The dominant early church practice restricted women from teaching, exercising authority, or holding episcopal and diaconal office. Paul's directives in 1 Timothy grounded these restrictions in the creation order — Adam's priority in formation and Eve's transgression in the fall — and specified that bishops and deacons must be "the husband of one wife," presupposing male incumbents throughout. Tertullian extended these apostolic norms explicitly, barring women from speaking, teaching, baptizing, offering, or claiming any sacerdotal function in the assembly. Cyprian's epistles illustrate the same pattern of male governance in practice, with fallen bishops replaced through the election of new male presbyters and no provision for female succession to office.
"I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" — Paul's prohibition of women teaching or exercising authority, grounded in creation order; the episcopal and diaconal qualifications ("husband of one wife") presuppose male incumbents throughout.
"It is not permitted to a woman to speak in the church; but neither is it permitted her to teach, nor to baptize, nor to offer, nor to claim to herself a lot in any manly function, not to say in any sacerdotal office" — Tertullian's explicit extension of Pauline norms, barring women from every authoritative liturgical and priestly role in the assembly.
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