The Role of Women in the Church

Session 12 Preparation Questions - Priscilla (Prisca) and the Role of Women as Teachers of Men

Read Acts 18:1-3, 18-22, 26-28; Romans 16:3, 4; I Corinthians 16:19; II Timothy 4:19, and Acts 21:8, 9. Concentrate upon the role of women as teachers and especially the possibility of women teaching men. Consider the following questions.

1. Read Acts 2:17 about “daughters prophesying”. Do you believe that prophesying is teaching? Do we have prophets in the church today?
2. Is there mention of any specific female prophets in the New Testament?
3. In Acts 18:26 why do you think that Priscilla is mentioned first?
4. Do you think that Priscilla took an active role in teaching Apollos?
5. Do you think that Apollos was a Christian when Priscilla and Aquila took him side in Acts 18:26? Read the entire 18th chapter of Acts and the first few verses of chapter 19 to determine your views.
6. Is Aquila ever mentioned before Priscilla in the New Testament?
7. Do you think the fact that Priscilla is mentioned first in Acts 18:26 suggests that she took the lead in teaching the learned Apollos?
8. Priscilla and Aquila moved around and probably held church in their house (house churches). Do you think the role of women was different in house churches than in larger gatherings?
9. Is there a difference between teaching during public assemblies and teaching privately (such as a Bible study involving a couple teaching a young preacher)?
10. How do you reconcile Paul’s instruction to Timothy “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she most be silent” (2:12) with the apparent fact that Priscilla taught Apollos?
11. If a man is the teacher of a class of the church and asks a woman to teach, does that man maintain authority over the woman? For example, if Aquila and Apollos permitted Priscilla to participate in the teaching, did they relinquish authority over her?