Can a woman teach men in the church?

March 01, 2010

Is it ever proper for a woman to teach to men in the church? Some churches allow it while others do not.

The Bible frequently states that women are to be under the headship and authority of a man within the context of church leadership, and in one passage in particular (1Tim 2:12), the Bible also forbids women to teach. The only other comparable Scripture is found in 1Cor 14:34, where Paul requires women to remain silent in the churches.

The question, of course, is under what circumstances did Paul mean that a woman should refrain from teaching or speaking? For example, can a woman teach her own children or can a woman teach other women in the church? The answer to these questions is yes. Paul himself says elsewhere that an older woman should teach younger women (Titus 2:3), and the Proverbs speak frequently about mothers raising children to respect their instruction.

Therefore, Paul's instructions for women to remain silent and not teach are not universal but rather specific. They always refer to women instructing men, which means Paul's concern is principally an issue of respecting male headship. Paul describes the Biblical principle of male headship in the church in 1Cor 11, but his conclusion is simple: all church authority must lie with men, and teaching is an expression of leadership.

When a woman exercises her teaching gift by instructing men, she risks assuming a position of authority in these men's spiritual lives. If the teaching role brings with it the exercising of authority over men in the church, then the woman teacher would be serving in violation of the Biblical principle of headship. In that case, her teaching role has created a more serious problem: she is operating outside the authority of men in the church.

Nevertheless, is it possible for a woman to teach men without exercising authority over them? Yes, but these will be limited situations. For example, VBVM has both male and female teachers on our staff, and we adhere strictly to the Biblical principle of headship in our teaching events. This means all our Bible study materials are authored and/or reviewed by male leadership, and classroom instruction is usually led by a man if men are present in the room.

Occasionally, VBVM may allow a woman to share in the delivery of teaching to a mixed crowd (as in our Ruth study), provided she does so with a male co-teacher present in the room, who is the final authority for the study. The male teacher is in a position to correct the woman's teaching if necessary or even assume responsibility for the instruction if he deems it appropriate. In this way, our minsitry ensures that Biblical headship is maintained in every classroom. Authority over the content and delivery of the teaching remains with men, and this headship is clearly demonstrated throughout the course of the event.

We believe a church may permit women to teach to men without violating Scripture's headship requirements so long as they operate under similar protections and guidelines. On the other hand, if a woman doesn't feel comfortable teaching men (even with these protections in place) or if men in the church do not feel comfortable receiving Biblical instruction from a woman, then it would be better for the church to substitute a male instructor to avoid creating confusion or dischord.