Gender roles determine how males and females should think, speak and interact in society. Over 60% of adult churchgoers in the USA are women. This topic surveys God’s word as we consider female roles & functions in the apostolic church.
To begin, let’s consider a few women in the Old Testament (OT). First, Ge.1:26-27 “God created man in His own image [and likeness], in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” It takes both male and female, both genders, to complete the image and likeness of God!
In the Bible, the books of Ruth and Esther are named for women. Also Judith, Susanna and additions to Esther are in the apocryphal books. Esther was a queen in the Persian Empire.
However, we read of no females in the OT holding positions in the priesthood, tabernacle/temple, or synagogue! The priesthood or religious authority in ancient Israel consisted of only the male descendants of Moses’ brother Aaron (Ex.28:1), within the tribe of Levi. There were no female priests.
Besides Ruth and Esther, we see other notable women in the OT. In Ex.15:1, 20-21 Moses’ older sister Miriam led the women in dancing. (cf. 1Sm.18:6-7) After the men sang, she followed the men with a refrain to honor God. She was a “prophetess” and leader of women, here doing public dance and praise. Pulpit Commentary Ex.15:20 “Prophetesses [so-called] were common in Egypt at a much earlier date.”
Judges 4–5 is the account of the prophetess Deborah, a woman (or wife) of Lapidóth. Deborah was a civil judge, the only female judge in scripture. Jg.4:4-6 “She sat under the palm tree of Deborah and the sons of Israel came to her for judgment.” Deborah’s palm tree was an ancient version of a judge’s courthouse. She settled disputes and rendered judgments for the fledgling ‘nation’. People came to her (this wasn’t a synagogue or a church). Barák’s timidity led to Deborah’s action in Jg.4. She and Jaél (Jg.4:21-23) were heroines. Deborah wasn’t associated with God’s tabernacle or priesthood.
In 2Ki.22:12-20 and 2Ch.34:20-28 is the account of the prophetess Huldáh. Her husband (or son, ref Septúagint/LXX 2Ki.22:14) held a royal court position. She had a school for women in Jerusalem and was a relative of Jeremiah, according to the Talmud (Meg. 14b). Jeremiah preached repentance to the men; she preached repentance to the women (Pesik R. 26). While Jeremiah was away from Jerusalem, she was asked to prophesy. In 2Ki.22:14, representatives of the king “went to Huldah; now she lived in Jerusalem, the 2nd Quarter.” They communed with her privately in her sector of the city. This wasn’t in the ‘house’ of the Lord, the temple. Nor was this in a synagogue.
2Ki.22:15-20 “She said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, I will bring evil on this place. Because they have forsaken Me. But to the king [Josiah] of Judah, you shall be gathered to your grave in peace.” (No conditional ‘if’.) God’s judgment came upon Judah, as she said. But King Josiah died in war, not in peace (2Ch.35:20-25)! Some Bible scholars view her prophecy as false in that regard (cf. De.18:22). However, Josiah ignored God’s words (2Ch.35:21-22). It ended badly for both king and nation. Whatever her accuracy, Huldah wasn’t associated with the temple or priesthood.
Noadiáh was a so-called prophetess who tried to intimidate Nehemiah. Nehemiah said in Ne.6:14, “Remember Tobiáh and Sanballát, and Noadiah the prophetess who were trying to frighten me”. Nehemiah speaks of this (false?) prophetess among those his enemies.
Bible historians say a prophet’s wife was also called a ‘prophetess’ (as a mayor’s wife may be called a ‘mayoress’). The prophet Isaiah wrote in Is.8:3, “I approached the prophetess and she conceived”. Pulpit Commentary “Titles were given in the East to the wives, daughters, etc., of officials, which merely reflected the dignity of their husbands, fathers, etc. Even Miriam seems to be called a prophetess (Ex.15:20) from her close relationship to Moses, rather than from any supernatural power that she had.” However, scripture indicated the judge Deborah heard from God (Jg.4:6).
In the 900s BC, God’s temple grounds had a court for priests (no women), and a great court for all to worship (2Ch.4:9). In Herod’s temple, females gathered in the Court of the Women. They weren’t allowed in the Court of Israel (accessible only to circumcised men), the Court of the Priests, or the sanctuary proper.
Let’s see what the New Testament (NT) reveals about women in the synagogue or church assembly. We read of the prophetess Anna in Lk.2:36-38. This elderly Israelite widow spoke of the infant Jesus in the Court of the Women. There was a separation of the sexes, etc. in Herod’s temple courts. Alfred Edersheim & Phillip Schaaf attest to a separation of sexes in the synagogue. A women’s gallery was at the north end of synagogues. Several years ago my wife & I visited an orthodox synagogue in our city. Even as visitors, we weren’t allowed to sit together…females are required to sit in a separate section.
A literate, competent female was allowed to do scripture readings in some early synagogues. Many synagogue practices were carried over into the church, made up of Jewish Christians and gentiles. The church is even called by the Greek term synagogue in Ja.2:2. “If any man comes into your synagogue [Strongs g4864] dressed in fine clothes….” (also see the topic, “Synagogue Influence on the Church“.)
Continuing with prophesying…Ac.2:17-18 (quoted from Joel 2:28-29), “Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, My servants and handmaidens [g1399]”. In Lk.1:38, 46-48 the betrothed virgin Mary exulted the Lord to Elizabeth, calling herself His handmaiden. Ac.21:8-9 “Philip the evangelist had four virgin daughters who did prophesy [g4395].” Where at? Probably Luke’s mentioning their prophesying meant more than them reflecting the dignity of their father the evangelist.
Anna, Mary, and Phillip’s daughters are females identified as prophesying in the NT. They were either unmarried or virgins. 1Co.7:34 KJV “There is a difference between a wife [woman, guné g1135] and a virgin.” The status of unmarried daughters, maidens, damsels, virgins, divorcees, widows differed from that of wives. The head of a single female living at home is her father, whereas the head of a wife is her husband (Ep.5:23). Fathers/husbands were, in that sense, between her and God. I would think a single female who prophesied may do so after she is married with children (Ro.11:29?).
Synagogue practices at Corinth were brought into the Corinthian church. Ac.18:1, 4, 8, 17 Sosthénes and Críspus were synagogue rulers in Corinth who became Jewish Christians (1Co.1:1, 14). The letter of 1Corinthians was from Paul and Sosthenes (1:1). 1Co.11–14 has to do with the church assembly or meeting. The Greek term for “assemble/come together” (g4905) occurs seven times here. 1Co.11:17-18, 20, 33-34, 14:23, 26. Over 70% of today’s churches abide by the following NT guidelines:
1Co.10:1, 11:33, 12:1, 14:6, 20, 26-33, 39-40 refers only to brethren (adelphós g80), not sisters (adelphé g79)…in church. (In contrast, see Ja.2:15 on the needs of both brethren & sisters outside church.) 1Co.14:26 “Brethren when you assemble.” v.31 only brethren can prophesy to the church!
What about the women in church? Paul wrote in 1Co.14:34, “Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they aren’t permitted to speak [laléo g2980]. But let them subject themselves [g5293], just as the Law also says.” Women/wives are to be silent in regards to prophesying/preaching (or teaching) to men in church. That was still the rule also in the orthodox synagogue I visited. Apostolic Constitutions (latter 300s AD) compared the church to the synagogue. “And let the women sit by themselves, they also keeping silence.” Yet in Ep.5:19 females may be “singing songs, hymns and spiritual songs”. Singing praise to God in church isn’t prophesying to or teaching men.
Vines Expository re the Greek term for “speak” (laleo g2980). “It is used several times in 1Co.14; the command prohibiting women from speaking in a church gathering (v.34, 35) is regarded by some as an injunction against chattering, a meaning which is absent from the use of the verb everywhere else in the NT. It is to be understood the same as v.2, 3-6, 9, 11, 13, 18-19, 21, 23, 27-29, 39.”
Their silence in the Corinth church was also necessary due to the influence of heathen prophetesses at the oracle of Delphi across the bay. Gill Exposition “They could all prophesy, except women (v.31, 34).” Pertaining to ‘in church’, that is.
1Co.14:34 Vines Expository re the Greek word in “women subject themselves [hupotásso g5293]”. “A military term, to rank under.” This word is also used in 1Co.15:27-28, Lk.10:17, and elsewhere. Greek Bible scholar Spiros Zódiates says it means “to place in an orderly fashion under”. Likewise in 1Pe.3:1, Peter says (as Paul also said), “Wives, subject yourselves [g5293] to your own husbands”.
In 1Co.14:34, Paul refers to the Law. After the first woman in scripture (Eve) had been deceived, God commanded in Ge.3:16. “Your husband shall rule over you.” She was to be subject. Paul knew of that passage. It’s not just a cultural thing (ref Adam & Eve), and not just a situation at Corinth.
Paul also said to Timothy at Ephesus. 1Ti.2:12-15 “I don’t allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. It wasn’t Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived fell into transgression.” Paul reasons based on Ge.3:16. We see that the principle affecting women in NT epistles long predates the 1st century cultural context. So women aren’t to teach adult males in church.
And it’s not because women may be less educated. Ge.3:16 applies universally. With Adam & Eve it wasn’t about ‘education’. For that matter, Jesus’ original 12 disciples were mostly un-educated (men)!
In 1Co.14:34, wives are to hold their peace and not prophesy or preach to or teach men in church. Paul goes on in v.35. “Let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful [g149] for a wife to speak in church.” Paul writes pointedly. This Greek term g149 aischrón, rendered disgraceful/shame, occurs only a few times in the NT. In Ep.5:12 e.g. “Don’t participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness. It is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.”
Paul’s guidelines in 1Cor.14 weren’t just his opinion. Continuing in v.37-38, “Recognize that the things I write to you are the Lord’s command. But if anyone doesn’t recognize this, he is not recognized.” A sobering statement! Robertson’s Commentary “There is no doubt at all as to Paul’s meaning here.”
Again, there were no female priests in Israel. In the OT, there were no women sitting among the elders (h2205) of the gate in Israel. And of Jesus’ original 12 apostles…none were females.
Paul’s instruction (the “Lord’s command”) wasn’t just a cultural issue for Corinth. Ac.18:19 Luke wrote of a synagogue at Ephesus. Later Paul writes to Timothy, who’s in Ephesus (1Ti.1:3). Again, 1Ti.2…Paul writes in v.8-9, “I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands. Likewise women [g1135]….” Men and women both prayed & praised with hands lifted up (ref Ac.1:14, 12:12, 16:13 women praying). v.10-11 “Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness [g5292].” Requoting 1Ti.2:12, “But I don’t allow a woman to teach [g1321 didásko] or exercise authority over a man.” Again, this was in church (outside, some men work for a female manager).
This term didasko/g1321/teach occurs 97 times in the NT. The only other verse where g1321 refers to a woman/wife g1135 is Jezebel in Re.2:20, “Who calls herself a prophetess [g4398]”. And they tolerated her to teach immorality! A false prophetess/teacher in the Thyátira church (cf. Noadiah, Ne.6).
Paul wrote authoritatively in 1Ti.2 (and 1Co.14)! Dr. Zodiates says the term teach g1321 there means “to instruct, to influence. A wife should display a tranquil spirit in her attempt to learn.”
This topic would be too lengthy if I were to include all verses containing other koiné Greek terms closely related to g1321/didasko/teach. Related terms are: g1317 didactikós, g1318 didaktós, and g1319, g1320, g1322. However, in every occurrence of those terms in the NT…never was a female teaching!
Paul wrote in 1Co.11:3, “I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a wife [woman g1135], and God is the head of Christ”. As the men don’t teach Christ, man’s Head…the wife/woman in church doesn’t teach the man, her head.
A husband in Israel even had the God-given authority to annul a vow made between his wife and the Lord Himself! see Nu.30:3, 6-8, 10-13. God so validated the husband’s decision & authority! Peter noted in 1Pe.3:6, “Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord”. Paul & Peter recognized the man-woman roles and the order God has set in motion. Men may teach & have authority over men, but women aren’t to do so to men in church.
Who may women teach? Ti.2:3 “Older women are to be teaching what is good (g2567).” This is the only NT occurrence of the term g2567 kalodidáskalos. v.4-5 “That they may train [g4994, sole occurrence] the young women [wives] to love their husbands, to love their children, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God not be dishonored.” Women are to teach younger women and youths. Pr.29:15 “A child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” Women may teach or preach to other females.
The Greek verb for prophesy is g4395 propheteúo. It can mean “to foretell events, inspired speaking”. We already saw Paul’s instructions in 1Co.14:31-40 regarding prophesying in church. The brethren may prophesy, but not the women to men. Paul said this ruling was the “Lord’s command” (v.37)! In 1Co. 11:5, Paul addressed the matter of women prophesying elsewhere, with heads covered. This guideline was perhaps his reaction to the 1,000 priestesses/prostitutes (with hair short) at Aphrodíte’s temple in nearby AcroCórinth. Women aren’t restricted from praying or prophesying in public. Paul wouldn’t purposely contradict himself in the same letter!? 1Co.14 is about the church assembly.
There are other women specifically named in the NT. Priscilla/Prisca (Latin) and her husband Aqúila are together mentioned six times. Three times Aquila is named first, and three times Priscilla is named first. Ac.18:24-26 “He [Apollós] began to speak out boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained [ektíthemi g1620] the way of God more accurately.” Vines defined g1620, “To set out, expose circumstances”. This term appears in Ac.11:4 as Peter related his vision in sequence. Apollos came from Alexandria, Egypt. Robertson’s Commentary “Priscilla gave Apollos the fuller story of the life & works of Jesus and of the apostolic period to fill up the gaps in Apollos’ knowledge. Privately so as to not cause an embarrassment.” Priscilla didn’t prophesy or explain this in a synagogue/church meeting! Ro.16:3-5 Prisca & Aquila became hosts.
Ro.16:1-2 Cenchreá was located 7-10 miles from Corinth, in the harbor. The sister (g79) Phoebe was a patroness able to help others, a servant (diáconos g1249), and perhaps a widow. Being “able to teach” wasn’t a qualification for a diáconos/deacon g1249, but was for an overseer, 1Ti.3:1-13. The goodly order of elder ecclesiastical widows aged 60+ (under male eldership) were enrolled in church support, 1Ti.5:1-2, 9-10. They gave back by ministering to widows & orphans (a precursor is Ac.6:1-3). These presbytéral ladies supervised/taught younger women, Ti.2:3-4. Ac.9:36-42 Dorcás may have been one.
Lk.8:3 Joanna, Susanna and other patronesses contributed support. Ac.16:14-ff Lydia was a well-to-do businesswoman who became the first convert in Europe. No verses show any of the above ladies teaching or preaching to men in church!
Ro.16:7 “Greet Andrónicus and Junían, my kinsmen, who are of note among the apostles.” Were they husband & wife housechurch hosts esteemed by apostles, or was this a Junías or Junía, a male or female apostle? Translations differ. Some Bible historians think the Greek name referred to the male Junias, not the female Junia. Órigen referred to this person as Junias, male. Chrýsostom thought she was Junia, female. Epíphanius considered this to be Junias, a man, the bishop of Apameía in Syria. Bible scholarship on this is mixed. However, in Ro.16 there’s nothing about them teaching or prophesying.
What other women? In Lk.1:39-56, Mary prophesied privately to Elizabeth. Jn.2:5 has the so-called commandment of Mary, spoken at a wedding. “Do what He [Jesus] tells you to do.” 2John is a personal epistle addressed to a lady and her children (v.1). Some think she was Mary. Or she was Martha (cf. Jn.11:1), and the children of Martha’s deceased sister Mary also sent greeting (2John 13). There’s nothing about the lady herself teaching or prophesying.
In the centuries following, other females of note have appeared. To mention a few: In the 1100s AD, Hildegard of Bíngen was a visionary Benedíctine abbess/physician in Europe. Barbara Newman Sister Of Wisdom, p.3 “Never did she [Hildegard] suggest that, as a woman, she had any ‘right’ to teach and prophesy in the Church. Nor did she claim an equality with men.” Hildegard spoke of the weak church leadership of her day, p.241. “Although they [the clergy] ought to submit to God’s commandments as a woman to a man, they [clergy] rebel because there is no man to rule them.” Newman wrote on p.247, “Hildegard actively supported the exclusion of women from the clergy”.
Around 1700 AD, the contemplative Madame Guyon promoted ‘quietness’, that a person should pray continually. Aimee Semple McPherson was an immensely popular evangelist who conducted faith healing demonstrations in Los Angeles and her tent meetings in the early 1900s. Kathryn Kuhlman was another evangelist who held healing crusades from the 1940s–1970s. These did much public preaching. During the 1900s, Mother Theresa was a missionary to the poor in India, doing notable charitable works. That’s just a few. It’s not my place here to appraise these historical figures.
Concluding: I see no Bible verse where a female is prophesying to or teaching men in church (or synagogue), in either the New or the Old Testament! Women weren’t overseers of men as pastors or shepherds of churches in scripture. Within mixed groups in church, the leaders were men. That’s understandable. A situation where the Christian husband is being taught in church by his ‘pastor’ wife would be contrary to scripture. And a man’s wife as the object of attention of other men sitting in the congregation possibly can lead to problems; also if she’s looked to shepherd or counsel men.
Even back in Is.3:12, the prophet regretfully wrote, “As for My people, youths are their oppressors and women rule over them. O My people, your leaders cause you to err.” A sad state of affairs.
But in the account of the Acts 15 Jerusalem council, scripture indicates only men are present…no women as leaders there. Again, Paul said in 1Co.14:39 for in-church, “Brethren, desire to prophesy”.
Sisters do reflect the Holy Spirit, and may evangelize and be missionaries outside the church. Sisters minister through: prayers, music, dance, encouragement, comforting, financial aid, hospitality, charity, as deaconesses, teaching women/children, testimony, evangelism, missionaries, prophesying elsewhere.
Again, the majority of churchgoers in this country are females, not males. And 70% of churches still do abide by most of the above scriptural guidelines.
But the more recent aberration of women pastors teaching and preaching to men in some churches of Western Christianity…doesn’t get its authority from the Bible! Instead, it’s a modern cultural thing.
This isn’t about chauvinism or a competition of men versus women. It’s about what the Bible reflects.
Yet…it’s a wise man who will listen to/heed his wife’s input and advice on home & family matters, prior to his making a final decision. The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is a good home/property manager. Males and females, with their respective roles, are both made in God’s image & likeness and complement each other. Men and women are both heirs of eternal life (1Pe.3:7).
Women/wives who will personally adhere to the Bible admonitions regarding female roles in church will be respected and honored! Scripture reflects many godly women who were admired and beloved!
Bible Topic Exposition 