In 1 Timothy we find one of the New Testament’s most controversial passages.
In 2:9-12 Paul says a number of things that challenge many people today.
“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.”
First, let’s highlight some of the challenging statements in this passage.
After that we’ll look at three different approaches that Christians take with this passage.
Verse 9-10 talk about how a woman should dress;
Verse 11 says that a woman should learn quietly, with all submissiveness;
Verse 12 says that no woman should teach or have authority over a man.
Before we go any further, let’s keep in mind that many Christians are trying to do their best with
an honest interpretation of this passage, and yet have landed in different places of understanding.
However as Christians, we’re called to still be loving and in unity with one another,
even though we may not all share the same understanding of a passage like this.
The first approach doesn’t need much of an explanation, as it is the strictly literal
approach. It views each of these instructions as timeless instructions for all Christians of
all times. This approach understands that Paul is giving instructions for the orderly conduct
of the church as God intended, and therefore must be followed exactly as they are written here.
The next approach sees some of these instructions through a historical lens,
which results in a less strict application of these instructions for today.
Regarding verses 9-10, they point to certain depictions from ancient times
where women had their hair braided and interlined with precious jewels and gold,
and says that is what Paul is addressing to here. Paul is essentially saying that women should not
rely on or conform to the shallow tricks that the world around them uses to draw attention.
Instead they should focus on their quality of character as a reflection of Christ.
They see these same principles applying equally to men as to women, however they say that in this
case Paul is calling out a specific issue that was present in the Ephesian church.
When we come to verse 11, they point out that the first words of Paul in this verse are
revolutionary for the time: women should learn.
In the first century, educating women was not something that was done in either the
Jewish or Gentile communities. This act set the Christian community apart from everyone else.
However, what about the learning quietly part?
They point out that Paul uses pretty much the same Greek word a few verses earlier in 1 Timothy 2:2,
when he says that the whole Christian community is to lead a peaceful and quiet life. In other words,
the women learning quietly is to be a reflection of the Christian life that all are to lead,
and does not mean that they should be completely silent in church. They point to 1 Corinthians
11:5 where we see that women were not silent but were actively praying and prophesying in church.
It is a similar situation with the Greek word for submissiveness. The same word is also used in 2
Corinthians 9:13 as a posture that all Christians, both male and female, are to take in response to
the gospel. In other words, Paul is saying that women are to learn, and just like the men they
are to adopt the Christian response of leading a peaceful, quiet, and submissive life to Christ.
However, regarding verse 12, and a woman not teaching or having authority over a man,
this approach understands this statement as a timeless instruction
regarding official positions within the church. Paul gives the reason in the following verses,
which is because the church is to be a reflection of God’s created order.
However, when it comes to non-official church positions, such as one-on-one teaching,
or today’s classroom settings, women are free to teach and lead as those are positions outside the
church. This view points to the example of Priscilla, who was a fellow worker of Paul,
and who also gave instruction to Apollos (Acts 18:24-28), which would no doubt involve teaching.
The third approach understands verses 9-11 in the same way as we just mentioned,
however they understand that verse 12 should also be seen through a historical lens.
This view says that in verse 12 Paul is addressing a problem where women in that particular church
were not yet ready to teach, as they were still caught up in cultural mythologies rather than
a sound understanding of Scripture. The specific mythology in this case was prevalent in Ephesus.
It taught that Eve, as the Earth Mother goddess, was the creator and originator of man. Those who
hold this view point to the Greek word translated as ‘authority’ that Paul uses, to help understand
the situation. They point out that this Greek word is also used in extra-biblical literature
from the time, describing sex reversal and female dominance. Essentially what Paul is saying is that
he permits no woman in the Ephesian church to teach at this time, and they are not to proclaim
that they are the originator of man, as that goes contrary to the creation account in Genesis.
This is not an easy passage, and our interpretation of it can have large implications.
However, as we wrestle with this passage, let’s try our best to come to an honest interpretation
through careful study, while submitting to the Holy Spirit, and being gracious to one another.