Why Should Women Be Silent in the Churches?
What did the Apostle Paul mean when he said women should keep silent in the churches and be in subjection? Was Paul a chauvinist? Was the admonition cultural and no longer applicable to us today? What about all the women pastors, overseers, bishops, and church leaders we see today? Are they all wrong?
You know the Apostle Peter said even back then when the church was young, many did not understand Paul’s letters and twisted them (2 Peter 3:16). The same happens these days. Nothing new. The issue of women keeping silent is one such matter that is either ignored or taken to extremes by men and women.
So what does Paul mean that women must be silent and not speak? Scripture interprets scripture, and to get a full understanding of Paul’s teachings, it’s good to go through all his letters and study them and understand everything in totality rather than taking one verse out of context.
We will examine some passages of scripture in this article to rightly divide this subject matter:
1. Women must not teach or usurp authority over the man
1 Timothy 2: “10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp (authenteó -To have authority, to exercise authority, to dominate) authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was FIRST formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
When you read verse 12, Paul says he does permit women to teach or exercise authority over a man. That’s the kind of talking he is talking about: teaching men. Remember, this letter was written to Timothy to guide him in establishing church order, appointments, and administration. He did not mean all forms of talking, like greeting the brethren or doing any form of ministry, or fellowship. That would be silly.
2. This is the commandment of the Lord
1 Corinthians 14: “34 Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 36. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 38But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.”
Again, Paul is speaking about preaching and leading in the church. The word of God cannot be given by a woman as an authority in the church, and Paul is clear. Headship in the home and church belongs to men; this gives glory to Christ. Paul bases his reason on creation just as he did in 1 Corinthians 11:8-9. The man was created first, and the word of God, even at creation, on dominion and headship, came to him before Eve was formed from his side (Genesis 2:16-22). Paul tells the young gentile Corinthian church, that this is the commandment of the Lord and is not up for debate. It is still a command for the modern-day church.
This is a foundational issue that goes back even before the fall. God created man and woman with specific roles, and he never changed his mind. This order was there before the fall. Woman was subject to man from the beginning. The word of God never came to her but to Adam. Her sin of listening to the serpent and leading the fall was caused by her usurping of authority. Satan came to her regarding the word of God that came to Adam and tricked her. Satan did that on purpose. He always seeks to usurp God’s authority by leading women to take positions that do not belong to them and leading men to play submissive roles. And without exception, this leads to a bad fall.
3. What kind of talking?
1 Corinthians 11: “4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head, for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.”
Here he says women can pray and prophesy if they have their heads covered. That involves talking. So this is acceptable. That means the talking he is referring to that women cannot do, is not praying or prophesying, but teaching and leading in the church where men and women gather. That would not be proper because proper headship would not be displayed. In the church, women must be in submission.
4. Male qualifications of elders and bishops
1 Timothy 3: “1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)”
Titus 1:”5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”
Here again in his letters to Timothy and Titus on appointing church leaders and setting ORDER in the church, he clarifies further that elders and bishops are men. In 1 Timothy 3, he clarified chapter 2 by stating that bishops can only be men. This term, Bishops, is also in other translations termed overseers or church leaders, and in Titus, the word elder is used. That’s a pastoral, leading role: overseeing the church. That’s the kind of authority he is forbidding women from having in the church: women being shepherds and teaching men in the church as their authority. A man can never be in submission to a woman; it is not God’s order and is not proper.
I believe the five-fold ministry, as long as it is exercising authority in the church—and usually, it is—is for men, and that’s what the NT shows us in the book of Acts, the early churches, and in the ministry of Jesus without exception. We don’t see any women apostles or pastors being sent to teach churches and correct doctrine and such like authority. Women took more submissive service roles.
5. Man is the head in his house and the house of God
I Timothy 3:5: “For if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?”
GOD The father is very orderly and organized. He set men to be heads in their homes and likewise set them to be heads of his church, the family of God. The Head of Christ is man. When man leads in the church, he represents his head, Christ. The same way a family should be run is how the church should be run, with man as the head. Why? Because God said so and designed it so. Adam was created first and given dominion over the earth to lead it, and then Eve was given to him as a suitable strength and support.
Ephesians 5:23-24: “23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
6. Priscilla, a women teacher
Acts 18:26: “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.” Romans 16:3: “Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus.”
Priscilla and her husband Aquila taught Apollo, a mighty teacher of the early church, the word of God. Priscilla was teaching and talking. But she was not teaching men in the church or exercising any authority over Apollos or the men. This was an informal teaching setting, and she was not a bishop or overseer. But she and her husband Aqulla did host a house church (1 Corinthians 16:19) so I’m sure in the fellowship there were teaching moments for her, but not as the overseer or bishop. And again we see her teaching Apollos with her husband and not alone, proving she was under authority.
7. What ministries can women do?
In Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, Paul lists many gifts of the spirit given to believers, including women. Read that chapter. Many of them involve talking, and women can do any of them. Women can prophesy. Joel 2:28 says so. Paul says so in 1 Corinthians 11, and we also see women who prophesy in the New Testament (Philip’s daughters).
The only ministries women cannot do are those that involve exercising authority over men in the church and leading men, and these are mainly pastoral, overseer, and elder roles, as these involve leading and taking authority over the church as a shepherd. Men lead the flock of Christ as a fathers. A woman cannot do this; that’s usurping godly authority. See 1 Corinthians 11.
You can see this proven by the fact that all Jesus apostles were men; all the apostles, prophets, teachers, and evangelists in the book of Acts were men. These were leaders giving oversight to the churches. Women took a more submissive role as helpers and supporters in the church and not the main authority.
8. Apostle Paul labored with many women
Women can teach but never as leaders in the church or teaching men as their authority. They can teach women and children; they can teach men informally, like in a social setting, at work, or home, as Priscilla did with her husband with men who need some discipleship (that’s not exercising authority). They can sing, show mercy, write, evangelize, and take leadership positions in certain roles as long as it does not mean exercising authority over men and being their head.
We see Paul commending Phoebe to do some ministry in Rome and asking the church to receive her (Romans 16:1). He commended many women who served with him, but they were not elders or bishops or teaching and leading churches. However, some hosted churches in their homes, like Lydia at Philippi (Acts 16:40).
Paul worked with many women and held them in high regard. The argument that Paul was anti-women is a lie. He simply respected the order God ordained for men and women in creation and the purposes for which God created them, and he had received the patterns of church governance by revelation from the Lord Jesus, and so what he taught is inspired and must be obeyed. It was God himself speaking through Paul.
9. Women’s desire to rule over and control men
If a woman preaches to a new convert on the street, and he gets saved and she teaches him a few things about God’s word, that’s not what Paul is talking against. But she should not become this man’s primary or long-term teacher as that is not proper but try to connect him to godly men to walk with him. Posting on Facebook, recording videos, discussing scripture with men in fellowship, or writing books is not exercising authority. Understanding what Paul meant is key because it all came down to women usurping authority and leading and teaching men doctrine in the church.
Paul did not hate women, but he understood creation headship and authority from what Jesus himself taught him as the custodian of the gospel to the Gentiles. He had the blueprint for church governance. We do well to listen and obey despite personal ambitions. Just because you want to lead men does not mean you should. Remember Genesis 3:16. “And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” Unsanctified women always desire to rule men because of the fall (hence feminism). That’s why women must subject themselves, deny themselves, and follow Christ and his word.
10. Godly teaching example of Timothy’s grandmother and mother
2 Timothy 1:5: “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”
2 Timothy 3:1: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Paul also commended Timothy and his faith and gave credit to his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, who taught him the scriptures. They were instrumental in bringing up a man of God like Timothy. Women have plenty of opportunities to teach God’s word, and the main place is in the home to their kids, who will grow up to be great leaders and even great overseers. This is not a belittling role at all.
11. Man and woman are not independent of one another in the Lord
1 Corinthians 1:11-12: “In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.”
In the Lord, men and women are all equal heirs of salvation. They just have different roles, which should be taken with great honor because they glorify God. We should not seek to glorify ourselves but glorify God by being who he created us to be!
Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
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