A Woman's Place

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. (I Timothy 2:11-15)

      Let’s begin with what this passage does not say. It does not say that women cannot teach. It says that women aren’t permitted. There’s a difference. The first concerns their capacity; the second, their practice. It does not say that women are worth less than men, or that they don’t have formidable minds. It doesn’t say that they don’t have anything worthwhile to say or that they should be ignored or mistreated by men. Lastly, it doesn’t say that any of this is a cultural or temporal matter that we can ignore today as being an ignorant perspective. It is a subject of controversy, and one with which I am not comfortable. I’ll return to that part later.

        When Adam and Eve sinned, there were consequences for all the people who came after them (Romans 5:12 ff,) for creation (Romans 8:15-23,) and for God (Romans 5:15 ff.) It might not seem fair that because Adam and Eve sinned, we are all born with a sin nature, but that’s the reality. It might not seem fair that because Adam and Eve sinned, that creation was subjected to futility, but not only is it the reality, but we’re probably only alive because it was. It is definitely not fair that God would have to send His Son to die because Adam and Eve (and we) sinned, but He did. Equally, it might not seem fair that when King Saul disobeyed God, his sons were also disqualified from kingship over Israel, but God chose David to take Saul’s place.  

          We don’t have the view of things that God does. This passage doesn’t say that women can’t teach at all – we just shouldn’t teach or exercise authority over a man in Church. I know that submission in any form is a struggle, but submission was required of the men a few days ago: men were to submit to those in authority, and pray, not act, not fight. Now, women are to submit. 

          This is not to say that I don’t have any problems with this idea. My first problem is the question of what this meant in practice even in Paul’s day. Churches often met in women’s houses, and in that culture, the house was the woman’s responsibility. More importantly, Paul listed Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Junias, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, Euodia and Syntyche in his letters. Many of them he describes as co-workers. Priscilla is of special note because she and her husband, Aquilla, apparently spent some time teaching Apollos about Christ, and both times that Priscilla and Aquilla are mentioned, her name comes first. Paul also doesn’t seem to have had a problem with Timothy’s education in Scriptures having come from his mother and grandmother. All this means that I’m not clear about what Paul actually practiced. 

         My further difficulty with this is the Church’s inconsistency. Women led monasteries, and even double monasteries (both men and women.) They oversaw everything but the duties of priesthood. Some Roman Catholic saints (Catherine of Sienna comes to mind) wrote letters to popes arguing for some action on the pope’s part. She and others like her were sought out as having great wisdom. In the last couple centuries, single women have become missionaries and the church has praised them for going, teaching, preaching and making disciples. Then, when their work was noticed as being significant, men would show up and take over. If it’s wrong, it’s always wrong. If it’s not always wrong, then can you say that it’s wrong this time?

         But this leads me to Deborah and Jael (Judges 4,) Abigail (I Samuel 25), the woman at the well (John 4) and other examples of strong women found in Scripture – women who didn’t necessarily live according to Scriptural teachings. I am left with the conclusion that it may not be fair, and we may not understand what Paul was saying and doing. If we are going to obey God’s Word (and I suggest we do) then I suggest we be consistent about it.

          Finally, Scripture makes it clear that while God establishes rules, He also makes exceptions to at least some of them. God has the right to call a woman to teach and to lead if He wishes. I must be suspicious of a “call” to ministry if the woman’s attitude or purpose involve proving a woman can do it or just because a woman has a “right to equality.” I would be suspicious of a church that called a woman in order to show the world their commitment to “diversity.” Worldliness is not a good thing in the Church.

          I have no easy answers here, including no answer at all about the statement about women being preserved through childbirth. I know some people who will disagree with me. They’re welcome to make their arguments from Scripture if they wish, but they should make sure that their arguments are from Scripture because just as women are (apparently) not to exercise authority over men, so the world is not to exercise authority over the Church.