1
TIMOTHY 2:11-15
SILENT
WOMEN?
1
Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
Susan: A
woman was forbidden by Jewish custom from talking with men other than her own
husband. A man teaching a woman in the church might be suspected of trying to lure
her from her husband.
Susie:
Perhaps this is the reason for Paul’s advice to the church at Corinth as well.
1
Corinthians 14:35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own
husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.
Susie: However,
we cannot take this to mean that Paul completely forbade women to speak in
church. Because in other verses, such as the one below, he mentioned women
praying and prophesying but insisted they cover their heads:
1
Corinthians 11:5 (NASB) But every woman who has her head uncovered while
praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the
woman [a]whose head is shaved.
Susie: Giving
instructions for women to cover their heads while praying or prophesying implies
that they were allowed to do these things.
Susan: Paul’s
admonition to the Ephesian women believers “to learn in silence” is not be
understood as to refrain from speaking. The word is “hēsuchia2271”
which expresses the idea of a calm demeanor, as when a person is in meditation,
to be quietly attentive. He was urging them to consider others’ needs to
listen, listen attentively themselves, and to allow the teachers to talk
without competition. Paul obviously believed that women should have
intellectual and spiritual opportunity and expression, for he said, ‘let the
women learn.”
Susie: In the
cross reference above Paul instructed women to learn from their own husbands at
home. Perhaps they were interrupting the teach with questions or in other ways
being disruptive in the public meeting and could have waited to ask their own
husband at home rather than being suspected of seducing a teacher.
Susan: My
impression was that perhaps they were trying to yell to their husbands, thus
disrupting the service. They could not whisper questions in their husband’s ear
because men and women were separated in Jewish and early Christian worship.
This indicates a cultural, situational context rather than a blanket
prescription for all women within the Messianic community for all time.
Susan: The
word “hupŏtagē5292” translated as “subjection” in English which is
derived from “hupotasso5293”, within this context (and the
situational context of Ephesus), is correctly understood to mean “the voluntary
willingness to be responsive to the needs of others.” As stated before, this
subjection was to be considerate of the needs of everyone by listening
attentively, not competing with the teacher, and allowing others to hear.
Susie: As we
studied in Ephesians, this was to be a mutual subjection of believers to one another,
and a wife specifically to her own
husband, not men in general.
Ephesians
5:21-22 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
1 Timothy 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to
usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
1
2:12 (VOICE) Now, Timothy, it’s not my
habit to allow women to teach in a way that wrenches authority from a man. As I
said, it’s best if a woman learns quietly and orderly.
Susie: Susan
and I have some disagreement about women’s roles and have agreed to disagree.
We will each present our views, backing them up with scripture. We urge you to
research these verses on your own. As my former pastor, James T. Draper, used
to tell us, “Do not believe something merely because you hear it from this
pulpit. Believe it because you understand it from the word of God.”
Susan: Paul’s
entire theme was always order, unity, and harmony. The purpose of every one of
his letters was to advocate the idea that Christ is the standard, unity and
order and relationship are the pillars, and all people are to have reverence
and respect for God. Furthermore, this reverence for God is only manifested
when people have reverence and respect for one another. Whether they are Jew or
Gentile, slave or free, adult or child, man or woman, all are equal and are to
be treated as such.
Galatians
3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Susie: I
think the key here is that the woman not wrench authority from a man. For
example, I was asked to substitute for a Sunday School teacher who taught a
mixed adult class. I was intimidated by the fact that I would be a woman
teaching men, and not just any men, but the former pastor and a former
long-time missionary! I began by admitting my inadequacy compared to them and
asking them to correct me if I stated anything incorrectly. After the lesson,
the former pastor came up to me and said, “Sweetheart, do not ever apologize
for teaching again. God has given you a gift. You were asked by the proper
authority to teach, and, therefore, you were not out of line in doing so.
Excellent lesson today!” A woman may teach if she has been authorized to do so,
but should not interrupt a church service to assert her own opinions.
1 Timothy 2:13-15 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And
Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith
and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Susan: Many
students of the bible then continue to read the verses about Adam and Eve and
assume that Paul uses his example as a definition of subservience for women.
However, Paul did not preach a gospel of inferiority for women nor superiority
for men.
Susie: Paul
did teach a position of authority for a husband but not because of superiority
in any way. The authority of Christ as the head of the church and the husband
as the head of the wife was to have a chain of command, much the way that a
captain follows a general. The general is not necessarily “better” than the
captain but he is above him in the order of things. However, this applies to
her own husband as I stated earlier in this chapter.
Susan: Paul
was giving reference to the effects of the fall which was the domination of men
over women substantiated by the institution of patriarchy.
Susie: Eve
and women in general would then have extreme pain in childbirth, and man would
have to toil and sweat to grow food, but both would be preserved through
worship of and obedience to God.
Susan: Women
have suffered for centuries under the misconception that Eve was to blame for
the Fall.
Susie: Contrary
to the idea that Paul is blaming the Fall on Eve, he is pointing out that she
was deceived and was part of the transgression, but Adam knew full well that he
was disobeying by taking the fruit from his wife and eating it.
Susan: Adam
was standing right there when Eve picked the fruit and did nothing to stop her.
Susie: God
had given the command prohibiting eating from that tree directly to Adam before
Eve was ever created:
Genesis
2:16-18 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou
shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die. And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will
make him an help meet for him.
Susie: Most likely Adam had passed this knowledge
on to Eve although she added, “nor shall you touch it” when talking to the
serpent. Adam is most culpable in the Fall as attested elsewhere by Paul:
1
Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive.
Susan: Women
have been chained to the presupposition of blame for the curse for hundreds of
years. However, Jesus Christ came and delivered wives and women for the
presuppositions of ignorance and inferiority which prohibited women from church
ministry and authoritative participations. Through the coming of Christ, they
would be free to have active participation in ministry if they continued in
their relationship to God and had a reverent, modest conduct.
Susie: I
would agree that women can be called to a teaching ministry and in the right
circumstances, may even teach men. However, in 1 Timothy chapter 3, we will
deal with the office of pastor. This is where Susan and I may differ. Do not
construe our ping-pong here as arguing. We are each respectfully examining and
explaining scripture as we understand it and are in no way angry with each
other!
QUESTIONS
1.
Did
Paul teach that women should never
speak in church?
2.
Why
did Paul instruct women to learn from their own husband? Does this cultural
situation apply today? Explain why or why not.
3.
What
was the constant theme in Paul’s writings?
4.
What
verse cross-referenced in the lesson describes the equality believers have in
Jesus? This might be a good memory verse.
5.
What
is your understanding of Paul’s illustration using Adam and Eve?
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