Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures in this article will be quoted from the NRSVue Bible.

Does the Bible Really Say Women Must be Silent, Can’t Preach, and are Subordinate to Men?

The Complementarian camp says “Yes.”  They base this off of two main Scriptures:

Women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is something they want to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.  -1 Corinthians 14:34-35

Christian Complementarians say that the above teaches that women are not allowed to speak in churches, and therefore cannot be preachers and pastors.

Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.  -1 Timothy 2:11-12

Christian Complementarians say that the above teaches that women are not allowed to teach men, and that men have authority over women.

Does the Bible Really Say Women Must be Silent, Can’t Preach, and are Subordinate to Men?

The Egalitarian camp says No.  They base their stance on many Scriptures, of which the below are some:

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  -Galatians 3:27-28

In Christ, there is no genetic heritage, monetary status, or gender.  All Christians are viewed as one in the same.

At that time Deborah, a prophet, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.  -Judges 4:4-5 

Deborah was the leader of the nation of Israel, and she was also a prophet who spoke the word of God.

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts and especially that you may prophesy.  -1 Corinthians 14:1

All Christians are told to strive for spiritual gifts, especially prophecy.  Other spiritual gifts include speaking in tongues, teaching, etc.

So, my brothers and sisters, strive to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues  -1 Corinthians 14:39

All Christians are told to desire to prophesy, and also not to forbid speaking in tongues.  Therefore, it’s not a sin if a woman speaks in tongues in church, but it is a sin, if people forbid her to.

One day Elisha was passing through Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to have a meal. So whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for a meal. She said to her husband, “Look, I am sure that this man who regularly passes our way is a holy man of God. Let us make a small roof chamber with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” One day when he came there, he went up to the chamber and lay down there. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him.” -2 Kings 4:1-12

The Shunammite woman chose to invite the prophet Elisha.  There’s no mention of her getting her husband’s permission, first.  This woman of God was speaking with a man of God directly, not having to have her husband be the middle man.

Years later…

He complained to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” He carried him and brought him to his mother; the child sat on her lap until noon, and he died. She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, closed the door on him, and left. Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.” He said, “Why go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “It will be all right.” Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do not hold back for me unless I tell you.” So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.  -2 Kings 4:19-25

The Shunammite woman didn’t have time to tell her husband what happened. She just told him to get her the donkeys and servant, and when her husband asked what was going on, she just said ‘it will be alright,’ and then she took off.  She didn’t need her husband’s permission. Further, he clearly trusted her to make wise decisions, and didn’t think he had to be in charge of her.

but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled shames her head—it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved.  -1 Corinthians 11:5

Here we see that women pray and prophesy.

‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  -Acts 2:17-18

Both males and females receive the Spirit of God, and prophesy.

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child[Jesus] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.  -Luke 2:36-38

The prophet Anna was telling anyone who was looking for the redemption of Jerusalem about Jesus Christ.  In other words, she was preaching Christ to the lost who were seeking.

So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophet Huldah the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she resided in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, where they consulted her.  -2 Kings 24:14

The king had found a copy of the Bible (as much as was written then) and read it.  He was appalled to learn that they were not keeping God’s Word.  He sent a priest and some of his men to ask the woman prophet Huldah, what to do.  They went to the woman, not to her husband, to seek out the Lord’s will.

I commend to you our sister Phebe, a minister of the assembly at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord, as becomes saints, and assist her in whatever matter she may require from you, for she has been a leader of many, and of myself also.  –Romans 16:1-2 CMLV (Corrected More Literal Version)

Phebe was a minister of the church in Cenchreae, and she was a leader.  We see that she was even a leader of Paul.  A woman was a leader of both women and men.

And let them first be tested; then, if they prove themselves blameless, let them serve as deacons. Women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be married only once, and let them manage their children and their households well  -1 Timothy 3:10-12

In the qualifications of the deacon, which is a minister/preacher, there are special instructions to women ministers.

Greet Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus  -Romans 16:3

Prisca/Priscilla was a woman, and was a coworker with Paul the apostle in Christ. Notice also that her name is mentioned before her husband's name.  In each mention  of this couple in the New Testament, her name is more often mentioned before her husband's.  Scripturally, the more prominent one is usually mentioned first, before the less prominent one.  For example: Ephraim and Manasseh.  Manasseh is the firstborn, and therefore supposed to have his name before his brother's, but Ephraim is more prominent than Manasseh, so his name is mentioned first.

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately.  -Acts 18:26

Here is a Christian woman teaching a man about Christ.  We see a woman, Priscilla, teaching a man about The Way, which was what Christianity was often referred to, in the Scriptures.  Again we see Priscilla's name mentioned before that of her husband's, indicating, that she was the more prominent teacher.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Israelites who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.  -Romans 16:7

Junia, a woman, was a prominent apostle.

Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.  -Romans 16:12

Tryphaena and Tryphosa were female workers in the Lord.

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my coworkers, whose names are in the book of life. -Philippians 4:2-3

Euodia and Syntyche were women who did the work of the gospel with Paul, Clement, and others.

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.  -Acts 9:36

Not all the disciples of Jesus were men.  Tabitha was a female disciple, as we see above.

Soon afterward he went on through one town and village after another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them out of their own resources.  -Luke 8:1-3

Those who followed Jesus included women.  Here we see some of the female followers mentioned by name: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and “many others.”  We also see that the above is mentioning that women were providing for Jesus and the 12 disciples, "out of their own resources."

But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.  -Luke 23:49

Woman followers of Jesus stood at a distance, watching Christ during the crucifixion.

So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.  -Genesis 1:27

Both men and women are created in the image of God.  Jehovah is translated from the Hebrew word Yahweh.  Yahweh can be broken down into the short form, used several times in the Bible - Yah, and the second part of His name is - weh.  Yah is a feminine noun, and weh is a masculine noun.  God's name is both feminine and masculine. Both genders are in the image of God, because God is both.

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.  -John 4:27-30

and

They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”  -John 4:42

The disciples were likely shocked that Jesus was talking to a woman, because women were often viewed in society in most cultures as “less.”  They weren’t often educated, including in the Scriptures.  Jesus didn’t discriminate against women as culture did, as women are in the image of God, just as men are, and in Christ there is neither male nor female.  This woman then went into the city, and preached Christ to the men and women there, and then they followed her out, to meet Jesus.

If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her assist them; let the church not be burdened, so that it can assist those who are real widows. Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching  -1 Timothy 5:16-17

Widowed women who were elders that ruled well, preached, and taught, were to be given double honor.

The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host  -Psalm 68:11 NASB

This is referring to women preaching the good news of God to the lost.

Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When either men or women make a special vow, the vow of a nazirite, to separate themselves to the Lord  -Numbers 6:2

Women could take the vow of the Nazirite, just as men could.

His daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah.  -1 Chronicles 7:24

Sheerah was a woman who built cities, and even had one named after her.

Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”  -Matthew 28:9-10

After His resurrection, Jesus first appeared to women. He told those women to go tell the male disciples and the others to meet Him in Galilee. In other words, women were the first people to preach Christ's resurrection, after He rose from the dead, and were told by Jesus Himself to tell the others.

The Elder to the choice Kyria, and to her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those having known the truth  -2 John 1:1 YLT

A book in the Bible, the second epistle of John, was written to a woman.

Do we Have a Contradiction?

As you see, Scriptures that the Egalitarian camp use are many, and the above is not all of them.

Why then does the Complementarian camp stick with the two sections of Scripture mentioned at the beginning of this treatise, but largely ignore the many Scriptures of the Egalitarians?  The Comps will try to dismantle the Egal Scriptures, and try to show that they mean other than what they say.  If there were only a few strong Egal Scriptures, that could be viable, but when there are dozens upon dozens of Scriptures that say differently than the Comp’s interpretations of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, and 1 Timothy 2:11-12, then we need to consider that perhaps the Comp’s interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 is wrong.

The standard Complementarian view of these two passages in question cannot be correct, else we have contradictions in the Word of God, and God’s Word does not contradict.  This is a classic case of “One-Verse Willyism.”  This is where a person, group, or cult takes a few verses, and stands them alone, and creates a doctrine from them, ignoring the culture at the time of the penning of those verses, and ignoring the context in the Scriptures.

Understanding 1 Corinthians 14:34-35

Women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is something they want to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.  -1 Corinthians 14:34-35

There is a convincing argument that the two above verses were actually added to the Bible, and were not in the originals.  While I don’t think this is the case, it is something to consider, for the following reasons:

1)     1) The topic of the whole chapter is about speaking in tongues, and prophesying in the church, in an orderly way.  Verses 34 and 35 seem to be out of place, when you read the whole chapter in one sitting

2)     2) Some ancient manuscripts have verses 34 and 35 following verse 33, but there are other ancient manuscripts that have verses 34 and 35 instead following verse 40.  This introduces the possibility that verses 34 and 35 were later added by someone other than Paul, as a footnote, and some copyists thought it was supposed to be in the text, and it was added, but there was not agreement on where in the text these two verses were supposed to go.

3)      3) The Latin Codex Fuldensis of AD 546/547 has notes stating that verses 34-35 should be omitted, indicating they were possibly not in the original text.

It’s viable to consider the possibility that these two verses in question were not in the original Bible.  Take a look at verses 34-35 in their surrounding context.  Do they seem to fit, to you?

²⁶ What should be done then, my brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three and each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. ³⁰ If someone sitting receives a revelation, let the first person be silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged ³² (and the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, ³³ for God is a God not of disorder but of peace), as in all the churches of the saints.³⁴ Women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak but should be subordinate, as the law also says. ³⁵ If there is something they want to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. ³⁶ Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?³⁷ Anyone who claims to be a prophet or spiritual must acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. ³⁸ Anyone who does not recognize this is not to be recognized. ³⁹ So, my brothers and sisters, strive to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues, ⁴⁰ but all things should be done decently and in order.  -1 Corinthians 14:26-40

The whole chapter is about speaking in tongues and prophesying. It comes after chapter 13, where it says that while gifts of the Holy Spirit (including tongues and prophesying) are great, love is greater than those.  Chapter 13 follows chapter 12. Chapter 12 lists some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues and prophesying.  In chapter 11, verse 5 refers to women prophesying and praying.  How do verses 34 and 35 fit in the context?  At face value, they do not fit, and they don’t seem to belong, but I think they do belong, and here’s why…

Psalm 12 and Matthew 5 indicate that God protects the Bible, and is keeping it pure.  I believe this, and I therefore think verses 34 and 35 do belong in the Scriptures.  Let’s go through the earlier 3 points.

I’ll do point 1 last.  Point 2 mentioned that some manuscripts have these verses after verse 40.  Read this chapter either way, and regardless if the two verses in question are after verse 33, or after verse 40, nothing changes.  Also notice that both verses 33 and 40 are the “order” verses – “God is a God not of disorder,” and “all things should be done decently and in order.”

As for point 3, while it is compelling, there have been zero Greek manuscripts found that omit the two verses in question, so we therefore can’t base the removal of these two verses on one Latin manuscript.

Now to point 1 – it seems like these two verses don’t fit the context.  They actually do. The only way they don’t fit the context, is when they are read with the Complementarian interpretation.  If we read them within the context of the time they were written, and within the context of the chapter, something magical happens: we see what 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is actually saying.

This is easier to see, when these verses are translated more literally.  Therefore, I am going to replace the NRSVue’s translation of verses 34 and 35 in the below, with the CMLV (Corrected More Literal Version).  I will have the CMLV verses in green, and the NRSVue verses in the standard text color of this treatise.  Please note that “assembly” is the same as “church.”

²⁶ What should be done then, my brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three and each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. ³⁰ If someone sitting receives a revelation, let the first person be silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged ³² (and the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, ³³ for God is a God not of disorder but of peace), as in all the churches of the saints.³⁴Your wives should be silent in the assemblies. For they are not permitted to speak but should be subject, as the law also says. ³⁵If they want to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is a shame to a wife to speak in an assembly. ³⁶ Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?³⁷ Anyone who claims to be a prophet or spiritual must acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. ³⁸ Anyone who does not recognize this is not to be recognized. ³⁹ So, my brothers and sisters, strive to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues, ⁴⁰ but all things should be done decently and in order.  -1 Corinthians 14:26-40

If the above verses in green are saying that women aren’t allowed to speak at all in church, then we have contradictions just a few verses away.  In verse 26, it talks of both men and women coming together in church with hymns, lessons, revelations, tongues, and interpretations.  Verse 1 in the chapter says “Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts and especially that you may prophesy.”  Verse 39 says “So, my brothers and sisters, strive to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”  Therefore, we can see, just from this very chapter itself, that verses 34 and 35 must not be teaching that women aren’t allowed to speak in church.

Remember, the context of chapter 14 is speaking in tongues and prophesying, while taking turns, in an orderly fashion, and listening to those who are speaking.  The key words in this chapter, regarding verses 34 and 35 are “silent,” and “learn.” 

We see that if one wants to speak in tongues, but there is no one there to interpret, then they are to be silent – “But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God.”  It also says “in church,” indicating that they are free to speak in tongues aloud, without an interpreter, outside of an assembly/church gathering.

·        >> In church, if you speak in tongues, but there is no interpreter, you must be silent.

Prophesying is to take place with one person speaking at a time, while the others are silent, and are learning from what they are hearing – “If someone sitting receives a revelation, let the first person be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn.”

·        >>If you are prophesying, wait until it’s your turn to speak, and when it’s not your turn, you must be silent, so that you can hear the speaker, and learn.

Under the context of speaking in tongues aloud only if there is an interpreter, and prophesying one by one, we see the next instance of the word “silent” in verse 34 – this is a reminder specifically to the wives/women in the assembly/church to also be silent if they have a tongue, but no interpreter, and that if they have a prophecy, to wait their turn.  They are to quietly listen, as is also told in verse 30.

Women were generally not as educated as the men on the Scriptures and often in general education.  The wives would turn to their husband and ask questions about what the tongue interpreters were saying, or what the prophets were prophesying. This was disruptive, but church is supposed to be orderly. The wives were reminded to stay quiet, and ask those questions to their husbands at home.

Let’s break this down:

³⁴Your wives should be silent in the assemblies. For they are not permitted to speak but should be subject, as the law also says. ³⁵If they want to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is a shame to a wife to speak in an assembly.

·         The wives/women are to be silent in church if they have a tongue, but no interpreter, or if they have a prophecy, but it’s not their turn to speak.

·         They are to be subject to this rule (law) as are all the others in the congregation.

·         “If they want to learn” indicates that the women of those days weren’t as educated, and had questions about what they were hearing in church, from the tongue interpreters and the prophets.  They were therefore commanded to wait to ask their questions to their husbands at home, and not in church.

·         If they were to ask their questions in church, it would be a shame to them, because they’d be disrupting the orderly service with their talking, while people were trying to listen to the tongue interpreters and/or prophets.

How does this apply to women today, who are educated, and have equal access to the Scriptures?  Simply that when in the assembly, which is the church gathering, when someone speaks in tongues, and one stands to interpret, we should stay quiet and listen, just as the men are to.  When one stands up to prophesy in church, we should be quiet, and listen, just as the men are to. If we don’t understand what a tongue interpreter said, or what a prophet said, we are not to be disruptive by asking right then and there what they mean.  We are to remain silent, and listen to the tongue interpreter, or the prophet, and we can ask our questions to our husbands later, at home.

Interestingly, one of the biggest proponents of the “women must be silent in church” stance are certain Baptist denominations, but most Baptist denominations teach that there are no more tongues, prophecy, or gifts of the Holy Spirit. They teach that those gifts stopped after we got the full cannon of the Bible.  This is incorrect, but that’s not what this treatise is about.

Therefore, under their stance,  they say that verses 34 and 35 are relevant for today, (with their interpretation being that women are to be silent in the church) but the rest of chapter 14 is not for today, because according to them, there is no more tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophesying.  This is a classic case of "One-Verse Willyism."

What about 1 Timothy 2:11-12?

Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.  -1 Timothy 2:11-12

For years, I tried to tie the above in with 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, because I thought they were talking about the same thing, since both passages use the words “silent/silence,” ‘submit/subject,’ and “learn.”  Then, I studied both of these passages in the Greek.  This is when I learned that these two passages are actually talking about different things.  When we read a translation of something, sometimes we lose the meaning, because the language translated into doesn’t always have a readily available, sufficient word for the original language.  This is the case with 1 Timothy 2, but it can be more accurately translated, and I will show you a few such translations in a little bit.

If you read these two verses by themselves, it looks like they are saying that women have to be silent, and they are not to have any authority over men.  This has lead to a LOT of abuse of innocent, Christian girls, because they felt they had to submit to a male predator, which was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

By taking just these two verses, without paying attention to the time and culture in which they were written, and the context of the surrounding verses, one could conclude that men are in charge of women.  If this is what the above verses mean, then we have massive contradictions in the Bible, because Deborah was in charge of the whole nation of Israel; the Shunemite woman had dealings with the prophet Elisha, and he therefore dealt with her, not with her husband; Phebe was a minister of the church in Cenchrea and was a leader of both men and women, women apostles and disciples are mentioned by name in the New Testament, there were women preachers and prophets in both Testaments, and we even have an instance where the king sent a priest and other men to a woman prophet, to inquire of the Lord what to do.

First, let us look at the culture of that time.  As I mentioned in our above study of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, women were generally not as educated as the men were, and didn’t have as much knowledge of the Scriptures.  However, women tend to be spiritual by nature, so they will often seek out spiritual things.  We see inklings of this being a problem here in the book of Timothy.

In 1 Timothy 5:13, it says of the young widows, that they’d do something that is not good:

Besides that, they learn to be idle, gadding about from house to house, and they are not merely idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say.  -1 Timothy 5:15

The above word translated as “busybodies” is not translated as “busybodies” elsewhere in the Scriptures.  The Greek behind this word is periergos.  This word is only in the Bible twice, and the other place it occurs is entirely relevant to 1 Timothy 2:11-12, as you’ll see, as we continue weaving this tapestry of truth.

Periergos is also in Acts:

A number of those who practiced magic[Periergos] collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins. -Acts 19:19

In the above, we see that periergos was translated as “magic.”  The people burning the books of magic were people who newly turned to Christ, and wanted to get rid of their magic books of their previous religion.  If you read all of Acts chapter 19, you’ll see that the religion there was worship of Artemis/Diana.  She is the same false goddess known in the Old Testament as Ashtoreth/Ashteroth/Queen of Heaven.

Uneducated women of the time, who were given limited or no knowledge of the Scriptures were drawn to Artemis worship, where they could worship the "divine goddess."

The young widows of 1 Timothy 5 were idle, so they went from house to house, spreading their knowledge of Artemis, the female goddess they ignorantly were drawn to.

Here’s a more literal translation of 1 Timothy 5:15, and we are going to tie this in to other Scriptures in 1 Timothy:

 And at the same time, they learn idleness, going from house to house, and not only idleness, but also speaking foolish things, even magic, speaking things they ought not.  -1 Timothy 5:15 CMLV

Before we look at more Scriptures related to this in Timothy, let's get some Scriptural, contextual background.  1 Timothy 1:3 says:

I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach different teachings  -1 Timothy 1:3

Notice two very relevant things in the above verse, which has everything to do with understanding our controversial verses of 1 Timothy 2:11-12. 

1) The church Timothy was over, when he received the epistle of 1 Timothy from Paul, was in Ephesus.

2) Paul tells Timothy that he must instruct certain people not to teach different teachings.

What were the "different teachings" in Ephesus, that have anything to do with the women in Timothy's church?  Recall the young Ephesian widows in 1 Timothy 5 were going house to house, teaching magic.  What was the Ephesian magic that women were drawn to?  Let's take a look:

A number of those who practiced magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins. -Acts 19:19

When the above happened, the idol makers for the false divine goddess Artemis were enraged, because they were losing Artemis worshipers, which means less money made for them, in selling idols...

You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her.” When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”  -Acts 19:26-28

Do you see the connection?  The Greek word  periergos is only in the Bible twice, and the two times are completely connected.  

A number of those who practiced magic[Periergos] collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins. -Acts 19:19

 And at the same time, they learn idleness, going from house to house, and not only idleness, but also speaking foolish things, even magic[Periergos], speaking things they ought not.  -1 Timothy 5:15 CMLV

 Some women in Timothy's church, which was in Ephesus, were going around teaching magic.  The women were drawn to Artemis worship, as she was the "divine goddess."  As a side note, this is the same goddess of Wicca.

We see the influence of these women on Christian women in the verses that precede our 1 Timothy 2:11-12 passage.

also that the women should dress themselves in moderate clothing with reverence and self-control, not with their hair braided or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God.  -1 Timothy 2:9-10

The braided hair likely refers to the extravagant hair temples women used to wear, where they would braid jewels and ribbons in their hair.  Further, the wealthy women used to wear the clothing of women of royalty, which were see-thru robes.  They were very expensive, and see though – thus not at all moderate.

Women were being influenced to dress for, and learn the ways of the Artemis religion – the magic.

We see another instance about women influencing others to evil instead of to good, in Timothy:

and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.  -1 Timothy 2:14

In Genesis chapter 3, we read about the fall of humans.  In Genesis 2:17, God directly told Adam to not eat of the tree of Good and Evil.  This was before Eve.

There is no record of God directly telling Eve not to eat of the tree, but we see in Genesis 3, that she knew not to eat of it, so we can assume Adam told her about it.  Yet, Eve was deceived by the serpent, and ate of the tree.  Adam was right there with her, the Scriptures record, and Eve talked him into eating of it, as well.

Adam was directly told by GOD to not eat of that specific tree, yet his wife convinced him to go against the wishes of God, which eventually lead to the death of both Adam and Eve.  We’ll get back to this point shortly, but for now, I’m using this to point out how 1 Timothy 2:14 is reminding us that wives (often being the more “spiritual one,”) can influence their husbands away from God, and we must be careful of this.

Here we see a groundwork laid: Women were generally not as educated as the men, and didn’t have as much learning of the Scriptures.  Therefore, some of them turned to Artemis, whose temples were all over, especially in Ephesus.  Just as Eve followed the false teaching of the serpent, and influenced her husband to do so, these women mentioned in 1 Timothy were young widows going house to house, talking of magic.  Who were the ignorant married woman talking about magic to?  Their husbands.

Recall earlier that I said that in English, there appears to be many similarities between 1 Timothy 2:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, but when read in Greek, we see they are talking about two different things.  Let’s take a look at this, now.

Let a woman learn in silence[hēsychia] with full submission[hypotagē]. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority[authenteō] over a man; she is to keep silent[hēsychia].  -1 Timothy 2:11-12

The above Greek words are not accurately portrayed in the English.  The ISV 2.0 Bible recognized this, and tried to remedy it, by translating 1 Timothy 2:11-12 as follows:

Let a woman learn with a quiet spirit, and submissively.  Moreover, in the area of teaching, I am not allowing a woman to instigate conflict toward a man. Instead, she is to remain calm. -1 Timothy 2:11-12 ISV 2.0

What many Bibles translate as “silence” in “let a woman learn in silence,” the ISV 2.0 says “a quiet spirit.”  Why?  This is because the word “silent/silence” in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 is NOT the same Greek word used for “silent/silence” in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.

In the 1 Corinthians 14 passage, the Greek underling silence is sigaō, which means to be silent, quiet, to hold one’s peace, to keep a secret hidden.  This is NOT the Greek word underlying silent in the 1 Timothy 2 passage. 

The Greek underlying silent there, is hēsychia, which means stillness, calmness, a quiet spirit.  We see hēsychia translated as “quiet spirit” in 1 Peter 3:

Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit[hēsychia], which is very precious in God’s sight. -1 Peter 3:3-4

If hēsychia meant “silence,” then the above would say “…let your adornment be the inner self with lasting beauty of gentleness and silence, which is precious in God’s sight.”

Could  you imagine if hēsychia were wrongly translated as “silence” there in Bibles?  Christian women would be told they are only to be seen, and not heard.  We wouldn’t be allowed to talk.

“Quiet spirit” is a bit hard to understand, but ‘stillness’ makes sense to most people, and hēsychia means stillness, calmness, a quiet spirit.  I think translating hēsychia in 1 Timothy 2 as “stillness” makes a lot of sense.  The ISV 2.0 translated it as “quiet spirit” at the beginning of the passage, and then as “calm” at the end of our passage in question, but if they translated it as stillness/still, it would have made more sense, in my opinion.

Now we see that 1 Timothy 2:11-12 isn’t telling the woman to be quiet, or silent.  It’s telling her to be in stillness – to be calm.  Next, we come to the word hypotagē, which the NRSVue translated to submission.  In the Greek, it’s more literally “subject/subjection.”

The next Greek word in question is a big one – authenteō.  Most Bibles translate this word as “authority,” but this is not the Greek word for authority.  The Greek for “authority” is exousia.  For example:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities[exousia], for there is no authority[exousia] except from God, and those authorities[exousia] that exist have been instituted by God. -Romans 13:1

In our 1 Timothy passage - I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority[authenteō] over a man, we see authenteō, not exousia.  Authenteō means ‘ones who use their own hand to kill others, or themselves.’  As you see, this is a very serious word, and this is the only place in the Bible where it appears.  The ISV 2.0 translated this word as “instigate conflict,” but that is still not powerful enough.  In our 1 Timothy 2 passage, it is literally telling the wife to be calm, and not to take her husband’s life.  How is this fitting the context, and why does it say this?

This is where we need to look at the context of the chapter.  Right after verses 11 and 12, it says:

For Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. -1 Timothy 2:13-15

Let’s work through this passage backwards, working back up to verses 11-12.  The above says the wife will be saved in or through childbearing, if “they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”

If the husband and wife continue in the things listed above, the wife will be saved in childbearing.  What is this referring to?  It must be referring to Genesis chapter 3, because the words preceding this clearly are.  Let’s take a look at childbearing in Genesis chapter 3:

To the woman he said, “I will make your pangs in childbirth exceedingly great; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”  -Genesis 3:16

This is referring to the judgment brought to Eve and women, which happened after the fall of humans.  What lead to the fall?  We now move further up in our above 1 Timothy 2:13-15 passage, and we see “Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”

What was Eve’s transgression? We saw this a bit earlier in  this treatise – she talked Adam into going against the command of God, and doing what the serpent said, instead.  She lead him to his eventual death.  This was a spiritual form of authenteō.  The spiritual form of authenteō is to spiritually mislead someone, and what were the women in 1 Timothy doing?  They were spiritually misleading people, leading them to magic.

With all this in mind, let us look at a more literal translation of 1 Timothy 2:11-12:

Let a wife learn in stillness, with full subjection.  I do not permit a wife to instruct or spiritually mislead her husband.  Rather, she is to be still.  -1 Timothy 2:11-12 CMLV

The wife is to be allowed to learn – “let a wife learn.”  The wife is to learn in stillness, with subjection.  The wife is not permitted to spiritually mislead her husband, such as towards magic, Artemis, or other false teachings that lead him away from God.  Instead, the wife is to remain still or calm, and learn.  The wife is not to be like Eve, who spiritually mislead Adam to his eventual death.

Let a wife learn in stillness, with full subjection.  I do not permit a wife to instruct or spiritually mislead her husband.  Rather, she is to be still.  -1 Timothy 2:11-12 CMLV  For Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. -1 Timothy 2:13-15 NRSVue

How does this apply to women today, who are educated, and have equal access to the Scriptures?  It simply means we are not to mislead our husbands away from God, as Eve mislead Adam away from God.  We are to continue learning, and to learn in stillness.  Notice the CMLV says “wife” and “ husband,” rather than “woman” and “man.”  This is because the Greek underlying these words can mean married or not married.  It is to be determined, via context.  We see the context here is clearly married, as we have ‘THEY continue in faith…’ and it is talking about childbirth, and Adam and Eve.

Does the Bible Really Say Women Must be Silent, Can’t Preach, and are Subordinate to Men?

No, it doesn’t.  In fact, as shown earlier in this treatise, we have many examples in the Scriptures of Godly women who were leaders, and preachers, and we see men submitting to women in some cases, such as the nation of Israel submitting to Deborah, and the king’s men and the priest consulting a female prophet, upon the king’s orders.

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is teaching

• In church, the wife is not to speak aloud in tongues if there is no interpreter, as is commanded to both genders earlier in the chapter
  
  
• In church, the wife is not to prophesy out loud, if it is not her turn.  Prophets were to take turns, and speak one at a time.  This was commanded to both genders, earlier in the chapter.
  
  
• The keyword "learn" is there to remind us that the women of those days weren't as educated as the men, and had a habit of asking their husbands questions during the church service, which brought dishonor or shame to the woman, because she was disrupting the church service with her talking.  These women were therefore told to wait to ask their questions to their husbands when they got home.

What does 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 mean to us, today?  Simply to not speak in tongues or prophesy in church if it is not your turn, and while listening to tongues and prophecy in church, not to ask one's husband questions about what is being heard during the church service, which would be disruptive. Both genders in the congregation are instructed in chapter 14 to be quiet and listen, as people speak one at a time, and not everyone at once.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 is about

• Church order in Ephesus: Where the big religion was Artemis worship. Artemis was a goddess, and therefore, some Ephesian women were drawn to the magic this false religion offered.  This was a predecessor to today's religion of Wicca.
  
  
• Again we have the word "learn," reminding us that many women of that day were not as educated as the men.  The women in Timothy's church were instructed to learn quietly about the truth of Christ, and to refrain from instructing their husbands in the way of Artemis, which could draw their husbands away from the Truth in God, as Eve lead her husband to disobey God in the Garden.  

What does 1 Timothy 2:11-12 mean to us, today? Statistically, women are shown to be more spiritual than men.  Women are responsible for learning the truth in Christ, and not to mislead others/men/their husbands towards false religious teachings, which could draw them away from Christ, and lead to their spiritual death.  This was the sin of Jezebel:

But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practise fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. -Revelation 2:20-21  NRSV

As we see above, it wasn't a sin that this woman was teaching the church, the sin was in what she was teaching.  She was leading people away from Christ, via her false teachings.  The 1 Timothy 2 woman is to learn proper teachings about Christ, so as not to deliver damnable teachings, which can lead people to hell.

In conclusion, let's remember the big picture:

There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  -Galatians 3:28