A WOMAN'S ROLE

• INTRODUCTION
  
• PAUL’S VIEW OF WOMEN
  
• FEMALE LEADERSHIP UNDER PAUL
  
• 1 TIMOTHY 2:11—12
  
• GODDESS DIANA

“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” (NKJV).
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1. Did Paul definitively mean that women should keep silent and not teach in the congregation of GOD?

The problem with this text is not what Paul said or how he directed the congregation of GOD. The problem lies in the way the text is translated. We must remember: Scripture interprets Scripture, and it will never contradict itself. With that being said, let’s get into the text.
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PAUL’S VIEW OF WOMEN

First, let’s examine Paul’s view of women and their capabilities.

Notice Galatians 3:28, where Paul speaks of equality among Christians:
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“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

This is a powerful statement. Here, Paul affirms that between men and women, our spiritual standing, access to GOD’s grace, and identity in Christ triumph over all earthly social, cultural, and gender hierarchies.

While women’s equality and leadership roles have grown tremendously in society, women still face disproportionate hurdles—especially in the church. Religion, in practice, has created distinct, multi‑layered barriers for women who are fully qualified for upper‑management and supervisory roles.

In many modern churches, institutional hierarchies and cultural norms have created obstacles that limit qualified women from leading or serving in pastoral roles. This is how many churches and church leaders interpret Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34. They insist that women are restricted—or even disqualified—from operating in senior pastoral offices, teaching adult men, or holding positions that allow them decision‑making authority over the congregation of GOD.
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Even when a woman becomes an ordained minister, she is often placed in roles such as Children’s Ministry, Prayer Ministry, Street Team Ministry, Associate Minister, or Christian Education, while being overlooked for senior pastoral and executive positions. These roles continue to be heavily dominated by men.

In addition to these disparities, female ministers often face significant pay inequality compared to their male counterparts. Yet statistics show that women historically perform the vast majority of congregational labor. Women are known for leading church activities such as organizing events, managing care ministries, overseeing logistics, teaching Sunday school, managing people and programs, organizing prayer meetings, and coordinating social events. And yet, they are often excluded from official elder boards, deacon bodies, or finance committees—where institutional governance decisions are made.
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In fact, modern churches often mimic traditional gender roles just as the world does today. This behavior stands in complete opposition to Paul’s point in Galatians 3:28.
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FEMALE LEADERSHIP UNDER PAUL

This is a good place to look at a few women who operated under Paul’s leadership. Let me restate something I said earlier: Scripture interprets Scripture, and it will never contradict itself.

Let’s discuss a few of Paul’s key co‑workers. Throughout Scripture, Paul highlights several prominent women who helped him care for and grow the congregation of GOD.

Junia— Romans 16:7 
In this verse, Paul greets Andronicus and Junia and refers to both as apostles.

SIDEBAR: An apostle in the church falls under one of the following definitions:

• A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders.
• Specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ.
• In a broader sense, applied to other eminent Christian teachers.
• An ambassador of the Gospel.
• Officially, a commissioner of Christ.

Phoebe — Romans 16:1—2
Phoebe was tasked with delivering Paul’s letter to the Romans as a deacon in the church of Cenchreae.

SIDEBAR: The word servant is the Greek word diakonos (G1249), meaning:

• One who executes another's commands.
• A deacon—one assigned to an office in the church who cares for the congregation and distributes resources for their use.

Priscilla — Acts 18:26 
Contrary to Roman custom, Paul often placed Priscilla before her husband Aquila when addressing them. This reflected her prominent role as a teacher in the Corinthian congregation. Priscilla was so effective as a Bible teacher that Paul wrote about her correcting Apollos’s theology. She and her husband took Apollos aside and “explained to him the way of GOD more accurately.”

Other Women in Ministry — Paul also praised Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis for their leading roles in ministry.

Mutual Interdependence — 1 Corinthians 11:11-12
Here, Paul points out the mutual interdependence between men and women under GOD’s creation. GOD designed men and women to rely on each other to meet needs, achieve goals, and function effectively. Neither can fully succeed or operate smoothly without the support, input, direction, guidance, or cooperation of the other. When one attempts to usurp the mutual dependence of the other, they step outside GOD’s original design.

We must remember: men and women’s outcomes are tied together according to creation. The actions of one directly impact the other.
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Simply put, both sides have something the other needs. There is no way around this according to Genesis chapters 1 and 2. When we go outside GOD’s plan, chaos occurs—as seen in Genesis chapter 3.
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1 TIMOTHY 2:11—12 ​

Let’s read 1 Timothy 2:11–12 again:

“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” (NKJV).
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To interpret these verses correctly, you must review the original 5th‑century Codex Alexandrinus text and be able to read Greek.

When most people read this passage, they interpret it literally — which is an error. When reading and interpreting this scripture, one must consider the culture, the environment, and what was happening at the time the writer penned the text. Bible students must also take into account the grammatical nuances. In this verse, there is a difference between instructing a person to be quiet versus commanding them to be absolutely silent. So which is it? Is Paul telling women to be quiet, or to be completely silent? And is he speaking to a specific group of women or to all women?

Let’s look at the word silence used in verses 11 and 12:
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• Verse 11: “Let a woman learn in silence…”
• Verse 12: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence…”

When we examine the original Greek texts, we must determine the proper translation of the word silence. The Greek word used in verse 11 is hēsychia (G2271). This is the same word used in verse 2 to describe living a “quiet and peaceable life”:

“For kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

This word refers to one’s posture, a quiet spirit, or tranquility, rather than absolute muteness.

Therefore, it is important to consider correct grammar, punctuation, and flow while keeping the author’s original voice and argument intact. So again: Did Paul definitively mean that women should keep silent and not teach in the congregation of GOD?

Now let’s take a closer look at verse 12. Let me rephrase the question: In 1 Timothy 2:11–12, when Paul said that women should “be in silence,” did he mean absolute silence — as in muteness — and was he speaking to all women or a specific group?

Again, the word silence in verse 12 follows the same Greek pattern as 1 Timothy 2:2. The Greek word used here is hēsychia, meaning quietness, tranquility, or a peaceable disposition, rather than absolute muteness. It does not refer to vocal silence. The Greek word for vocal silence is sigē, which is not used in this passage.

When we accurately interpret the translated text according to its original meaning, we gain the correct grammatical nuance and flow.

Therefore, it is accurate to understand that Paul was not asking all female believers to stop talking. Instead, he was instructing them to maintain harmony and avoid being disruptive during congregational gatherings.

So, was Paul addressing all women or a specific group of women? Again, Scripture interprets Scripture, and it never contradicts itself. So let’s look at another passage to understand why Paul addressed this issue in 1 Timothy 2:12. Read 1 Timothy 5:13:

And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

Here, Paul is speaking to Timothy—who is the overseer and young evangelist of this congregation in Ephesus—about the behaviors and qualifications of young women. The issues in this congregation centered around younger widows who had no family support.

Widows sixty years and older were placed on an official church support list to receive financial and material care, provided they met strict moral and spiritual qualifications. Paul advised Timothy not to place younger widows on this official roll. He believed that doing so would lead some of them to become idle, wandering from house to house, gossiping, and being busybodies — saying things they should not. This behavior would create division, spread rumors, and disrupt the peace of both the congregation and the wider Ephesian community.

So far, Paul is addressing younger widows of that specific era, not all women.
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The more serious concern was that such behavior would create an environment where opponents of the church could criticize it and discredit the Kingdom message.
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GODDESS DIANA (ARTEMIS)​

We must also consider the religious environment of Ephesus to understand Paul’s point in 1 Timothy 2:12 and identify which group of women he was addressing.

In Ephesus, the cult of Artemis (Diana) dominated the region. Diana was a female goddess, and women held supreme religious authority in her cult. Their pagan teachings claimed that woman was created before man — blasphemy, and a direct contradiction of Scripture and GOD’s order of creation.

This is why Paul said to the Ephesian congregation:

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man…”

He was addressing the young women influenced by the Artemis cult, whose doctrine was corrupt. They were being taught false creation theology and were spreading it within the congregation.

Paul clarifies this in 1 Timothy 2:13–14:
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• Adam was formed first, then Eve.
• Adam was not deceived; the woman was deceived and fell into transgression.

This was precisely the issue in Ephesus: young women were being deceived and falling into doctrinal error. This is why Paul did not permit them to teach the men — their teachings were corrupted by the cult of Artemis. This is why Paul told these young women to “be in silence”: their doctrine and understanding were distorted.

Paul was not asserting superior value or intelligence, nor was he restricting women from holding pastoral or elder roles, nor from exercising authoritative doctrinal teaching over the congregation of GOD. Many in the modern church misunderstand this passage.

Now, through this study, we have correction and new insight into this scripture.

Paul was not mandating that women in the church be absolutely silent, nor was he speaking about all women from the first‑century church to today. The evidence throughout Scripture — including this passage — makes that clear.

Paul commended female leaders across his epistles and used them in leadership roles as apostles, pastors, deacons, prophetesses, and administrators.
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Now that we have accurate information, it is up to us to decide whether we will submit to GOD’s Word through Paul — or cling to our own pride and traditions (2 Timothy 3:16). All Scripture is inspired and given by GOD. It is not interpreted by men according to their preferences; GOD determines its meaning.