WOMEN IN CHURCH (3)

0. Introduction

a) What role, if any, should women play in the church? Does the Bible allow women to teach in church, especially to men? Are there female ministers in the Bible? Is it permissible for a married woman to pray publicly? Some believe that ALL women, married or not, should not speak at all during services. Others feel that women should be able to ask questions but not allowed to make statements or comments. They view this type of active participation by women as "teaching men."

1. Marriage and the Gospel

a) Sophrosune gives us an important clue to the context of Paul's statements in 1 Timothy 2:11-12. The fact that Paul is indeed referring to the marriage relationship is revealed by the words "woman" and "man." When Paul stated, "Let a woman learn" he was actually commenting on the Christian role of the wife. "Woman" is translated from the Greek gune (wife), and "man" is translated from the Greek andros (husband). When used with anthropos (man or mankind), gune may mean women in general. But when used with andros, it can only mean "wife" and must be translated so. Paul is not discussing here the general relationship of women to men, but the specific relationship of wives to husbands.

b) The real question is what are the proper roles of the converted husband and the converted wife in relationship to preaching the gospel of Jesus. Paul addresses this question in verses 11-15 of 1 Timothy 2. The context reveals Paul's answer: the natural order is not to be disturbed in the preaching of the gospel. This natural order, ordained by God, is the role of the husband as head of the wife as Paul argues (1 Timothy 2:13-15).

c) The role of childbearing was biologically reserved for the wife from the very beginning. The role of fathering and leadership in the family was reserved for the husband from the very beginning. Paul argues that this is so for the sake of the children. Thus when husbands and wives are interacting at home, in an assembly, or anywhere else, the position of the husband as the natural head of the family should not be undermined! For, as Paul argues, this natural relationship is in accordance with God's ordained order in creation.

d) Does this mean that the wife must be mute in services, or in public in general, when her husband is present or when any man is present? Not at all! The Greek text does not support or warrant such a conclusion. In 1 Timothy 2:11 Paul does not argue that wives are not to learn, but only that they should "learn (manthano) in silence, with all submission." Learn what? Be in submission to whom? In absolute silence? The word translated "learn" here is the Greek verb manthano and grammatically must answer to the Greek verb didasko, to teach. In the simple aorist tense, manthano means to learn anything. But in this context, manthano refers to the wife learning the facts of God's plan of salvation. This wonderful plan of salvation includes women in general and wives in particular! The phrase in the Greek about 'letting a woman learn' is in the present imperative. Thus Paul is commanding here that wives be continually and repeatedly taught the plan of salvation by their husbands!

e) What does Paul mean then, when he commands that this learning be done in "silence" and in "submission?" The Greek word translated "silence" is hesuchia and refers to tranquility of spirit or a state of being undisturbed. Thus Paul is not requiring Christian wives to remain absolutely silent but to speak with calmness and self-control.

i) "One must bear in mind here that during the era of time when Paul was writing, it was usually men who were the ones to receive an education. If this word meant 'complete silence,' women would never have the opportunity to ask questions or increase her [their] knowledge of the Scriptures. Simply speaking, the wife ought to be displaying a tranquil spirit in her attempt to learn" (Zodhiates, The Hebrew/Greek Key Study Bible, World Kein, p. 1497).

f) Paul is encouraging, indeed commanding, that wives speak up, ask questions, learn of God's plan of salvation, but that they do so in a manner that does not undermine the husband's position as head of the family.

g) The word "submission" must also be understood in this context. The Greek word is hupotage and simply means "to place in proper order." Hupotage refers to the natural order that God established between the husband and the wife. Paul simply shows here that in the wife's desire to learn, whether in the family or gathered in Christian fellowship, the proper order requires that she always respect her husband's position as her leader (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:3). As there is complete equality of husband and wife in Christ (Galatians 3:28), Paul is not saying that the wife is inferior to her husband. This is not a matter of superiority and inferiority, as viewed by many today; it is a matter of respecting the God-ordained order in family relationships. Both husband and wife have equal claim and authority over each other (1 Corinthians 7:3-5). Nevertheless, God Himself has ordained that when a man and a woman voluntarily enter into a marriage relationship, the husband is to be the leader (Ephesians 5.22-24), and this role is to be upheld, respected and nurtured for the sake of the children and for the very salvation of the wife (1 Timothy 2:13-15).