The Old Testament gives us several notable women who exercised various forms of leadership. Miriam and Deborah both led Israel’s worship, and Deborah also led the government (Exodus 15: 20-21, Judges 4:4-5, 5:1 ff.). It was to Huldah that the king’s counselors turned for an authoritative explanation of Scripture (2 Chronicles 34:19-28).

In the New Testament we encounter more. These include Phoebe, the minister (not the “deaconess”) of Cenchrea, and Junia (not “Junias”), the outstanding apostle (Romans 16:1, 7). Paul counted among his colleagues Priscilla (Romans 16:3), who taught the apostle Apollos (Acts 18:26), and Euodia and Synteche, two leaders in the church in Philippi (Philippians 4:2-3).

Jesus had women disciples, including Joanna, Susanna, and Mary Magdalene, who traveled with him (Luke 8:1-3), and Mary, the sister of Martha (Luke 10:38-42).

The texts concerning the spiritual gifts needed for ministry (Romans 12:1-7, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, Ephesians 4:1-13), are written in the most gender-neutral way Greek grammar allows. Nothing in these key texts suggests that leadership gifts are restricted to men.

Some argue that 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 requires women to be subordinate to men and therefore forbids their ordination, but that argument is mistaken. There are admittedly hard-to-interpret details in this passage (the multiple meanings of “head” and its connection to “hair” is the most challenging), but in a discussion of the church at worship, Paul says nothing against women leading public prayer or proclaiming the word of God, as long as they are dressed appropriately.

The two “classic texts” against the ordination of women are 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12. Neither text speaks about ordination; instead, in most translations of the two passages we read about women being in “silence.”

We should note that no church proposes applying the word in a literal way, as if women are not permitted to sing in worship, ask or answer questions in a study group, or chat while washing dishes after a fellowship dinner. Instead, some scholars argue that in a context of learning, it means students should learn with “reverent attentiveness.” Others interpret the term to mean “non-ordination.”

Both of these are interpretations. When there is more than one possible interpretation of a text, the thoughtful reader must decide which one fits best with the overall sense of what the Bible says.

Traditionally, most Christians have interpreted the term “silence” in these passages not to mean silence, but to mean non-ordination. Most contemporary Presbyterians take it to mean reverent, attentive learning, because of the examples of Biblical women in leadership, because of the gender-neutral character of the texts on the gifts of ministry, and because the lack of a sufficient reason to take the term to exclude the ordination of women.