Part 3: Women Must Keep Silent – Examining The Troubling Texts

Part 3: Women Must Keep Silent | Examining The Troubling Texts – 1 Timothy 2, 1 Corinthians 14, and 1 Corinthians 11

Despite the strong evidence for women’s involvement in the life and ministry of the early church, there are three specific New Testament passages that continue to be used to limit or prohibit that involvement. These are 1 Timothy 2:11–12, 1 Corinthians 14:34–36, and 1 Corinthians 11:1–16. For many, these are the so-called “troubling texts.”

These passages have been interpreted as clear and universal instructions that restrict women from teaching, leading, or even speaking in church – essentially promoting the idea that women must keep silent in church. And for a long time, I accepted that interpretation. But as I began to study the full counsel of scripture, these texts – when held up to the broader gospel story, cultural context, and even their immediate surroundings – began to reveal something quite different.

This final part of the series is more detailed, because I believe it’s necessary. A fair, honest, and faithful approach to scripture cannot avoid these verses. But neither should we be content to accept a surface reading of them.

1 Timothy 2:11–12 – “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man…”

The context of 1 Timothy is key. Paul is writing to Timothy, who was helping lead the church at Ephesus – a church under strain from false teaching and disorder. From the beginning of the letter, Paul makes it clear that confronting false doctrine is central to his purpose (1 Timothy 1:3–7).

Before Paul even addresses the topic of leadership, he instructs both men and women to devote themselves to godly worship. Men are told to pray without anger or argument; women are told to pursue godliness, not status or appearance. Then we get the verses that have caused centuries of debate:

“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” – 1 Timothy 2:11–12

Let’s consider a few things here:

• Paul begins by stating that women should learn. That, in itself, is radical in a culture where women were often excluded from formal learning, especially in matters of theology. I talk more about this in my previous article. He doesn’t say they should be kept from learning, but rather that their learning should take place with respect and a readiness to listen – just as men were expected to learn.

• The Greek word translated “authority” here is authenteō. This word is used only once in the New Testament, and it carries a complex range of meanings – from domineering control to aggressive usurpation. Paul could have used the more common word for authority (exousia) if he intended to speak of ordinary, godly leadership. But he didn’t.

• This is a corrective instruction, not a universal law. Paul is addressing a specific issue in Ephesus, where women – likely under the influence of false teachers – were teaching before they had been properly instructed themselves. Paul is calling for order and proper discipleship, not issuing a blanket prohibition against women teaching for all time.

Paul then grounds his instruction in the creation narrative – not to argue for a hierarchy of value, but to correct false beliefs circulating in Ephesus, particularly the idea that Eve was created first or was superior (a view associated with Gnostic teachings). His conclusion, that women “will be saved through childbearing,” is itself a debated phrase, often understood as referring to the faithfulness of women in their domestic and spiritual roles  -not as a literal statement about salvation. 

It’s also worth noting that in Ephesus – the city where Timothy was ministering  -Artemis (or Diana) was widely worshipped as the goddess of fertility and protector of women in childbirth. Her temple was one of the largest and most influential religious sites in the Roman world. Many Ephesian women would have grown up believing that Artemis alone kept them safe during pregnancy and labour. Against this backdrop, Paul’s statement can be seen as a direct challenge to that cultural belief: that salvation, protection, and purpose come not from Artemis, but through continued faith in Christ. In other words, it is not through a pagan goddess or mystical rites that women are saved, but through remaining faithful to the one true God who created them and calls them to live out their faith with purpose and dignity.

In light of the full context of the letter, Paul’s words make far more sense as a situational instruction aimed at correcting disorder and false teaching, rather than a universal, timeless rule about women in the church.

1 Corinthians 14:34–36 – “Women should remain silent in the churches…”

This passage is often quoted in isolation, but it stands in direct tension with what Paul has already said just three chapters earlier in 1 Corinthians 11: that women did pray and prophesy in church, as long as they did so respectfully.

“Every woman who prays or prophesies…” – 1 Corinthians 11:5

So why would Paul later say women must be silent? There are a few possibilities worth exploring:

• Textual scholars have long noted that these verses appear in different places in different manuscripts. In some early texts, they appear at the end of the chapter. This suggests they may have been a marginal gloss – a note added by a scribe that was later incorporated into the main text.

• Paul could be quoting the Corinthians’ own views, which he then refutes. Throughout 1 Corinthians, Paul often quotes positions or slogans the Corinthians had written to him about, before responding to them (see 1 Corinthians 7:1). This passage could follow the same pattern, with verses 34–35 representing the Corinthians’ position and verse 36 as Paul’s rebuttal: “Did the word of God originate with you?”

• If the verses are original to Paul, they must be understood contextually. Paul is addressing order in worship. Just as he instructs those speaking in tongues and prophesying to do so “one at a time,” he may be asking certain women – perhaps those disrupting the service with questions or chatter – to be silent and ask their questions at home. The word translated “women” can also mean “wives,” which supports this possibility.

It’s difficult to accept this passage as a universal command for women to remain silent when, just a few chapters earlier, the same letter affirms their participation through prayer and prophecy. Any interpretation that results in a contradiction within the same context needs to be revisited carefully.

1 Corinthians 11:1–16 – “The head of the woman is man…”

This passage has often been used to justify a hierarchy of men over women. But closer study reveals a more nuanced picture.

The key word in verse 3 is kephalē, translated “head.” While in English “head” often implies authority, the Greek kephalē more commonly means “source” or “origin.” So Paul’s statement can be read:

“The source of every man is Christ, the source of woman is man, and the source of Christ is God.”

This reading aligns well with the creation narrative – woman was made from man, just as man was made through Christ, and Christ from God. I talk more about this in my article on marriage ‘Husbands and Wives‘.

Importantly, Paul goes on to affirm that men and women are interdependent “in the Lord” (v.11), and that both come from God. He acknowledges that women were prophesying and praying in the assembly (v.5), and his concern is not to stop them, but to ensure they do so in a way that honours both their witness and their gender.

The broader concern of this passage is about cultural presentation and honour. In Corinth, head coverings likely carried symbolic weight related to honour, modesty, or marital status. Paul encourages the believers to present themselves in a way that upholds mutual respect and avoids scandal – not to impose a rigid gender hierarchy.

Conclusion

None of these passages, when rightly understood, undermines the many others that affirm women’s active participation in church life. On the contrary, they reveal a consistent and compelling pattern – one in which women, like men, are gifted by the Spirit, called by God, and invited to take their place in the unfolding mission of the gospel.

I haven’t come to this position lightly, or simply because it resonates with modern ideas. I’m not motivated by cultural trends or personal frustration, but by a deep and growing conviction that this is what scripture truly teaches. Through study, prayer, and wrestling with the text, I’ve come to see that an egalitarian reading is not only faithful to the integrity of scripture – it’s faithful to the heart of the gospel itself.

If this has stirred thoughts or questions, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s keep the conversation going.