Debates about the role of women in the church often rely on Paul’s letters, from which some conclude that a supportive (i.e., non‑leading) role for women is rooted in the “order of creation.” The article argues that this conclusion stems from a flawed method that reads Paul back into Genesis instead of reading Genesis as the foundation for Paul. Based on the literary features of Genesis 1–3, it shows that men and women are created in God’s image and therefore share authority; they differ, yet find fulfillment in mutual unity; the fall disrupts this partnership but does not abolish it. The author proposes reinterpreting key Pauline texts (1 Cor 11; Eph 5; 1 Tim 2) in light of the anthropology of Genesis, leading to a view in which shared leadership and mutual interdependence are the central paradigms for men and women.