"Let The Woman Learn in Silence"
This passage seems, to some, very straightforward. It says what it says. Doesn't it mean what it says?
Of course it does.
Except... like some other verses in 1 Timothy, this passage can easily be misinterpreted, and misapplied, if taken literally word-for-word. (Like the "take a little wine" and "younger widows refuse" verses.)
In our study, we must remember the rules of consistency and context.
The context of the Ephesian goddess Diana (they called her "Artemis") greatly influences this passage. (This was written to Timothy, who was left to pastor the church in Ephesus.)
And we must also delve a bit into the Greek. There are several major points to learn from specific words Paul used, and also from Greek rules of grammar.
1Timothy 2:11 Let 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 to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
First of all, let's look at the verses that precede the passage. (Context!)
1Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Now, notice, the women were to be in like manner as the men, who were supposed to be lifting up holy hands (without wrath and doubting) in every place.
How literally is this supposed to be interpreted?
Remember, we must be consistent within a passage!
If verses 9 and 10 are to be absolutely strictly literal for women, then the men must in "like manner" go into Walmart, onto the job, and while driving down the road, literally holding their hands up!
Of course, being ultra-strict with this becomes oppressive and impossible.
And so is being ultra-strict with women about 'shamefacedness and sobriety'... and dressing with no adornment whatsoever. Paul isn't laying down a law about dress here. If he was, then the Amish are right about buttons and calico prints! At one time, those were signs of wealth, and got a lot of attention!
Let the main point be the main point.
We are to live lives of whole-hearted worship.
And in like manner, we are to live in a way so God gets the attention. Not us.
For women, lifting hands in worship might come more easily than for many men.
But for men, generally, dressing in a non-gaudy way comes more easily than it does for many women.
Both principles are for both sexes. Both men and women ought not to dress in a way that screams, "Look at me!" And both men and women are to lift their hands in worship as often as possible and practical.
.........................
Now, let's dig into the Greek.
In the Greek, something rather significant is pretty easy for us English-reading folks to miss.
Greek rules of grammar are different from English rules of grammar.
Paul has been talking about "women" in the plural.
Now, in verse 11, he suddenly switches to "the woman" in the singular.
Greek scholars say this is very significant. It simply is not done unless the writer is going from talking about women in general, to talking about one woman in particular.
And Paul was highly educated, in several languages. Paul knew proper Greek grammar.
This tells us clearly that Paul was not talking about ALL women at the end of the chapter.
He was talking about one specific woman, who lived in Ephesus, who was making trouble.
............................
Now, let's talk about the culture context of Ephesus. Remember how in Acts 19, the whole city was in an uproar for 2 hours, chanting, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians"?
(Actually, in Ephesus, "Diana" was called "Artemis." The name "Diana" comes out of Rome, which had the same goddess, but by the name "Diana."
The reason our Bibles say "Diana" is because of Roman Catholic Latin influence.)
The whole city was expected to worship Diana. Whoever didn't, faced severe repercussions. As Acts 19 points out, the Jews had it very hard in Ephesus.
Several years ago, I had a Christian-turned-pagan boss. He was deep into ancestral religions, including the gods and goddesses of mythology. I asked him what it was like in Ephesus, for those of other religions. He said this:
Artemis was the patroness goddess of Ephesus. All other religions were welcome in Ephesus, if they would do one thing: they had to accommodate Artemis-worship, making room for her in their religion. Every religion in Ephesus was required to create a crossover cult, blending with Artemis-worship. (This is called "synchretism.") This is well-documented in many places.
But many Jews resisted this, since the Law was clear: "Thou shalt have no other gods!"
This is why when the crowd heard a Jew was there, they began to chant a temple-of-Artemis hymn.
But not all Jews were that faithful. A Judaism-Artemis cult did exist in Ephesus.
They mixed the stories of the Torah with Artemis teachings, remaking them so they "fit" into their society.
So... What were the underlying ideas of Artemis-worship?
Artemis was seen as the protector and promoter of women.
In Artemis-worship, women were seen as spiritually superior to men.
Women were seen as better teachers of spiritual things.
Artemis also promised safety in child-bearing, if the expectant mother would take part in temple rituals.
Artemis was covered with little pear-shaped objects, which in the past were wrongly thought to be breasts. But it's been discovered through research into ancient Greek texts that these were not breasts, but testicles from sacrificed bulls. They were her trophies. She took to herself, and wore proudly, the masculinity of her victims!
Men who wanted to serve in her temple had to physically be emasculated.
Artemis was really into stripping from males their strength and identity. And this is important!
When the apostate Jews mixed the story of Genesis with all of this, it's easy to see what it turned into.
They would have taught that Eve was created first ( as spiritually superior) and then Adam.
They would have said it was Adam (spiritually inferior) who was deceived, not Eve.
And they would have gladly taken part in Artemis temple worship, to ensure safety during childbirth!
Now, knowing this, read those last three verses again.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Don't you see how Paul was NOT saying that all women are inferior spiritually to men?
Paul was NOT saying that the order of Creation indicated authority or spiritual superiority.
That's an idea the pagan cult came up with!
Some say this passage indicates women are more easily deceived than men.
Is that true?
If this is really true, then women ought not teach other women, nor should they teach children... after all, children are the church of tomorrow, and what they are taught before age 7 lays the foundation for the rest of their lives!
Yet, "easily deceived" women are allowed to teach children's classes, with no male supervision.
Evidently, churches who truly believe women are more easily deceived than men, and yet put women in charge of the most vulnerable: other women and children, are showing their valuation of those non-adult-male souls. It doesn't matter if they are led astray.
Another twist of this strange interpretation: are men so easily led astray, that they alone (when they turn of age) must be shielded from easily-deceived-women's ideas?
Obviously, Paul was NOT saying women are more easily deceived than men.
If he had wanted to tell us that, he would have said it.
Which he never did.
Instead, Paul was correcting false doctrine; setting the Creation record straight!
He was reiterating the truth: that Adam, not Eve, was the one first formed.
That Adam was not deceived (actually, he sinned knowing fully what he was doing! How much better is that, than being deceived?) Paul was not insinuating anything of men or women being superior one to the other, based on the order of Creation!
Paul was also assuring expectant mothers that the key to safety in childbirth was not Artemis-worship, but "continuing in faith, and charity and holiness with sobriety." (And that last word translated 'sobriety' actually means 'soundness of mind.' It does NOT mean a straight face.)
........................
Where was this false doctrine coming from?
"A" woman! Evidently, there was a recent convert, who came from this Artemis-Jewish cult, and she was doing what she was trained to do all her life.
She would have been schooled by her mother, and by her culture, to take power from men around her.
Furthermore, she would have thought that Christianity, just like every other religion in Ephesus, would mix with Artemis-worship!
So, she hears the gospel, and is baptized into the church... but she's making trouble, because she doesn't yet know true Christian doctrine!
Which is exactly what Paul prescribes for her.
1Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
This one woman needs to "learn in silence, with all subjection."
Did you know that is actually a Jewish idiom?
It's a phrase widely used in first-century Jewish culture, to speak of a rabbi-in-training, who was literally "sitting at the feet" of the rabbi they were learning under.
How full of grace Paul is to this woman! She isn't muzzled permanently, degraded and branded forever as "that false teacher." Instead, she is to be given a position of a "teacher-in-training" at the feet of Timothy. Obviously, she had a gift for teaching! But she wasn't ready to be put to work just yet. Isn't this just like the redemptive grace of God?
.......................
It's also important to note the word used here for "silence" is not the same word used to mean "muzzled; not allowed to talk."
The Greek word meaning "muzzled; completely silenced" is "phimeoo" and is found in 1 Peter 2:15.
There it talks about "putting to silence the ignorance of foolish men."
Now, that's the kind of silence many people read into 1 Timothy 2... but it's not there in the Greek.
But the Greek word used here, "hesuchia," simply means stillness and quietness.
This word is used also in 2 Thessalonians 3:12. There, it says to work quietly, and eat our own bread.
Does that mean never talking? Of course not. It's a quiet way of life, not causing disruption.
Which is exactly what Paul was talking about with this women.
This woman was causing disruption by trying to usurp authority.
Paul had left Timothy in charge in Ephesus, but this woman was trying to dominate the pastor!
This is always a work of the enemy, whether he uses male or female members in the church.
This post is long enough, but we are not finished with this passage.
There's so much more in verse 12.
What did Paul mean by "I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in subjection"?
There's Greek to explore in that verse. And there's the entire weight of Scripture to balance it out.
We'll get to that next.
Stay tuned!
Of course it does.
Except... like some other verses in 1 Timothy, this passage can easily be misinterpreted, and misapplied, if taken literally word-for-word. (Like the "take a little wine" and "younger widows refuse" verses.)
In our study, we must remember the rules of consistency and context.
The context of the Ephesian goddess Diana (they called her "Artemis") greatly influences this passage. (This was written to Timothy, who was left to pastor the church in Ephesus.)
And we must also delve a bit into the Greek. There are several major points to learn from specific words Paul used, and also from Greek rules of grammar.
1Timothy 2:11 Let 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 to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
First of all, let's look at the verses that precede the passage. (Context!)
1Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Now, notice, the women were to be in like manner as the men, who were supposed to be lifting up holy hands (without wrath and doubting) in every place.
How literally is this supposed to be interpreted?
Remember, we must be consistent within a passage!
If verses 9 and 10 are to be absolutely strictly literal for women, then the men must in "like manner" go into Walmart, onto the job, and while driving down the road, literally holding their hands up!
Of course, being ultra-strict with this becomes oppressive and impossible.
And so is being ultra-strict with women about 'shamefacedness and sobriety'... and dressing with no adornment whatsoever. Paul isn't laying down a law about dress here. If he was, then the Amish are right about buttons and calico prints! At one time, those were signs of wealth, and got a lot of attention!
Let the main point be the main point.
We are to live lives of whole-hearted worship.
And in like manner, we are to live in a way so God gets the attention. Not us.
For women, lifting hands in worship might come more easily than for many men.
But for men, generally, dressing in a non-gaudy way comes more easily than it does for many women.
Both principles are for both sexes. Both men and women ought not to dress in a way that screams, "Look at me!" And both men and women are to lift their hands in worship as often as possible and practical.
.........................
Now, let's dig into the Greek.
In the Greek, something rather significant is pretty easy for us English-reading folks to miss.
Greek rules of grammar are different from English rules of grammar.
Paul has been talking about "women" in the plural.
Now, in verse 11, he suddenly switches to "the woman" in the singular.
Greek scholars say this is very significant. It simply is not done unless the writer is going from talking about women in general, to talking about one woman in particular.
And Paul was highly educated, in several languages. Paul knew proper Greek grammar.
This tells us clearly that Paul was not talking about ALL women at the end of the chapter.
He was talking about one specific woman, who lived in Ephesus, who was making trouble.
............................
Now, let's talk about the culture context of Ephesus. Remember how in Acts 19, the whole city was in an uproar for 2 hours, chanting, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians"?
(Actually, in Ephesus, "Diana" was called "Artemis." The name "Diana" comes out of Rome, which had the same goddess, but by the name "Diana."
The reason our Bibles say "Diana" is because of Roman Catholic Latin influence.)
The whole city was expected to worship Diana. Whoever didn't, faced severe repercussions. As Acts 19 points out, the Jews had it very hard in Ephesus.
Several years ago, I had a Christian-turned-pagan boss. He was deep into ancestral religions, including the gods and goddesses of mythology. I asked him what it was like in Ephesus, for those of other religions. He said this:
Artemis was the patroness goddess of Ephesus. All other religions were welcome in Ephesus, if they would do one thing: they had to accommodate Artemis-worship, making room for her in their religion. Every religion in Ephesus was required to create a crossover cult, blending with Artemis-worship. (This is called "synchretism.") This is well-documented in many places.
But many Jews resisted this, since the Law was clear: "Thou shalt have no other gods!"
This is why when the crowd heard a Jew was there, they began to chant a temple-of-Artemis hymn.
But not all Jews were that faithful. A Judaism-Artemis cult did exist in Ephesus.
They mixed the stories of the Torah with Artemis teachings, remaking them so they "fit" into their society.
So... What were the underlying ideas of Artemis-worship?
Artemis was seen as the protector and promoter of women.
In Artemis-worship, women were seen as spiritually superior to men.
Women were seen as better teachers of spiritual things.
Artemis also promised safety in child-bearing, if the expectant mother would take part in temple rituals.
Artemis was covered with little pear-shaped objects, which in the past were wrongly thought to be breasts. But it's been discovered through research into ancient Greek texts that these were not breasts, but testicles from sacrificed bulls. They were her trophies. She took to herself, and wore proudly, the masculinity of her victims!
Men who wanted to serve in her temple had to physically be emasculated.
Artemis was really into stripping from males their strength and identity. And this is important!
When the apostate Jews mixed the story of Genesis with all of this, it's easy to see what it turned into.
They would have taught that Eve was created first ( as spiritually superior) and then Adam.
They would have said it was Adam (spiritually inferior) who was deceived, not Eve.
And they would have gladly taken part in Artemis temple worship, to ensure safety during childbirth!
Now, knowing this, read those last three verses again.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Don't you see how Paul was NOT saying that all women are inferior spiritually to men?
Paul was NOT saying that the order of Creation indicated authority or spiritual superiority.
That's an idea the pagan cult came up with!
Some say this passage indicates women are more easily deceived than men.
Is that true?
If this is really true, then women ought not teach other women, nor should they teach children... after all, children are the church of tomorrow, and what they are taught before age 7 lays the foundation for the rest of their lives!
Yet, "easily deceived" women are allowed to teach children's classes, with no male supervision.
Evidently, churches who truly believe women are more easily deceived than men, and yet put women in charge of the most vulnerable: other women and children, are showing their valuation of those non-adult-male souls. It doesn't matter if they are led astray.
Another twist of this strange interpretation: are men so easily led astray, that they alone (when they turn of age) must be shielded from easily-deceived-women's ideas?
Obviously, Paul was NOT saying women are more easily deceived than men.
If he had wanted to tell us that, he would have said it.
Which he never did.
Instead, Paul was correcting false doctrine; setting the Creation record straight!
He was reiterating the truth: that Adam, not Eve, was the one first formed.
That Adam was not deceived (actually, he sinned knowing fully what he was doing! How much better is that, than being deceived?) Paul was not insinuating anything of men or women being superior one to the other, based on the order of Creation!
Paul was also assuring expectant mothers that the key to safety in childbirth was not Artemis-worship, but "continuing in faith, and charity and holiness with sobriety." (And that last word translated 'sobriety' actually means 'soundness of mind.' It does NOT mean a straight face.)
........................
Where was this false doctrine coming from?
"A" woman! Evidently, there was a recent convert, who came from this Artemis-Jewish cult, and she was doing what she was trained to do all her life.
She would have been schooled by her mother, and by her culture, to take power from men around her.
Furthermore, she would have thought that Christianity, just like every other religion in Ephesus, would mix with Artemis-worship!
So, she hears the gospel, and is baptized into the church... but she's making trouble, because she doesn't yet know true Christian doctrine!
Which is exactly what Paul prescribes for her.
1Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
This one woman needs to "learn in silence, with all subjection."
Did you know that is actually a Jewish idiom?
It's a phrase widely used in first-century Jewish culture, to speak of a rabbi-in-training, who was literally "sitting at the feet" of the rabbi they were learning under.
How full of grace Paul is to this woman! She isn't muzzled permanently, degraded and branded forever as "that false teacher." Instead, she is to be given a position of a "teacher-in-training" at the feet of Timothy. Obviously, she had a gift for teaching! But she wasn't ready to be put to work just yet. Isn't this just like the redemptive grace of God?
.......................
It's also important to note the word used here for "silence" is not the same word used to mean "muzzled; not allowed to talk."
The Greek word meaning "muzzled; completely silenced" is "phimeoo" and is found in 1 Peter 2:15.
There it talks about "putting to silence the ignorance of foolish men."
Now, that's the kind of silence many people read into 1 Timothy 2... but it's not there in the Greek.
But the Greek word used here, "hesuchia," simply means stillness and quietness.
This word is used also in 2 Thessalonians 3:12. There, it says to work quietly, and eat our own bread.
Does that mean never talking? Of course not. It's a quiet way of life, not causing disruption.
Which is exactly what Paul was talking about with this women.
This woman was causing disruption by trying to usurp authority.
Paul had left Timothy in charge in Ephesus, but this woman was trying to dominate the pastor!
This is always a work of the enemy, whether he uses male or female members in the church.
This post is long enough, but we are not finished with this passage.
There's so much more in verse 12.
What did Paul mean by "I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in subjection"?
There's Greek to explore in that verse. And there's the entire weight of Scripture to balance it out.
We'll get to that next.
Stay tuned!
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