A Closer Look at 1 Timothy

Particular attention has been paid to 1 Timothy 2:11-15 through the years:

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Many churches implement this passage so that women may not possess any leadership roles within the Church that would place a woman in authority over a man; this includes teaching from the pulpit.

In my last post, I established the context of Paul's instructions to Timothy at Ephesus. Women domineering over men, leading them in false teaching and using sex as a tool to gain authority were the prominant issues the Church faced in Ephesus. In fact, the mythology of Artemis included the belief that she was the midwife to her twin brother Apollo and, therefore, was the protector of all women who gave birth.

This false teaching might lead to a clearer understanding of verse 15. Paul was merely trying to direct everyone's focus from a mythological goddess to the True Protector of our lives and souls. Paul's encouragement does not refer to Biblical salvation through childbirth (if so, then women who are unable to bear children would not be saved), but merely physical safety during the difficult process of giving birth.

Again, Paul is addressing specific issues within the church at Ephesus. He's giving specific instructions to Timothy to confront these specific problems. Because we do not have the right to pluck verses out of context and pick and choose which ones we want to be universal and which ones we want to be specific to a particular situation, we must look at Scripture as a whole. If we were to apply verses 11-15 as universal truths, then we must also apply verses 8-10:

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

Clearly, the Church does not require men (and only men) to raise their hands up every time they pray. Many times I pray with my hands folded down by my waist. Likewise, the Church does not require women to resist wearing braids in their hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes. The adornment of women in Ephesus is well documented as a means by which women seduced men into the false teachings and sexual depravity that God detests. Verse 8-10 were also instructions specific to the church in Ephesus because of the issues with which they struggled.

In my next post, I'll discuss the qualifications of overseers and deacons found in 1 Timothy 3.