Understanding the Scriptures: Can Women Teach in the Church?

Recently a young woman asked about two scripture verses. She was concerned that they did not fit with other truths in God’s Word, or with life. When that seems to happen, it’s good to take a closer look at what the Word really says.

Here are the scriptures that she wondered about:

I Timothy 2:11,12:
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Can’t Women Teach?

At first glance, this looks as if women are to stay quiet and never teach. How could that be, if in Christ there is neither male nor female?

Galatians 3:28:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

All are one in Christ. Every born-again believer has the same “measure of faith,” according to Romans 12:3. Ephesians 4:7 says that “unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

What Is the Context?

Since all believers have God’s gift of holy spirit and are able to teach, why does I Timothy 2 say “I suffer not a woman to teach”? Let’s look at the context of the entire chapter so we can understand what these verses are saying.

I Timothy 2:1,2:
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

The main context of this section of scripture is prayer. Prayer includes specific requests, earnest prayer, interceding for others, and thanksgiving. We pray for all men, including those who hold positions of authority.

The purpose of this prayer is that we can lead a quiet and peaceable life. We live with a true and vital spiritual relationship (godliness) with our Father, and with our lord, Jesus Christ. We do it in “honesty,” openly and clearly before all who want to know what we have in Christ. That’s why we pray for the freedom to live and share the Word with love and boldness.

Verses 3-6:
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

God wants us to have this freedom to show others how to be saved. Then they can have God as their Savior by way of what Jesus Christ has accomplished as our mediator and lord.

In Greek, I Corinthians 8:6 says that we have only one God, the Father, out of Whom are all things and we unto Him; and we have only one lord, Jesus Christ, by means of whom are all things, and we by him. God is the Creator and Source. Jesus Christ is the means, the mediator, whereby we receive all of God’s goodness. Jesus Christ gave his life as a ransom so that we can live for our heavenly Father today.

Verse 7:
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not; a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

Paul was a genuine energized minister who spoke for God. All that follows in this chapter is God’s Word; it is true.

Prayer: Husbands and Wives

Verse 8:
I will therefore that men [husbands] pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

In the overall context of prayer, we see how husbands and wives are to pray and what they are to do. The Greek word for “men” in verse 8 is translated “husbands” elsewhere in the New Testament, depending on the context. The same is true for the Greek word for “women” and “wives.”

Here in I Timothy, husbands are exhorted to pray everywhere by lifting holy hands. In the Eastern culture, people would often raise their hands and pray as they fell asleep at night. This showed that they “gave” everything to God, casting their cares upon Him. That is what it means to lift hands here, to surrender cares and concerns in prayer to our heavenly Father. It also says that when husbands pray, there is to be no wrath and doubting. They are to trust God and believe that He in His goodness will answer their prayers according to His Word.

I Timothy 2:9,10:
In like manner also, that women [wives] adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
But which becometh women [wives] professing godliness with good works.

This verse begins with “In like manner also.” Wives are to have the same trusting attitude toward God as their husbands. There is great power in husbands and wives praying and believing together.

Shamefacedness and sobriety refers to humility and sound mindedness. What makes a wife really beautiful is her true and vital spiritual relationship with our heavenly Father, evidenced by her good works, by how she lives. Now that is a wife worth having!

Learning: An Exciting Adventure

I Timothy 2:11,12:
Let the woman [wife] learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman [wife] to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man [husband], but to be in silence.

In the marriage, the husband is head of his wife as Christ is head of the Church. The wife is to “learn.” This Greek word is related to the word for “disciple” and means to learn by studied observation. Wives need to learn how their husbands work, just as husbands need to learn how their wives work. Husbands and wives both need each other.

I Corinthians 11:12 says: “For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.” The original woman (Eve) was formed from the man (Adam); she was “of the man.” And all men are “by the woman.” Every man is born from a woman—they all have a mom. But “all things” are of God. He is the source of all.

I Timothy 2:11 says that a wife should learn in “silence,” which means being quiet on the inside. The Apostle Peter spoke of wives having this inner quietness.

I Peter 3:1-4:
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear [respect].
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price [that’s what makes a wife so valuable in God’s sight].

The Greek word for “quiet” in verse 4 is translated “silence” in I Timothy 2:11. It is used in Greek literature of a quiet, peaceful sea after a storm. There are no big waves or turbulence. That’s how a wife beautifully works with meekness to help her husband so that they both see God’s blessings in their lives.

Submitting to One Another

I Peter 3:5:
For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands.

I Timothy 2:1 says the wife is to learn in all “subjection.” This word means a loving obedience by proper arrangement and deliberate decision. Ephesians 5:21 says all believers are to submit to one another in the respect of Christ. The next verse says that wives are to submit unto their own husbands as unto the Lord.

It is out of our respect for Christ and what he has done for us that we lovingly submit to each other by our proper arrangements. In marriage, the proper arrangement is for the wife to lovingly obey her husband as unto the lord.

Wives are not the only ones who are to “learn” in the marriage relationship. I Peter 3:7 says: “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

Husbands need to dwell with their wives according to “knowledge.” They need to learn how to love and care for their wives as Christ cares for the Church. That takes some learning to do it right.

In this context of marriage, a better translation of I Timothy 2:12 is:

But I do not allow a wife by teaching to take over the husband’s rightful authority, but to have an inner quietness.

It doesn’t mean that a woman or wife can’t teach, but in the marriage relationship (and in the overall context of praying together) the wife is to follow her husband’s loving lead. The husband is to humbly get all the input from his wife that he needs. That is how she is to be “in silence.”

This doesn’t mean that she can’t talk, but that she has that beautiful inner peace that God designed for godly wives to have. That is what adds so much stability to a husband’s life, especially during challenging situations.

Doing Things God’s Way

I Timothy 2:13,14:
For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

This goes back to the beginning. Adam came first, and Eve was designed to be the perfect complement for him. It is still true today. A wife is exactly what a husband needs.

We do know from Genesis 3 that Eve was initially deceived by the serpent. II Corinthians 11:3 explains this: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Satan, as the serpent, beguiled Eve through his subtlety.

Even though Eve was “in the transgression,” the point here is that a wife needs the support of her husband. Without Adam’s help, Eve got tricked. Both husband and wife need each other to have a successful marriage.

Verse 15:
Notwithstanding she shall be saved [made whole] in childbearing [child rearing, raising a child]…

The context is authority, the husband and wife’s proper arrangement by their deliberate decision. Since the husband is head in the marriage and has authority over the wife, how can the wife be completed or made whole in her authority?

One way a wife sees her authority is in raising children. She can do so many things for the children that her husband cannot do. The context is not about being saved from childbirth, but being saved in carrying out child rearing.

Verse 15:
…if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

This phrase actually goes with next verse in the beginning of chapter 3. There are no chapters in the original text. So these two statements go together.

I Timothy 3:1:
This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop [one who looks over others, an overseer], he desireth a good work.

The context is “If the husband and wife continue in their believing, love, and setting themselves apart to do the Word in their marriage” with sound mindedness, then the desire of a husband to be an overseer is a beautiful act in the sight of God.

Only when a husband cares for his wife as Christ cares for the Church can that husband really consider being an “overseer” for the Church. Even a single man (or woman) who wants to be an “overseer” must have this loving attitude toward others. He should learn to love and care for others as Christ cares for the Church.

I am thankful for the many wonderful women, including my wife, who have taught by word and example how to be more Christlike. God wants all of his children, men and women, to teach His Word and bring deliverance to others.

In looking at the context of I Timothy 2, we see that women are not to “keep silent” in the Church. It shows that in marriage, wives are to have an inner peace that promotes a loving relationship with their husbands and serves as an example to other believers. Then they lovingly speak up and teach as needed. That way, others are built up.

I Corinthians 14:26:
… Let all things be done unto edifying.