Does a woman reading a Scripture verse during worship constitute “exercising authority”? - By Elizabeth Prata

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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This is simply bad teaching. Not that it's bad content (though it certainly is bad content), but rather that it's poorly taught. 

Ms. Prata is a "Bible teacher" who has developed an entire catalog of micro-doctrines regarding what she thinks 1 Timothy 2:12 allows and doesn't allow women to do in church. 

Can a woman teach a co-ed adult Sunday School? What about a woman teaching a boy? Is it teaching to team with her husband to counsel men? Can women pray on the stage? Read announcements? Sing solos? Sing in the choir?

The list goes on and on, and Ms. Prata is happy to supply convoluted and error-ridden explanations, all based on what we consider to be a false understanding this one Scripture verse. 

We've covered the particulars of the verses Ms. Prata quotes here, so we'll try not to repeat ourselves.  Our purpose today is to consider yet another parsing of doctrine: Can women read Scripture to the congregation?

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I was asked this question by a reader and it’s a good question! Thank you, sister for the query. We have several verses in scripture that speak to ecclesiastical roles/duties with regard to men and women. The one most spoken of is Paul’s verse in 1 Timothy 2:12,

“But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” 

There is also the verse in 1 Corinthians 14:34,

“the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.” 

Which is re-emphasized in the next verse, 1 Corinthians 14:35,

“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.”

Headship is the issue, which as part of her submission to the Head of the Church, mentions the woman’s silence. Thus, part of woman’s role is to remain silent in the church. It’s actually dishonorable to speak! The Greek word for dishonorable or disgraceful, is actually “sordid“. THAT’S how gross the Lord deems it for a woman to speak in the church service. (We would ask Ms. Prata to explain how a woman can pray or prophesy in church without speaking:

1Co. 11:4-5 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head — it is just as though her head were shaved.

We see here that both men and women are given instructions about praying and prophesying in church. This can only be done out loud. Lest Ms. Prata attempt to claim that this is not a reference to a church service, we pre-emptively remind her how Paul concluded this passage:

1Co. 11:16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice — nor do the churches of God.

So, here we have women speaking in church, which means Ms. Prata has a doctrinal problem.)

A woman reading scripture is not technically teaching or preaching it, (or IS it?) (Reading Scripture is in no way teaching or preaching, technically or otherwise.)

but the optics of a woman on the dais, with open Bible, reading and speaking, visually contradicts the verses that say women should remain quiet. It *looks* like she is taking authority, an authority she doesn’t have. That is not a good visual. She is also not being quiet as the verse says she must be. (This perfectly illustrates how dumb is this kind of teaching. It leads to such extremes that the mere fact of someone standing on the stage means possible sin or heresy.)

If a woman was truly submissive to the headship of elders and to husband, there really should be no reason why she would want to perform in front of the church during service in that role. (Hmm. "in that role..." So there ARE roles that permit women on stage? What might those be, and why are they permitted?)

Some people say ‘But, but, it’s JUST reading!’ No it’s not just innocent reading. Public reading of scripture during worship service is actually part of preaching.

1 Timothy 4:13 says, “Until I come, give your attention to the public reading, to exhortation, and teaching.”

“Those three elements form the essence of preaching: reading Scripture, declaring it, and explaining it” said MacArthur. So it’s not ‘just’ reading, it actually is a function of the pastor as part of the sermon. (Ho-boy. Ms. Prata invokes supposedly solid Bible teacher who simply commits the same errors as does she. 

Ms. Prata selected this particular translation on purpose. She wants to read it as Timothy being the pastor, engaging in "the public reading [of Scripture], to the exhortation [of Scripture], and to the teaching [of Scripture]."  She wants this to be about Timothy's pastoral Sunday duties, reading into the verse things it does not say. 

However, Timothy was not a pastor, so the instruction Paul gave him has nothing to do with pastoral duties. Timothy, a co-worker of Paul's, was on assignment from Paul to straighten out this church. He was to occupy his time with these three things until Paul returned to take over for him. 

This all means that reading Scripture in church is not a pastoral duty. In fact, teaching and preaching are not pastoral duties, either. A pastor's job, according to Scripture, is to care for the flock [Ac. 20:28, 1Pe. 5:2]. Teachers teach, evangelists preach, and pastors give care [Ep. 4:11].

Both Ms. Prata [and John MacArthur] totally botch this.)

To conclude, the issue of women reading the Bible to the congregation during services is:

1. Headship/Creation order issue;
2. Women remaining silent;
3. Understanding via proper interpretation that reading scripture is part of the pastor’s duties in preaching; and
4. A bad look, with a nuance in interpretation that treads close to a line many churches decide not to cross.

(...)