The Evangelical Burqa - Part 6

Does Paul unilaterally forbid all women from teaching from the Bible when some men are in the audience? This is one part of a larger, multi-part discussion. More to come.

Dec 09, 2025

person in black hijab standing on brown field during daytime

Paul writes this to Timothy about women: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (1Tim. 2:12 NIV84). In Part 5, I dealt with the Greek word translated “silent,” so I will not repeat myself. Instead, I want to address a plausible background scenario for Paul’s statement, “I do not permit a woman to teach…” I will address the issue of “exercising authority over a man” in Part 7.

WOMEN PRIESTESSES FOR A FEMALE GODDESS

As the capital of the province of Asia, Ephesus had become a lucrative financial center due to the trade that flowed through it and its status as a chief center of worship for Greek gods.^[1] It is not surprising, then, to learn that Ephesus was home to the wealthiest families in that part of the Empire. And these wealthy families were key participants in the worship of their most revered goddess of them all, Artemis (Diana).

Apparently, the worship of a goddess required female ministers, priestesses, and the wives of these wealthy businessmen served in this role. The historical record notes that the primary qualification for their priestly office was two-fold: Be a woman of character (coincidentally, similar to what Paul admonishes all Christian women to attain) and be very rich.[2]

BUT, WE ALWAYS DID IT THAT WAY BEFORE

In Ephesus, therefore, it was the expectation that the rich women of “high status” would assume the lead priestly role in the worship of Artemis. Therefore, the likely scenario is this: As these women of “high status” came to Christ, they would naturally expect to play a priestly role in the Church. Presuming upon the basic qualifications for serving the Artemis cult, the women would expect to be in priestly roles in the Church as well, since education was of little importance in the former.^[3]

This scenario, though somewhat speculative, would explain Paul’s practice of not allowing women to teach since, as new converts, they would be ignorant of biblical teachings. We will see in a later section evidence that certain women were involved in teaching when men were present, thereby exposing the false assumption by many Evangelicals that claim Paul’s words unilaterally forbid a woman ever to preach or teach from the Bible in the presence of men.

THE REASON FOR MY TITLE

Furthermore, I hope to reveal the absurdity and harm that such restrictive teaching about women has on the Body of Christ. The title of this work, “Evangelical Burqa,” is intended to illustrate how those who hold to such restrictive practices within the Evangelical Church are quenching the giftings and callings of biblically mature, godly women and thereby hindering the spread of the Gospel to a lost world.

As I have already addressed above, the Apostle is not commanding women to keep their mouths shut whenever they are in a Church gathering and listening to a man teach or preach; he is addressing their demeanor as they receive instruction. Again, Paul’s command that women receive instruction with the same attitude of “quietness and stillness” to portray themselves as virtuous women in the sight of the citizens of Ephesus – thereby making the “teachings of Christ attractive.” This last point is the driving motivation behind Paul’s final words to Pastor Timothy.

COMING UP

In Part 7, I will show how absurd and biblically inaccurate it is to forbid a woman to teach the Bible or be involved in ministry whenever a man may be present. Stay tuned.

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