1 Timothy 2:11,12 “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”
Having dealt with the verse in Corinthians and discounted it as a possible second witness affirming the silence of women in churches, we are left with only one verse in the New Testament that can be quoted to curtail the orderly exercise of women’s ministry in the New Testament church.
As we know, one isolated verse is not enough to build an authoritative doctrine upon. We will nevertheless seek to understand what Paul might be saying in this verse to his friend and comrade in the gospel, Timothy. Does this verse mean that all women to be completely silent in church gatherings, never be permitted to preach, and that all women are without exception under the authority of any man?
We will prise this verse apart in moment but first let us place it in a context so we know what lens we are looking through as we seek to understand what Paul is saying. Firstly, Paul in other places speaks of women praying and prophesying in public gatherings (1 Cor 11:4). He speaks of his fellow female workers in the gospel in many other places in his letters. Both Timothy and Paul were well acquainted with female ministers in the gospel such as Philip’s daughters who prophesied and Phebe. Paul here does not contradict himself, and it is certain that Timothy’s understanding of Paul’s directions would not have been that all women should keep absolute silence in church gatherings.
First. The word translated ‘silence’ here is the Greek word ‘Hesushia’, which is better translated, “stillness, desistance from bustle or language”. The word for complete silence is used elsewhere in verses like Rev 8:1 and 1 Cor 14:28. This is not the word used here. The word used here is best understood to mean that women (and indeed men) should learn in quietness, without strife or discord.
Second. The word ‘subjection’ ‘hupatasso’ means to “arrange under”, generally applied in the context of marriage. Here it applies to women learning in quietness and submissiveness, not asserting herself or her opinions, but yielding to others, especially her husband.
Third. The ‘woman’ is told not to usurp authority over ‘the man’. The word translated ‘man’ is ‘aner’. In the letters of Paul it is used 59 times. The KJV translates it 34 times as “husband”, and of the remaining 25 occurrences, 18 of them clearly refer to a husband. It is justifiable then to translate this verse as “the wife must nor usurp authority over her husband”, which is much more specific. The Williams translation renders this portion, “I do not permit a married woman to practice teaching or domineering over a husband.”
Fourth. The context of the verses in a broader sense is in a letter to a minister in Ephesus. At this time the main deity worshipped in the area was Diana, and in many of the temples the whole religious ceremony was conducted by women. In some cases these ceremonies involved sexual orgies. Godly women, Paul says, should not be lascivious and domineering, but modest and submissive, honouring Christ and their husbands.
And so we conclude our series about women’s ministry.
Go for it girls!
Want to know more? Check out our lesson from the Spirit Life Bible School for a full teaching from the Scriptures concerning ‘Women in Ministry’
Read The series:
What does the Bible say about women’s ministry
Women’s Ministry in the Old Testament
Women’s Ministry in the New Testament
While the roles of women and men will always be hotly debated in culture, the Bible is clear that women need other women to teach them what is good in God’s eyes. Women need to be taught by other women about moderation and self-control. Women need to be taught by other women how to love their husbands and children. Women need to be taught by other women how to be discreet, how to be pure, how to keep house, how to be joyful, and how to be obedient to their husbands.
These commands are from Titus 2:3-5. These three little verses contain eight words used only once in the entire Bible, here in this context of women teaching women how to behave so that the word of God may not be dishonored.
I agree with your conclusion: “Go for it girls!”
Thanks for your comments Amy.
I would love to share this on my website, as the one pastor that had been mentoring me for credentials as evangelist, (Not Pastor) has and still does insist that women are never to be pastors, and no woman pastor will ever preach in his church. well you have shown through the word of God here what I have always belived and have felt the call of pastor on my life, now I understand why I have felt I needed to preach. I no longer have anything to do with this (pastor) for many reasons, I pray for his soul and that God will give him a new heart . I still do not after 4 years have any where close to credentials bacause of this pastor , but have hopes of obtaining them soon in Africa. please keep this all in your prayers also and this other pastor. thank you , God bless
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