In the New Testament, the role of women in church leadership is addressed in several passages. The letters of Paul, such as 1 Timothy and 1 Corinthians, provide guidance on the conduct of women in worship and their participation in teaching. According to 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34, women are instructed to remain silent in certain contexts, while 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9 outline the qualifications for overseers and elders, which are typically understood to be male roles. The Bible teaches that men and women have different roles in the church, with women being encouraged to learn in quietness and submission, as seen in 1 Timothy 2:11-12.
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I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; she is to remain quiet.
Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.
This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money. An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity. For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil. Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money. They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things. A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household. For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and who are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination. As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money. Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.
A woman must learn in quietness and full submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; she is to remain quiet.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they wish to inquire about something, they are to ask their own husbands at home; for it is dishonorable for a woman to speak in the church.