WOMEN IN MINISTRY
The two passages that have brought the greatest confusion
and restriction of women's ministry in the church are: 1 Corinthians 14:34,35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15. While examining the verses
in question, allow me to give you four essential principles for interpreting scripture:
1. Determine the author's intent.
2. Determine the context within the chapter, the book,
and the rest of the Bible.
3. Determine the historical or cultural setting at
the time it was written.
4. Interpret unclear passages in light of passages
that are clear.
Using those rule for interpretation, let's begin with
1 Corinthians 14:34,35. How this passage is interpreted often depends less upon what Paul meants by "keep silent" and "not
permitted to speak" than upon the reader's belief system regarding the scope of what a woman can do in church. This passage
has been read by some groups to mean that women should not be allowed to so much as talk out loud in church; other groups
have used this passage as a blanket admonition that women should not be allowed to preach. Neither interpretation adequately
takes into account Paul's practice of using women in ministry or his intent in this particular context.
The word silent has the connotation of "holding one's
tongue", which fits in with this interpretation. The word woman in this passage isn't "women" in general, but "wives" because
1 Corinthians 14:35 specifically mentions husbands. The wives were not conforming to what was right or fitting for the situation.
It is very easy to misread what was happening in the
early church through the filter of our own modern-day church buildings and auditoriums. But the early church meetings were
mostly in home settings. Even if the homes were large, it would still be quite disruptive for wives to be talking out loud
during the meetings. I believe the strongest interpretation is the one concerning disruptions in the Corinthian church caused
by women asking questions during the services. I do not believe Paul meant women were not to speak at all because Acts 18:26,
21:9, and 1 Corinthians 11:5 make it clear that they did.
Probably the most controversial and puzzling passage
concerning women in the church is 1 Timothy 2:11-15. This time, however, the Greek word used is different from the 1 Corinthians
14:35 word translated "be silent". Although in the Corinthian passage silent means "to hold peace", this word silence in 1
Timothy means "stillness" or "quietness" or even "agreement". It expresses the attitude of the learner.
This teachable attitude is the same attitude of humble
submission that any male rabinic scholar was to have in that day. What a beautiful thought! Paul was saying to these women,
wo were never allowed to be taught in a scholarly way in the Jewish synagogue system, that they could be full-fledged disciples.
So what could 1 Timothy 2:11-15 mean? Rather than completely
prohibiting teaching by women, it is possible that Paul was prohibiting their teaching heresy. After all, it was in the very
same city of Ephesus that Priscilla, along with her husband, Aquila, both well known to Paul(Rom. 16:3), taught a male Christian
leader named Apollos(Acts 18:24-26). Other admonitions in 1 Timothy suggest that women were going from house to house (or
perhaps house church to house church) leading others astray. Paul writes about this in 1 Timothy 5:13 where they are described
as "busybodies", saying things which they ought not. In verse 15, Paul warns that "some have already turned aside after Satan"
because of the error of their teaching.
One of the most difficult sections of 1 Timothy 2:11-15
is verse 12, because it seems to say that allowing women to teach men would be giving them "authority over a man"--allowing
them to take the teaching positions that only men should have. Part of the difficulty arises because the Greek word authenteo
occurs here and nowhere else in the New Testament. Let's look at this word to try to determine its possible meaning.
There are many interpretations of authenteo. One says
authenteo means "to dominate." Traditionalists use this passage to demonstrate that women should not teach men because they
would be "taking authority over men." Other traditionalists say that a woman as a missionary may serve as a leader and teacher,
but she may not pastor a church. Some allow a woman to "share" testimonies of great moves of God seen on the mission field
as long as the woman doesn't stand in the pulpit. Therefore, the prohibition is not violated because the woman is not "teaching"
but "sharing." Other traditionalists say a woman is teaching when she actually opens the Bible to read a scripture along with
her speaking time. The line between "teaching" and "sharing" can become very gray indeed. Those who propose this kind of drawing
of artificial lines around certain types of teaching and authority are doing "hermeneutical gerrymandering," making distinctions
in levels of authority in ministry that are not delineated in the Scriptures.
Furthermore, the traditionalists' viewpoints that limit
the setting and to whom a woman can teach do not seem consistent with other Pauline writing, as shown by the example of Priscilla
helping to teach Apollos, a Christian leader(Acts 18:24-26). Another consideration that some may not have considered is the
testimony of Mary Magdalene to the Resurrection(Matt. 28:1-8; Mark 16:9-11; Luke 24:1-10; John 20:11-18). Men everywhere have
been taught the glorious fact that He has risen just as He said from the testimony of this woman out of whom Jesus had cast
seven demons. Clearly, the Holy Spirit trusted a woman to give this message in a trustworthy fashion, knowing that men everywhere
would learn from it. God knew what He was doing and the precedent it would set for the church thereafter!
If Paul did not mean for these texts to universally
prohibit women teaching men, then what could he have been saying in these passages? What else could he have been trying to
correct in the church? In order to find this out, we need to study the meaning of the word authenteo at the time of the first
century. Words can take on different meanings even within one generation. Imagine how they can change down through many centuries!
While the word authenteo has been translated by the
word "authority" in nearly all English versions of the Bible, it is not the same word as exousia, the word used for "authority"
in many other passages. Studies of the use of authenteo in the literature of the day show that the word originally meant "murder."
By the second and third century A.D., its connotation had changed to "having authority over." Authenteo was also used in connection
with sex and murder. Women were known to curse men to death through the use of "curse tablets."
Evidence exists for another possible meaning of authenteo
from that time period--that of "originator." Gnostic heresy during this time period taught that Eve was the first virgin,
the one who had no husband and the originator of all live. She was the "illuminator," full of all wisdom, and Adam was actually
given life when she saw her colikeness lying flat upon the earth, whereas she commanded him to live. When he saw her, he said,
"You will be called 'the mother of the living' because you are the one who has given me life."
This Gnostic myth is, of course, heresy. The Bible
clearly states that Adam was created first and then Eve. The idea that authenteo may have the meaning of "originator" instead
of "take authority" seems to fit in light of the rest of the passage in 1 Timothy: "For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And
Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression"(1 Timothy 2:13,14).
This passage could very well have been written to attach
the Gnostic heresy that Eve was the creator. A further blow is dealt against this error in verse 14, which clearly says that
Eve was deceived. The Eve of Gnostic heresy could never have been deceived because she was the illuminator and all-wise. First
Timothy 1:17 sets the record straight. Only One is all-wise, and that is God Himself.
As a result of this interpretation, the passage could
be translated: "I am not allowing(present tense for that situation) a woman to teach or to proclaim herself the originator
of man (authenteo). Adam was formed first, then Eve.
In light of the prevailing mother-goddess heresy and
emerging Gnosticism in First and Second Timothy and Titus, it seems clear that Paul was bringing correction in 1 Timothy 2:11-15.
He was correcting women or possibly "a woman" or even "a wife" who was teaching some kind of heresy.(The word woman here can
also mean "wife.")
If the admonition for women not to teach was universal,
it would have been strengthened with other passages. Instead, we find many passages to show that women did indeed teach men
and held significant places as leaders in the church(Acts 18:26;21:9; Rom. 16:1,3,7). The Old Testament, which was the Bible
of the early church, offers clear precedents for women teaching men in a variety of settings in 2 kings 22:14;Proverbs 1:8;31:26;
and Micah 6:4.
I believe the Lord is clearly speaking to the body
of Christ today about the need to reexamine our belief system concerning women teaching. We must open our eyes to the fact
that when God anoints women with the gift of teaching, He is releasing great revelation and blessing to the church through
them.
I find it interesting that 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1
Corinthians 14:34,35 cause us so many problems when other obscure passages in the Bible don't bother us even though we don't
completely understand them. For instance, most Christians don't spend lots of time trying to interpret the verse that deals
with baptism for the dead(1 Corinthians 15:29).
I believe a day is coming when we will look back at
the controversy over women teaching in the church and simply shake our heads in wonder that it ever was such a big issue.
----Cindy Jacobs
