Without a proper understanding of the Mystery/Secret of Christ and the Church/Assembly, one will not fully grasp the Familial Authoritative Order, and can then come up with erroneous, false doctrines, such as:
-Women not being allowed to teach men
-Women not being allowed to preach or be ministers
-Men being in charge of women
Yet, if the above things were correct, then there'd be numerous contradictions in the Scriptures, such as:
"for as many as to Christ were baptized did put on Christ; there is not here Jew or Greek, there is not here servant nor freeman, there is not here male and female, for all ye are one in Christ Jesus" -Galatians 3:27-28
"And I commend you to Phebe our sister -- being a ministrant of the assembly that [is] in Cenchrea --that ye may receive her in the Lord, as doth become saints, and may assist her in whatever matter she may have need of you -- for she also became a leader of many, and of myself." -Romans 16:1-2
"And in Joppa there was a certain female disciple, by name Tabitha, (which interpreted, is called Dorcas,) this woman was full of good works and kind acts that she was doing" -Acts 9:36
"And from that city many believed in him, of the Samaritans, because of the word of the woman testifying, -- `He told me all things -- as many as I did.'" -John 4:39
"And Deborah, a woman inspired, wife of Lapidoth, she is judging Israel at that time" -Judges 4:4
"The Lord doth give the saying, The female proclaimers [are] a numerous host." -Psalm 68:11
"`Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When a man or woman doeth singularly, by vowing a vow of a Nazarite, to be separate to Jehovah" -Numbers 6:2
...and there are MANY more, in both Old and New Testaments...
Yet, many people will discount all the above Scriptures because of the following:
"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." -1 Timothy 2:12 KJV
Yet if you look at what the above says, more literally, you'll see it says the following:
"and a woman I do not suffer to teach, nor to rule a husband, but to be in quietness" -1 Timothy 2:12 YLT
1 Timothy 2:12 is referring to the husband and wife relationship in the church, in demonstrating the Mystery of Christ and the Church. We know it's referring to a husband in verse 12, and not men in general, because:
1) The KJV says "the man," not men, and the YLT says "husband."
2) Both translations say "a woman," while just a few verses prior, it was saying "the women." "A woman" is referring to specific women (married women).
3) The verses following 1 Timothy 2:12 refer to husband and wife, and conclude that the wife will be saved in the child-bearing if they (husband and wife) continue in "faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety." (From verse 15)
Before we continue, we need to take a look at what the Mystery of Christ and the Church is, so that we can see how 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, 1 Timothy 2:11-15, and 1 Corinthians 14:33-40 work within that Mystery.
The Mystery of Christ and the Church
"21 subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.
22 The wives! to your own husbands subject yourselves, as to the Lord,
23 because the husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ [is] head of the assembly, and he is saviour of the body,
24 but even as the assembly is subject to Christ, so also [are] the wives to their own husbands in everything.
25 The husbands! love your own wives, as also the Christ did love the assembly, and did give himself for it,
26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed [it] with the bathing of the water in the saying,
27 that he might present it to himself the assembly in glory, not having spot or wrinkle, or any of such things, but that it may be holy and unblemished;
28 so ought the husbands to love their own wives as their own bodies: he who is loving his own wife -- himself he doth love;
29 for no one ever his own flesh did hate, but doth nourish and cherish it, as also the Lord -- the assembly,
30 because members we are of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones;
31 `for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall be -- the two -- for one flesh;'
32 this secret is great, and I speak in regard to Christ and to the assembly;
33 but ye also, every one in particular -- let each his own wife so love as himself, and the wife -- that she may reverence the husband." -Ephesians 5:21-33
I included verse 21, even though it is not part of the subject started in verse 22, because I wanted to point out how it says that Christians are to submit to one another - not giving any gender stipulation. In other words, Christian women are to submit to Christian men, and Christian men are to submit to Christian women - "subjecting yourselves to one another."
It then starts into the next topic, which goes into when Christian submission is different, and that is in the marriage relationship - the Familial Authoritative Order. In this case, as we see in verses 22-33, the wife is to submit to her own husband as her head, and the husband is to love his wife as his own body, and as Christ loves the church. The above verses are teaching us an ordinance. Yes, Christian marriage is an ordinance. An ordinance is simply a Scripture-given symbol that is there to teach us a real spiritual lesson. The baptism ordinance symbolizes the Christian dying, then reviving back to life, born again out of the water, as a new creature in Christ. Baptism doesn't save us, it simply gives a public profession and an ordinance symbol of our salvation that precedes baptism.
The communion ordinance in the partaking of the unleavened bread and wine symbolize Christ's body broken on the cross for us, and His shed blood to pay for our sins. Communion doesn't save us. We are to be saved before we ever partake of communion. It is a symbol of our salvation, of when we did get saved.
So too with the Marriage Ordinance. It is between Christian husbands and wives. In the home, this is isn't practiced as a church ordinance, but as a Familial Authoritative Order. The husband symbolizes Christ, which is the Head, and the wife symbolizes the church, which is the body.
"because the husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ [is] head of the assembly, and he is saviour of the body" -Ephesians 5:23
"because members we are of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones" -Ephesians 5:30
In the Home
In the home sphere, the wife submits to her own husband, as he is her authoritative head, as Christ is the head of the church. The wife symbolizes the church, which is the body, submitting to Christ, and the husband symbolizes Christ, the head of the church.
However, the Christian husband is also a member of the body of Christ, being a Christian, and the wife has authority in her home, even though she is not the head:
"I wish, therefore, younger ones to marry, to bear children, to be mistress of the house, to give no occasion to the opposer to reviling" -1 Timothy 5:14
"Mistress" is translated from the Greek word oikodespoteō, which is a verb, which means to be the master, the head, or the ruler. The wife is the master of her house. She takes care of the house and children. The house is her sphere, and it's not the husband's job to tell her how to keep house, however if she is doing poorly, he certainly should speak up to help her, but not rule her in this sphere.
As a Church Ordinance During the Non-Preaching Time
In the home the husband-wife authority is specifically the Familial Authoritative Order. In church, the Familial Authoritative Order takes part as a church ordinance, demonstrating the Mystery of Christ and the Church. During the non-preaching time, the wife, as well as all in the church, are allowed to use their voices to sing worship music and hymns, as well as to share testimonies, ask for prayer requests, etc.
However, the wife is to don a covering on her head during specific times, to show that even though she may be leading prayers (talking to God) or prophesying (hearing from God and proclaiming it to others) in the church, she is still doing so with her symbolizing the body/church, and her husband symbolizing the head/Christ. She is to cover her head when talking to (praying) or hearing (prophesying) from God in a church gathering - she and her husband are one. He is the head, she is the body. Her head is covered to show a physical symbol of this:
"and every woman praying or prophesying with the head uncovered, doth dishonour her own head, for it is one and the same thing with her being shaven" -1 Corinthians 11:5
Notice the above is telling us that women can pray and prophesy in church. She can do this, as long as her head is covered. This demonstrates the Marriage Ordinance which was reiterated just a couple verses prior, where it said:
"and I wish you to know that of every man the head is the Christ, and the head of a woman is the husband, and the head of Christ is God." -1 Corinthians 11:3
Here we see the same thing that Ephesians 5 went into great detail about. The head of Christ is God, the head of the husband is Christ, and the head of the wife is the husband. Does this mean that Christ is not the head of Christian wives? No. Christian wives are a part of the body of Christ, the church, the same as Christian men are, and Christ is the Head of the church:
"For, even as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also [is] the Christ" -1 Corinthians 12:12
"And himself is the head of the body -- the assembly -- who is a beginning, a first-born out of the dead, that he might become in all [things] -- himself -- first" -Colossians 1:18
Remember, the husband symbolizing the head/Christ, and the wife symbolizing the body/church is just a symbol. It's an ordinance, with the wife covering her head showing she submits to her husband as her head, as the church is to submit to Christ as its head.
The wife is to have her head covered when she is praying or prophesying in church, because she is talking to, or hearing from God, so she does so, showing she is in full submission to both Christ THE Head, and to her husband, her familial authoritative head.
This praying and prophesying time is not during the sermon. The church service is to have order and peace:
"What then is it? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray also with the understanding; I will sing psalms with the spirit, and I will sing psalms also with the understanding" -1 Corinthians 14:15
"for ye are able, one by one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted" -1 Corinthians 14:31
"for God is not [a God] of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints." -1 Corinthians 14:33
Why does 1 Corinthians 11:5 mention the woman being headcovered specifically during prayer and prophesying in the church? What about if she is exercising any of the other spiritual gifts? I believe it only mentions prayer and prophesying, because those are speaking to God and hearing from God.
The wife demonstrates the Mystery of Christ and the Church (Familial Authoritative Order) Ordinance via having her head covered in church when she is praying or prophesying. Does this mean she is not to be head covered during any other time in or out of church? Not necessarily. That is up to her and her freedom in Christ. If she wants to be ready at all times for a spontaneous church gathering (where two or more are gathered in the name of Christ) and ready for prayer or prophesying in such circumstances, it may be more convenient for her to cover all the time, or all through church services, just in case. Or, she may choose to carry a cloth in her purse, so that if/when such times arise, she can quickly place the cloth on her head as a covering.
The Mystery of Christ and the Church Demonstrated During the Sermon at Church
Since things are to be done in an orderly fashion in the church, what about how this ordinance is demonstrated during the sermon, which is the learning time at church?
"33 for God is not [a God] of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.
34 Your women in the assemblies let them be silent, for it hath not been permitted to them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith;
35 and if they wish to learn anything, at home their own husbands let them question, for it is a shame to women to speak in an assembly.
36 From you did the word of God come forth? or to you alone did it come?
37 if any one doth think to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you -- that of the Lord they are commands;
38 and if any one is ignorant -- let him be ignorant;
39 so that, brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy, and to speak with tongues do not forbid;
40 let all things be done decently and in order." -1 Corinthians 14:33-40
I quoted all of the above, because the topic is contained within the container verses 33 and 40, where both are referring to keeping peace and order in the church services. The verses preceding these talk about how to exercise the gifts of tongues and prophecy during church, and then starting with verse 33, we begin to transition into keeping order in the church during the sermon/learning time.
Verses 34 and 35 are telling Christian wives that they are to be silent during the learning time - "if they with to learn anything," and they are to remain under subjection to their own husbands. We show the ordinance of the Mystery of Christ and the Church during the learning time in the church service via the wife not talking during the sermon, and remaining in subjection to her husband.
The wife is specifically not to ask her husband questions during the sermon or learning time, but if she has any questions, she's to save those until she gets home, and then can ask him - "at home their own husbands let them question."
We now turn to the sister scripture to the above. 1 Timothy 2:11 - 1 Timothy 3:13 are also Scriptures about order in the church, as 1 Corinthians 14 is. However, 1 Corinthians 14 mostly focuses on the gifts of the Spirit, and 1 Timothy 2:11 - 1 Timothy 3:13 focuses more on the offices in the church. 1 Corinthians 12 lists the offices shortly after it lists the gifts:
"And some, indeed, did God set in the assembly, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, afterwards powers, afterwards gifts of healings, helpings, governings, divers kinds of tongues" -1 Corinthians 12:28
1 Corinthians 14 is mostly about exercising the gifts of the Spirit in the church. 1 Timothy 2:11 - 1 Timothy 3:13 focuses more on the qualifications of certain offices in the church. However, just as 1 Corinthians 14 took a few verses to go into how the Christian married couple exercises the Mystery of Christ and the Church ordinance during the sermon, so too does our sister church order section of 1 Timothy 2:11 - 1 Timothy 3:13:
"11 Let a woman in quietness learn in all subjection,
12 and a woman I do not suffer to teach, nor to rule a husband, but to be in quietness,
13 for Adam was first formed, then Eve,
14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman, having been deceived, into transgression came,
15 and she shall be saved through the child-bearing, if they remain in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety." -1 Timothy 2:11-15
Here we see that the above parallels wonderfully with 1 Corinthians 14:33-40.
In the above, we see that the wife is to be quiet during the sermon, which is the learning time - "in quietness learn." She is reminded to remain in subjection to her husband. We see that while in the 1 Corinthians 14 passage she is specifically not to ask him questions during the sermon, we see here in our 1 Timothy 2 passage that she is not to teach her husband during the learning time. In other words, as per 1 Corinthians 14, if she doesn't understand the sermon, she is to ask her husband about it later, at home, and as per the 1 Timothy 2 passage, if the wife is understanding the sermon, but her husband is not, she is not to teach it to him during the sermon/learning time, but to remain quiet during the learning.
As we see, if we just read the Scriptures at what they say, neither the 1 Corinthians 14 passage, nor the 1 Timothy 2 passage is stating that wives can't teach their husbands or other men, or preach at churches. They just say that wives are to remain under the subjection of their husbands and be quiet during the LEARNing time at church. They are not to ask their husbands questions during the sermon, nor are they to teach their husbands during the sermon. This is how the Mystery of Christ and the Church and the Familial Authoritative Order ordinance is practiced during the learning time at church. During the other times at church, the wife is free to speak, the same as the men, but if she leads prayer or prophesies, then she needs to have her head covered - and that is how she shows the Ordinance in that case.
Let's Break This Down
As per Ephesians 5:22-33, and 1 Corinthians 11:3, we see one of the Ordinances of the Christian is that of the Marriage Ordinance, which is to demonstrate the Mystery of Christ and the Church, in which we have established the Familial Authoritative Order. God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of the husband, and the husband is the head of the wife in this symbolic ordinance order.
- In the home, this is demonstrated via the Familial Authoritative Order, in which the wife is master of the home, but the husband is the head of the wife.
- In the church service, NOT during the sermon, this ordinance is demonstrated with the wife covering her head if she is speaking to God (praying) or God is speaking to her to speak His Word to others (prophesying).
- In the church service, DURING the sermon/learning time, this ordinance is demonstrated via the wife remaining in submission to her husband, and being quiet during the sermon, AKA the LEARNing time.
What about When Women are Doing the Preaching in Church?
Women preaching in the church are not practicing the Familial Authoritative Order ordinance at that time, because they are not in the congregation praying and prophesying, when they are up front preaching, nor are they sitting with their husbands listening to a sermon. They are the ones delivering the sermon, and are ministers of their churches like Phebe was:
"And I commend you to Phebe our sister -- being a ministrant of the assembly that [is] in Cenchrea --that ye may receive her in the Lord, as doth become saints, and may assist her in whatever matter she may have need of you -- for she also became a leader of many, and of myself." -Romans 16:1-2
"Ministrants -- in like manner grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not given to filthy lucre, having the secret of the faith in a pure conscience, and let these also first be proved, then let them minister, being unblameable. Women -- in like manner grave, not false accusers, vigilant, faithful in all things" -1 Timothy 3:8-11
Or perhaps they are preaching women elder presbyters, like in the following:
"If any believing man or believing woman have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the assembly be burdened, that those really widows it may relieve. The well-leading elders of double honour let them be counted worthy, especially those labouring in word and teaching" -1 Timothy 5:16-17
Jesus encouraged women preachers, so therefore should also the Christian church:
"1 When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus more disciples doth make and baptize than John,
2 (though indeed Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples,)
3 he left Judea and went away again to Galilee,
4 and it was behoving him to go through Samaria.
5 He cometh, therefore, to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the place that Jacob gave to Joseph his son;
6 and there was there a well of Jacob. Jesus therefore having been weary from the journeying, was sitting thus on the well; it was as it were the sixth hour;
7 there cometh a woman out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her, `Give me to drink;'
8 for his disciples were gone away to the city, that they may buy victuals;
9 the Samaritan woman therefore saith to him, `How dost thou, being a Jew, ask drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?' for Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, `If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.'
11 The woman saith to him, `Sir, thou hast not even a vessel to draw with, and the well is deep; whence, then, hast thou the living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who did give us the well, and himself out of it did drink, and his sons, and his cattle?'
13 Jesus answered and said to her, `Every one who is drinking of this water shall thirst again;
14 but whoever may drink of the water that I will give him, may not thirst -- to the age; and the water that I will give him shall become in him a well of water, springing up to life age-during.'
15 The woman saith unto him, `Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.'
16 Jesus saith to her, `Go, call thy husband, and come hither;'
17 the woman answered and said, `I have not a husband.' Jesus saith to her, `Well didst thou say -- A husband I have not;
18 for five husbands thou hast had, and, now, he whom thou hast is not thy husband; this hast thou said truly.'
19 The woman saith to him, `Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet;
20 our fathers in this mountain did worship, and ye -- ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where it behoveth to worship.'
21 Jesus saith to her, `Woman, believe me, that there doth come an hour, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father;
22 ye worship what ye have not known; we worship what we have known, because the salvation is of the Jews;
23 but, there cometh an hour, and it now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also doth seek such to worship him;
24 God [is] a Spirit, and those worshipping Him, in spirit and truth it doth behove to worship.'
25 The woman saith to him, `I have known that Messiah doth come, who is called Christ, when that one may come, he will tell us all things;'
26 Jesus saith to her, `I am [he], who am speaking to thee.'
27 And upon this came his disciples, and were wondering that with a woman he was speaking, no one, however, said, `What seekest thou?' or `Why speakest thou with her?'
28 The woman then left her water-jug, and went away to the city, and saith to the men,
29 `Come, see a man, who told me all things -- as many as I did; is this the Christ?'
30 They went forth therefore out of the city, and were coming unto him.
31 And in the meanwhile his disciples were asking him, saying, `Rabbi, eat;'
32 and he said to them, `I have food to eat that ye have not known.'
33 The disciples then said one to another, `Did any one bring him anything to eat?'
34 Jesus saith to them, `My food is, that I may do the will of Him who sent me, and may finish His work;
35 do not say that it is yet four months, and the harvest cometh; lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and see the fields, that they are white unto harvest already.
36 `And he who is reaping doth receive a reward, and doth gather fruit to life age-during, that both he who is sowing and he who is reaping may rejoice together;
37 for in this the saying is the true one, that one is the sower and another the reaper.
38 I sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured; others laboured, and ye into their labour have entered.
39 And from that city many believed in him, of the Samaritans, because of the word of the woman testifying, -- `He told me all things -- as many as I did.'
40 When, then, the Samaritans came unto him, they were asking him to remain with them, and he remained there two days;
41 and many more did believe because of his word,
42 and said to the woman -- `No more because of thy speaking do we believe; for we ourselves have heard and known that this is truly the Saviour of the world -- the Christ.'" -John 4:1-42
"The Lord doth give the saying, The female proclaimers [are] a numerous host." -Psalm 68:11
