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A Woman's Work and Place in the Assembly

by Forrest D. Moyer

Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness. Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression. But women shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. (1 Tim 2:9-15)

The question of how much a woman can do in the public assembly is being discussed more and more among brethren. It is not uncommon to hear of churches of Christ beginning to use women to serve the Lord’s supper, lead singing, lead prayer or even address the assembly (a group of men and women who have met for spiritual matters). In a college lecture program recently there was a discussion in which two brethren affirmed the right of women to participate in the public worship services. A passage that is vital to this study is 1 Timothy 2:9-15. These principles would apply, not only in the assembly, but in other relationships as well. However, the purpose of this paper is to seek to understand what inspiration is teaching concerning a woman’s place and work in the assembly. Thus, we address ourselves to an analysis of this passage.

The Woman’s Attire

I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing. The word adorn is from kosmeo. Thayer defines it as "to ornament, adorn."1 "In classical Greek kosmeo is used most often to refer to the normal ‘adorning’ done by women." 2 Thus, it is not wrong for a woman to "ornament" or "adorn" herself provided that it is in the realm of modesty.

Her clothing is to be proper (from kosmios) — "Well-arranged, seemly, modest." 3 This word is used in the NT only here and in chapter 3:2 where it refers to the behavior of an overseer ("well-arranged, seemly, modest; of a man living with decorum a well-ordered life.") 4 The woman’s clothing is not to be gaudy or extravagant, but that which is appropriate. The problem of that day was that women sometimes dressed in a lavish manner which was offensive to many people, especially those of a poorer class. They may have been dressing in a way that reflected their superior social status. This still happens today. However, there are also modern problems of revealing attire that is not modest. The Christian woman avoids either of these immodesties.

It is not just the outward adornment that God is concerned with. Their character must be modest and discreet. Modestly is from aidos: "a sense of shame, modesty, 1 Tim. 2:9; reverence, Heb. 12:28." 5 The old English "shamefastness" indicated a modesty that was "fast" or rooted in one’s character. In the KJV it was perverted to "shamefacedness" which does not portray the thought. Godly women (and men, also) must have a sense of modesty which will keep her from shameful conduct. Discreetly is from sophrosune. It is defined as "self-control, sobriety." 6

This crucial term also occurs in Paul’s first epistle to his spiritual son Timothy. After giving instructions concerning public worship Paul instructed women to dress orderly, kosmio (see 2860), a term which means "world." The idea is that the outward apparel should be arranged in an orderly fashion so it reflects the orderly arrangement of the redeemed soul. If this is done the clothing will manifest two things: (1) modesty, a quality which does not unnecessarily expose the human body so as to draw undue attention to itself; and (2) sobriety (sophrosune), which has to do with a soundness of mind that reflects scriptural discretion and chastity (1 Timothy 2:9). 7

Not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments. Braided hair is hair lavishly adorned often with silver or gold plaited into it. This kind of hair-do called attention to itself in a gaudy and immodest way. The wearing of ornate jewelry does not demonstrate to the world that one is a Christian and such will not lead people to Christ. "And let not your adornment be external only—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, and putting on dresses" (1 Pet. 3:3). It was not that it was wrong to wear any jewelry, but there must be a modest, discreet adorning in such matters. Those who wear such lavish attire want to make a stunning impression. Their mind is only on themselves and not on the worship of the Lord Jesus.

Verse 10 shows that the true adornment of the Christian woman is her good works. "But let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gently and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God" (1 Pet. 3:4.) Her good works are well-pleasing in God’s eyes and lovely in the eyes of all who behold. "Good works react on character and create that spiritual adornment which is the real glory of the Christian woman." 8

Concerning Women And Their Work

Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. (NASB) The ASV reads, "Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection." First, let us consider the word quietness. It is from hesuchia = "1. quietness, descriptive of the life of one who stays at home doing his own work, and does not officiously meddle with the affairs of others. 2 Thess. 3.12. 2. silence ... 1 Tim 2.11." 9 The woman is to remain in her place and not put herself in the place of the men conducting the service. She is to be learning in quietness and not conducting the service or doing the teaching. The public teaching of mixed audiences is to be done by qualified men. Submissiveness or subjection is from hupotage, "obedience, subjection." 10 This is from hupotasso: "To subject to, put in submission to, to be or make subject; to submit oneself." 11 He explains this subjection in the next verse: she is neither to teach, nor to have authority over the man.

Was this addressed to women generally or to wives?

The group of individuals under discussion here is women generally; that is, this directive is not limited to wives. Three factors make this clear. First, in the preceding verses (2:8-10) Paul directed men (andras) to pray and women (gunaikas) to adorn themselves properly. Since it is unlikely that these instructions are limited to husbands and wives, it is unlikely that verses 11-15 are limited to wives. Second, in this context Paul was viewing men and women as part of a worshipping community, not as family members (as he did, e.g., in Eph. 5:22-33). Third, had Paul been speaking of the husband-wife relationship, a definite article or possessive pronoun before andros in verse 12 might have been expected (as in Eph. 5:22-23, 28-29, 31, 33). 12

Similar instruction is given in 1 Cor. 14:34-35 where Paul is writing concerning those who addressed the assembly: "Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says. And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church." The Scriptures are plain in this matter, and we should have no difficulty in understanding what Paul is saying. The Christian woman has a very vital function to fulfill, but her role is not that of a preacher or teacher over the assembly. The current "woman’s liberation movement" has afflicted more than one church and many more will be bothered by it unless they have the courage to set forth God’s teachings in this matter forcefully.

In 1 Tim. 2:12 it is "I do not allow" (permit) and in 1 Cor. 14:34 it is "they are not permitted." Here God’s law is revealed and it is God and not Paul who makes the prohibition (see 1 Cor. 14:37). What is it that the woman is not permitted to do? In 1 Cor. 14:34 she was not permitted to address the assembly. In 1 Tim. 2:12 she is not permitted to teach or exercise authority over the man. The word teach here is from didasko, "to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses." 13 This is similar to the idea of 1 Cor. 14:34 where "speak" carries the thought of addressing the assembly.

The expression authentein is translated "to have/exercise/usurp authority."

A recent article (1984) by George Knight ("Authenteo in Reference to Women") thoroughly analyzes the occurrences of authenteo, and shows that in its earliest uses (First Century B.C. to Second Century A.D.) it means simply "to have authority." "The authority in view in the documents is understood to be a positive concept and is in no way regarded as having any overtones of misuse of position or power, i.e., ‘to domineer’ " (pp. 150-151). ...Paul did not permit women in Ephesus to have authority of any sort over men....In 2:11 Paul exhorted these women to learn and be in full submission. These two injunctions exactly parallel the prohibitions "to teach" and "to have authority" in verse 12. 14

Rather than teach (a man) or have authority over a man, the woman was to "remain quiet." as in verse 11.

In verse 12, then, Paul explained that women are permitted neither to teach men nor to exercise authority over men in the worship assembly. Instead, as he had already directed in verse 11, they are to receive instruction with an inner attitude of quietness and submission to the truth of God’s Word (and His chosen teachers). 15

Did Paul forbid any teaching by a woman? No. A woman may teach children (2 Tim. 3:15, 1:5), other women (Tit. 2:3-4), and be involved in teaching so long as she does not violate God’s order (Acts 18:26). In fact, there were prophetesses in the church and prophecy involves teaching (Acts 21:9, 1 Cor. 11:5). These prophetesses could not violate the principles of 1 Cor. 14:34 and 1 Tim. 2:12.

We need to understand that the role of women is vital in the church. Think of the important role played by women in the life of Jesus (see Luke 8:1-3, Mark 15:40-41). Look at Priscilla and her work (Acts 15:26) and Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:2-3). Think of the high regard that Paul had for Lois and Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5) and also for Phoebe (Rom. 16.1-2) and for several other women mentioned in Romans 16. Look at the work of women in 1 Timothy 5. The woman is not a repressed person needing to be liberated, but she is given a role to fill as well as man. Our difficulties come when we try to step out of these roles. The woman’s role is not that of a public leader in the assembly.

Reasons for the Woman’s Subjection

In verses 13 and 14 Paul gives two reasons why women were not to hold a position of teaching or having authority over a man — why they were not to be leaders in the assembly. He refers to Genesis 2 and 3 in discussion of both of these reasons. The fact that he goes back to creation and to the first sin shows us that these prohibitions (of vv. 11 and 12) are valid for all time. They were not just cultural prohibitions for that era in which they lived. Adam (the man) was formed first. After that the woman was made as a help suitable for him. She was not made to have authority over him. 1 Cor. 11:8-9 elaborates on this: "For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake." Thus, the order of creation shows a definite reason why the woman is not be have authority over a man. As in creation the final authority rested with the man, so in the church this order must be followed.

In verse 14 Paul lists another reason for the woman’s being in submissiveness. "And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression." When woman took the leadership into her own hands, she was deceived and fell into transgression (2 Cor. 11:3). She was deceived by the serpent and she ate of the forbidden fruit. After she had sinned, she gave the fruit to her husband and he willingly ate and fell into transgression. Eve took the leadership. Adam obeyed her. This was a reversal of the roles that God had established. Adam knowingly allowed himself to be led into sin by his wife.

That God considered Adam ultimately responsible, rather than Eve, is clear not only from Romans 5:12, which states that "through one man sin entered into the world," but also by the fact that the all-knowing God first asked not Eve but Adam to explain his actions. Further, in Genesis 3:17, God told Adam that the curse would come on the earth "because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it.’" The term "listened to" means "obeyed" in this case, as it often does in the Hebrew Old Testament. 16

Ann Bowman sums up this point by saying:

Paul’s point is that this role reversal that caused such devastation at the beginning must not be repeated in the church. The woman must not be the one who leads the man in obedience to her. Thus when the teaching of the Word of God in the assembly occurs, a qualified male elder should fill the role of teacher. 17

This leads us to discuss verse 15: "But women shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint." The word preserved (saved, ASV) is from sozo. This word is used in the NT to refer to either physical or spiritual deliverance. In this passage the obvious reference is to salvation in Heaven because of its connection to faith and perseverance. This does not mean that a woman is saved from sin just by bearing children. She is saved by the gospel just as every other person is. But she fulfills her highest purpose and plan of God for her life by being a mother and guiding children in the right way. A man may fulfill some of his duty to God by public prayer and public teaching. A woman cannot do this, but she can fulfill some of her duty to God by rearing children into God’s way. One is just as much pleasing to God as another. In fact, the work that a woman does may well have a more far-reaching influence than what man does. She helps control the destiny of the church and of the world by how she guides her children. So, in that she is fulfilling a vital plan and purpose of God, she shall be saved. Of course, she must personally continue in faith, love , and sanctity with self-restraint.

Summary

Paul’s teaching concerning women in 1 Tim. 2:9-15 can be summarized as follows: the women should dress modestly rather than ostentatiously. Their real adornment is that of the heart with modesty and discretion. The woman should learn in quiet reverence rather than being involved in the public teaching of the word of God. She cannot have authority over a man or teach over a man. There are two reasons given for this directive: 1) the man was first formed, then the woman. 2) The woman was deceived and when she reversed the roles and took the leadership, she plunged man into transgression. However, the woman has a very vital part to play in God’s plans. She is to be a guide to her children and must continue in her fidelity and perseverance to Christ. Through her respecting her role in life and continuing in the faith, she will be eternally in God’s presence. Women today must respect God’s order and not seek to move into the sphere of public participation in the assemblies.

1. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 356.

2. The Complete Biblical Library, Springfield, Mo 65802, 1990, Vol 13, p. 387.

3. Thayer, p. 356.

4. Ibid, p. 356.

5. Ibid, p. 14.

6. Ibid, p. 613.

7. The Complete Biblical Library, Vol. 16, pp. 242-243.

8. Hiebert, D. Edmond, First Timothy, Chicago: Moody Press, 1957, p. 59.

9. Thayer, p. 281.

10. Thayer, p. 645.

11. The Complete Biblical Library, Vol. 16, p. 389.

12. Bowman, Ann, Bibliotheca Sacra, Dallas Seminary Press, Dallas, Tx., Vol. 149, Number 594, p. 197.

13. Thayer, p. 144.

14. The Complete Biblical Library, Vol. 11, p. 487

15. Bowman, op. cit., p. 203.

16. Ibid, p. 206.

17. Ibid, p. 206.

Forrest D. Moyer, Gospel Anchor, May 1992

A Clarification on the Legalism Quote

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A Reason for the Shadows
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