Clarifying Women’s Role in the Church

On Sunday morning the congregation gathered, hymnals opened and hearts prepared for worship. But as the service progressed, a faithful churchgoer sat stunned—the preacher stepping into the pulpit was a woman. Questions swirled: Is this right? Did something change in Scripture? The sermon began, but the worshiper’s mind could not rest. Ought women to preach in church?

For the believer, “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2Timothy 3:16), and therefore is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. The Apostle Paul’s pastoral epistles—1Timothy, 2Timothy, and Titus—were written to establish doctrine and order within the local church. They contain not suggestions, but Spirit-inspired commands regarding how the assembly should function.

Central to this discussion is 1Timothy 2:12: “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”

Paul’s directive is not cultural or situational; it is doctrinal, anchored in creation order and the fall (1Timothy 2:13–14). To “teach” (didaskein) in this context refers to authoritative instruction in the gathered assembly. To “usurp authority” (authentein) means exercising dominion or ruling authority over men. Together, the terms describe the official, governing function of the pastor-teacher or elder—responsibility that Scripture reserves for men in the church (1Timothy 3:1–2).

Paul reiterates the same principle in 1Corinthians 14:34–35: “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. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”

Here again, the setting is the church, not the home. The command for silence doesn’t prohibit singing, praying or testifying under proper order, but it forbids disruptive speech or authoritative teaching in the gathered assembly. Paul appeals to the Law (Genesis 2–3), showing this order is rooted in creation, not culture.

When we compare 1Timothy 2 and 1Corinthians 14, a consistent picture emerges:

·       Women are to learn in silence with all subjection (1Timothy 2:11).

·       Women are not to teach or exercise authority over men in the assembly (1Timothy 2:12).

·       Women are to refrain from authoritative speaking in the congregation (1Corinthians 14:34).

These passages reinforce one another, and neither can be dismissed as local or temporary. The biblical prohibition is not against all teaching. Paul gives women a vital, honored ministry in Titus 2:3–5: “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, … teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

This is a sanctioned sphere of influence: older women teaching younger women practical godliness. In this, women fulfill a crucial role—nurturing holiness, preserving families and strengthening the testimony of the church.

Paul’s reasoning in 1Timothy 2:13–14 goes beyond circumstance:

Creation Order: “For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” God established headship in creation.

The Fall: “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” The deception of Eve illustrates the danger of overturning God’s order.

Thus, the restriction is not punitive, but protective—reflecting God’s wise design for complementary roles in His household.

Far from silencing women’s contributions, Scripture exalts them. Women served as helpers of the apostles (Romans 16) and as encouragers and laborers in the gospel. Their service is indispensable. Yet God, not culture, sets the boundaries. Just as only certain men qualify for eldership, so also God assigns distinct functions for women, equally valuable but different in scope.

In God’s order men bear responsibility for doctrinal leadership and authority in the assembly. Women bear responsibility for discipleship, hospitality, prayer and spiritual nurture. Both roles glorify God when exercised in obedience.

Don’t confuse equality of worth with sameness of function. Scripture teaches both men and women are equal in salvation and dignity (Galatians 3:28), yet distinct in role. When the church follows God’s order, harmony replaces confusion, and the Word of God is honored.

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” — 1Corinthians 14:40

Richmond Shee