I greatly admire Elizabeth Fry for the practical way she served Jesus her Lord. She visited 106 ships used to transport 12,000 women to Australia. Elizabeth pleaded and pressed everywhere for more humane conditions on board ship. This indomitable woman saw many changes for the better: women were no longer put in fetters; they were allowed to breathe fresh air on deck instead of the foetid air of the ship's hold; the female convicts were given clean clothes to wear; they were allowed to take children under seven with them. Hundreds of women whose lives had been made happier and more useful by Mrs Fry's efforts kept in touch with her by letter. These letters confirmed her fervent belief that few people are beyond redemption, and that cruelty degrades both the oppressor and the oppressed. She once wrote: "The good principle in the hearts of many abandoned persons may be compared to the few remaining sparks of a nearly extinguished fire. By means of the utmost care and attention united with the most gentle treatment, these may yet be fanned into a flame, but under the operation of a rough or violent hand, they will presently disappear and be lost for ever."
(c) Lydia insisted on showing hospitality to Paul. See Acts16v14. Many, many godly women have been made a great blessing through the hospitality they have shown others. My mother used to invite old ladies to tea - and what a tea she supplied. My sister in law, Ruth, kept an open house for the people of her church to pop in at any time and there was always a cup of something and a slice of cake for them. Every time I speak at Barton Mills Jill, the church elder's wife, provides me with tea.
(d) Priscilla gave good advice to Apollos. See Acts18v24to28. It is important to give good counsel, encouragement and support. This is what Apollos received and was all the better for it. This is something women can still give today.
(B) The best way to learn. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. v11.
Now let us be clear, this isn't really a best way for women to learn which is in any way different from the best way for men to learn. I will examine the two conditions Paul lays down for learning to take place:
(1) Quietness.
(a) Noisy, turbulent and disruptive behaviour is not conducive to learning. A school teacher who loses control of a class will not teach his pupils much. I used to insist that when I was speaking no one else spoke.
I can remember many years ago now teaching A level Geography to a girl called Christine Owen. She didn't take many notes - but she listened very, very intently. Much to my surprise she got an A grade for Geography in her A level exam. Christine showed the benefit of careful listening. There are many Christians who listen to the Sunday sermon like this. Certainly no one else speaks while the sermon is being delivered in our chapel.
I learn most in quietness - sitting at home with my commentaries or reading sermons on the internet.
(b) Entertainment is rarely a helpful way to learn. I am thinking of BBC's Question Time. I sometimes listen to it as I am doing my exercises. Everyone has a different point of view which they wish to get across. There are numerous interruptions. Several people speak at once. No one is going listen to another contributor with the intention of changing their mind.
So I am not convinced that forums, discussion groups or synods are an effective means of learning.
(c) Interaction is, however, important for learning. I employed a range of techniques as a school teacher that I never use when preaching a sermon. As a school teacher I asked questions, invited questions, stimulated some discussion, set exercises and held quizzes.
I think it is a pity that more of these techniques are not used in church. In the dim and distant past when children in our Sunday school entered what was known as the Scripture Exam I did use these techniques. There was a much greater sense of purpose in the lessons than usual. The children were much more highly motivated to learn and enjoyed the Bible studies.
(2) Submission. Let us examine this first insofar as it depends upon:
(a) The pupils (Both male and female). Pupils will only respect and submit to a teacher:
- If they value the subject matter being taught - if it is of interest to them.
I failed to teach some pupils much Geography because they had no interest in it. I suppose I rated Karl as one of the poorest students I ever taught - as thick as two short planks - yet I learned recently that he now has a degree in building construction and has his own successful company. He didn't want to learn about Geography BUT he did want to learn about building - that made all the difference.
There are millions of people in Britain who are not interested in learning about Jesus. My friends and family do not access my website to read my expositions because they do not want to know about Jesus. I did manage to pursuade a farmer who I played hockey with to look at it. His verdict? "I didn't think much of your website John - you kept telling people what to do." The New Testament is all about telling people what to do!
Paul tells the wealthy, influential and arrogant women of Ephesus to show some interest and listen to their teachers.
- If they accept the teacher knows more than they do about the subject he is teaching.
Most of my pupils respected my knowledge of Geography. I don't think any claimed to know more than I did. However, this was not the case when I coached a squad of under 14 boy's football. The youngsters thought they knew quite as much, if not more, about football than I did. As a consequence they took no notice of my advice and lost one football match after another.
It is impossible to teach people who 'know it all'. The 'new women' in the church at Ephesus lacked humility. They had probably embraced novel but heretical views and didn't think they had anything more to learn. Paul tells them otherwise.
By and large the small numbers I expound the Bible to, respect my knowledge. But there are some subjects about which I can teach my fellow Grace Baptists nothing: Creation and Science, the Genesis Flood, Heaven and Hell and Predestination. I am certainly well equipped to teach about the first two subjects but conservative, evangelical Christians have made their minds up about these topics and do want to hear anything that conflicts with their views.
- If their judgment is not impaired by prejudice, bias, ignorance or self-love. In school some pupils are put off by the age, sex or personality of the teacher. Pupils do not adjust well to a change of teacher.
Christians are not much better than school children - indeed they can be worse. There are some Christians who will not learn from a person from another denomination, holding a different doctrinal position or lacking academic qualifications.
Christians everywhere should remember that many Pharisees rejected the authority of Jesus because he was a Galilean, the son of a carpenter and unlearned. Jesus had not studied the rabbinical rulings on the law and certainly never cited them in his preaching. Jesus spoke as one having authority - an authority that stemmed from his relationship with his Father - not his knowledge of ancient case law.
(b) The teachers. There are certain qualities a teacher needs to exercise authority:
- Confidence and assurance.
- A good grasp of his subject.
- An enthusiasm for his subject.
- Clarity of expression. A good voice, a good command of English and an engaging manner are great assets in a teacher.
CONCLUSION.
We need to be clear why Paul singled out the women of Ephesus for rebuke. It wasn't because they were women! It was because they deserved it. As I have hinted above it is possible that a significant number of wealthy, female, church members were also part of the 'new women' movement that had sprung up among Greeks and Romans. This was a kind of feminist movement aimed at liberating women from male control. We can well imagine these free spirits paying little attention to what the male leaders taught and being a noisy, disruptive element in the church intent on asserting themselves.
Recently a group of mainly female clergy in the Church of England expressed a wish to rewrite the Prayer Book so that they could refer to God as a woman. Doubtless they will eventually recast Jesus as a girl. It would be interesting to hear the apostle Paul's views on the matter. I doubt he would be complementary. He might even tell them to be quiet!
(C) A perplexing prohibition. I do not permit a woman to teach .... a man. v12.
This is a perplexing statement because I do not think Paul could prohibit women from speaking in church meetings. For him to do so would bring him into conflict with the work of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost Peter quoted the prophet Joel: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy." Acts2v17. Peter quoted Joel to explain what had just happened to the believers in Jerusalem. 1Cor11v4and5 clearly indicates that women prayed and prophesied during church worship. When the apostle Paul deals with the gifts of the Spirit in 1Cor12 he does not indicate that the Holy Spirit discriminated between men and women in distributing the gifts. There is not one list for men and another for women. This being the case women, and not only men, were given: the message of wisdom, ..... the message of knowledge. If the Holy Spirit gave women a message of wisdom and knowledge he would expect them to edify the church by passing it on.
We are left with a problem: Why did Paul rule that women should not teach men and should remain silent in church services?
(a) It is possible that Paul was reacting to a specific group of women with whom he had clashed in the past. Sometimes during my teaching career a class of children would be too noisy to be working effectively. I would warn them to keep the noise down. If they failed to comply I would make them all work in complete silence. They were only allowed to speak to me - no-one else. Now this was of course unfair on those children who had been working quietly and only making a minimal contribution to the hubbub. However, it was necessary! Paul may have demanded women to be quiet in church as a means of shutting up the group of trouble makers at Ephesus and also Corinth.
(b) It is also possible that these well-to-do women had a domineering attitude and enjoyed overruling the elders. This would bring the church into disrepute with outsiders. It was not done for Roman, Greek or Jewish women of the time to publicly assert their authority over men. Church services were held in the antrium or reception room of large houses and as such open to the public. This meant anyone could stop by and witness the conduct of believers during their meetings. Paul was very concerned about the churches' public image. He did what overbearing women scandalising popular opinion.
(c) Finally, it was also possible that the most prominent women teachers were promoting heresy. Philip H. Towner and other Theologians suggest that women teachers espoused some of the views of the 'new women' movement. This was a feminist movement that some Greek and Roman women subscribed to. It demanded greater sexual freedom for women and promoted the use of contraception and abortion. Such a movement would be sympathetic to Gnostic views about the body, namely that the spirit of a person was all that mattered and so you could do anything you wanted with the flesh.
CONCLUSION>
(a) It is foolish to be legalistic about women teaching men in church. Most Sunday school teachers are women. Should they be concerned about when a boy becomes and man? At the time of Jesus a boy became a man at the age of 12! I stopped at Sunday school until I was a young man of 17. Was my Sunday school teacher, Mrs Ada Pawsey, doing wrong to teach me!!
A few years ago I took over chairing the ladies meeting at our church. I did so because none of the ladies who attended felt able to do it. One other man decided to keep me company! I listened to a lot of women speakers. Was I wrong to do so? I found their expositions edifying. Indeed, several of the lady preachers were better than a lot of the men I listen to on a Sunday.
(b) To deny able women speakers the right to address men denies 50% of Christians the benefit of their ministry. If I benefitted from the ministry of lady speakers so also would a lot of men.
I have profitted enormously from the books of Corrie ten Boon. What is the difference between reading her books and listening to her speak? It would have been a sad state of affairs if men had not been admitted to her speaking engagements. I am sure she was a great inspiration to the many men who heard her as well as those who have read her books.
Some men need to use some common sense - and, perhaps, show some humility.
(D) What does it mean to be saved in child birth? I do not permit a woman ... to have authority over a man..... . For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through child bearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. v12and13.
(a) The leaders of the early church, the elders or overseers, were undoubtedly all men. See 1Tim3v2. The question arises: to what extent should this hold true today? Some would go back to the Adam and Eve story and the punishment God inflicted on Eve: "Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." Gen3v16. See also 1Pet3v1to6. The traditionalists would argue that male leadership is in the will of God for all time.
However, circumstances change. God's punishment of Adam hardly applies any longer to all men. Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life." Gen3v17.
If most men are no longer producing food by the sweat of their brow - should God's curse on Eve still stand?
(b) Some would argue that in the time of Paul the moment for the full emancipation of Christian women had not been reached. Roman, Greek and Jewish society was not ready for it - just as it was not ready for the abolition of slavery. Paul never agitates against slavery.
So if women took over the leadership of churches it would bring Christianity even futher into disrepute. In point of fact this would be true of conservative Islamic countries today.
Although the time was not right for women to exercise authority in the early church the same cannot be said today of Western European countries. Indeed to opposite is the case. The lack of women leaders in the church is for many a stumbling block.
I am afraid that some who adopt what they consider to be a Scriptural position are very inconsistent. The Association that I belong to has no women pastors or elders and all the preaching on Sundays is done by men. However, the ultimate authority lies
with the church members. The members 'hire and fire' the pastor and elders. The women's vote counts as much as the men's. In a democratic model of church government the women are equal to the men and wield as much power as the men.
It is not unknown for a group of forceful women to rule the roost!!!
Why did Paul refer to the Adam and Eve story in the way he did?
(a) He points out that Adam was made first - and then Eve, who was created to be Adam's helper. God said:"I will make a helper suitable for him. Gen2v18.
It is likely that the 'new women' in the church at Ephesus with their strong feminist tendencies had overlooked this! They were not interested in helping men. They were consequently hardly continuing in love!
I believe genuinely Christian women will aim to help their husbands. Many Grace Baptist pastors have received enormous assistance from their wives. My father used to call my mother his 'curate'. She was the one to visit the flock. My brother, Paul, was helped in his ministry at Clapham by his wife Ruth. Her role was almost that of assistant pastor. My friend Pastor John Skull was supported throughout his ministry by his excellent wife - Marion.
The apostle Paul pays tribute in his letter to the Romans to several women who proved an immense help to him: Phoebe, Priscilla, Persis and Rufus' mother who was a mother to Paul also.
(b) Paul also pointed out that it was the women who was deceived and became a sinner.
This might seem somewhat unfair. Adam was just as much a sinner as Eve. He, too, was disobedient. So what is Paul getting at?
It seems likely that Eve was asserting her independence on being alone with the serpent. She didn't tell Satan that she would need to talk things over with her husband before doing as he suggested. No - there was no need for that - she could make her own mind up without reference to Adam.
A feature of the 'new women' was their determination to assert their independence. They could make their own decisions quite apart from the views of men. This resulted in them acting WITHOUT propriety. For example, they dressed like prostitutes - flaunting their bodies and their wealth.
So, Paul - a braver man than me - reminded these early feminists of what happened to Eve when she went it alone. She asserted her independence and the result - DISASTER! Doubtless the apostle surmised that some of the arrogant, opinionated women in the Ephesus church were heading for spiritual shipwreck.
(c) Finally, Paul advises the free spirits of Ephesus that they will be saved or restored through childbearing.
The church at Ephesus was rife with heresy. It is, for example, possible that child birth was considered unacceptable by some of the influential women because it activated God's curse on Eve. If the pain of child birth, one consequence of Eve's sin, could be avoided then perhaps the other, submission to a husband, no longer applied. So some women did not marry - See 1Tim4v3. Others married but abstained from sex. Some of the 'new women' who subscribed to the Gnostic view of the body had plenty of sex but practiced contraception and abortion.
Paul tells these women that they will be restored to the Faith and become once again useful and valued members of the church by being good mothers. One sure fire way of putting the trendy nonsense of 'new womanhood' behind them was to have children and bring them up. This was undoubtedly in the will of God, of inestimable value to humanity and a means of growing the church. It provided Christian women like Eunice and Lois with the opportunity of being the main influence for good in their children's lives. The huge importance of Christian mothers - continuing in faith, love and holiness with propriety - in bringing up their children should never be discounted. I am grateful to my mother for faith she showed me, the example she set me and the encouragement she gave me.