Does that it mean it can be universally applied? Paul even says, “I do not permit …” which is different than “you should not permit …” (though 1 Corinthians 14:34 does phrase it this way). That is, this verse in 1 Timothy was written to a specific person about a specific situation at a specific time. Second, even if Paul himself did require all women to remain silent in church gatherings, there is some debate about whether Paul was describing his own preference and practice, or whether he was giving instructions for all churches everywhere throughout time to follow as well. Initially, 1 Timothy 2:12 seems pretty clear, but with a little bit of study, it quickly becomes obvious that the text is not so clear after all.įirst, there are numerous times in the book of Acts and in some of Paul’s other letters where women appear to be speaking in the gatherings of the church with the approval of others, so whatever Paul is saying here, it does not seem to be a rule which he himself universally followed (Acts 16:14-15 Acts 18:26). And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. Let a woman learn in silence and with all submission. 1 Timothy 2:12 and Women Preachers in Church Though there are a variety of passages which people on both sides of the debate appeal to regarding whether or not it is okay for women to preach in church (e.g., various female “preachers” in the Old Testament like Miriam and Deborah and the female prophetesses in Acts 21:9, and the female apostle in Romans 16:7), two of the main texts in this debate about women preachers and female pastors are 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34. Bible Passages about Women Preaching in Church So let’s briefly look at some of the key passages which seem to address the issue of whether or not it is wrong for women to preach in church, and then I will provide one short and simple suggestion for how this whole issue can easily be dealt with. Of all the things that can create division within the church, why is it the ones that only have a verse or two one way or the other which seem to be the most divisive? I suppose if there were scores of verses the issue would be more cut and dry, but when there are only a couple verses dealing with an issue, people are more likely to fight over it, especially when the verses are a little vague … This question has split some churches, which I find odd. Is it biblical for the woman to preach in the congregation?Īlong with this question about whether or not it is wrong for a woman to preach, I will also briefly address the issue of women pastors. Here is one that was sent in about whether or not women can preach in church. I have been working my way through dozens of Bible and theology questions which people have submitted through that “ask a question” area in the sidebar.
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