Do I Allow a Woman to Teach Men?
1 Timothy 2:12-14
“But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet. For Adam was formed first and then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, because she was fully deceived, fell into transgression.”
There are a few ways in which this passage has been taken. These go from the most conservative (hard complementarian) to the most liberal (hard egalitarian):
1. Under no circumstances can women teach men in any setting.
2. Under no circumstances can women teach men spiritual truths.
3. Under no circumstances can women teach men theology.
4. Under no circumstances can women teach men the Bible.
5. Women can teach men when there is no male who is willing and able to teach, but this is not ideal (i.e. Deborah as a Judge).
6. Women can teach men in the church but should not be the primary teacher of men.
7. Women can teach men, but they should not hold a position of authority (i.e. elder) in a church setting.
8. Paul did not let women teach due to the often combative nature that teaching must entail concerning the confrontation of false doctrine, but this is limited to similar contexts.
9. Paul did not let women teach, but this was more of a proverbial suggestion rather than an absolute command. This would be likened to Paul’s suggestion that people remain single (1 Cor. 7:26) due to the “current distress.”
10. Paul’s command was purely cultural without any necessary abiding or eternal principles. Because the culture of the day was not prepared to tolerate women teaching men, Paul accommodated the culture by restricting all teaching of men to men, but this is not how God intends things today. Therefore, all teaching roles are equally accessible to both women and men.
My position is a combination of 5, 6, and 8. I reject all the others.
Focusing in on 8 for a moment:
8. Paul did not let women teach due to the often combative nature that teaching must entail concerning the confrontation of false doctrine, but this is limited to similar context. Therefore, men must be the teachers only when combating false teaching. However, because the role of a teacher in the church is so often to combat false doctrine, and because false doctrine is always a problem, generally speaking, the principles are always applicable. The “exercising of authority” is inherently tied to teaching and its necessary condemnation of false doctrine, not administration of those within the church.
The combative nature of teaching is particularly relevant to a broader understanding of the characteristics of men and women. The other day, my wife was confronted by another couple who did not believe that she was doing what was right. She used to do princess parties where she would dress up as a princess (Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty) and go to little girls’ homes and entertain them for an hour or so. She was really good at this. After we moved from Frisco to Oklahoma, she still had one party on the schedule. She called her boss and let her know that she could not do it since we had already moved. Her boss became very angry and began to threaten her. She also said that she was going to bring in her husband (who was a lawyer) and sue Kristie. Kristie became very scared and did not know how to handle this situation, especially since her boss was now using her husband as part of the threat. She told me about this and I told her not to speak to her boss anymore, but to let me handle it. I did. I stepped in and confronted both her boss and her husband’s threats concerning the issue. In the end, they backed off.
I felt that it was my duty and obligation to step in and be strong on behalf of my wife as the situation became confrontational. Kristie is both tender, gentle, and, in those situations, frightened. She was going to give in and travel back to Texas to perform this last party even though she would lose money in the gas it took to go there and back. Her boss refused to pay her mileage.
My point is that men are conditioned to handle confrontation better than women. It is not that Kristie could not have done the same thing as me, it is just that this was not her bent. Women, generally speaking, are not bent to deal with confrontation the same way as men. Teaching in the church involves, more often than not, confronting false understanding.
Can women teach? Absolutely! Can women understand and think as well as men? Most certainly. But the bent of a man is better able to handle the type of teaching that is always necessary in the church.
Would I let a woman teach from the pulpit from time to time? Yes. Paul is not restricting women teachers over men in the absolute sense. The infinitive here, “to teach” is in the present tense which suggests the perpetual role of teaching which exercises authority (confrontation).
I also believe that with the way that most elderships are set up in the Evangelical church today that women can and should be elders. I believe that women should be ordained into ministry. And I believe that women can have the gift of pastor/shepherd and carry this office, understanding that the office of pastor does not necessarily mean primary teacher.
OK, I am now going to get it from my strong complementarian friends and from strong egalitarians friends alike. At least you can say that I am not trying to be a people-pleaser!!
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Jeremy on 19 Sep 2008 at 2:49 pm #
I disagree with you on this subject. While I hold firm to the belief that women are good teachers, I do not believe women should be able to hold authority or teach over men in the church.
What you didn’t confront in this article was 1 Tim 3:14-15. First of all, this letter is addressed to Timothy by Paul. In 1 Timothy 3:14-15, Paul says to Timothy, “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
So we know that this letter was intended for Paul to tell Timothy conduct that should be followed in the household of God. So lets look at what Paul tells Timothy in 1 Tim 2:8-12.
1 Timothy 2:8-12
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13(V) For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
In this passage above, we know from 1 Tim 3:14-15, it is talking in regards to conduct within the Church. In verse 12 Paul says that women are not permitted to teach or exercise authority over men. We know again from 1 Tim3:14-15 that Paul is not talking about women teaching and exercising authority over men in general, but “within the church.”
Paul even gives explanation why this is true:
1 Timothy 2:13-14 - 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
The reason for women not teaching or exercising authority over man within the Church is because God created man first. It is about the order of creation. Not only that, but secondly because woman (Eve) was deceived and became a transgressor (someone who violates a law or command).
Also, along with the “Elders Issue,” here is an excerpt from carm.org (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry) regarding this issue, along with women being pastors. Read below:
“When we look further at Paul’s teachings we see that the bishop/overseer is to be the husband of one wife (1 Tim. 3:2) who manages his household well and has a good reputation (1 Tim. 3:4-5, 7). Deacons must be “men of dignity”(1 Tim. 3:8). Paul then speaks of women in verse 11 and their obligation to receive instruction. Then in verse 12, Paul says “Let deacons be husbands of one wife…” Again, in Titus 1:5-7, Paul says, “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward…” Notice that Paul interchanges the word ‘elder’ and ‘overseer’.
In each case, the one who is an elder, deacon, bishop, or overseer is instructed to be male. He is the husband of one wife, responsible, able to “exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). We see no command for the overseers to be women. On the contrary, women are told to be “dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things” (1 Tim. 3:11). Why is it that it is the men who are singled out as the overseers? It is because of the created order of God that Paul references (Gen. 1-2; 1 Tim. 2:12-14). This is not merely a social custom that fell away with ancient Israel.
Additionally, in the Old Testament in over 700 mentions of priests, every single one was a male. There is not one instance of a female priest. This is significant because priests were ordained by God to hold a very important office of ministering the sacrifices. This was not the job of women.
Therefore, from what I see in Genesis 1-2, 1 Timothy 2, and Titus 1, the normal and proper person to hold the office of elder/pastor is to be a man.”
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Vladimir on 19 Sep 2008 at 6:54 pm #
Michel,
My response could easily be under a discussion of “Orthodoxy”, but I will place it here. I am convinced that the foundational disruption of God’s revealed social order is a heretical concession to worldly social changes that our global economy/society has created. Their principles and ethics are of their kingdom and not of Christ’s Kingdom. A simple example may be found in the exegetical understanding of 1st Corinthians 11:10 and the interpretation of the word sign/symbol on a woman’s head. This issue is not open to a take it or leave it understanding. It is a commandment of the Lord.
Yet the Church at large - esp. in protetstant circles - have interpreted this as a culturally limited reqirement and not a spiritual requirement indicative of Christ’s Kingdom/Church.
Denominations like the PCUSA and Anglican/Episcopal Church USA are now seeing first hand the ill effects of worldly concessions and their consequences.
Vladimir
Eric Ivers on 09 Nov 2008 at 11:29 pm #
You are simply wrong. There is no need to quote other Scripture. The Scripture you quoted is in context, and the language is quite clear. There are no caveats. IN way too many cases, people want the Bible to say what they want to hear, so they pretend that plain language means something other than what it says. God is capable of putting things in more ambiguous forms, but He idn’t do so here.
Stop trying to “interpret” the Bible where no interpretation is necessary. This passage says nothing about the worth or ability of women compared to men, it simply says what God’s order is. If it were up to me, I would be happy to have women teach. This passage goes against what I would like to see. However, it’s not my call, nor yours. God said it.