In our previous two articles, we considered the biblical evidence in favor of women in ministry. Our intent was not to avoid passages that appeared to serve as prohibitions, but to reveal the abundance of evidence of women serving as leaders, preachers, teachers, and even pastors within the earliest days of the church. With that evidence in mind, we now turn our attention to passages that, at first glance, appear to be prohibitions from women preaching, teaching, or pastoral positions or authority within the church.
There are two passages that often serve as the beginning and end of the conversation about how women should or should not function and/or serve in the church. They are 1 Timothy 2:11–12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34–35. This week, we will focus our attention on 1 Timothy. It reads:
“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.”[1]
If we take this verse alone, without considering the literary and cultural context, it is easy to understand how the prohibitive positions against women preaching, teaching, and leading developed. But, when we consider Paul's original audience and the issues these communities were facing at the time along with the entirety of what these letters communicate, we see these verses have different intentions and applications.
Paul begins his letter by urging Timothy to protect the church from false doctrine and those who would teach it. He writes:
“Stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.”[2]
It is clear that some in Ephesus were struggling to let go of what they had been taught in the past and were mixing their old beliefs with their new Christian faith. Among these, were certainly some prominent women, who often played an important role in the spread of the Christian faith in Paul's own experience. Many had likely been loyal worshipers in the cult of Artemis and others, particularly those on the higher end of the socioeconomic spectrum, had possibly served as priestesses. Compounding the issue, most women in the first century were uneducated. These women were easy targets for false teachers and were often used to perpetuate the false doctrines they were learning.
In this light, the prohibition is not against women teaching. Rather, it was meant to stop those who lacked proper understanding from speaking falsely. It surely was not that Paul was attempting to completely silence women within the church. In fact, no tradition or church we've ever heard of takes the most literal interpretation of this text and keeps all women from speaking at all in a local church service. Rather, we understand that what Paul is communicating is clearly situational and contextual. It is our opinion that Paul is not intending to completely silence women in this passage. Nor is he prohibiting any woman from ever leading or teaching in a local church. Instead, in light of the cultural realities the church in Ephesus was facing, Paul was prohibiting those who were not properly equipped and educated from speaking out of turn. Rather, Paul encouraged them to know their roles as novices, to be attentive and silent so that they might learn and be equipped to speak rightly.
We have already briefly referenced the struggles with the cult of Artemis in Ephesus, where the letter was directed. Ephesus was the home of the great temple of Artemis. It is said to have been one of the wonders of the ancient world; its ruins can still be visited today. Contrary to popular belief, Artemis was not a fertility goddess. The evidence and experts on the subject suggest Artemis was the goddess of midwifery (which shines some light on Paul's seemingly random comment about women being saved through childbearing[3]). Ironically, only women were allowed to serve as clergy in the cult of Artemis and men were prohibited. These positions of leadership were not earned; they were purchased. When one served as a priestess, they were given the honor of adorning the idol of Artemis for worship. These women would wear all the finest garments and jewelry they could muster and would dress their goddess in like manner. This explains why Paul encourages women to:
“dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyle or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds as are appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”[4]
As an added note, we find it interesting that those who insist women should be prohibited from pastoral leadership fail to maintain the same energy concerning women wearing braided hair, gold and pearls, or expensive clothing to church.
In this letter, Paul is attempting to correct culturally specific patterns of leadership and worship. He is not saying that women should never have authority over men. The original Greek word communicated “domineering” or “lording power over others,” not simple leadership. Paul wasn't attempting to prohibit women from leading, but to prevent them from continuing a damaging, domineering power dynamic that is inconsistent with the example of Christ and the teaching of Scripture.
One additional thought: In an earlier article, we discussed the ministry of Priscilla. Her mention in Acts 18 can help us understand Paul's message to Timothy in the Ephesian church. Paul met Priscilla and her husband Aquila in Corinth (we will return to Corinth and the passage mentioned in our next article). This trio lived, worked, and taught side by side as they traveled to Ephesus. Paul left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus, probably because they had the pastoral and teaching skills necessary to address the challenges about which he warned Timothy. They encountered Apollos, who was described as having deep knowledge of Scripture. Unfortunately, his understanding was incomplete. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they pulled him aside and “explained to him the way of God more adequately.”[5] Apollos wasn't intentionally spreading false teaching, but at that time he needed someone to provide further information so he could speak rightly about the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is interesting that Priscilla, a woman, took the lead in providing vital theological education to this man so he could better preach, teach, and lead in the church.
Again, if we let the biblical evidence shape our interpretation, Paul entrusted a trustworthy and well-educated woman in Ephesus to help navigate the challenges the local culture was creating within the church. He entrusted Priscilla not only to teach the believers, which included men and women, but to provide instruction to a man so that he might more properly communicate the message of Christ.
In our humble opinion, an interpretation of 1 Timothy that results in permanent gender prohibitions in church leadership misses the point. The issues being dealt with, particularly as it relates to women, were false teaching and improper practices seeping into the church from the cult of Artemis and those who were uneducated teaching false doctrine. Women teaching or leading is not the issue at all! In fact, in the broader context of 1 Timothy, Paul's desire is to make sure both men and women act in appropriate ways and expand the reach of the gospel with grace and humility together. He's not issuing a permanent prohibition but addressing a temporary issue in a particular place.
There is a wealth of evidence in support of women in ministry. With every article we write, we find there is more to be shared. We look forward to future articles and encourage you to consider our previous 2 offerings, if you haven't already!
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