Many Christians define men’s and women’s roles in such a way that they cannot let the full weight of Scripture speak. Their views are not biblical, nor do they align with or represent the teachings of Jesus or the early Ekklesia.
The modern “church” is hemiplegic—the female half of the Body of Christ is paralyzed!
“Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” 1 Timothy 2:9-15
What was the primary purpose of Paul writing 1 Timothy?
“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.” (1 Timothy 1:3-4)
Keep this purpose in mind when considering 1 Timothy 2:12!
“The key to understanding the letter lies in taking seriously that Paul’s stated reason for leaving Timothy in Ephesus is the real one; namely, that he has been left there to combat some false teachers, whose asceticism and speculative nonsense based on the law are engendering strife, causing many to capitulate to false teaching.” —Gordon Fee
“[T]he charge imposed upon Timothy is the guiding thought of the whole letter.” —William M. Ramsey
Let us consider the background of the congregation in Ephesus. This will be extremely helpful in our understanding of this text.
“Both Acts 19 and the apocryphal Acts of John tell of the continuous conflict between the Christians of Ephesus and those who followed the religion of Artemis.” —L. M. McDonald
This cultural context should be considered when we approach 1 Timothy 2:12 so that we do it proper justice. The pervasive influence that the Temple of Artemis had over Ephesus can be likened to the influence that the stronghold of Mormonism has over the State of Utah.
"Read Acts 18:24-20:1 and you will see that Paul spent three years there. So far as we know, this was his longest tenure in any city during his journeys. With this in mind, we can surmise that during his years in Ephesus—approximately A.D. 54-57—the sisters were functioning along with the brothers in a fashion similar to the meeting described in 1 Corinthians 14. It was not Paul's habit to put restrictions on the sisters. However, things changed when false teaching crept in and some believers, including an unknown number of women, were involved in the aberrations, some of which no doubt involved the Artemis cult. As a result, some six years after he left Ephesus [approximately A.D. 63], Paul must announce to Timothy, "I am not now allowing a woman to teach...."
After leaving Ephesus, around A.D. 58 Paul came to the island of Miletus [30 miles south of Ephesus] and called for the elders of the Ephesian congregation. In his farewell address to these servants, Paul mentions no concerns about the sisters, but does warn them, "I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from among yourselves people will arise and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30). It appears that by A.D. 63 this had come to pass, and Timothy was left in Ephesus to correct the confusion created by false teachers and false teaching (1 Timothy 1:3-4).
Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesian congregation around A.D. 61. This epistle is the pinnacle of Paul's sublime expression of God's purpose in Christ and his Body, but there are no concerns expressed in it about the sisters nor are any restrictions on them mentioned in his apostolic communication.
Around A.D. 64-65, Jesus Himself directed a short letter to the Ephesian assembly which is recorded in Revelation 2:1-7. Jesus expressed His concerns to them, but such correctives had nothing to do with the functioning of the sisters. This is significant because in Jesus' letter to Thyatira He was upset about the false teaching ministry of a woman nicknamed "Jezebel" (Revelation 2:20ff)." —Jon Zens
Artemis was the Greek goddess of fertility and protection during childbirth (also known as Diana in the Latin). How did her followers seek her favour in prayer?
“The Artemisian supplicant makes prayers in crowns of olive branches. They do not sacrifice animals to [Artemis] because their locks of hair carry prayers.” —Heliodorus, Aeth. 1:12, 3rd century A.D.
This explains Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 2:9 regarding how Paul expected these women to pray (which is not an unequivocal universal decree on how women ought to present themselves):
“Likewise also that women should [pray and] adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire."
The Artemis cult taught that woman was created first and then man, and that man was deceived first. Because of this, women were viewed as smarter than men and more capable of leading society. For this reason, in 1 Timothy 2:13-14 Paul refers to the events in the Garden of Eden, highlighting the role of Eve in the deception and subsequent fall into sin:
“For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.”
The cult of Artemis apparently also taught that women should not have children. This is why Paul reminds the women of the special place they have in bringing children into the world, a position held only by females. Therefore, women ought to be esteemed according to this reality.
“Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”
Given the idea that Artemis was the goddess of protection during childbirth, Paul is not speaking with regard to salvation in 1 Timothy 2:15. The Greek word sothesetai should be more accurately rendered as ‘protected’ in this context. Paul is not saying that a woman receives salvation through childbirth if her children remain faithful. This would just be nonsensical and contrary to the Gospel.
The Greek word hesuchia translated "silence" in some translations should actually be translated "quietness." The same word is used earlier in 1 Timothy 2:2 with the stated intention that all believers should live a life of quietness (contrasted against a life of contentiousness): "that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." It is also used 1 Thessalonians 4:11 where Paul instructs all believers to "aspire/strive to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands." It is likewise used in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 where Paul tells those idle believers who were not working to "work quietly and to earn their own living." Since all believers are supposed to lead lives of quietness, Paul's statement here must have been a special directive, for which we should remember the purpose of Paul's writing to Timothy.
“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.” (1 Timothy 1:3-4)
Now let us look specifically at verses 11-12.
“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”
The verb authenteo in the infinitive authentein appears only once in the New Testament, and that is in 1 Timothy 2:12. Traditionally, this word has been translated as "nor to usurp authority over the man," but this is incorrect. This view assumes that the very act of a woman teaching a man is inherently a wrongful deed that violates "male headship." But nowhere is there a shred of biblical substantiation for such an extreme position expressed in Scripture.
When Paul says, "I am not now permitting a woman," he follows with a "neither...nor" construction involving two infinitives: didaskein [to teach] and authentein [to have one's way with, to dominate]. How do these infinitives correlate? Philip Payne and others suggest that the best fit is that of purpose or goal. Payne sees the closest English parallel to how these two infinitives are employed to be our idioms: "hit 'n' run" and "eat 'n' run." Hence, "teach 'n' dominate"; to teach with the goal of dominating [with false teaching]. In other words, Paul did not want this woman (or these women) to teach with the purpose or goal of getting their way with (or dominating) a man or men. It is this specific type of teaching that Paul is not permitting.
As you have clearly seen in 1 Timothy 2:11-12, Paul did not issue a universal restriction that applies to all believing women in all Christian gatherings; instead, he responded to the specific problems that the Ephesian congregation was dealing with. There is nothing inherently wrong with women teaching men, but it is a problem when women teach error, or teach in an attempt to get their own way with men. Of course, the same concerns hold true if males teach error or teach with the goal of dominating others! (As is done in many of our "churches" today!)
Women are not second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God under the New Covenant in the Congregation of the Lord! Neither the Gospel narratives nor the recorded words of Jesus ever put restrictions on the ministry of women! Not even the Old Covenant put restrictions on the ministry of women!
Let that sink in.
It is interesting, to say the least, that so many dealings with “biblical” manhood and womanhood will address Ephesians 5:21-33, 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, Colossians 3:18-19, and 1 Peter 3:1-7, but are suspiciously silent when it comes to 1 Corinthians 7:1-5:
"For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." (vv.4-5)
First Corinthians 7:1-5 throws a proverbial wrench into the works for those who would conclude that the husband has the “final say” under the presumed authority commonly known as “male headship.” If a couple cannot agree on a course of action (v.5), then it should not be executed. If the wife disagrees with a physical separation, the husband should not overrule his wife with the “final choice.” (Within reason, obviously. If they are both standing in the middle of the highway and the husband wants to get off the road but the wife refuses, then by not making a decision they are in effect making a decision and will get run over and most likely killed. Therefore, the husband ought to act in such a way as to save both their lives.)
"Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman." (1 Corinthians 11:11-12)
For Paul, the functions of husband and wife were to be viewed from the perspective of interdependence and mutual respect—not hierarchy.
“But I want you to understand that the source [kephale] of every man is Christ, the source [kephale] of woman [gune] is man [aner], and the source [kephale] of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3)
“If you think ‘head’ means ‘chief’ or ‘boss,’ you skew the godhead!” —John Chrysostom
“This we say that the kephaleo of every man is Christ, because he was excellently made through him. And the kephaleo of woman is man, because she was taken from his flesh. Likewise the kephaleo of Christ is God, because he is from him according to nature.” —Cyril of Alexandria
First Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:12 do not teach the restrictions that have been imposed upon believing women eisegetically for centuries. To be clear, this has nothing to do with being a "pastor" since the New Testament documents contain absolutely zero evidence to support the unbiblical one-man-ministry of this "office" that has become central and indispensable to the "church." Neither man nor woman should be "pastors"!
"It may be that much of what we call ‘Christian’ would have to be thrown out in the light of biblical re-education. . . . Let’s approach Scripture with an open mind and heart and discover what God has called us to in the way of re-education and renewal." —Bill White
We all struggle with letting go of old things "learned" (programmed, conditioned, brainwashed) in order to give way to new things the Spirit unveils. Tragically, however, many believers would rather stubbornly hold onto the errors they have “learned” than to be re-educated by the Spirit. They will ignore, deny, and/or reject truth in order to maintain their errors. A reluctance to re-examine our current and long-held "church" practices that appear to be contrary to God’s Word is an indication of a party spirit, or a fear of truth. Often it is both. If years of tradition are wrong, then just when will we correct these unbiblical aberrations?
If you are taught or told otherwise than we have just discovered together in both Part 1 and Part 2, then you are in a misogynistic and authoritarian cult that does not respect or value women!
Further points to consider:
- Jesus applauded the evangelistic efforts of the Samaritan woman (John 4:35-38).
- A woman’s testimony was not allowed as evidence in first-century courts, yet Jesus chose females to be the first witnesses and lead the proclamation of His resurrection (John 20:1-2, 11-18; Luke 24:1-11, 22-24; Mark 16:1-8; Matthew 28:1-11).
- After Jesus’ ascension, 120 men and women prayed and chose a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:14-15). The Spirit of God came upon these same men and women and they all spoke the wonderful works of God in many foreign languages (Acts 2:1-4).
- On the day of Pentecost, Peter insisted the events were a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (Acts 2:17-18). Philip the evangelist had four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9). There is nothing exceptional or rare about them, so we know other women had this gift, too.
- Paul entrusted his letter to the Romans to Phoebe, a ‘deaconess’ (minister/servant), who delivered it for him. It is rightly pointed out that the Greek verb proistemi literally means “to stand in front of” and conveys leadership. However, those who admit this try to squirm out of the fact that a form of proistemi is used with reference to Phoebe the ‘deaconness’ (Romans 16:1-2).
- After planting the congregation in Philippi, the apostle Paul left it in the hands of . . . a woman: Lydia of Thyatira (Acts 16:11-15)!
- Aquila and Priscilla, husband and wife, were designated by Paul as “co-workers” (Rom. 16:3) using the Greek word sunergos, which is the same word used with reference to Timothy and Titus. Scripture says both explained the way of God more clearly to Apollos (Acts 18:26).
- In line with Acts 2:17-18, Paul encouraged brothers and sisters in the faith to prophesy in the congregational meetings (1 Corinthians 11:4-5; 14:23-24). The eisegetical interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 contradicts these encouragements.
- Galatians 3:28 indicates that “in Christ” human distinctions, like male and female, are no longer norms of judgment in the Congregation. This is clear from their meetings where master and slave sat together as equals and where the master would serve his slave.
- In the first century, prejudices abounded in people’s minds when certain people like “gentile,” “Jew,” “woman,” and “slave” were mentioned. Paul made it clear that in the Body of Christ this should not be the case.
- Women’s homes were mentioned as meeting places for the believers in Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 1:11, 16:9, and Colossians 4:15, to say nothing of Lydia’s home. Does our interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 make sense given such contexts?
- In Revelation 2:20-24, Jesus rebuked the Thyatiran congregation for allowing a false prophetess nicknamed “Jezebel” to “teach” believers to sin grievously. Jesus’ objection was not that a woman taught but what she taught. Otherwise, why not condemn them for letting her speak and instruct others?