Welcome to “Ehrman Errs,” a blog series devoted to using our conversational AI to refute each alleged biblical contradiction that is posed in the article on Bart Ehrman’s website: 50 Contradictions in the Bible: The Biggest, Most Shocking Differences.
Today’s alleged contradiction:
#29 – Paul’s Views on Women: Silence or Leadership?
One of the most interesting examples of the contradictions in the Bible emerges when comparing Paul’s seemingly supportive views on women’s roles in the church with a passage often attributed to him but suspected by scholars to be a later interpolation. In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, Paul is quoted as saying: “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.” In Romans 16, however, Paul commends several women for their roles in the early Christian community. He praises Phoebe as a deacon (Romans 16:1), Junia as “outstanding among the apostles” (16:7), and others such as Priscilla, who worked alongside him in ministry. Many scholars argue that may not be original to Paul’s letter. They note that the verses disrupt the flow of the surrounding text, where Paul discusses orderly worship, and that some manuscripts place the passage in different locations.
How Does Ehrman Err?
The Apostle Paul’s writings about women’s roles in the church have often been misunderstood or misrepresented, but when properly understood in their historical, grammatical, and theological context, there is no contradiction between Romans 16 and 1 Corinthians 14:34–35.
1. Paul Affirms the Equality of Men and Women in Christ
Paul consistently teaches that men and women are equal in dignity and spiritual standing before God. Scripture says:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:28, ESV
Likewise, Paul commends women who served faithfully in gospel ministry. In Romans 16, Phoebe is called a diakonos (servant or deacon) and Priscilla is listed as one of Paul’s fellow workers. These passages reflect that women were vital co-laborers in the mission of the church.
As the Precept Austin commentary on 1 Timothy 2 notes, “The Spirit of God empowered both men and women to be proclaimers of God’s redemptive work in Christ… Women’s participation in the edifying presentation of the gospel and vocal prayer in the congregation were a normal part of early church life” (see Acts 2:17–18; 1 Corinthians 11).
This is crucial context: equality in worth and gifting does not mean sameness in role or function.
2. Functional Distinctions in the Church Are Consistent with Equality
Complementarianism (the historic biblical view) holds that men and women are equal in essence but distinct in role. According to GotQuestions.org,
“Complementarians hold to gender distinctions when it comes to functional roles in society, the church, and the home. Paul makes the argument that women are not allowed to teach and/or exercise authority over men within the church setting”
(1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 14:34)
— Complementarianism vs. Egalitarianism
Thus, Paul’s instructions about women not exercising teaching authority over men concern church order, not personal worth. The same principle applies in 1 Corinthians 14.
3. 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 Is Authentically Pauline
Bart Ehrman (and similar critical scholars) argue those verses are a later interpolation. But the evidence strongly points to Pauline authorship:
- Textual stability: The verses appear in all ancient Greek manuscripts of 1 Corinthians. The only variation is their placement — a common phenomenon in ancient manuscript transmission (some scribes placed the same text after v. 40), which does not indicate interpolation but an editorial rearrangement.
- Linguistic consistency: The phrase “as the Law also says” matches Paul’s stylistic patterns elsewhere (cf. Rom 3:19; Gal 4:21).
- Thematic continuity: 1 Corinthians 14 is about maintaining order in worship (“But all things should be done decently and in order.” — 1 Cor. 14:40). The instruction for women to “keep silent” refers not to all speech, but to church-authoritative teaching or judging prophetic words, consistent with 1 Timothy 2:12.
The Precept Austin commentary on 1 Timothy 2 explains that Paul’s direction was not a total ban on women’s speech but a restriction on assuming teaching authority over men in the gathered church:
“I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet” — 1 Timothy 2:12 (cf. Titus 2:3–5; 1 Peter 3:4)
This same principle supports orderly worship in 1 Corinthians 14.
4. No Contradiction, but Harmony
When we take Paul’s writings together:
- In Romans 16, Paul celebrates women who served in various ministries consistent with their gifts;
- In 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2, Paul restricts women from holding the teaching and ruling offices in the corporate assembly.
Therefore, there is no contradiction—only a consistent application of biblical complementarity.
5. Why This Matters
God’s design for order in the Church reflects His created order. As Paul writes:
“For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” — 1 Timothy 2:13
Men and women display the glory of God in different, complementary ways. To deny this order is to misunderstand creation itself. And yet, women have always been powerful instruments of God’s kingdom — evangelists, servants, teachers of other women and children, deacons, and prophets within their proper sphere (see Acts 21:9).eal man, Gamaliel, who referred to an earlier Theudas, now lost to general history but well known to contemporaries in Jerusalem.