May Women Teach and Lead? – Women, Forgive Us!

First published November 2020
4th edition July 2023, revised and expanded
ISBN 978-3-9820715-5-8

Can we really claim that what Christendom has believed and practiced for 19 centuries is always exactly what God wanted?

This is about the role of the Christian woman in marriage, family and church or congregation. This book rethinks the question from the ground up. Far too little is known, and too little is valued, of what God has accomplished and is accomplishing through women in his kingdom. Is it biblical that women are hierarchically subordinate to men? Can it be that women are to keep silent in the worship service and may never teach or lead men?

That women hold up half the sky is certainly true in a figurative sense. This book is a plea, on a biblical basis, for the equality of men and women in every area of life. Manhood is not devalued, but womanhood is given its true value and set free for its calling.

The time has come to apologize to the women of our day, in our Christian church environment, for having assigned them a subordinate role. The title of the book speaks in the plural. The author can only speak for himself, but he invites all men to share this confession from the heart. So that God can do something new!

Order and Take a Look Inside

4th edition, paperback “Women, Forgive Us!” (€13.80 plus shipping) (in German)
The book has been revised and expanded and is now available in its fourth edition. Pre-order directly from the author with this link (ISBN 978-3-9820715-5-8)

3rd edition, short version of “Women, Forgive Us!” (€3.80 plus shipping) (in German)
The short version of “Women, Forgive Us!” has been revised and is available freshly printed. Pre-order directly from the author with this link (ISBN 978-3-9820715-6-5)

Excerpt as PDF
A no-obligation look inside the book

As a Kindle eBook on Amazon (€8.90) (in German)
Read at no extra cost with Kindle Unlimited.

Excerpt: Katharine C. Bushnell, God’s Word to Women (German edition: “Eva wach auf!”)
Recognize the biblical truth of God’s original and unchanged intention: the full equality of women. Selected lessons in the English original.

Declaration

An official statement on the roles of men and women in the church. We invite all men to sign this declaration with their name. Simply send an email to “hj-ronsdorf@t-online.de” with the note: “Please add my name to this declaration!”

Newsletter Articles and
Studies on the Topic

New!3/26 – Finding the Big Points: What Really Matters in the Biblical Equality Debate
The scholarly debate is extensive and can be quite confusing – yet there are a few central points. Andrew Bartlett shows that at the key passages, complementarian interpretations depart from Holy Scripture or add something to it that is actually not there. Original article by Andrew Bartlett.

2/26 – Williams, Terran: How God Sees Women: The End of Patriarchy
Biblical perspectives beyond power and tradition – Terran Williams’ book in the English original, available on Amazon as a paperback, Kindle eBook and audiobook. A German edition (“Wie Gott Frauen sieht”) appeared in 2026; details on the home page.

5/25 – Bartlett, Andrew: Men and Women in Christ (revised 10/26)
As an astute thinker, Andrew Bartlett has examined and worked through the question of the roles of women and men in the New Testament and in the Bible as a whole, taking all the theological arguments into account. The chapter summaries in the English original, with an introduction by Hans-Jörg Ronsdorf.

4/23 – Lecture: The Equality of Men and Women – in Teaching and Leadership Too
While deciding whether, according to the Bible, women may also lead and teach, a church asked for a lecture presenting the so-called egalitarian position. At the same time, the complementarian view, which restricts or excludes women from leadership and teaching, was also presented. Here you can download my lecture in full.

3/23 – The Bible Teaches the Equal Standing of Man and Woman (revised 10/26)
In this booklet Philip B. Payne not only gives a brief overview of the whole subject but also shares his latest insights in the preface. As a theologian and linguist he has made groundbreaking discoveries and has shown meticulously that the equality of men and women is not a feminist idea but a divine one, revealed to us in the Bible. In the English original by Philip B. Payne. Free to download.

2/23 – Four Apparent Arguments Against Women Leading and Teaching in the Church
Philip Payne has completely revised his view on the “women’s question.” As a theologian and textual scholar, he has come to see that the four main arguments repeatedly raised against women leading and teaching are misinterpreted. This is partly because certain terms have been misunderstood and certain texts mistranslated, and because the command to be silent in 1 Corinthians 14 is not an original Pauline text at all. Original article by Philip B. Payne: “Does the Bible Oppose Women in Leadership?”

1/23 – Fourteen Reasons for Sisters Leading and Teaching
Short and to the point: two handfuls of biblical evidence that our sisters, according to their gifts, are called to exercise the same ministries as their brothers. Original article by Terran Williams: “A 14-Point Biblical Case for Women Leaders and Teachers,” with an introduction by Hans-Jörg Ronsdorf.

7/22 – 3rd edition, short version of “Women, Forgive Us!” (in German)
A newly written text for everyone who does not want to read 300 pages but still wants to understand the essentials of the discussion. Now as a Kindle eBook on Amazon (€2.90); the paperback can be ordered through the order link (see above) for €3.80, or €3.00 each for 10 copies or more.

6/22 – Adam Was Created First, and This Means …
Surely the fact that Adam was created first is clear proof of the man’s precedence as head, leader or teacher. But if you look closely at the biblical texts, this claim has to be seriously questioned. Original article by Marg Mowczko.

5/22 – Sarah Called Abraham Lord
In his first letter Peter gives instructions to married couples. As an example he names Sarah, who called her husband Abraham lord. This is used to justify the submission of the wife to the husband. Or maybe not. What this text really means will surprise some. Based on a thread by Philip B. Payne; translated back from the German.

4/22 – Once Again: Women Are to Keep Silent and Submit
There are Christians who regard the short text from 1 Corinthians 14 as the touchstone of faithfulness to the Bible. But is that really the “biblical” solution? Did Paul really teach an absolute command to be silent? Or is that what we have made of it? On the other hand, for some Christian women these instructions are a reason to doubt whether they may pray and speak in church. This text quotes several “Bible-believing” commentaries and shows that this passage is anything but clear and unambiguous.

03/22 – Spoiling the Beautiful Difference Between Men and Women
Although the arguments for a hierarchical subordination of women to men – and the conclusion drawn from them that women may not speak, teach or lead in the church – have by now all been refuted, there is a new attempt to defend this well-meant but still discriminatory position with lesser-known arguments. But these arguments do not save “complementarianism” either! Original article by Ian Paul and Andrew Bartlett (Psephizo), with an introduction by Hans-Jörg Ronsdorf.

02/22 – Paul and Women as Leaders
It is not emancipation or feminism that makes women leaders in God’s kingdom. It is Paul himself, the apostle, who wanted such strong and wise women as his co-workers – and had them. Excerpt from Gary W. Burnett, Paul Distilled, chapter 12, “Paul’s Women Leaders” (with an introduction by Hans-Jörg Ronsdorf).

01/22 – Wives, Submit to Your Husbands! (new: October 2026)
This is the New Testament’s repeated command to women. If a Christian marriage today is lived out in love – harmoniously, as a partnership, as equals, on the same level – would that marriage have to be reordered according to the biblical demand? Or how should we understand these texts? Is this perhaps the creation order? Two chapters from Terran Williams’ book How God Sees Women – in the English original, with an introduction by Hans-Jörg Ronsdorf. The whole book is available as a paperback and Kindle eBook on Amazon.

Feedback

What do you think about this topic? Send me your comments on the book or the articles. I look forward to hearing from you. Your feedback will of course be treated confidentially.

Comment to the author

15/21 – “Equal in worth but different in kind” – the Bible knows nothing of it.
The inner tensions within evangelicalism show up hardly anywhere as clearly as in the theological interpretation of the relationship between women and men. In dealing with this question, several hot issues are now under discussion: the relationship between faith and culture, the understanding of the Bible, and the unity of the movement as a whole.
(A link to the article by Thorsten Dietz on RefLab) (in German)

14/21 – Genesis 3:16: What Does God’s Word of Judgment to Eve After the Fall Contain?
Sometimes it is hard to believe: for decades you think this is the biblical meaning, and then it turns out you were wrong. This short text shows an example of how a single word changes the perspective:

13/21 – Can Women Be Pastors?
This question may be asked and answered. But first the biblical evidence must be clarified: how the ministry and the ministers in the church are named there, what “official titles” exist at all and how they are used. Marg Mowczko has done some research on this and summarized it briefly. Original article by Marg Mowczko: “There Are Women Pastors in the New Testament.”

12/21 – Is the “Women’s Question” Really That Important?
You can probably imagine how critics of my initiative react: Do you have to make such a big deal of it? Isn’t enough enough at some point? Everything is clear anyway. In my closing argument I address this question once more.

11/21 – Jesus and Women
How Jesus treated women is, among all the material on this subject, our first and most important source. On this, another article by Ben Witherington III that is well worth reading. Original article: “Women in the Ministry of Jesus” (Ashland Theological Journal, 1984).

10/21 – The Feminism Bludgeon
As was to be expected, I am accused of supporting feminism or being influenced by it. I have dealt almost exclusively with biblical texts. It was only these accusations that led me to take a somewhat closer look at feminism...

9/21 – Job’s Daughters
Nothing is mentioned in the Bible without significance. Job’s Daughters is an article that is more than just interesting. Job seems to have been far ahead of his time in regard to his daughters.

8/21 – Unbiblical Arguments Against Women’s Ministry in the Church
Sometimes I think all the arguments are known and the front lines are therefore clear. But again and again I find thoughts that confirm my view of things – not in every detail, but in general. “Why Arguments Against Women in Ministry Aren’t Biblical” is an article by Ben Witherington III that is well worth reading and hits the nail on the head. Original article (Patheos, 2015).

7/21 – Elders and Overseers – Really Only Men? (revised 10/26)
She desires a noble task! You probably feel the same way I do when reading 1 Timothy 3:1 – where it is about the overseers of the church: Paul seems to address only men. Jim Reiher takes a close look at this and concludes that, seen in context and from the original text, both men and women must be meant. A surprising thought that probably has to be taken seriously. Original article by Jim Reiher: “She Desires a Noble Task” (CBE Mutuality).

6/21 – The Biblical Creation Order (redesigned 10/26)
A simple chart about the creation order of man and woman. How often I hear: … but the creation order must be respected! Exactly, that is my conviction too. The only question is which one is meant: that of Genesis 1 and 2, or that of Genesis 3, after the Fall?

5/21 – Women in the Church (revised 10/26)
One of the leading evangelical theologians of the last century, F. F. Bruce, writes about “Women in the Church: A Biblical Survey.” He came from the Brethren movement and belonged to the “Open Brethren.” The Brethren movement is known for the fact that to this day women keep silent in the worship service and neither teach nor lead. Bruce could never see it that way. Original article (Christian Brethren Review, 1982).

4/21 – The Making of Biblical Womanhood (revised 10/26)
Beth Allison Barr, professor of history (specializing in the Middle Ages) at Baylor University, has written a book with this title; the subtitle is: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. The second chapter has been released here as an excerpt – in the English original, with an introduction by Hans-Jörg Ronsdorf.