Gifted for Leadership: Does the Bible Really Say I Can’t Teach Men?

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« Wrestling with God’s Leadership | Main | Born to Lead »

January 6, 2007

Does the Bible Really Say I Can’t Teach Men?

by by Jill Briscoe

I grew up in England with a queen on the throne and was educated at an all-girls' school and women's college in Cambridge by gifted females (and led to Christ by a female medical professional). So after becoming a Christian, imagine my dismay when I first joined a church where women weren't allowed to do any of the things in which I knew they excelled!

Later as a budding Bible teacher, I was asked by male church leaders to speak to young women and men in an outreach our congregation hosted. But others challenged my participation. I became hurt and confused. It wasn't that these challengers thought I shouldn't be exercising my gifts - that they believed "God thought" I shouldn't! This went against the very root of my identity and calling.

The positions Christians take on this issue are based on how they interpret the apostle Paul's writings. Paul told Titus that older women should informally train younger women in practical holiness and everyday Christian living (Titus 2:3-4). These older women were equipped and encouraged to teach.

But what about women teaching men? Paul wrote to Timothy: "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent" (1 Timothy 2:11-12). While the apostle was encouraging the teaching of women (even though traditionally they weren't given that opportunity), he restricted them from authoritatively sharing their learning with men.

Some people say this prohibition means women must never, ever teach men in the church. They believe Paul felt that because Eve was deceived, women are gullible and therefore mustn't teach men. Others think Paul was addressing specific circumstances in Ephesus, because in other Scriptures, Paul actually recognizes several women who were teaching and evangelizing alongside him (Romans 16:1-3; Philippians 4:2-3). Because women in Ephesus at this time were uneducated and secluded, Paul was warning that they could be misled by the false teachers trying to lure new Christians away from the church Paul wanted to establish. Those circumstances don't necessarily exist today, because many women, when trained, have gifts that can bring blessing to both men and women.

In fact, I believe I first have to answer to God for his gifts and calling on my life. I don't want to get to heaven and hear him say, "Half-done, thou half-faithful servant." Prayerfully, I exercise my gifts to the blessing of believers when I'm invited to do so and seek to utilize my strengths without being a stumbling block to others. Women should seek to use their gifts in ways that are acceptable to their community of believers. Ask God for guidance, and read as much as you can.

I don't believe women should bury their gifts or let anyone else bury them. There's a lost world (of men and women) waiting to hear what God's gifted women have to say to them. The eternal destiny of these souls may depend on it.

Comments

Thank you for this post. I recently had a disagreement with a woman in my church about women in ministry. I was told she would fight "tooth and nail" against women in ministry to mixed audiences in our church. It is good to know that someone of Jill's knowledge and understanding of the Word is supportive of ALL those called by God.

A couple of centuries ago, good Christians defended slavery from pulpits across America from the scriptures. Today we can only scratch our heads and wonder how they managed that. Maybe one day, we'll look back at this debate and wonder how we could have supressed the gifts and talents and leadership abilities of women for as long as we have.

Maybe IF men would stop and think, even wait 3-days (like resurrection day) there would be more peace. A very good book to read especially for us men for we are biologically different than our counter-part and mate and for very good reason - GOD created us that way and to compliment each other "unto death do us part"! My wife still praying for me - in May married 43-years and am still in business now 30-years because of "her faithfullness" in believing in me.

This question has always frustrated me... as a woman in theological studies to become a pastor i have had a fair number of people challenge me on my "right" to preach, teach and lead. But as I look at where we have come from, women have more freedom in the church now then we have in times past. Who knows when this question will be "settled." I never thought in 2007 i would be considered a "pioneer" as a female pastor, but such is the case. In the end, though, i take my cues from God. He gives the gifts to His children and He knows is best. I did not ask to be gifted this way (though i am enjoying it!), God gave me these gifts. Now i must use them in ways to honour and glorify Him first. There will be times of frustration, anger and disappointments to be sure as I encounter people who disagree with what I do. But the joys that will come, the blessing that is inherent in knowing you are serving God in the way He has designed you to, the way He has designed me... is worth far more than a few disagreements.

many blessings to my sisters who lead, teach and serve God in the ways they are gifted and to all those who give them the freedom, encouragement and affirmation to do so.

i believe that the Bible is the Word of God. yes, paul might have actaully penned the book of timothy; however those were the words of God he penned. and that being said, His Word is for us now, and is relevant today, even as it was then. there are plenty of fields of teaching that women can be in; ie: kay arthur and beth moore. is it not enough to teach other women? to prepare them with the Word of God to pass on to their families?

I am senior pastor at a small congregation. I believe in women as pastors as God gifts, although I prefer a TEAM approach. Whether we like it or not, men and women communicate differently. The church needs men and women counseling couples, men and women team-teaching, men and women serving.

I think women have been just as slow to understand the differences in men and women. And when women are up front leading, we need to remember we are representing Jesus Christ. It is important to be modest in dress and demeanor for several reasons: so that we can forget about ourselves, concentrate on Him, worship Him, and lead others to do the same, remembering that men are more visual.

One woman in our church, who had some problems with women in senior ministry, believed I should always wear a dress or skirt or "dress suit." I want to sit on the steps with the children, be totally comfortable, not draw undo attention to anything I wear...and she has understood that and accepted it.

There are so many facets to this issue...a great one to continue discussing, and let God guide!

I have been a Salvation Army Officer/pastor for 26 years. As many people are aware, The Salvation Army have given women the privilege of teaching men and women since its inception. I am very grateful for this. I'm including here the link for Catherine Booth's 'Female Ministry - Woman's right to Preach the Gospel.' Gayle http://www1.salvationarmy.org/heritage.nsf/36c107e27b0ba7a98025692e0032abaa/cca0ee1fd0dd005680256970004c8225!OpenDocument

As a woman called to preach, I have suffered through this debate many times. I would commend to all the book by Dr. John Temple Bristow, "What Paul Really Said About Women."(ISBN 0-06-061063-8) Dr. Bristow clearly addresses this issue and others regarding Paul's comments on women. Moreover, he provides an excellent exegetical study of the Ephesians 5 passage. When we read scripture, we must understand the nuances of the original language--which is not the KJV, but the greek & hebrew. Bristow's book provides an excellent resource for those seeking to address the mininformed and answer the call that God has placed on our lives.

I did a study of 1 Timothy using a guide by Chuck Swindoll. His interpretation was that women were not allowed to teach the Word of God to men, only to women. I've even discussed this with our pastor and he agrees this is a confusing topic.

This topic is of great interest to me because I am the leader of our churches Building and Facilities ministry. My team is all men. My paid profession is engineering which is also dominated by men.

When I became a Christian I tried to leave engineering thinking I could never be a good Christian wife and mother. I finally realized that my education and knowledge were a gift from God and embraced it. Since then God has blessed me tremendously! God used women leaders quite frequently in the Bible. Remember, Deborah was a judge in the Old Testament. God also encourages women to be leaders in their home in Proverbs 31. As women we need to embrace our talents and use them for God's glory no matter what. He will let us know if we've gone to far.

This topic has come to me i"in the nick of time". I'm a female pastor, called to sheperd those God has created for Himself. I've been in situations where male pastors/ministers have refused to recognize me as a pastor and will speak only directly to my husband. My husband co-pastors with me and when we run into these situations, he politely but consistently will refer back to me as not only his wife but as a co-pastor. I've now found myself in the mental position of only pleasing the Lord and trying not to care about what others think. When we see the fruit of what God is doing through us, we give Him all the praise and glory. While we fight with each other about what gender should preach/teach, there are lost people out there who needs Jesus. God can and will use anyone who makes themselves available for His use. To God be all the glory for the great things He continues to do.

I believe that if people would really study what was going on in Ephesus at the time Paul wrote Timothy the letter, we would understand that Paul was trying to stop a heresay not women pearching. The problem is we would rather say "The Bible says a woman can't ever teach men or lead a church" than take the time to do a little historical research. Or if we do the research we simply ignore it because of bias. It's a shame, because it is fascinating study.

While I believe that women were not created to be in roles of leadership over a church congregation, I do believe that God calls us to be ministers of the Word no matter who we are talking to. Yes, there were women evangelists in the Bible, but there were no women in Pastoral roles. God calls all of us to be ministers of the Word, but in all of the study that I have done He repeatedly states that men are created as the leaders and we as women are to be their helpmeets. I agree that we can challenge men (believers and unbelievers alike) to dig deeper in knowing God, but we were not created as the Leaders men were. I love the gifts that God has given me, but if I use them outside the realm of how I was created as woman then I am doing a huge disservice to all I cross paths with. We are in training for godliness and are suppose to be at peace with others, I pray that God leads all of you into the direction He wants you, no matter what anyone else throws your way. God bless.

I found it interesting that most women who responded to this article did so in how it has worked out in their own lives rather than from the Bible. Have we really responded to God's gifting or ????
Why do we watn to oversee men? What does that say about our need to control everyone around us -which incidently I believe comes from the aftereffects in the Garden?

The initial question was whether a woman could teach a man. Part of that is whether the men are willing to be taught by a woman. The context where the men are unwilling to be taught by a woman, is the last place I would want to be teaching. Another issue is related to a heart attitude about "my rights". As a follower of Christ I am called to put what is best for the other person ahead of what is best for me. It isn't about rights at all, but about ministering to one another in mutual submission. God has called many women to leadership of various ministries and in churches where it is not an issue. In the end, I expect we will all be sutrprised at what we made an issue, that to God was not an issue at all.

What bothers me most about this question is that everyone involves want to be the boss. I think that if God has called someone to be a teacher they should want God to be the boss. They should humbly do what God is calling them to do--not angrily assert what it is their RIGHT to do. If God is really calling them to teach or be in some authority position He will make a way no matter what another person says. We are so worried in this day about our personal rights and not our responsibility to love others and treat them with respect.

I appreciate Jill's comment regarding being called by God. When it comes to this debate that is my final answer. God called me to this...I don't understand it, but He did. I usually ask people who question me, "Do you want me to be disobedient to God and therefore be in sin?" I have to do what God directs, gifts, and calls me to do, nothing more and nothing less.
I will not be disobedient to God!

I think that a great book for all women in positions of leadership and ministry should take the time to read "Why Not Women" by Loren Cunningham. It is produced by YWAM. This book examines the scriptures and historical context in which they were written. It also looks at the original Greek and Hebrew writings to help us have a fuller understanding of what the Scriptures actually say (not just what the culturally biased translators translated the texts to be.) After reading the book get before God and ask Him what His will is for you.
It's not about US and our will or our rights; it is about who God has intended us to be. I believe that God gifted some women for positions of leadership that will require them to teach men, and others will be in other ministry positions. If God has gifted and intended a woman to be a leader (teacher, speaker, evangelist, etc.) who are WE to say that they are relegated to a certain "list" of ministries that are "acceptable" for women. Preventing a woman to do the work that God has intended her to do not only robs her of her destiny, but robs the Kingdom of God of one if it's workers. We need to be more concerned with what God says, not what we think.

Your write-up has been a blessing to me, it has encourage me to be myself whereever i go. God has given women potentials and gifts just as He has given men, but we just have to exercise them in submission and huminity given reference to God who has bestow us with this gifts.
Thank you.

I have struggled with this issue for many years. A close friend of my wife and I is a missionary in Japan, and we disagree on this issue. I don't believe that women should teach men (this doesn’t include the husband/wife relationship). This isn't an issue of gifts it is an issue of submission. Women shouldn't be pastors, nor should men for that matter (the Bible presents Elders as leaders of the Church, not some super shepherd, but that is another issue for another time). I have learned a lot from my wife in regards to spiritual matters, and so have many other men, but when comes to being in a leadership role I believe Paul is very clear that women shouldn't have authority over men. You can rationalize it all you want, but it still doesn't make it right. Read 1 Corinthians 11 and pay attention to verse 16. I believe that this issue, as with most issues, needs to be handled with love and grace. We who belong to Christ are not independent of one another., so as a Christian I believe it is my responsibility to stand up for what the Bible teaches. As a brother in Christ I will love you, and I will even talk to you (unlike other men apparently). But as your brother I will also have to respectfully disagree. My the Lord guide and direct you in everything that you do.

It was noted above that women commenting here are doing so based not on scriptures but on their life experience and that perhaps they are not experiencing a true call of God on their lives. The question further asked why women would want to oversee men.

That seems to beg this question...are men then desiring to oversee women in their pursuit of leadership gifts? Is this a good thing?

I am fascinated by the many comments in reference to women in ministry. I got saved in a church where there was not an issue with women in ministry. I realize there was a problem when I went to Bible College. I suffered many not so nice comments especially by other women in reference to my pursuing a Mdiv. We were given the opportunity to study the passages related to women in ministry taught by the apostle Paul. My conclusion is that women are to pursue their God given gifts in ministry. I believe in women pastors. I drew the line as far as women being a Bishop. My reason is,Paul did state that a Bishop should be the husband of one wife. I do support every women in the utilizing their gifts.

I'm fortunate to be a woman who likes to preach and teach in that my husband is the senior pastor. That doesn't give me carte blanche access to the congregation, though. I've had to earn respect, but also ask for it. An old Disney film called The Ugliest Dachsund portrayed a Great Dane raised by a doxie and her pups. The dog was so confused about its role, feeling guilty it seemed for standing up straight and tall and being the Great Dane it was made to be.At a dog show, this gangly creature is seen crawling across the floor, imitating the dogs he'd imprinted with. An Alpha female has often been forced to crawl on her belly in the church pretending to be something she isn't, when God has made her to stand head and shoulders above the crowd; not so that she can lord it over others,of course. But when acting through the Holy Spirit's control and within her natural abilites, she is going to be valuable in seeing the big picture for the sanguine leaders who don't see the dangers ahead. God made her that way and she shouldn't have to apologize for God's purpose for her.

The bible says what it says on this issue. It reiterates the same point again in
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
34women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church

You can accept this or not. But God has made his point very clear. A good rule thumb to be certain that something is a spiritual truth is if it can be found in more than one place in the bible.

As women, we are bearers of God's image as well as men.I think the church has benefitted greatly from having women in more visible leadership positions, because they have been able to model different styles of leadership. Christian leadership is not about 'lording it over' anyone, as one post suggested. It's about servant leadership, and maybe God is calling women into positions of leadership so He can show what this looks like?

I find the whole debate about whether, or not, women should be allowed leadership roles in the church quite disturbing and, the fact that it is still raging in the 21st century, even moreso.

Do we really think, for one minute, that God gives a hoot about the physical aspects of those He calls unto Him? You only have to look throughout history - at the men AND women that He used for various leadership roles - to understand that gender means little to God in the whole scheme of things.

Whilst men may have been used more often, this is simply because the world in which we live has, historically, given them greater access to many more opportunities than it has women, hence, they have been better positioned to be used of God.

Yet, God is concerned only with our hearts and our spirit. When we came to Christ it was our spirit that was born again, not our flesh, and it is this, only, that God is interested in. Our physical selves are but a shell that is wearing away. Our bodies will never be Godly whilst we are on this earth, so what does it matter if we are women, men or even children (Think Joan of Arc). Galatians 3:28, which I am surprised no one has mentioned here already, sums it all up really.

With regards to Paul's verses in the NT, many here have already said that they need to be considered in light of the culture, era and what was taking place at the time to be understood correctly, and I believe this to be true.

Remember, also, that the Bibles we read today have been translated over and over again and a lot of the original words and meanings have been lost. No one can really say they know exactly what Paul meant when he was speaking of these matters unless you were there. In any case, culturally, the West and the Middle East, from whence these regulations came, are worlds apart and always have been.

When I speak before audiences of both men and woman I don't believe I am sharing as one in a position of authority over anyone. Rather, I show up at a podium privilege as one who is not in authority but under authority. I am a woman who is under the authority of God - I speak with the authority that comes not from my position but from the PERSON I know who commands me to "Go and Tell".

The question is simple. What does God's word say? 1 Tim 2:11-12 and 1 Cor 14:34 are very clear regarding a woman's role in worship, prayer, spiritual activities. You can rationalize it all you want, but that doesn't change the truth of His word. You rationalize (and therefore change the Word) because you don't agree with it. The bible is consistent and if you begin to rationalize the teaching, then you will simply do the same with any part of the Word you don't agree with.

Christians need to study the Word in toal humility leaving out any humanistic theories and simply read. God's Word is our filter. We need to run our doctrine/beliefs through the bible and whatever doesn't match we need to throw out. Instead we typically run His Word through our individual filters and anything that doesn't fit we simply ignore or rationalize away. I.E. what Ms. Briscoe has done above and several of the posts.

Chris, in reply to your post, it is actually patriarchal-minded Bible translators, throughout the ages, who have, as you say, run God's word through their own individual filters, and anything that has not fit their agenda they have ignored, changed or thrown away. Most of the Bible interpretations we read today have gone through this process.

A closer look at the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 14 will give you a better perspective on what I mean. You will find that verses 34 & 35 appear to contradict everything that Paul said previously about believers' participation in the church. For instance, verse 31 states "For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted". Paul also said in 1 Cor 11:5 that women can pray and prophesy publicly, so why would he suddenly contradict himself in verses 34, 35?

The Greek symbol, ? is used at the beginning of verse 36 to signify that the preceding verses are in quotations. This means it is highly likely that Paul was quoting Verses 34, 35 from a letter that was sent to him by the church leaders in Corinth, in which they were advocating traditional, anti-women Jewish rabbinical laws be put in place in the newly formed church. In fact, the first word of verse 36 in the Amplified Bible is “What!” – The exclamation mark indicates that Paul was incredulous at what he just read out.

If you read these particular verses, in this context, beginning from verse 26 to verse 40 then I believe that you will see this passage in a whole new light.

If the Bible was meant to be interpreted as literally as you believe, without any effort to study the culture, era or context, or without any discernment from the Holy Spirit, then we would never wear clothes made from 2 different fabrics, nor would we plant 2 different seeds together on a farm (Lev 19:19). And if our eyes, our feet or our hands caused us to sin, then we would have to pluck them out or cut them off! (Mark 9:43-47)

Just to amend my previous post, the Greek symbol I referred to is similar to the letter n with an acute accent above it. Don't know how, but for some reason it came out looking like a question mark in the first post, so please disregard that symbol.

Chris is right. Are the human lusts and vanities so strong that people will believe anything other than what's written? Do people really believe that God does not have the power to make sure His book says exactly what He wants? Or would people rather believe that instead of saying directly what He meant, God would put have some puzzle in there that said the opposite of what was meant, and that only after 2000 years and the feminist movement in America would the truth come out? Seriously. Those who support homosexuality use this same logic.

This vanity..this pride..and the weak spines of the men who gave in are what led America down into this spiral of immorality and godlessness. The destruction of the American church is directly linked to the incorporation of women leadership and more concern for human feelings than the commands of God. It is reliving the garden of Eden. Eve decided to take a leadership position (which was really a puppet position under Satan), and Adam followed right along. Both the vanity of the women and the softheadedness of the men of America is what put us here. And it will get worse before it gets better.

Oh please P! It is the worship of men, and of all things masculine, that is destroying the church in your country. Nothing but false idolatry. People have spent centuries elevating men, rather than God and then wonder why things go so wrong.

In 1 Tim. 2, Paul pointed back to Adam and Eve simply to point back to creative order. In other words, this is how the world was established - the home and the church shall follow. By the way, Eve was once a sinless woman without a fallen nature ... how much better are our odds with deception than hers? I do not think the "gullibility" approach can work. Education levels do not navigate kingdom people through life ... holy fear, faith, and obedience do.
We also cannot forget that I & II Tim. and Titus were written as instructions to Timothy (young pastor) and Titus (church planter) as to how the NT church was to be led (discipled and ordered). Further, we must keep in mind that though culture is always present, it does not always play a significant role in every issue. This was and is an epistle (an explanation) written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to be a guide for all future generations of the NT church. Paul was a born again Jew, writing to a Gentile pastor and congregation; and, of no consequence, is the fact that Paul hated the legalistic and pharisaical Judaism that was hurting the NT church more than anyone (just read Galatians again sometime). If Paul had made a sundry (stand alone) statement with no clear context, or pointed to some other reason, we may have had opportunity to be confused here. Alas, this is not remotely the case. Paul did not point to education levels or culture as the issue, nor did he leave his reasons concealed, rather he clearly pointed to creative order.
Therefore, read humbly and honestly, I Tim. 2 is not much of a riddle at all. The question is one of obedience. If we are honest with God's clear instruction here (in its obvious context) and believe that obedience is still of utmost importance to God (even when you or I don't like it or totally understand it)... then one must never wonder what they are called to do and what they are not. Our abilities, feelings and experiences do not dictate how we serve God ... the Bible does; and, the Holy Spirit will not lead you or I to the contrary of how He has already inspired the biblical writers to instruct us.
I have been invited through the years to do all kinds of "unbiblical things" - unfortunately often by Christians or church people. Whether I responded in the affirmative or not and how I felt about it in the end did not settle the issue. Even then, the Bible was and is our standard and the Spirit will not contradict Himself. God did not lovingly give us a literal treasure chest of instruction, for us to "feel" our way through these issues. Consequently, when I look back at life experiences, and conclude that God used me, even when I was somewhat out of His will in some ways; it is unwise to presume that God has put behind Himself or moved past what He has previously required. On the contrary, I must fall in humility before Him, confessing that by His grace, He did some things ... inspite, not because ... of my misunderstanding. Thus, I should love Him all the more and seek genuine biblical obedience as a response.
Finally, Romans 16 and Philippians 4 do not say or imply anything such as teaching and leading in the church. To refer to that in this context as a "stretch", would be a gross understatement. These women should be appreciated, loved and honored for their Christian SERVICE ... please do not dishonor their biblical obedience in God's kingdom by making it something that it clearly was not.
I have responded to this for the glory of God and a genuine love for the bride of Christ (His church ... to be ordered His way), including a love for all saints who are addressed ... women and men alike. No anger here, just a passion for His truth. Remember, we will most effectively impact a "lost world" of men, women (and children) for Christ ... by obeying Him! "To obey is better than sacrifice".

Sincerely In Christ,
Michael Edwards
Nashville, NC

Well after the fact, I have come across this essay. Jill overlooks a couple of hard facts... "Paul thinks" is one of them. The Holy Spirit spoke through the pen of Paul what we find in 1 Tim. 2:12 and 13. Right after this we have the qualifications of elders (and deacons)... ie husband of one wife. Another fact overlooked is the URBAN LEGEND so many feminists try to peddle about women in Ephesus, a very cosmopolitan and progressive city in its day---there is no historical or archeological evidence to support Jill's claim--she is reading her bias into the text. Third, Jill makes the classic mistake of relying on her personal ambitions and "experience" in English culture to trump the clear cut Biblical mandate. I'll stop here...having only touched on the tip of the iceberg.

The dilemma Jill Briscoe faced is the result of assuming that the thorny Pauline passages require all women to submit to all men. What if there was grammatical evidence in the Greek that restricted the restriction to wives of their own husbands? There is!

The restrictions do exist and are limited to a wife and her own husband, and are founded upon the passage in Ephesians 5 in which the husband and his wife are to be a picture to the world of Christ and His Bride, the Church.

Understanding this makes the difficulty pretty much go away. The problem is that most biblically conservative churches do not differentiate between husbands and their wives in these restrictive passages and men and women in general. As a result, they give women a bad taste in their mouths regarding these complementarian churches.

Apart from the rule that only men can be elders, all offices and giftings are available and open to all women and women should be encouraged to seek such opportunities.

(1 Timothy 2:11-12) "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." KJV
I believe the Bible states clearly that women are not to preach, but that doesn't mean that you can't spread the word of Jesus Christ. There is a difference between preaching and witnessing!!! One thing God wants you to do once you become a child of God (those who have been saved) is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by telling others about the changes in your life after you were saved or by telling them about the pain and suffering Jesus went through to save us from being damned to hell for all eternity!!! One of the best ways to witness is to pass out gospel tracts!!! It is a great thing to do...especially when you hand them out to children!!!

Lay it down, Mark. A bitter root will do no good. "Vengeance is mine saith the Lord." Let God deal with it and trust Him.

The interesting thing to me is what happens in practice regarding the "women do not teach men" stance. Women are qualified to go to the missions fields of deepest and darkest Africa or to the Countries that are known to kill Christians, but they are not qualified to stand in a pulpit to teach a civilized man. ??.. Are there no "men" in those dangerous areas that women certainly may go to preach and teach?

Add to that the fact that Paul's analogy was that the Church is subjected to Christ "just like" a wife is to a husband.

The Church is made up of non-gendered persons in the Spirit. "There is no male, no female, no bond, no free, no Greek, no Jew, ..etc."

Every woman is not subject to every man on earth, just to her husband. Outside the marriage commitment we are not a "gender," we are nothing more than a human being, all of us.

You know,there is many gifts and ministries that women can serve the Lord in. Women being Pastors is not an option scriptually.
women are to be submissive to their husbands, husbands are to be submissive to Jesus, and Jesus was submissive to God. this does not mean a women is any less than her husband, just like Jesus is not any less than God. It's just God's creative order, and He is God so why question it? Be the willing vessel he wants all of us to be. He will open the doors of ministry he wants us to go through, but it's our job to study God's Word to make sure we're doing what He wants us to do and not what we ourself want to do. Love in Christ, PB

1 Cor. 14:34 states that women should "keep silent" and the OT ("the Law also says") supports this NT practice. For any woman who believes she is called and gifted to be a teacher, the Biblical answer for her is in V.37, "If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord." Really, if a woman is truly spiritual, then she’ll acknowledge the Old & New Testament teaching regarding the role of women. And V.38 ("If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized"), suggests it's the duty of all Bible-believing Christians to not recognise anyone as a spiritual authority who doesn't affirm these truths.

I find it incredibly unfortunate that women are denied authoritive positions within the church because of a couple forged books in the bible! Many scholars, Christian and not, agree that Paul was not the author of Titus or 1 Timothy. It's a simple case of men trying to sneak their agenda into the teachings of Christ. Take my thoughts with a grain of salt as I am an atheist. :)

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Does the Bible Really Say I Can’t Teach Men?

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Gifted for Leadership