A. In the Old Testament
In spite of Jewish tradition, the Old Testament did not teach that women are inferior in spiritual matters. The Old Testament teaches that women are spiritually equal to men, but have a separate role.
1. Their spiritual equality
a) They had the same responsibilities as men:
(1) To obey the law
In Exodus 20 the Ten Commandments are given to both men and women.
(2) To teach the law
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells us that both men and women are responsible to teach their children to obey God's law, and to love Him with all their heart. Proverbs 6:20 says, "My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother.”
(3) To participate in the festivals
We read in Exodus 12 that both men and women were involved in the Passover, one of the greatest celebrations of the Jewish calendar.
b) They had the same protection as men
Penalties given for crimes against women are the same as those for crimes against men (cf. Ex. 21:28-32). God values equally the life of a man and the life of a woman.
c) They took the same vows as men
The greatest vow a person could take was the Nazarite vow. It was a vow of separation from the world, and devotion to God. Women as well as men could take the Nazarite vow (Num. 6:2). The highest level of spiritual commitment was not restricted to men.
d) They had the same access to God as men
God dealt directly with women in the Old Testament; He didn't go through men every time He wanted to communicate with them. For example, the angel of the Lord (a pre- incarnate manifestation of Christ) appeared to Hagar (Gen.16:8-13), and the mother of Samson (Judg. 13:2-5).
e) They had the same privileges as men
Women as well as men served God in special ways. Nehemiah 7:67 tells of a choir made up of 245 singing men and women. They led the people to praise God through music. According to Exodus 38:8 women served at the door of the Tabernacle, possibly to instruct women who were coming to worship or to clean the Tabernacle grounds. From such passages as Deuteronomy 12:10-12, 1 Samuel 1, and 2 Samuel 6 we learn women shared in the great national celebrations of Israel.
2. Their separate role
Although women shared spiritual equality with men in the Old Testament, that does not mean they had the same role as men. Nonetheless that does not in any way diminish their spirituality.
a) They did not serve as leaders
• There were no women rulers in the history of either Israel or Judah. (Deborah, who we read about in Judges 4-5, was a judge. She acted primarily in the role of an arbiter, not as an ongoing leader, which explains why she called on Barak when needing military leadership against the Canaanites.
• Queen Athaliah, who we read about in 2 Kings 11, was a usurper and not a legitimate ruler. ) There is no mention of women priests in the Old Testament. As far as we know, no woman wrote any portion of the Old Testament.
b) They had no ongoing prophetic ministry
There is no woman in the Old Testament who had an ongoing prophetic ministry such as that of Elisha or Elijah. There are five women in the Old Testament who are referred to as prophetesses.
(1) Miriam
Miriam was the sister of Moses, and is called a prophetess in Exodus 15:20. She is called a prophetess perhaps because she gave a very brief revelation in verse 21. We know of no other occasion when she ever acted in the prophetic office.
(2) Deborah
Deborah is described as a prophetess in Judges 4:4 because she was used by God to give a direct revelation to Barak. We know of no other occasion when she engaged in any kind of ongoing prophetic work.


(3) Huldah
Huldah gave revelation from God to Hilkiah the priest and other men about the coming judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (2 Kings 22:14-22; 2 Chron. 34:22-28). There is no other recorded instance of her speaking as a prophetess.
(4) Noadiah
Mentioned in Nehemiah 6:14, Noadiah was a false prophetess who opposed the work of Nehemiah in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
(5) The wife of Isaiah
Isaiah's wife is called a prophetess in Isaiah 8:3 because she gave birth to a child whose name had prophetic meaning. There is no record of her ever speaking a prophecy. This passage indicates that the term "prophetess" could be used in a general way.
The Old Testament differentiates the role of women from that of men. That doesn't indicate women are in any way inferior to men; it's just that God has different roles for each
B. In the New Testament
1. Their spiritual equality
This is clearly set forth in Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. " In the context of Galatians 3, the oneness spoken of here is the oneness of salvation. That is clear from verses 13-27. Paul's point is that all people, Gentiles as well as Jews, slaves as well as free men, and women as well as men, have equal access to the salvation that is in Christ
a) They had the same responsibilities as men
All the commands, promises, and blessings of the New Testament are given equally to men and women. We all have the same spiritual resources, and the same spiritual responsibilities.
b) They had the same access to Jesus as men
The first person Jesus revealed He was the Messiah to was a woman (John 4). Jesus healed women (Matt. 8:14-15), showing them just as much compassion as He did men. He taught them (Luke 10:38-42), and allowed them to minister to Him personally (Luke 8:3). At His cross, after all the men had fled, the women remained (Matt. 27:55-56). The first person to see the resurrected Christ was a woman (Mark 16:9; John 20:11-18).
2. Their separate role
a) They did not serve as leaders
There is no record in the New Testament of a woman apostle, pastor, teacher, evangelist, or elder. Nowhere in the New Testament is any sermon or teaching given by a woman.
b) They did not have an ongoing prophetic role
Some would argue that the daughters of Philip are said to have prophesied (Acts 21:9). However they are not referred to as prophets, nor is there any indication of how often they spoke. It may be that they spoke on only one occasion, as Deborah and Miriam apparently did in the Old Testament. The New Testament records other occasions when women spoke the Word of God.
• Mary, the mother of Jesus, did so in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
• 1 Corinthians 11:5 says that women who prophesy are to have their heads covered.
• Acts 2:17 speaks of women prophesying. The Greek word translated "prophesy" simply means "to speak forth" or "to proclaim.
• “There are times and places when women speak the Word of God, but that is distinctly different from being identified as a pastor, teacher, elder, evangelist, or apostle.
Some Practical Considerations
1. When can women proclaim the Word of God?
• At any time and at any place, except when the church comes together for the worship service.
• Anna spoke the truth (Luke 1:36-38).
• Mary spoke it in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
2. Can women share what they've learned at Bible studies?
Yes. In the right environment, under the direction of the leadership of that study, there is nothing wrong with a woman sharing what the Spirit of God has taught her out of the Word.
3. Can women pray in public if men are present?
Yes again. Acts 1:13-14 describes a prayer meeting where the disciples of Jesus as well as several women were present. There is a time and a place when it is perfectly appropriate for a woman to pray in public.
1. They are to learn in silence (1 Cor. 14)
1 Corinthians 14:34 echoes the thought of 1 Timothy 2:11. Paul writes, "Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. "
a) The reason for women's silence
The reason women are not to preach in the church has nothing to do with their psychological makeup or intellectual capabilities. The last phrase in 1 Corinthians 14:34 tells us women are not to teach in the church because God's law forbids it (cf. Gen. 3:16).
b) The meaning of women's silence
The context of 1 Corinthians 14 indicates that the silence Paul commanded was not intended to preclude women from speaking at all, but to keep them from speaking in tongues and prophesying in the church.
1) The corruption
At Corinth, as in Ephesus, were women who were flaunting their sexuality. Perhaps being influenced by the Delphic religion (which was headed by a woman) they sought prominent positions in the Corinthian church by abusing the gifts of speaking in tongues and prophesying.
(2) The correction
In response to that problem Paul wrote, "How is it, then, brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying" (1 Cor. 14:26). He went on to tell them that no more than two or three were to speak in tongues, and never without an interpreter present. Only two or three prophets were to speak, and others were to evaluate them to see if they spoke the truth (vv. 27- 29). Paul's point was that God is not the author of confusion (v. 33). Finally, Paul instructed the women to keep silent (v. 34). They were not to speak in tongues or prophesy in the public assembly of the church.
First Timothy 2:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 tell us that when the church comes together, women are not to speak in tongues, prophesy, or teach the Word of God. When the church comes together it is the appointed men who are to do the talking.
(3) The concession
That women are precluded from speaking authoritatively in the church assembly doesn't mean they can never speak God's truth. God used women such as Miriam (Ex. 15:20- 21), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-22), and Anna (Luke 2:36-38) to speak for Him on occasion. Paul dialogued with various churches and synagogues during his missionary journeys, answering questions from women as well as men (cf Acts 17:2-4). I think there is a time and place as well for women to publicly offer a testimony of praise to the Lord. I don't think Paul is saying they can never do that. What he is forbidding is women taking on the leadership roles in the church.
2. They are to learn in subjection (1 Cor. 11)
In 1 Corinthians 11:3 Paul says, "The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. " That verse teaches that women are to be in submission to men in the sense that they are not to usurp the role of leadership in the church, which belongs to qualified men only.
a) The source of subjection
No one argues that the head of every man is Christ. There is no Christians' Liberation movement demanding equality with Christ! Also, everyone understands that God the Father is the head of Christ. Philippians 2:5-8 teaches that Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant during His Incarnation. Since Christ is the head of the man, and the Father is the head of Christ, why do we debate about whether the man is the head of the woman?
b) The symbols of subjection
In Corinth it was customary for women to cover their heads. That was how a woman displayed her modesty. It was a sign that she was committed to a man and not available. Men, on the other hand, had their heads uncovered. That was a mark of their masculinity. Somehow in the Corinthian church those cultural signals were getting inverted: women were praying and prophesying with their heads uncovered, thus identifying themselves with the women's liberation movement in Corinth. The men, perhaps because of a Jewish influence, were covering their heads while praying. Paul rebukes the men for doing that in verse 4: "Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. " Does that mean it's a sin to put something on your head when you pray? No, not unless your culture perceives that as something feminine. In verse 5 he rebukes the women: "Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head, for that is even all one as if she were shaved. " (A shaved head was a symbol of shame in Paul's day. )
Paul was saying we should identify with our society's symbols of masculinity and femininity unless they violate Scripture or God's design for morality. Such symbols in our society can be readily discerned. We can tell a woman who looks like a woman from one who looks like she is rebelling against everything that womanhood stands for. We can look at a man and tell by the way he dresses and carries himself if he is effeminate and denying the symbols of masculinity.
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Does 1 Corinthians 11:5 Permit Women Preachers?
Some people teach that the praying and prophesying the women were doing in 1 Corinthians 11:5 took place during the worship service. However the text doesn't say that. Perhaps Paul is talking of prayer and prophecy in general. It's not until verse 18 that Paul first speaks in this chapter of the formal gathering of the church: "First of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there are divisions among you. " Prior to verse 18 he apparently hasn't been talking about the worship service.
In verse 5 Paul is perhaps speaking of women praying and sharing the Word of God in a home Bible study or family prayer time. His point is that whenever Christians get together, women are to maintain the decorum of submission, and men that of headship. If a woman is veiled when she prays or speaks the Word of God, she attests to her womanhood, and affirms her role of submission to her husband. She is acknowledging that man is the image and glory of God and she is the glory of man (v. 7). Man in a sense is the sun and woman is the moon that reflects the light of the sun. Man is symbolic of the glorious dominion of God, and woman is symbolic of the one who follows.
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c) The significance of subjection
God has designed all of human life to revolve around relationships. Everyone is involved in a relationship, and within those relationships are differing roles. However in our society the emphasis is not on relationships, but on individuality. People focus on their rights and seek to satisfy themselves. In such a society there's a tendency to view everyone as having equal roles. But when women refuse to accept their God-ordained roles in the church and family, they undermine the foundational design of God for those institutions. The stability of society is at stake.