Women in Ministry

Translation Note: All quotes given are from the World English Bible (WEB), with Hebraic names restored.

Would YHWH God impose silence on half of the world’s population solely because of their gender? What purpose would that serve? Who ultimately benefits from women remaining silent? It certainly would not benefit those who, face judgment because they failed to believe the Gospel.

Where did the idea originate that women must not teach men within “the Church”? Only two passages in all of scripture appear to restrict women’s roles in ministry, and—perhaps not coincidentally—both come from Paul’s letters. Even Peter warned that Paul’s writings can be difficult to understand and easy to misinterpret.

2 Peter 3:15-16 Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Paul was a Pharisee and highly educated in the Hebrew Scriptures; many believe he had the Law and the Prophets committed to memory. Those who lacked this grounding often misunderstood his writings, twisting his words and presenting distorted teachings to their own detriment. If Paul’s letters were challenging for readers in the first century—people far closer to his world and context—how much more challenging are they for us today? The only reliable way to grasp his message is to become well‑versed in the Law and the Prophets ourselves, so we can approach his letters with the knowledge and discernment they require.

---

Do Not Add To The Law

Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you.

Deuteronomy 12:32 Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.

Proverbs 30:6 Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

Paul did not possess the authority to add to YHWH’s Law—because no one does. The Law has been in place since Adam and Eve left the Garden. How do we know this? Because the Law is the Word of God, the Word of God is God, and God does not change.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Malachi 3:6 For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and he won’t do it? Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good?

The ‘New Testament’ is not new. When it comes to doctrine, the NT authors were only repeating what was said in the ‘Old Testament’. They were not giving new doctrines for the ‘Christian Church’.

---

Warning Against False Prophets

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let’s go after other gods” (which you have not known) “and let’s serve them,” you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after Yahweh your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice. You shall serve him, and cling to him. That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

This passage presents two opposing behaviors. On one side is the pursuit of other gods. On the other is the call to love YHWH, walk in His ways, fear Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, and serve Him. By this contrast, a false prophet is someone who urges people not to obey YHWH’s Torah and not to heed His prophets.

Deuteronomy 13 teaches that anyone who promotes doctrine not rooted in the Law and the Prophets is a false prophet and should not be followed. Therefore, if Scripture contains even a single example of women preaching, teaching, prophesying, or exercising authority in any capacity over men, then we are faced with a choice: either Paul must be considered a false prophet, or we are misunderstanding his letters. The only responsible approach is to examine the evidence carefully.

Let’s research.

---

Women Prophets, Judges, and Leaders

Exodus 15:20 Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron…

Aaron was the High Priest, Moses was a judge and prophet, and Miriam was a prophet.

2 Kings 22:14-17 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her. She said to them, “Yahweh the God of Israel says, ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, “Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods…

Here we have a married woman from Jerusalem who is in a position of authority over men, giving them the instructions from YHWH.

Nehemiah 6:14 Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.

Isaiah 8:3 I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son…

Joel 2:28-29 It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams.
Your young men will see visions. And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.

Nehemiah, Isaiah, and Joel each testify to more women prophets.

Luke 2:36-38 There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day. Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna worked in the temple of YHWH and preached to all those in Jerusalem, including the men.

Acts 2:17-18 ‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.

Peter is quoting this passage from the Book of Joel, where we are told that from the day of Pentecost until Yeshua’s return YHWH will use women as prophets and teachers to spread the Word.

Acts 18:24-26 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, was an important teacher and leader in the Apostolic Church. She is mentioned here by Luke and also by Paul in his epistles: Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Timothy.

Acts 21:8-9 …We entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

Romans 16:1-2 I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae, that you receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.

The Hebrew word translated “servant” is Strong’s g1249 diakonos: an attendant, a waiter; specially, a Christian teacher and pastor (technically, a deacon or deaconess): –deacon, minister, servant.

Phoebe was a teacher/pastor/deacon, which is a roll considered in some modern churches to be a position of authority that is off-limits to women. We see here that this is in contradiction with the Apostolic Church. Not only was Phoebe a deacon, teacher, or pastor, but Paul was telling everyone to do what she tells them to do.

Romans 16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, who were also in Christ before me.

Most scholars agree that Junia was a woman, and she was an apostle.

1 Corinthians 11:5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved.

So, Paul says that women were prophesying and praying aloud in the church.

Judges 4:4-5 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time. She lived under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Deborah was a prophetess, a judge, a married woman, and a mother.

Some commentators attempt to explain Deborah’s leadership by claiming that YHWH appointed her only because no qualified man was available. Yet there is no scriptural basis for this idea. Everyone whom YHWH calls is equipped by Him to fulfill their calling. Imagine the mindset of someone who believes this theory: you would need to believe that YHWH is limited in what He can do. The truth is, if He had intended a man to serve as judge, He would have appointed one and given him the necessary abilities.

Another theory presented by some is that YHWH made a woman a judge to shame the men of Israel and point out their short-comings. Imagine the mindset of someone who believes this theory: you would need to believe that YHWH created women inferior to men, and then essentially said, “look at you men, how pathetic you are, even a woman can do this job.” This viewpoint is disrespectful to women and to YHWH God.

YHWH chose Deborah to serve as judge over Israel because He wanted her to be the judge, demonstrating that He does not distinguish between male and female when it comes to preaching, teaching, prophesying, or judging.

Prophets delivered the Word of YHWH to the people, just as those in ministry do today. Judges in Israel were not merely civil authorities; they also spoke YHWH’s Word and guided the people spiritually. With YHWH, there is no separation between “church” and “state.” As a married woman serving in these roles, Deborah exercised authority not only over the men of Israel but also, by extension, over her own husband. Her example directly contradicts the claim that women cannot hold positions of spiritual authority.

---

Paul: False Prophet or Misunderstood

Let’s examine the two passages where Paul appears to be contradicting ALL of scripture—including himself—and decide if he is a false prophet, insane, or just misunderstood.

1 Timothy 2:11-15 Let a woman learn in quietness with full submission. But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience; but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with sobriety.

If all Scripture is inspired, then Paul’s writings cannot be interpreted in isolation from the rest of the Word. We must examine his words within the context of the entire letter and the broader testimony of Scripture, rather than pulling individual verses from their context to defend conclusions we have already reached. We must bring our beliefs into alignment with Scripture, not bend Scripture into alignment with our beliefs.

Paul begins this first letter to Timothy by urging him to “command certain men not to teach a different doctrine“(1 Timothy 1:3), which indicates to us that there were men (not women) in Ephesus who were teaching false doctrine. Also, Timothy was to not “pay attention to myths and endless genealogies which cause disputes rather than God’s stewardship“(1 Timothy 1:4), which indicates that members of the assembly in Ephesus were attempting to gain authority through their heritage (Jew vs Gentile) rather than the Word. Paul says that these issues have caused some members of the assembly—through wealth and heritage—to sin (miss the mark), by becoming arrogant and vain, elevating themselves to teach without knowing or understanding Scripture.

One important note is that Paul uses the word “law” to mean the entire Old Testament, not just the Torah.

Paul goes on to say that the law is given to instruct people who sin through ignorance in how to stop sinning, so they can accept the Grace of God for salvation. “The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came in to the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”(1 Timothy 1:15)

Paul says that Timothy has been instructed in the Old Testament scriptures so that he can use them to engage in spiritual warfare and live in obedient faith. However, some have thrust away those teachings and “made a shipwreck concerning the faith…whom I delivered to Satan that they might be taught not to blaspheme.”(1 Timothy 1:19)

So, what we are hearing is that the assembly at Ephesus was having a problem with men in their midst who thought they were qualified to teach due only to their genealogy, and had turned away from the Gospel to teach false doctrines and believers were following them due to their prestige and position in the community.

Next, Paul requests that the believers in Ephesus pray for their leadership and governing authorities, that they come to know the Gospel and be saved, so that the Ephesians can worship and live faithfully and in peace. YHWH wants everyone to have salvation, so these prayers please Him. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” Paul says that he desires for all men to pray everywhere that they are, “lifting up holy hands without anger or doubting.“(1 Timothy 2:8)

Lifting up holy hands combines a physical posture of prayer with a spiritual condition of the worshiper. Throughout Scripture, people sometimes raised or extended their hands toward YHWH while praying.

• Psalm 28:2 speaks of lifting the hands toward YHWH’s sanctuary.
• Psalm 63:4 describes lifting the hands in YHWH’s name.
• Psalm 134:2 calls YHWH’s servants to lift their hands and bless Him.

So Paul appears to be referring to an actual, familiar posture of prayer. Raised hands could express dependence, petition, worship, or openness toward God.

The important word is not merely hands, but holy hands. In Scripture, the hands often represent a person’s actions and conduct. This is why Psalm 24:3–4 describes the person who may stand in YHWH’s holy place as one who has “clean hands and a pure heart.” Paul is therefore concerned with more than the outward gesture. The person approaching YHWH should seek to live a life set apart to Him.

There is a beautiful Torah background to this idea as well. The priests washed before ministering at the tabernacle (Exodus 30:17–21). Physical cleanness pointed toward the greater principle that those approaching the holy God should themselves approach Him in holiness.

Notice what immediately follows: “without anger or doubting.” Several translations render that final word along the lines of “disputing” or “quarreling.” So Paul contrasts holy prayer with anger and contentiousness. In other words, it would be contradictory for someone to raise his hands toward YHWH in worship while those same hands figuratively represent a life filled with anger, strife, or ungodliness. The outward posture should agree with the inward condition.

What Paul is telling the people of Ephesus is this: when you come before YHWH in prayer, come with hands raised toward Him, but make sure those hands represent a life devoted to Him, free from anger, hostility, and quarrelling. This fits a larger biblical principle that YHWH isn’t interested merely in the appearance of worship. He desires worship that comes from a heart and life genuinely turned toward Him.

Moving on to the women of the assembly, Paul says that “in the same way” he desires them to dress modestly and appropriately, rather than using their appearance to display wealth or social status. Their outward appearance should instead be fitting for women who profess godliness. The phrase “in the same way” connects this instruction with what Paul has just said to the men. Although the specific application is different, the underlying principle is the same. The men were to pray with “holy hands,” making sure their outward expression of worship reflected a heart free from anger and strife. In the same way, the women were to ensure that their outward appearance reflected the godliness they professed. In both cases, Paul is concerned that what is visible on the outside should faithfully reflect the condition of the believer’s heart on the inside.

Next are the verses that are in contention, which are a continuation of that same thought. “Let a woman learn in quietness with full submission. But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.“(1 Timothy 2:11-12) Paul says, “I don’t permit…“, however, Paul does not have authority to make new laws or change existing Laws.

Deuteronomy 12:32 Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.

Let’s see if we can find other places where Paul has said something similar to determine his intention.

1 Corinthians 7:10 But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband

1 Corinthians 7:12 But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.

It is clear from context that when Paul writes, “not I, but the Lord,” he is repeating a teaching already given by Yeshua, the Torah, or the Prophets. Conversely, when he says, “I, not the Lord,” or “I don’t permit,” he is offering guidance to a specific community for a specific reason—guidance that becomes clearer when we examine the historical and cultural circumstances behind his words.

In the Book of Revelation, we find the same concern for Ephesus.

Revelation 2:2 I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false.

As well as some of the writings of the first and second century church leaders:

The Epistle of Ignatius to Ephesus, (88-107 AD)Chapter VII, says —”Beware of false teachers. For some are in the habit of carrying about the name [of Jesus Christ] in wicked guile, while yet they practice things unworthy of God, whom ye must flee as ye would wild beasts. For they are ravening dogs, who bite secretly, against whom ye must be on your guard, inasmuch as they are men who can scarcely be cured. But some most worthless persons are in the habit of carrying about the name [of Jesus Christ] in wicked guile, while yet they practice things unworthy of God.”

Ephesus was struggling with men spreading false doctrine on the nature of YHWH God and Yeshua. Note that the ones spreading the false doctrines in the first place were men, not women, but the women who didn’t know any better were believing them. Within the first century cultures, it was common that women were not allowed to be educated. This cultural limitation is why Paul tells them to remain silent. However, there was an even bigger problem in Ephesus than the women believing the lies out of ignorance—the men were going along with the lies even though they knew better.

Paul says the reason that he is placing these temporary restrictions on the women in Ephesus is because: “Adam was formed first, then Eve. Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience.”(1 Timothy 2:13-14) What does this reference to Genesis have to do with the problem at hand?

Adam Was Formed First

Paul specifically points out that Adam was created before Eve. Some have understood this statement to establish a hierarchy in which Adam’s priority in creation signifies male superiority and female inferiority, and therefore conclude that women should remain silent rather than teach within the assembly. Taken to its extreme, such an interpretation can leave the impression that women are somehow lesser in YHWH’s sight, or that the wisdom, discernment, and spiritual understanding He gives them are not intended to be used for the edification of His people. But is that really the point Paul is making? Rather than reading more into his words than he intended, we should heed Peter’s warning concerning the difficulty with which some of Paul’s writings can be understood and return to the creation narrative itself. When we look carefully at Genesis, we may discover that Paul’s appeal to Adam and Eve is making a very different point.

Genesis 2:7-17 Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. […] Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”

The commandment to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was given only to Adam, Eve had not yet been created. This is why the order of their creation is relevant. When we continue to read the next verse, we see that it is after the command is given that YHWH creates Eve.

Genesis 2:18 Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

The word “helper” is ezer, which means helper, aid, rescuer, or source of strength. It’s the same word used to describe what YHWH is for mankind. Clearly this is not a word impying inferiority!

The word “comparable” is neged, which the Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon says, in Genesis 2:18, means: “a help corresponding to him i.e. equal and adequate to himself.”

YHWH created woman to be a source of strength and aid who is equal to man. This was YHWH’s plan for creation, not for woman to be inferior or less than man.

Adam Was Not Deceived

This point is key to understanding Paul’s message.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”

Why, then, did the serpent approach Eve rather than Adam? Some may assume that Eve was targeted because she was somehow weaker or more susceptible to deception simply because she was a woman. Yet the creation account presents an important detail: YHWH gave Adam the command concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil before Eve was created. Eve therefore did not initially receive that command directly in the manner Adam did, but would have needed to learn what YHWH had commanded afterward.

This provides an important parallel to the situation Paul was addressing. Just as Eve needed to be properly instructed concerning YHWH’s command, women in the first-century world often faced cultural limitations in their opportunities for learning. The issue, then, need not be understood as an inherent deficiency in women, but as the danger of deception when someone has not been adequately instructed in the truth. Perhaps this is precisely why Paul’s solution is not simply silence, but learning. With that in mind, his appeal to Adam and Eve begins to take on a very different significance.

The serpent, like the false prophets in Ephesus, was misrepresenting YHWH’s words. And what was Eve’s response?

Genesis 3:2-3 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’”

Was Eve’s understanding of YHWH’s command, as it had been communicated to her, entirely correct? Not quite. YHWH’s warning did not necessarily mean that Adam and Eve would physically die the very moment they ate the fruit. Rather, their disobedience would bring death into the human experience, and from that point forward they would become subject to the first death, the death of the physical body. As long as they retained access to the tree of life, they could continue living, but after their transgression they were driven from the garden and prevented from eating from it and living forever. The serpent, however, exploited the wording of YHWH’s warning, assuring Eve that they “won’t really die…” By twisting the meaning of YHWH’s words, he created the appearance of a contradiction and used that distortion to deceive her.

During the serpent’s interaction with Eve, Adam remains silent; yet Paul makes an important distinction:“Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience” (1 Timothy 2:14). Adam had received YHWH’s command directly and knew what He had said. Therefore, when Adam ate, his transgression could not be attributed to deception in the same way as Eve’s. He knowingly disobeyed.

Viewed against the problem of false teaching in Ephesus, Paul’s appeal to Adam and Eve therefore is drawing attention not to the inferiority of women, but to the consequences of possessing the truth while failing to guard and faithfully communicate it, and to the vulnerability of those who have not yet been adequately instructed.

First Timothy makes clear that false teaching was troubling the Ephesian assembly. In that setting, Paul’s earlier instruction concerning expensive clothing, elaborate hairstyles, gold, and pearls can likewise be understood as a call for women of means to set aside outward displays of wealth and instead adorn themselves with the good works appropriate to those professing godliness. The answer to deception was not to regard women as incapable of understanding truth, but to ensure that they were given the opportunity to learn it. The same instruction applies today to all who are not knowledgeable in the Law and the Prophets, regardless of gender.

---

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Let the wives be quiet in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted for them to be talking except in submission, as the law also says, if they desire to learn anything. “Let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a wife to be talking in the assembly.”

Paul’s words —“Let the wives be quiet in the assemblies”—have long been a point of tension for readers. Taken in isolation, they can sound like a universal prohibition against women speaking or participating in leadership. But when read within the flow of Paul’s argument, the cultural setting of Corinth, and the witness of the whole of Scripture, a very different picture emerges—one that affirms order in worship without silencing the voices of women whom God has gifted and called.

Paul Is Addressing Disorder, Not Issuing a Universal Ban

The chapter as a whole deals with chaotic worship in Corinth. Paul has already corrected uncontrolled tongues, overlapping prophecies, and disruptive behavior. The Corinthians were dealing with disorder in their assemblies, and Paul sought to provide guidelines to ensure edification and peace.

The instruction for wives to “be quiet” fits into this theme of restoring order—not forbidding ministry. In fact, Paul cannot be forbidding women from speaking altogether, because earlier in the same letter he explicitly acknowledges that women were praying and prophesying aloud in the church (1 Corinthians 11:5).

Paul is not contradicting himself within three chapters. Instead, he is addressing a specific kind of disruptive speech—likely public questioning of teachers during the service, something culturally associated with uneducated women in Corinth who were dependant on men for their Scripture and learning.

“As the Law Also Says” Points to Order, Not Silence

Paul’s reference to “the Law” has often been misunderstood. Paul uses “the Law” synonymously with “the prophets,” and the passage he is drawing from is Isaiah 28.

Isaiah condemns drunken, mocking leaders who speak unintelligibly—behavior that mirrors the disorder in Corinth. Paul’s point is not that the Law forbids women from speaking; rather, he is invoking Scripture to reinforce the need for orderly, intelligible worship.

Nowhere in the Old Testament are women prohibited from speaking, prophesying, judging, or in any other way being in authority over men in YHWH’s gathered people. In fact, we see the exact opposite is true.

The Real Issue: Disorderly Interruption, Not Female Ministry

Uneducated women in Corinth were likely interrupting the service with questions, while the men were more concerned with drunken foolishness. (See Isaiah 28)

Paul’s solution is practical: If they have questions, let them ask at home. Don’t disrupt the gathering.

This is not about silencing women; it is about preventing chaos.

Paul’s Final Word in the Chapter Includes Women

Just two verses later, Paul addresses the entire congregation—men and women—saying:

“Therefore, brothers (men and women), desire earnestly to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking with other languages. Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:39-40)

Paul once again addresses the ‘brothers’, meaning men and women in the church.

Women are included in the call to prophesy and speak.

Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 is not a universal command forbidding women from speaking or leading in the church. It is a pastoral correction aimed at restoring order in a congregation experiencing significant disruption. When read in context—and in harmony with the rest of Scripture—it becomes clear that:

• God calls and equips women to speak, teach, prophesy, and lead.
• Paul affirms women’s public ministry elsewhere in the same letter.
• The “silence” in 1 Corinthians14:34–35 addresses disorderly interruption, not female participation.
• Scripture consistently shows women exercising spiritual authority with YHWH’s blessing.

Far from restricting women, Paul’s teaching—properly understood—protects the integrity of worship while honoring the gifts YHWH has poured out on both sons and daughters.

The church thrives when every voice YHWH God has anointed is welcomed, heard, and allowed to build up the body of Christ in love.

---

Let Every Gift YHWH Has Given Be Used

When the whole testimony of Scripture is considered, it becomes difficult to maintain that YHWH established a universal command forbidding women from teaching, speaking, prophesying, or exercising spiritual authority simply because they are women. From Miriam and Huldah to Deborah and Anna, and from Priscilla and Phoebe to the daughters of Philip, Scripture repeatedly shows YHWH using women to proclaim His Word, instruct others, prophesy, lead, serve, and strengthen His people.

This means that Paul cannot reasonably be interpreted as overturning everything that came before him. He had no authority to add to YHWH’s commandments, nor should we assume that he intended to contradict the Law, the Prophets, Yeshua, the apostles, or even his own writings. Peter himself warned that Paul’s letters contained things that could be difficult to understand and therefore vulnerable to distortion. When a particular interpretation of Paul appears to conflict with the broader witness of Scripture, the responsible response is not to discard that broader witness, but to examine Paul more carefully.

That is especially important in 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 14. Both passages occur in settings where Paul is concerned with false teaching, improper conduct, disorder, and the need for believers to learn and worship in a manner that builds up the assembly. Significantly, Paul’s solution in 1 Timothy is not that women should remain ignorant. He says, “Let a woman learn.“ The answer to vulnerability and deception is instruction in Truth.

Paul’s reference to Adam and Eve should likewise be understood within the Genesis account itself. Eve was created as an ezer, a helper corresponding to Adam, not as an inferior being. Adam received YHWH’s command before Eve was created, yet Adam knowingly participated in the transgression. Paul’s comparison therefore need not teach that women are inherently more susceptible to deception. Rather, it highlights the danger that arises when Truth is not properly learned, guarded, and communicated.

The same principle helps illuminate Corinth. Paul could hardly have intended an absolute prohibition against women speaking when he had already acknowledged women praying and prophesying in the assembly in 1 Corinthians 11. His repeated concern in chapter 14 is that everything be done for edification, peace, and order. The problem was not that a woman’s voice was inherently improper. The problem was speech that disrupted rather than strengthened the gathering.

Above all, Scripture shows that the Spirit of YHWH is not poured out upon sons while daughters are commanded to remain silent. Joel declared that sons and daughters would prophesy, and Peter proclaimed the fulfillment of that promise at Pentecost. YHWH Himself chooses whom He will equip and use.

The question, therefore, should not simply be, “Is this person a man or a woman?” The more important questions are: Is this person speaking according to the Word of YHWH? Is the teaching true? Is the person walking faithfully and humbly before Him? Is the gift being exercised for the edification of His people?

YHWH does not need us to silence someone He has called to speak.

If He could entrust His Word to Huldah, appoint Deborah to judge Israel, allow Anna to proclaim the coming redemption, pour His Spirit upon daughters to prophesy, use Priscilla to help instruct Apollos, and permit women to pray and prophesy within the apostolic assemblies, then we should be very careful about establishing restrictions that YHWH Himself did not establish.

The Gospel is too precious, the harvest too great, and the need for faithful teachers too urgent for the Body of Messiah to disregard gifts simply because YHWH placed them within a woman.

Our responsibility is not to decide whom YHWH is permitted to use. Our responsibility is to test what is taught against His Word, reject what is false, receive what is true, and allow every faithful servant whom He has equipped to use their gifts for His glory.

“It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy.“
Joel 2:28

That has been YHWH’s promise all along: sons and daughters, servants and handmaids, faithfully declaring His Word until His purposes are complete.

---

---