Women of first century congregations were in positions of leadership, even over men. There are passages in the New Testament needing clarification, especially in Paul’s letters to Corinth and Ephesus. To Corinth Paul wrote, The wives must be silent in the congregations: for it is not permitted for them to speak, but they must be subject, just as also Torah (Teaching) (Gen. 3:16) says. 35. And if some want to learn, they must ask their own husbands at home: for it is shameful for a wife to speak in a congregation. 1 Cor. 14:34. Then to Ephesus, Being subject to one another in reverent fear of Messiah, 22. wives to their own husbands as to the Lord, 23. because a husband is head of his wife as also the Messiah is head of the congregation, He is savior of the body: 24. but as the congregation is subject to the Messiah, so also should wives be subject to their husbands in everything. 25. Husbands, you must continually love your wives, just as the Messiah also loved the congregation and gave Himself over on her behalf, 26. so that He would sanctify His wife, the congregation, the bride, making her pure by washing with the word of Torah (Teaching), 27. in order that He would present for Himself the glorious congregation, not having spot or wrinkle or any of such things, but so that His bride would be holy and without blemish. 28. In this way husbands are obligated to love their own wives as their own bodies. The one who loves his own wife loves himself. 29. For no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it, just as also the Messiah nourishes and cherishes the congregation, 30. because we are members of His body. 31. “For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and be faithfully devoted to his wife, and the two will be in one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24) 32. This mystery is great: now I say this in Messiah then in respect to the congregation. 33. But then you one by one, each must continually love his own wife just as himself, and that the wife should respect her husband. Eph. 5:21. To Ephesus Paul begins with “Being subject one to another..” which is in the vein of the Genesis creation. Corinth was home of the fertility goddess Diana and Ephesus was home to the fertility goddess Artemis, so both cities were matriarchal where women dominated, causing problems in the congregations. Wives interrupted services, talking out loud, asking questions. In Colossians 3:18 Paul admonishes wives to be subject to their husbands, then in verse 19 admonishes husbands to love their wives, bringing up the husband’s obligation to respect a wife, reinforcing the equal status of creation.
Those relationships of creation are based on Jewish understanding of the relationship of Adam and Eve from Genesis 2:21. And the LORD* God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. 22. And He built the rib, which the LORD* God had taken from man, into a woman and brought her to the man. 23. And Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She will be called Wife (Ishah), because she was taken out of Husband (Ish). 24. Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and will cling to his wife, and they will be one flesh.” Eve was made equal to Adam and adequate for any assignment given to Adam, as it should be today in ministry.
While I am in complete agreement with what you’ve written about women in the body of Christ, I still am wondering one thing. 1 Timothy 2 goes on to speak about what some would call “elder qualifications.” Why does it seem only men can be elders? What exactly would have been the role of an elder in the first century church?
Thank you
Shalom Tara,
Thank you for writing. The biggest reason is that Ephesus was the seat of Artemis, a goddess of fertility, a city that was matriarchal, with women running the show. Paul wrote similar things to Corinth, another matriarchal city of a fertility goddess. The women in those cities were in charge and very obnoxious in the congregation, so Paul had to advise to keep them out of leadership. Read Romans 16 to get a view of the attitude we should have.
Blessings, Bill
I would have to disagree with what this article is trying to say. And here is why :
1 Timothy 2 :
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
Here is a classic case where sound scripture comes into conflict with modern American teachings. More specifically, Neo-Feminism.
While I agree with Traditional Feminism (women having equal status as men in civil society), Neo-Feminism (where women believe they should dominate male roles) seems to be the overall theme.
If we remember correctly, Yeshua Messiah criticized the Pharisees for setting aside the Word of Yahweh in order to keep their traditions.
In the same sense, in order for women to be spiritual teachers and leaders over men, this entire passage would have to be erased from the Brit Hadasha.
While women should be allowed to teach to other women and spiritually help lead other women, women being over men (other than the respect she is due as a human and mother) and having teaching authority over them is simply scriptural unsound, and in fact, against the clear example established by Shaul.
Hi Aliel,
Check carefully to see that Paul only wrote for women not to minister in letters to Ephesus and Corinth. Timothy was over the congregations in Ephesus, where the the goddess over the city was Artemis, a fertility goddess. Diana was the fertility goddess over Corinth. Both cities were matriarchal and had temple prostitutes, with the heathen women who had come into the congregations disrupting services by interrupting the speakers and asking questions when that was inappropriate. No other cities had any advice restricting women. Read Chapter 16 of Romans for an example of normal relationships for women.
Blessings, Bill
I am not sure if after Bill’s reply, Aliel was willing or even had the chance to further the discussion about women in “leadership” or actually exercising authority over men.
Nonetheless, I would like to mention few points for clarification.
Women (with one printed exceptions) were in a place of leadership. First, Eve when she decided with her husband beside her, to take the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. This experience led all the human beings to fall and have sinful nature l, which can only be dealt with through and by our Lord Yeshu haMasiach and the another one was Debora for a specific purpose and I wouldn’t even say that was leadership. All the scriptures when come to women in leadership there is no clear text tomokace women as priests, levites, prophets and in the New Testament not even a place saying that we need to establish women as Presbyters and deacons. So, if there is not clear text for that, let’s not create a context to introduce a pretext to create a doctrine that is not biblical.
Women can exercise services as gift from the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach described in Ephesians in other words, women can evangelize, can teach, can pastor other women, prophecy but never have an office of authority in the church as she didn’t have since the beginning.
The scriptures are clear that men and women are equals spiritually speaking for the Lord but it is clear that they have different and define functions and services in their normal daily lives and more even so spiritually speaking.
The Lord bless you;
Osvaldo Sousa
Shalom Osvaldo,
Thank you for writing. You and I agree. My suggestion is to read the article titled “Heroines” in Companion Volume II, where a many women in ministry are reported.
Blessings, Bill