May a Woman Ever Teach a Man?

by Jimmy Ferguson

There is much error taught and practiced in the brotherhood today regarding women teaching men. In some places, women are allowed and even encouraged to speak in public assemblies and to teach classes where both men and women are present. Some brethren have swung far to the right and contend that a woman cannot teach a man under any circumstances. Some have even said that a Christian woman cannot give a man a Bible and that a Christian wife cannot lead her non-Christian husband to Christ. Rather than espousing our opinions, we would do well to ask ourselves, “What saith the Scriptures?”

Let us look at I Timothy 2:12. The passage states, “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.” Instructions to women here are in contrast to the liberty of men to teach or “pray everywhere” (I Timothy 2:8). The public discourses and public confrontations with unbelievers were to be done by the men. Women were not to engage in teaching in such places and under such circumstances.

There are, however, places or circumstances where a woman may teach. We find such an example in the Scriptures. There was a man in Ephesus named Apollos whose preaching was heard by a man and his wife, Aquila and Priscilla. Acts 18:26 states, “And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” This Christian woman helped teach a man, and the matter is recorded in Scripture with full approval. She did not teach in a public place, nor in a public assembly. She (with her husband) “took him aside” (ASV) from the public meeting and privately “expounded” (KJV) the Word of God unto him. The word “expound” is from a Greek word meaning “to declare.” However, let it be noted and understood that in so doing, she still would not be allowed to “usurp authority” (I Timothy 2:12). In the didactic discourse (Greek, didaskein, in I Timothy 2:12), the man is in authority over the woman.

I cannot visualize Priscilla “lording it over” her husband by taking the matter out of his hands. But neither do I see Aquila closing the door on anything she might have to say. I see this as a “team effort” with both Aquila and Priscilla working together to teach Apollos, but with Priscilla not usurping her husband’s authority.

If I were lost, I would shudder to think that my Christian wife would be restricted from telling me what I needed to do to be saved! And I would hope that she would not face the judgment for having withheld the word of life from me.

Women can teach, or pray, in private settings (Acts 18:24-28) or in other settings where she does not “have dominion” over men (Titus 2:3-8). The contrast in I Timothy 2:8-15 is clear: men may pray and teach everywhere (public and private), but women are restricted (to private settings). Yes, a woman may teach a man, but not in a public place or public gathering, nor in a way as to usurp authority over him.