Should Women be Teachers of Men?

In Acts 18, Priscilla and Aquila are presented as faithful ministers for Christ. Did Priscilla and her husband teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to Apollos? Yes, in their home they “explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). Does the Bible ever say that Priscilla pastored a church or taught publicly or became the spiritual leader of a congregation of saints? No.

As far as we know, Priscilla was not involved in ministry activity in contradiction to 1 Timothy 2:11–14.  Some mention how in 1 Corinthians where Paul says that women can pray and prophecy as evidence for women teaching. But praying or prophesying is NOT the same as a women being a pastor or elder of a church and holding those specific roles and offices within the church.

It has been mentioned that women were less educated in biblical days and thus could not preach or lead. However, 1 Timothy 2:11–14 nowhere mentions educational status! If education were a qualification for ministry, then the majority of Jesus’ disciples would not have been qualified.  The next point raised by supporters of women teaching is Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” However, if we look at the CONTEXT of this verse, we cannot come to this conclusion. The context is talking about SALVATION, not church structure, pastors or elders. In verse 23, before the stated verse, it talks about being under the Law “before faith came” and how we are brought closer to Jesus and have become sons of God by faith.

We are no longer under law, but grace and we are “Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise,” For a more in depth dealing with this passage please read Is There Neither Male nor Female?

To find out about church structure and leadership, we need to go to those passages that talk about it: 1 Timothy 2-3 and Titus 1 for example. It is also not a problem for Paul to say that older women can teach younger women because 1 Timothy 2:12 is talking about having spiritual teaching authority over a MAN in the church. Some say “well if Paul says that women are so easily deceived, then they shouldn’t teach anyone. However Paul points back to the created order in Genesis as his reason.

The creation account has universal implications for all times, even for today. All throughout scripture there is a pattern of governmental authority in the home and in the church. All throughout Scripture we don’t find a single example or teaching of a women being a pastor or elder.

If someone wants to take the position that women can be elders or Pastors then we need to ask for any scriptures that teach or where it encourages or speaks about women being pastors or elders. In contradiction there are places in scripture which specifically speak against women preaching in the church. 1 Timothy 3:8 Deacons likewise must be MEN of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, In Titus 1:5-9 (outside of 1 Timothy) it gives the list of qualifications for elders which also clearly state that they are to be men. Titus 1:6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a MAN whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 1 Timothy 3:2 Therefore an overseer/bishop must be above reproach, the HUSBAND of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 16. 1 Timothy 3:12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well.

So the bible seems to be very clear that women are not meant to be elders or Pastors. In the world today with feminism being so strong, women working in companies and not staying at home with the children, it is easy to see how we can think that women teaching men, being elders and Pastors should be ok. But God did not outline this in our bibles. Women are still like Eve in the sense of how they think and react. God has an order to everything and men being the head of women is very clear 1 Corinthians 11. It is not to make women servants or slaves to men.

I hope the above clears up some misunderstandings on this important subject.