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Women in the Church

By Mark Berrier

The ministry of women in the church today is one of the most difficult areas to write about. There are those who believe women can’t do anything in the church. There are others who believe women can do anything they want in the church. What is the truth of the matter?

In I Corinthians 14, Paul instructs women to “remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak.” (NIV) This is poor translation because it is misleading. In chapter 11, Paul has already allowed women both to pray and to “prophesy” (or, “to speak before an assembly” or “to preach”) as long as their heads were covered to show they submit to the men. So “remain silent” and “they are not allowed to speak” is not true translation of Paul’s meaning. The word translated in NIV “remain silent” (Greek: sigato) is also used in v.30, translated “should be silent” (NIV) or “must stop talking.” There it refers to the prophets of the church. Of course, prophets were allowed to speak. Paul just told them to stop talking when another prophet received a message. What Paul is actually saying, therefore, is that women should stop talking on and on in the assembly. It is obvious that certain women from the Corinthian religions were attempting to dominate the church meetings by talking all the time, probably in tongues. (The Greek word “speak” [lalei] is most often used in I Corinthians 14 for speaking in tongues and prophecy.) A better translation of the latter saying is “they are not allowed to keep on speaking,” since it is a present active infinitive. [Speaking in tongues was known in Corinth 600 years before Paul preached the gospel there. It was not unique to Christianity.]

The rule of silence is certainly not universal. Women were already seen as prominent leaders—Phoebe (see Rom.16:1, where she is a minister [deacon] of the church in Cenchrea), Lydia (Ac.16:14,40), Priscilla (Ac.18:2,18,26 and Rom.16:3 and ICor.16:19), Junia (who is called an apostle in Rom.16:7), and others. The Holy Spirit had already expressly stated that both men and women would be preachers of the Gospel of God in Acts 2:14-18. The need for women even in the ministry of Jesus is clear. (Cf. Luke l:42; 8:2,3; 10:38ff; 23:49,55; et al.)

It is significant that it is only in two problem cities (Ephesus and Corinth), where women were the religious leaders, that the apostle is forced to correct those women who are misbehaving in the church. Such teaching is unique and limited to those two cities, where the two goddesses, Diana (Artemis) and Aphrodite, were worshipped. Women were priests and ruled those religions. Not so in the church!

As for I Timothy 2:8-15, [Timothy was in Ephesus.] the Greek text does not read like the NIV translation. Paul is writing to a church where false teaching and even heresy (myths and genealogies) is growing. His concern throughout I Timothy is maintaining and protecting the true faith. He is apparently concerned that it is certain women who believe the false teaching; in fact, they may be the ones who are teaching it. (See I Timothy 2:12.) Paul did not want women to teach men or to take authority over the men. (See Manfred T. Braunch, Hard sayings of Paul (IVP, 1989), p. 256.) That is the real intent of I Timothy 2:12; women were deeply involved in myths and genealogies. The gospel would be hurt wherever such teachings are considered important.

If we make this a universal statement, that women are not allowed to teach men, would that mean a woman could not even lead her husband to the Lord? To think that might be Paul’s meaning would be foolish. Are women not even able to teach their own children at home? That would contradict Paul’s pride in Eunice for teaching Timothy in II Timothy 1:5 and 3:14ff. Such legalism also rejects Titus 2:5ff. And how could Priscilla have a part in teaching Apollos a more complete understanding of the Gospel? (Acts 18:26ff)

The main principle being taught here is that of submission. Women who want to dominate men do so as a result of the Fall. God warned Eve, “your desire will be for your husband.” [This same phrase is used in Gen.4 in regard to Cain. God warned Cain that Sin’s “desire is for you, but you must master it.” This means that Sin’s purpose (as though “sin” were a person) is to conquer and dominate Cain.] After Adam and Eve sinned, a woman might want to conquer and rule over her man. This is the wrong: that a woman would rule her husband or that a woman would rule the church.

Let us all learn in humility and submission.