Arguing about Church Roles Based on Nouns’ Genders?

This brief posts is about the absurdity of arguing about which gender can do what roles in the church based on the gender of particular nouns.

In the first place languages which have gender specific nouns are quite unlike English in this regard.   It is a mistake to judge other languages based on the normal practices in English.   For example, the Greek word for deacon is ‘diakonos’ and it can also be used more  broadly to a person who serves or waits in table.  This however clearly cannot apply to Phoebe, probably Paul’s patron when he was in Cenchreae, who clearly has some church roles, and is indeed called by the male gendered term—διάκονοs in Rom. 16. And just to be clear we hear she is a deacon of the church, not a servant at some caupona!   The male term is applied to a female playing an important church role.

Recently I heard the absurd argument that since the word for pastor in Ephesians 4, ποιμένας (which literally means shepherd) is a male noun only men should be pastors, and applying this non-logic  to teachers as well who are mentioned next (διδασκάλος).  On this basis since the Greek word for wisdom is a female noun,  ‘sophia’  this must surely lead to the conclusion that only women are supposed to be wise, including in the body of Christ!

You’ve got to be kidding.   You can’t determine who should play which ministry roles by the gender of Greek nouns.   PERIOD.