brwoodbc@aol.com

The Woman's Place in the Church
I Timothy 2:11-14
by John A. Kohler, III

The Apostle Paul’s teachings about the woman’s place in the church are not based upon cultural considerations, but upon man’s priority in Creation and woman’s priority in the Fall. Neither are Paul’s teachings on this subject just his personal opinion, but they are God’s Word (Mk. 10:4; I Cor. 14:34).

I. Things the Woman in the Church Must Do

A. She must be a student.

1. The woman must learn everything she possibly can about the teachings of God’s Word.

2. In most primitive societies, women were not allowed to receive instruction of any kind, but they were expected to spend all of their time giving of themselves in serving others (Lk. 10:38-42).

3. The Christian faith elevated the woman to a new position.

B. She must be silent.

1. The word silence means "quietness, stillness" (see Acts 21:40-22:2). In I Corinthians 14:33-35, the expression keep silence means "to hold one’s peace."

2. The woman is not to be a public speaker in the assembly, but a careful listener (Lk. 10:39).

C. She must be submissive or subordinate.

1. Although men and women are of equal worth, God has given them different roles to fulfill in the family and in the church. These roles are equally-important and complementary.

2. The woman is to be submissive to her husband in the home and to the men in the church (Eph. 5:22-24; Col. 3:18; Tit. 2:5; I Pet. 3:1,5; I Cor. 14:34).

II. Things the Woman in the Church Must Not Do

A. She must not teach.

1. The woman is not permitted to teach God’s Word when men are present in the assembly.

2. The woman is permitted, however, to teach men outside of the assembly (Lk. 2:36-38; Jn. 4:28-30; 20:17-18; Acts 18:24-26; 21:8-9), to teach other women (Tit. 2:3-5), and to teach children (II Tim. 1:5; 3:14-15).

B. She must not usurp authority.

1. The woman is never to try to lord it over or have dominion over the men in the assembly.

2. The woman is to gladly and cheerfully accept her God-given place and role in the assembly so that order can be maintained and confusion can be avoided.

3. The women’s liberation movement is anti-Bible, anti-God, and anti-Christ.

"The truth is that there is a place for women in the church. Sometimes our opposition to unscriptural usurpations by women seems to create an impression that woman has no place in the church. This is far from true. She has a very important place, and a neglected one---neglected because so often she has been far more concerned with trying to take man’s place than she has with filling her own God-given sphere. Woman’s glory will be found in her own sphere. Her shame comes when she gets out of that sphere." T. P. Simmons