1 Timothy 2:11-12

1 Timothy 2:11-12

[11] the woman  learn  in  silence  with  all  subjection.  [12] But  I suffer  not  a woman  to teach,  nor  to usurp authority  over the man,  but  in  silence. 

What does 1 Timothy 2:11-12 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Regarding their participation in the meetings of the church ( 1 Timothy 3:15), Paul taught that the women were to let the men provide the public instruction and leadership. [1] He did not mean that women should surrender their minds and consciences to men, but that they should voluntarily take the position of learners in church meetings.
"This was a radical and liberating departure from the Jewish view that women were not to learn the law." [2]
". . . ancient society rarely allowed teaching roles to women." [3]
Typically the women should not accept the role of teacher of the congregation or of leader of the whole church. [4] The verbs "teach" and "exercise authority" are in the present tense in the Greek text, which implies a continuing ministry rather than a single instance of ministry.
"Teach and have authority over a man ( 1 Timothy 2:12) may be references to separate activities that Paul restricted to men. Or the first term might represent a specific example of activity that falls under the general rule that follows: women"s teaching in the public assembly would violate the given authority structure. In either case, we should notice that Paul did not employ his usual term for "the normal exercise of authority" (exousia). He chose an unusual word (authenteo) that could carry negative connotations such as "to usurp or misappropriate authority" or "to domineer." The unusual term probably signifies an unusual situation. In the Ephesian context at least, women had misappropriated authority by taking upon themselves the role of teacher." [5]
Some people see red when they read "submissiveness" ( 1 Timothy 2:11; cf. Ephesians 5:21-22; Colossians 3:18). The Greek word (hypotage) means to rank under. It is clear in military life that a private, for example, who ranks under a colonel is not necessarily of less value or possesses less ability than his or her superior officer. Rank has to do with order and authority, not personal superiority and inferiority. Another illustration of willing submission is Jesus Christ, who is superior to every other human being yet submitted to other human beings ( Luke 2:51; Philippians 2:5-11). God will reward His submission to the Father, and He will reward women who submit to His will as unto the Lord ( 1 Peter 5:6-7).
Paul seems to have been speaking here of the whole local congregation. I do not think he would have objected to women teaching or leading some groups within the church that we commonly recognize as sub-groups provided they do so with the approval of the male leadership of the church (cf. Acts 18:26; 2 Timothy 3:14-15; Titus 2:3). Furthermore we should bear in mind that Paul was describing a typical church situation in which there were men who could provide teaching and leadership. If these were absent, exceptions might be necessary to achieve the higher goals of the church, namely, the building up of the saints to do the work of ministry. In some countries today there are few males who can or care to take leadership in churches. In these situations I think female leadership is better than none, at least until males can and will lead.
Exactly what did Paul prohibit women from doing in 1 Timothy 2:12? He did not want them to teach a man or to exercise authority over a man in the local church meetings ( 1 Timothy 3:15). [6] Teaching the Scriptures is in view. This is more appropriate to the male"s function in the church as a mediator between God and people (cf. Genesis 2) because it involves interpreting God"s Word to the church as an authoritative figure (cf. 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Timothy 2:8). Paul forbade women from regularly teaching men in local church corporate worship ( 1 Timothy 3:15).
"In my opinion, whatever the specific application of "teaching" it is the kind of "teaching" that gives women a position of authority over men. [7]
Paul approved of women teaching women and children ( Titus 2:3-5; 2 Timothy 1:5) and instructing men privately ( Acts 18:26). Reading a book that a woman has written is one example of private instruction.
"Paul in 1 Timothy 2:12, does not forbid a woman all teaching. Paul is only prohibiting the headship of women in the Christian community." [8]
The Greek word translated "exercise authority" (NASB), "have authority" (NIV), or "usurp authority" (AV) is authenteo. It means to act on one"s own authority or to act in an autocratic manner. [9] To exercise authority in this way would be to submit to no higher authority in the church. If a woman exercised some authority in the church (e.g, as the leader of a ministry) and she did it in submission to the male leadership, she would not be sinning. It is taking inappropriate authority on herself that Paul prohibited. A woman can have authority over others in the church provided she is under the authority of the male leadership of the church.
"It is noteworthy ... that Paul does not use "office" terminology here (bishop/presbyter) but functional terminology (teach/exercise authority). It is thus the activity that he prohibits, not just the office (cf. again 1 Corinthians 14:34-35)." [10]
How can we resolve the apparent contradiction in Paul"s teaching that he presented here and what he taught in1Corinthians? There are two problems. First, in 1 Corinthians 14:34 Paul told the women to remain absolutely silent in the church. He used a different Greek word (sigatosan) than what we have here (hesychia), translated "quiet" ( 1 Timothy 2:12; cf. 1 Timothy 2:2). Hesychia does not mean absolutely silent but settled down, not unruly. Paul wanted the women to express appropriate deference to the teacher or leader.
Perhaps Paul imposed a stricter standard on the Corinthian church than was normal because of the turmoil there, and his instructions in1Timothy reflect the normal situation. [11] I think probably Paul meant that women should not take part in the judging of the prophets ( 1 Corinthians 14:29), which was an exercise in ecclesiastical authority. The context of 1 Corinthians 14:34 seems to favor this view. [2]
"Paul does not mean that women are to be absolutely silent during the service (compare 1 Corinthians 11:5). Rather, he instructs them to exhibit quietness (in spirit) instead of taking the lead, or to "be silent" in the sense of not teaching." [5]
This silence is a concrete expression of the principle of submission that Paul advocated. [14]
Second, in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Paul permitted women to pray and prophesy in church but insisted that they have their heads covered when doing so. This concession seems to contradict both 1 Timothy 2:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34.
One way to resolve this difficulty is to say that in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 the women in view were single women or married women whose husbands were not present. In 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 those in view seem to have been married women whose husbands were present. [15] However there is nothing in the text or context that justifies these assumptions.
Another solution that I prefer is this. Paul permitted women to pray and prophesy in Corinth and elsewhere because these activities did not involve exercising as much authority in the church as teaching and ruling did. Teaching involved providing normative instruction from Scripture whereas prophesying in New Testament times involved only sharing something God had brought to mind. In some cases this was new Revelation , but usually it was not. [16] In every case the prophet was to subject his or her prophecy to what God had inspired previously ( 1 Corinthians 14:29).
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