Several people have written to The Refiner's Fire to ask our opinion on 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12, which supposedly show that women have subordinate roles in congregations:

Bottom line up front: If a woman can be a disciple like Junia or Tabitha/Dorcas, a deacon like Phoebe, evangelists like Euodia and Syntyche, or a judge over all Israel like Deborah, why can't she be a pastor or a rabbi?

To begin with, the resurrected Yeshua first revealed Himself to women: Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" - a phenomenon which, in ancient times was unheard of as women were basically pushed into the background in a very patriarchal society:

Matthew 28: 1. Now in the closing (evening) of the Sabbath, as the first of the week was dawning, came Maryam of Magdala and the other Maryam that they might see the grave. 2. And behold a great earthquake occurred for a Messenger of Master YHWH descended from heaven and came and rolled away the boulder from the entrance, and he was sitting upon it. 3. And his appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white like snow. 4. And from the fear of him, those who were watching trembled and they became like the dead. 5. But the Messenger answered and said to the women, "Do not fear, for I know that Y'shua who was executed on the stake, you seek. 6. He is not here. For he has risen as he said. Come see the place in which he was laid. 7. Now go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead. And behold he goes before you to Galeela. There you will see him. Behold, I have told you. 8. And they departed quickly from the grave with fear and with great joy and were running that they might tell his disciples. 9. And behold, Y'shua met up with them and said to them, Peace to you. And they drew near and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. 10. Then Y'shua said to them, Do not fear. Rather, go and tell my brothers to go to Galeela, and there they will see me.

Ultimately, this can be viewed as "women teaching men" because they had knowledge that the men did not. (See also Mark 16 and Luke 24.) Here are some other women that YAHWEH chose to use for His glory:

Judges 4: 4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading [a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.

Philippians 4: 2. I plead with Euodias and Syntyche that they be of one mind in our Master (Y'shua). 3. I also plead with you, my true burden bearers, that you assist those women who worked hard with me in the Good News; together with Clement and with the rest of my helpers whose names are written in the book of life.

Luke 2: Then there was Kanna the prophetess a daughter of Peniel from the tribe of Ashir; she was also advanced in her days . And she was seven years with her husband whom she had lived with since her virginity. 37. And she was a widow for about eighty-four years. And she would not go out from (the Temple). (But would) with fasting and with prayer serve by day and by night. 38. And she also stood up in that hour and gave thanks to Master YHWH and was speaking concerning him to everyone who was waiting for the salvation of Urishlim (Jerusalem).

There have been many debates about what the Bible says about women teaching men, and many try to use the following Scriptures as proof that women should remain in subordinate roles:

1 Corinthians 14: 34. Let your women be silent in the assembly: for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be in subjection, as also Torah says. 35. And if they wish to be informed on any subject, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is unbecoming for women to speak in the assembly.

1 Tim. 2: 11. Let a woman learn in silence, with all submission: 12. for I do not allow a woman to teach or to be assuming over the man; but let her remain in stillness.

First Timothy 2:11–15 does not teach that women cannot exercise their spiritual gifts when the body meets. We know that women can, and are to do so (Acts 2:17; 1 Cor. 12:7; 14:26). Instead, the passage has a more narrow focus on the role of a ruling elder. To "teach" (1 Tim. 2:12), as defined "with authority" is an elder's function. This particular function in the body of Messiah ­ and only this function! ­ is reserved for men.

More significant was the local situation in the Messianic assembly. False teachers had apparently found support in homes headed by widows (1 Tim. 1:6, 7; 5:13–15). False teaching was apparently still a problem for "gullible women" when the letter of 2 Timothy was written (2 Tim. 3:6-7). So the instructions for a woman to "learn" but not to "teach" was aimed at keeping the women, who in this congregation had proved particularly susceptible to false teaching, from spreading it.

Paul, therefore, says, "I do not permit a woman to be a teacher." The context here has to do with assembly order, and the position of the man and woman in the assembly worship and work. The kind of teacher Paul has in mind is spoken of in Acts 13:1, I Corinthians 12:28, 29, and Ephesians 4:11 - YAHWEH-called, and YAHWEH-equipped teachers recognized by the Assembly as those having authority in the Assembly in matters of doctrine and interpretation. This prohibition of a woman to be a teacher, does not include the teaching of classes at the pastor's request, or children in a Sunday School, for instance, but does prohibit the woman from being an elder.

Put another way:

1 Tim. 2: 11. Let a woman learn in silence, with all submission: 12. for I do not allow a woman to teach or to be assuming over the man; but let her remain in stillness.

When we look at the grammatical notation for "to teach" we find that it's a present infinitive which means that it speaks of a continuous or repeated action. So what Paul said to Timothy was that a woman was not to continuously teach a man, which would be seen as not being submissive (when looking at this verse in context), because if she was always teaching the man, he would never have time to teach her.

At the same time, because the grammatical notation is a present infinitive, it would show that Paul did not say that a woman could not teach a man at all. So from a Scriptural standpoint women are allowed to teach men, just not continuously. Priscilla is seen in Scripture helping her husband teach Apollos the way of God more perfectly (Acts 18:24-26) and yes, even as we see in Scripture, there sometimes are exceptions to this as seen in Deborah (Judges 4 and 5), when there were no men spiritual enough to do the job - but not very often.

In conclusion, we know that women are allowed to teach other women and children (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15; Titus 2:3-5) and that it is permissible for women to teach men, though it is not to be a continuous ministry. Sometimes YAHWEH does raise up a woman to fill in a gap where men weren't standing to fulfill His good purpose.

Consider also the following:

• In Paul's letter to the Galatians, Paul had said that in Messiah, 28. For there is neither Jew nor Aramean, nor slave nor free, nor male nor female, but you are all one in Y'shua the Mashiyach (Galatians 3:28)
  
  
• In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he refers to women praying and proclaiming YAHWEH's message in public worship. (1 Corinthians 11:5)
  
  
• In Paul's letter to the assembly in Ephesus (Romans, chapter 16), he recognized and introduced the woman Phoebe as not only a "deacon" (not a deaconess) but also the president of the assembly in Cenchreae. (Romans 16:1,2)
  
  
• In the same letter to the assemly in Ephesus, Paul refers to the woman Priscilla and her husband Aquila as his coworkers, who also host the assembly at their house. (Romans 16:3-5) Earlier when he was in Ephesus writing his letters to the assembly in Corinth, he also had referred to the assembly in Ephesus as being in the home of Priscilla and Aquila. (1 Corinthians 16:19)
  
  
• In the same letter to the assembly in Ephesus, Paul also addressed the woman Junia and her husband Andronicus as apostles - even as "prominent among the apostles." (Romans 16:7)