Author : Keith Sharp
My introduction to the marvelous light of God’s Word goes back in time before my conscious memory to the lap of a godly mother who tenderly taught her son Bible truths and children’s hymns. Again, back of my conscious memory is the introduction to preschool Bible classes taught by a woman in the congregation where my father preached in Steele, Missouri. As an adult, I have read and been edified by a number of excellent articles by women. My mother, my wife, and my daughter have engaged me, to my profit, in innumerable discussions of the Scriptures. Women in mixed Bible classes have made comments and asked questions through the years to my immeasurable benefit. As we sang together in public worship and informal gatherings, the beautiful singing of women has edified me countless times. In all these ways and others I, as other men, have properly benefited from women teachers.
Yet the Scriptures undoubtedly place limitations on the teaching of women in keeping with their divinely assigned role as women.
Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence (1 Timothy 2:11-12).
This leads us to inquire, What is woman’s scriptural role in teaching the Bible?
Women Authorized to Teach the Bible
The New Testament authorizes things in three ways: declaration, approved example, and necessary implication. There are two kids of declarations: statements and commands. In all these ways, i.e., in every way the New Testament gives the right to act, the Scriptures authorize women to teach the Bible.
The apostle Paul directed Timothy, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). The word “men” in this passage is a translation of the Greek term “anthropois,” which means “universally with reference to the genus or nature, without distinction of sex, a human being, whether male or female” (Thayer. 46). Part of a preacher’s work is teaching faithful people, both men and women, to teach the Word of God. Thus, by statement, the apostle authorizes faithful women to teach the Scriptures.
The apostle Peter commands all Christians, men and women, to equip themselves to defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15). Paul instructs Titus to command aged women to teach practical scriptural truths especially applicable to the feminine gender to younger women (Titus 2:3-5). Thus, women are commanded to teach the Bible.
Priscilla, with her husband Aquila, explained to Apollos, an eloquent preacher who only knew John’s baptism, “the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:24-26). Thus, women are authorized to teach the Word by approved example.
Several passages indicate women received the gift of prophecy (e.g., Acts 2:17; 21:8-9; 1 Corinthians 11:5). Since the function of a prophet was to teach (1 Corinthians 14:4), it is necessarily implied that women may teach God’s will.
The Scope of Woman’s Right to Teach the Scriptures
Several traditions among some brethren concerning the limitations of a woman’s teaching role are without scriptural support. Some brethren to the contrary, teach a woman may teach a man the will of God (Acts 18:24-26). Furthermore, since the command to sing in worship applied to women as well as men, as saints in general and without qualification are taught to sing each to the other, and since we teach when we sing, the Scriptures authorize women to teach in the public worship assembly (Ephesians 5:18-19). And, since this singing is done when both men and women are present in the worship assembly, women have both the right and obligation to teach men in the assembly (Colossians 3:16).
In fact, the Scriptures, by necessary implication, authorize women to teach the church. The gift of prophecy was to edify (build up by teaching) the church (1 Corinthians 14:4). Certain women had the gift of prophecy (Acts 2:17; 21:8-9; 1 Corinthians 11:5). Therefore, certain women were to edify (build up by teaching) the church. This does not mean a woman should address the whole public worship assembly in the way a preacher does. She could edify the church in some arrangement in harmony with her sphere of life.
But these passages do establish a basic principle. A woman may teach any scriptural truth to anyone, anywhere, in any arrangement, unless there is a Bible restriction prohibiting it.
