Archive 2025

Download PDF

Women's Role in Churches, Part 2 ( I Timothy 2:11-15)

D A OLIVA / 2021-09-20

Introduction

 A. This is a continuation of Part I on the same subject as this is an important subject

  1. Some aspects of the same subject were not touched before

  2. So these shall be treated herein as " truth shall make us free," John 8:32

  B. The topics will cover the following points:

  1. "Ask their husbands at home," I Corinthians 14:35

  2. " Shameful for a woman to speak in public," I Corinthians 14:35

  3.Division is evil and must be avoided

  4. Arguments Placing Women as Leaders Answered

Discussion

 A. "Ask Their Husbands at Home," I Corinthians 14: 35

  1. Implied that some/ most of their women, wanting to take the lead in public assemblies, were married

  2. That these women were so inquisitive and insistent as to disrupt or interrupt the public assemblies

 3. No husbands- they could ask their relatives at home (fathers, uncles, brothers or any qualified person)

  4. Greek culture at that time- women/ wives speak in public to and through their husbands, Plutarch, a pagan priest confirmed this

  5. Social/ universal norm at that time in the churches was for the women to " defer (give in as a way of respect) the leadership to the men during the assemblies

 B. " Shameful for a woman to speak in public," I Corinthians 14:35

  1. Prohibition was to speak(laleo) but not to sing jointly with the assembled congregation

  2. Greek and Roman cultures also gave limited rights and privileges to women

  3. The two Biblical reasons were:

   a. Adam was formed first thus it is a God- designed order for man to become the leader

   b. Eve was deceived and committed sin and as a result, God said, " the man shall rule over you," Genesis 3:16

   c.I Peter 3:7 affirms that " women is the weaker vessel or sex."

 C. Division is Evil or Sinful and Must Be Avoided

  1. Those who insist on " modernizing women's role in churches" are causing division

  2. Paul condemns division in Romans 16:17 " mark those people and avoid them!"

  3. In I Corinthians 1:10, he counselled them " not to have divisions among you but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment."

 D. Answering Arguments Favoring Women's Leadership in All Churches of Christ

  1. In I Corinthians 11:5, " women were prophesying" (teaching/ speaking for God)..why not have that today?

   a. The church was still in its infancy and some women had special gifts but these are not available now, I Corinthians 13: 8-10

  b. Not sure whether it was in the formal assembly or it was an all-female group

  c. Apostle John cautioned Christians to " test every spirit if they are from God," I John 4:1

  d. Truth should not conflict with another Biblical truth- law of interpretation or hermeneutics

 2. Galatians 3:28 " There is neither male or female in Christ..for all are one in Christ."

  a. Argued that what men can do, women can do also

  b. This passage should not conflict with the previous prohibitions mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians and in I Timothy

 c. Women as I Peter 3:7 affirms are " fellow heirs of God's gift of life."

 3. Acts 18:26 is used to prove that women can teach over a man. But Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos privately

  4. Romans 16:1 mentioned Phoebe as a servant (deaconess) in Cenchrae, but this was not an official in the local church

  5. Euodia and Syntyche were " fellow workers" of Paul as stated in Philippians 4:2-3. But this passage does not that they took leadership in a local congregation

Conclusion

 A. Summarize the Main Points in the Discussion

  B. Invitation for subscribers and viewers to come to Christ now

   1. II Corinthians 6:2

   2. Matthew 11: 28-30