacArthur never dealt with those passages.
55 years he preached through the New Testament verse by verse.
So how does JMac twist it then ?
You can’t make this foolishness up.
These arguments were made long before Warren made them
@Tom Hitchcock No matter who makes or has made them, they are foolish.
Preaching is one thing, PASTORING is an entirely different ballpark. I don’t see scriptural support for female pastors at all. 🤷🏿♂️
Not one of those references was part of a discussion of local church eldership.
Every Biblical believer knows and celebrates the freedom women have through the gospel – most famously in Galatians 3:28. But within the church, in the letters we call the “pastorals,” the distinctions are made very clear.
I was once told to “Shoot and score” by Bret Hull a long time ago. According to Rick’s logic, I was a part of the STL Blues henceforth…. Seriously, where’s my NHL money at???
I love how he accuses his opponents of eisegesis and then immediately provides three textbook examples of himself doing that very thing. What a clown.
I thought exactly this. Apparently eisegesis is now if Rick Warren doesn’t approve of it while reading his own interpretations into the Bible. Lol
Teaching and baptizing is different than ‘leading’ the church (being a head / elder). The bible is very clear women can have all the roles (minus authority over a man / her husband and minus leading the church) but women CANT lead the church.
So men should teach Sunday school
He’s deceiving and he knows he is. He is treading dangerous waters
Brother, if he is knowingly decieving people, he IS the danger.
@XX99N6hE absolutely he is. He is reading into the Scripture instead of pulling from. Eisegesis, not exegesis. Scripture is undeniably clear on the roles of women in the church.
@Josh Higdon Exectly, scripture is clear on that issue, but why does he speak out against Eisegesis in the same interview he himself uses it to justify blatantly unbiblical positions? He must know he’s in the wrong, yet not only does it, but justifies it by means he himselfs deems to be wrong. He’s double wrong so to speak.
@XX99N6hE that’s what I say about him knowingly deceiving. He has to know what he is doing. And you know he hears men like MacArthur speaking against it.
Nah, he doesn’t know it. He’s a deceived deceiver. He’s proven himself to be a know-nothing for years. This is just another level of know-nothingness. We all know what does next.
This almost seems like gaslighting. Either he thinks we are stupid or he is so full of himself he sees things in the Bible that nobody has seen for 2,000 years. Those verses have nothing to do with the qualifications for the office of pastor/elder/bishop.
I think both are true. He is full of himself, and needs a body that large to contain his enormous ego.
He thinks we are stupid and he is full of himself.
Tertullian the Early Church Father records that there were female prophets, who got words from God to speak immediately, but they were not elders. There is no scriptural case for female elders. There may be a pragmatic case, but not a scriptural case. This is just one example of why I gave up on professional Christians a long, long time ago.
Prophesying isn’t preaching, speaking in tongues isn’t preaching, sharing the Gospel isn’t preaching. Passing on information isn’t preaching.
Besides those points, he’s mostly correct
Looking at the pastoral epistles that Paul wrote in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus there is NO mention of women being in an overseer role.
I’m a woman and weekly at our local church, I teach girls and boys. Never any youth or men. Rick Warren is blind to the Scriptures and twists them to make a case for himself. Praying God will open his eyes and ears to the Truth.
Appreciate your ministry🙏🏿🌺
I figured Russell Moore wore masks in Zoom meetings 🤔
“Culture did not change me on this issue”
Sure, Rick. It just so happens that you changed your opinion at EXACTLY the same moment that culture was changing, and when huge cultural forces were being felt to change the way we look at things.
What a massive, spectacular coincidence that the Holy Spirit led you to see things differently at the EXACT same moment when it became culturally difficult to stay the same.
On Matt 28 – I love that he has not even considered the possibility that the great commission is a command, given first and primarily to the apostles. It’s ‘eisegesis’ to assume that Jesus was speaking through them, at us, and not to them, directly. Theirs is an example for their successors (ie. us) to follow, yes, but that doesn’t mean the command to ‘teach’ the gospel somehow becomes a license for 21st century women to be elders.
As for Acts 2, how ludicrous. Let’s just assume that women were prophesying. How does he know that this involved congregational exhortation on the lords day, and/or authoritative pastoral ministry? He doesn’t. He just made that up. Out of thin air.
i’ve talked with so many people in those shoes… i believe he believes it
Women preaching to the LOST is NOT the same thing as holding a position of AUTHORITY in the church
There are no biblical justifications for women preaching period, whether it be to other Christians or unbelievers.
I feel dumber now having watched this.
Then he must believe that 1 Timothy 2:12 must be a mistake. He has become wise in his own eyes, hence his disaster of changing his mind from what is clearly and unequivocally stated by the Holy Spirit.
Reminds me of an old saying I heard about Biblical interpretation a text taken out of proper context is a proof text and you end up with nonsense (paraphrsed liberaly). In short if you go by The Pastoral Epistles which were Paul’s blueprint for how the local congregation was to be run you can not argue for women in the teaching ministry. Nor could you argue for the Deaconite ministry like some so-called Complamentarians do either.