Are Women More Gullible Than Men?
One of the reasons we are given that women are not to teach nor be in authority over men is that Eve was deceived. So does this just mean that Eve was deceived but it doesn’t mean that all women are more easily deceived as this one author wrote?
Got Questions is a very reliable source for most biblical questions. They answered a question concerning women pastors/preachers. I agreed almost 100% with their answer except for this paragraph: “The fact that Eve was deceived is also given in 1 Timothy 2:14 as a reason for women not serving as pastors or having spiritual authority over men. This does not mean that women are gullible or that they are all more easily deceived than men. If all women are more easily deceived, why would they be allowed to teach children (who are easily deceived) and other women (who are supposedly more easily deceived)? The text simply says that women are not to teach men or have spiritual authority over men because Eve was deceived. God has chosen to give men the primary teaching authority in the church.”
I asked the women in the chat room this question: “Do you believe in general from what you have seen and experienced that women are more easily deceived than men?” All but one of them that answered the question in the affirmative and some even gave personal experiences. Jessica B. summed it up fairly well, “Definitely. Both sin but just like in the garden men are more apt to choose to sin and women are more apt to be deceived. (It isn’t 100% but I do think it is an obvious majority.)” Jessica L. wrote, “Yes, and more emotional. I can get all worked up over something and discuss it with my husband and he can erase the drama with one sentence by putting things into perspective.” Maddy answered, “Women are primarily led by their emotions while men tend to be more logical, so yes.” It was quite unanimous in their opinions on this matter.
My question for you to ponder is that if Eve, the first woman who was perfect in every way, had never sinned, and walked with God, yet was deceived, do we really believe that we are any different than her? “The argument here is a singular one—Adam and Eve both sinned, but Adam was not deceived. He sinned, quite aware all the while of the magnitude of the sin he was voluntarily committing. Eve, on the other hand, was completely, thoroughly deceived (the preposition with which the Greek verb is compounded here conveying the idea of thoroughness)—she succumbed to the serpent’s deceit. Both were involved in the sin, but only one (Eve) allowed herself to be deluded” (Ellicott’s Commentary).
We can still see how women are deluded today. They have fallen hook, line, and sinker for the feminist agenda. They have left their homes in pursuit of careers while leaving their children in the cares of others. They are tearing their homes down with their own hands. Yes, women are as deluded today as Eve was and there’s no doubt about it. Just look how many “Christian” women have fallen for Jesus Calling which is an absolutely false and heretical teaching.
“Being more easily deceived, she more easily deceives. Last in being, she was first in sin—indeed, she alone was deceived. The subtle serpent knew that she was ‘the weaker vessel’ (1 Peter 3:7). He therefore tempted her, not Adam. She yielded to the temptations of sense and the deceits of Satan; he, to conjugal love. Hence, in the order of God’s judicial sentence, the serpent, the prime offender, stands first; the woman, who was deceived, next; and the man, persuaded by his wife, last (Genesis 3:14-19)” (Jamieson-Fausset Commentary).
This is a warning to us, women. “Being more easily deceived, she more easily deceives.” There are many women going around deceiving other women. I was deceived by other women when I was a young wife by the things they were criticizing my husband for and I listened. This caused dissension in our marriage and false expectations. This is why we need to be steeped in the Word of God so we don’t deceive other women and we need to make sure that whoever we are learning from is speaking truth.
“Adam never was deceived at all; neither by the serpent, with whom he never conversed; nor by his wife, he knew what he did, when he took the fruit of her, and ate; he ate it not under any deception, or vain imagination, that they should not die, but should be as gods, knowing good and evil. He took and ate out of love to his wife, from a fond affection to her, to bear her company, and that she might not die alone; he knew what he did, and he knew what would be the consequence of it, the death of them both; and inasmuch as he sinned willfully, and against light and knowledge, without any deception, his sin was the greater: and hereby death came in, and passed on all men, who sinned in him:
“…Now inasmuch as the serpent did not attack Adam, he being the stronger and more knowing person, and less capable of being managed and seduced; but made his attempt on Eve, in which he succeeded; and since not Adam, but Eve, was deceived, it appears that the man is the more proper person to bear rule and authority, as in civil and domestic, so in ecclesiastic affairs; and it is right for the woman to learn, and the man to teach: and seeing that Eve was the cause of transgression to Adam, and of punishment to him and his posterity, the subjection of the woman to the man was confirmed afresh” (Gill’s Exposition).
Women are emotional in nature and easily led by their feelings. This is why God created men to be the leaders. They are not as easily deceived nor led by their emotions. I am not sure how anyone with any wisdom at all cannot discern this to be as true today as it was with Eve. It’s the natural temperament and emotional makeup that the Lord gave women to be home with their children all day.
Here’s a commentary that agrees with me concerning the topic of women teaching other women since they are more easily deceived and from what I am seeing, a lot of women Bible preachers/teachers are deceiving a lot of women. The thing that troubles me the most is how many of them hear special revelations from the Lord which isn’t biblical but a result of women’s supposedly “spiritual” sensibilities .
“‘But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.’ (1 Timothy 2:12) διδάσκειν: This refers of course only to public teaching, or to a wife’s teaching her husband. In Titus 2:3 St. Paul indicates the natural sphere for woman’s teaching. In 1 Cor. women are forbidden λαλεῖν in the Church. The choice of terms is appropriate in each case.” (Expositor’s Greek Commentary)
The woman’s natural sphere for women’s teaching is clearly spelled out for us in Titus 2:4, 5 which most female Bible teachers conveniently leave out of their teaching. Is it any wonder that this following verse is specifically directed to women?
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 3:6, 7
3 thoughts on “Are Women More Gullible Than Men?”
In my personal experience, it depends on the situation and context. If it concerns my kids, I am not easily deceived. I question birth practices, vaccines, educational info etc… I have a very discerning spirit. My husband has admitted that he likely would have just “believed the experts” and not questioned anything in those regards. However, in other areas dealing with our car or finances, I know less about it and my husband is better able to navigate. I think that is where it comes to play that marriage is a partnership. In terms of Biblical education, my intuition tells me it is better to have male pastors, although women can teach in other group settings. I have thought often of a post you wrote a long time ago (can you repost it?) about women desiring control. I am a childbirth educator and I often see this dynamic in couples where a wife wants to control her husband and what he does. I worry about those couples! But maybe I shouldn’t.
Wives controlling their husbands is never a good thing, Jamie, and way too common. It’s destructive to marriages since men don’t want to be controlled by their wives.
You wrote, “In terms of Biblical education, my intuition tells me it is better to have male pastors, although women can teach in other group settings.” It shouldn’t be your “intuition” that tells you that it’s better to have male pastors. God Word is VERY clear that elders and deacons (the leaders in the churches) are to be the husbands of one wife and to be men so this clears up all confusion and instead of relying on intuition, we can simply rely on the perfect Word of God!
This discussion tickles at the heart of the foundation of marriage, and why there is ongoing consternation, for the church does not expound accurately on the words of God in Genesis 1-3 and related scriptures elsewhere. The church continually glorifies the woman at the expense of the man.
But if one looks at the scripture as it says they will see that Adam did not knowingly eat of the fruit: ‘he was not deceived’ per Paul in 1 Tim 2. Eve knowingly ate of the fruit: ‘she was deceived and transgressed.’ Deceived = transgression. No deception = no transgression. Eve was not deceived in the sense that she did not know what she was doing, that she was tricked. She knew EXACTLY what she was doing for she told the serpent about the fruit he proposed she eat – about God’s command not to eat; and further, she imagined what the fruit was going to do for her. The serpent only tempted her. Eve consciously chose to disobey God. This is the life and death choice God has placed before all [Deut 30:19]. Adam did not make that choice for he ‘was not deceived’ = he did not transgress by knowingly eating of the fruit; he did not lie to himself about what the truth was, meaning he did not know what Eve gave him to eat. God even chastised Eve with “What is this that thou hast done?” The Lord knew who sinned.
Adam only took the blame because this happened under his watch, within his responsibility, in his house. All men take the blame of the sin of their women, and women in general. Like Christ took the blame for his bride, the church. That doesn’t mean men are the problem.
The ‘Are women more gullible than men? Or “Are women more easily deceived?” really means ‘Will women lie to themselves more easily them men lie to themselves?” Yes, women will. Certainly, as we have become a more effeminate church and world this line is blurred.