Can women teach or speak in Church?

The topic of woman teaching, speaking, or having authority over men, in church, has been argued for years and years. Especially now, because of the Women's Lib. Movement. The whole problem started thousands of years ago in the Garden of Eden.

In the book of Genesis there is a portion of scripture that is frequently mistranslated. The area of scripture that I am referring to is Genesis 3:16. The KJV reads, "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Q.M. Adams says that a more accurate translation of this scripture would be, "Unto the wife he said, I will greatly multiply thy toil and thy sighing; in toil thou shalt bring forth children; and thy turning will be to thy husband and he will rule (oppose, contend) against thee."

It is very disturbing, to me, that in some places in the Bible words from the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic are sometimes translated one way, in reference to men, and then in other areas are translated differently, in reference to women. For instance, according to Q.M. Adams, the Hebrew word that is translated as "conception" in Genesis 3:16, when is used in Isaiah 35:10 is translated as "sighing." (With this specific example it does not make sense for God to multiply something that has not yet taken place). Also, the word that is translated as "sorrow" in Genesis 3:16, can be found in Genesis 5:29, translated as "toil." Paul warns us about this in his second letter to Timothy, chapter 4 verses 3 and 4, saying, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Paul also, in I Timothy 1:6-7 says, "From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." Finally something else Paul tells Timothy in II Timothy 2:15 is, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (handling) the word of truth." The word "study" in the Webster's Dictionary means, "careful examination." In this spirit let us carefully examine God's Word in it's original languages, so as to, "rightly divide the word of truth."

Another portion of scripture that is widely mistranslated is I Timothy 2:10-12. It reads (in the KJV), "But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 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." Q.M. Adams says that a more accurate translation of this scripture would be, "But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let the wife learn with quietness with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to use her self-arms over the man but to be with quietness." Q.M. Adams says that because of the Greek word oude (but not), the word didasko (to teach, to hold discourses with others in order to instruct, to deliver discourses) does not mean to teach in the sense that the word is normally used like in Colossians 3:16 and II Timothy 2:2. "Let the words of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching (didasko) and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men (anthropos- a human being, male or female), who shall be able to teach (didasko) others also." Also, the word that is translated as "godliness" in verse 10 is not the same word that is used anywhere else the word godliness appears in the New Testament. The word that is used here is the Greek word theosebeia, not eusebeia, which means, "piety or well reverent." Q.M. Adams says that the Greek word theosebeia literally means "God-worship," theo (God) sebe (worship). Adams goes on to say that the word professing (epaggellomenais), must not be confused with confess (homologeo). "Profess here means to give oneself out as an expert in something" (Q.M. Adams). Also, the word that is translated as "usurp authority" is the Greek word authentein, which "is composed of autos and entea and means literally 'self arms'" (Q.M. Adams). This word is frequently mistaken for exousia, which means authority.

Now, with an understanding of what the written words actually mean, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to misunderstand what Paul is really saying here. If he weren't saying what I have exposed here, then he would be clearly contradicting himself. And, in this case, saying one thing and then right beside it, saying just the opposite. Something else about this scripture that is interesting is the fact that the word "men" in II Timothy 2:2 is the Greek word Anthropos, which literally means "a human being, male or female." If Paul was not talking about a different form of teaching, then he contradicts himself not only in Colossians 3:16 and II Timothy 2:2 but also in the scriptures found in the next chapter.

In I Timothy 3, Paul talks about some qualifications of overseers in the church. "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work ." This is peculiar. If Paul is saying woman are not to teach in church then why did he use the Greek word Tis (some one, a certain one) for "man" and Autos (he, she, him, her) for "he" in an area where woman "shouldn't be allowed." After all, scripture says in verse 2 "given to hospitality, apt to teach (didaktikos- skilled in teaching).

An area of scripture that is cleared up by this is I Timothy 2:13-15. What does Paul mean by "For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.?" Well, he is simply reminding the wives in the church of what happened before when the wife used her self-arms (authentein) over the man. Remember, in the Garden of Eden when God told Eve that because of her being deceived that her husband would rule against her? Also, the final portion of scripture here, verse 15, is reminding her of the fact that salvation for her as well as her husband, before, came by means of Eve having children. Jesus was born through the blood line of Adam and Eve (obviously). This scripture corresponds with Genesis 3:15-16, "And I will put enmity between thee and the wife (ishshah- a woman or a wife), and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the wife he said, I will greatly multiply thy toil and thy sighing; in toil thou shalt bring forth children; and thy turning to will be to thy husband, and he shall rule against thee."

I will now discuss two more passages of scripture both of which contain some translation problems, but a whole lot more in terms of interpretation problems. In I Corinthinans 14:34-35 is a controversial bit of scripture that has been read out of context, and misinterpreted for years. "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." Now first of all we will fix any problems in terms of translation. The words "your women" from verse 34 should read "the wife." It seems as though when Paul says this, he is contradicts himself because of scripture before this. In verse 31 when he says, "For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." Now is Paul saying that not all may prophesy in church? No, Paul is just doing what he did in three other places in I Corinthians. He stated something he did not agree with and then followed it with the question, What? He does the same thing here in verses 36 and 37. "What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." The other examples of this are, "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of and harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to and harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh" (I Corinthians 6:15-16), "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Corinthians 6:18-20), and "When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not" (I Corinthians 11:20-22).

Finally, the last passage of scripture that I will discuss here is I Corinthians 11:2-16. "On reading these verses one is impressed by the apparent contradictions. For example, by veiling his head a man brings dishonour on his head, but by veiling her head a woman brings honour on her head. In verses 5, 6 we hear that a woman should have a veil as a covering, but in verse 15 that her hair is given her for a covering. Finally the mystery of verse 10, 'because of the angels.' However, 'all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable' (II Timothy 3:16). In studying the verses one by one we shall bear in mind verse 16, where Paul specifies that he and the other churches have no such custom as the one mentioned here, and we shall seek to understand why, in that case, Paul discussed it in such detail" (Q.M. Adams). One thing that I think that points out the fact that Paul is talking about "tradition of men" (Colossians 2:8), is that the word that Paul uses in verse 7 when he is referring to "a man" is the Greek word aner, which is not accompanied by an article, therefore, entailing that Paul was referring to everyone. "For a man (person) indeed ought not to cover his (not in the Greek) head, for as he (not in the Greek) is the image and glory of God." Something else that confirms this is Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." So, when Paul said that man "is the image and glory of God," he was also including women. If Paul was talking about a practice that he was instituting in the church he would not have contradicted it by saying what he said in verse 7. He also would not have, as he did in I Corinthians 14:36-37, state, in so many words, that this is not the commandment of God. In I Corinthians 14:36 he does it by saying, "What? came the word out from you, or came it unto you only." And, here in I Corinthians 11:16 he does it by saying, "Now, (de- but, and, now) if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such customs, neither the churches of God."

It is not my intent to create confusion within the Church. Scripture says in I Corinthians 14:40, "Let all things be done decently and in order." It is, however, my intention to expose the devices of the enemy and utterly destroy the works thereof. The Devil has perpetrated a great deception on the church for years and years. He started in the Garden of Eden by deceiving Eve into eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and then Eve using her self-arms over Adam influenced Adam to do the same. When God asked Adam, had he eaten from the tree that had been forbidden? Adam first blamed God and then blamed the woman. When God asked Eve if what Adam said was true, she pointed out the true perpetrator, Satan. Ever since that point in history took place, the devil has had a specific kind of loathing for women. It is very apparent to me that he has used every device available to himself to keep women down. Not only, does this prove the prophecy that God had told Eve in Genesis 3:16, it also proves the character of the devil. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). If the devil can keep seven eighths of the world's population convinced that they are not to speak in church, teach in church, or profess godliness, then he can prolong the end for himself. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Mathew 24:14).

To end this so as to give plenty examples of women being in leadership roles in the Bible I would like to site a few scriptures. "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time" (Judges 4:4): "This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:" "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown in the sea" (Acts 7:38, Exodus 15:20-21). "For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam" (Micah 6:4). "She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard" (Proverbs 31:15-16). "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained (prevailed upon) us" (Acts 16:14-15). And they (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me" (Mathew 28:8-10). Again, my intent with this report is not to cause disorder, but rather is to "bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Isaiah 61:1).