Woman's Role in the Church

Problems of Translation

• The Greek word for deacon is "diakonos." KJV usually renders "diakonos" in English as "minister." For examples:
  • I Timothy 4:5 -- Timothy is described as "a good minister."
  • Colossians 1:7 -- Epaphras is commended as "a faithful minister of Christ."
  • Ephesians 6:27 & Colossians 4:7 -- Tychicus is called "a faithful minister."
  • Colossians 1:25 -- Paul is designated as "minister."
• I Corinthians 3:5 -- Paul and Apollos bore the same title "minister."
• In the context of the New Testament, "diakonos" usually has reference to a particular church office.
• When a woman's name appeared in the text in conjunction with word "diakonos," the KJV translator rendered the word as "servant." In Romans 16:1, KJV describes Phoebe as "a servant of the church which is at Cenchreae." In his living Bible, Kenneth Taylor describes Phoebe only as "a dear Christian woman from of Cenchreae!"
• Clearly, the prejudices of the translators have swayed in the KJV and the Living Bible. The RSV appears to correct this error. There Phoebe is described as "a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae."
• Priscilla's name stands first in 2 of 3 places in Acts where both she and her husband were mentioned:
  • Act 18:2 "... a Jew named Aqulia...with his wife Priscilla..."
  • Act 18:18 "...with him (Paul) Priscilla and Aquila..."
  • Act 18:26 "...when Priscilla and Aquila heard him (Apollos)..."
• In the KJV (yr. 1611), the translator deliberately put Priscilla's name after her husband to degrade her authority over man in Act 18:26.
  • Act 18:26 (KJV) "...when Aquila and Priscilla had heard..."
• In the original Greek manuscript, her name did not come after her husband. This is another prime example that the translator for KJV did hold a stereotype on the authority of woman.

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