"Women Preachers"

"Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says" (1 Cor. 14:34).

"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere…Let women learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" (1 Tim. 2:8, 11-14).

The Bible's clarity is unambiguous regarding God's role assignments. A man's role primarily involves "headship;" while a woman's role involves "submission" (compare Ephesians 5:22-33). This is not a matter of personal opinion; rather, it is simply a matter of what the Bible teaches. The question is: "Are you ready to accept the role that God has designated for you?"

Obviously, the above passages forbid women to teach under certain circumstances. However, women are commanded to be "teachers of good things" (Titus 2:3). We even see a Bible example where a woman (Priscilla), with her husband (Aquila), corrected a preacher (Apollos). "So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately" (Acts 18:26).

So then, women can teach, and can even teach men, but 1 Tim. 2:12 forbids her to "teach or to have authority OVER a man." Her teaching and authority are not to be "over" a man. Preachers regularly stand up and preach with "authority" over others, (Titus 2:14); however, a woman cannot assume such a role. If you are a member of a congregation where women stand teaching and preaching "over" men, you are participating in something that the Bible condemns.

Some Clarification

It is not a matter of talent, for some women are much better communicators than some men. Neither is it a matter of inferiority; men and women are both created in God's image, and neither is independent of the other (Gen. 1:27; 1 Cor. 11:11). It is simply a matter of God-given roles and practices. "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (1 Cor. 11:3).

When the inspired apostle wrote about roles for men and women, he appealed to the Godhead as a model, as well as to the creation. He showed that Adam was formed first, then woman, and that it was the woman who was deceived by the serpent. Likewise, the three persons in the Godhead also have distinct roles. We see from the passage that God (the Father) is the head of Christ. The Holy Spirit is also subject to Jesus (Jn. 15:26; 16:13-15). The Father's role was legislative; the Son's role was executive; and the Holy Spirit's role was primarily revelation (Jn. 14:31; 16:13).

Look to Jesus!

Men and women can relate to Jesus in that, as He is head of the church, so the husband is head of his wife; and as Jesus submits to the Father, so the woman submits to the man. Ironically, although women preachers are trying to teach the world about God's Word, they stand, with the world, in violation of that Word.

Related Thoughts

"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden" ?'” (Gen. 3:1)

• Has God indeed said, "You shall not teach or have authority over a man?"
• Has God indeed said, "You shall not preach with all authority?"

Where Satan inserts questions, those who fear the Lord respect His statements.

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Lk. 6:46).

• APOSTLES? How many women apostles did Jesus select?
• ELDERS? According to the Greek New Testament, elders who oversee local churches are to be the "husband" of one "wife" (Titus 1:6). Bible elders were never the "wife" of one "husband."
• DEACONS? According to the Greek New Testament, "official" deacons in the church were the husbands of one wife and ruled their houses and children well (1 Tim. 3:12). Phoebe was not an officially appointed deacon in the church. She was simply a servant of the church and helper of many (Rom. 16:1, 2). Paul calls himself a deacon in Colossians 1:23, 25. But he was not a "deacon" as he was not the husband of one wife. Making such applications would have Paul contradicting himself.
• PREACHERS? There were no women preachers in New Testament times who stood over mixed assembles expounding on the word of God.