Originally posted 10/18/23
1 Timothy 2:11-14 ESV
11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
In this verse, Paul is directing women not to teach to men. He is pretty clear that women should not be doing it. Is Paul just anti-woman? Does he think men are superior? I’ve heard the arguments that we must consider the time and history. Since the times were different, we are free to disregard that portion of Scripture.
2 Timothy 3:16 states: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” I personally don’t think we should be ignoring passages just because we do not like them. We, as women, have to decide if we want to obey Scripture or twist it to make it say what we want it to say. The Word of God is not about us. It is there to tell God’s redemptive story.
The word teach is from didaskō in Greek which means to impart knowledge. It almost always involved teaching scriptures. Paul goes on further to compare this to Adam and Eve. God created man first to be over the world. Eve came later as Adam’s helpmate. This was God’s plan from the very beginning. Whether I agree with it doesn’t matter. I am not God.
John Macarthur states in his book, God’s High Calling for Women, “A woman who wants to serve and honor God cannot show disregard for what He says in His Word about the role of women.” p. 21-22
“The reason women are not to preach in the church has nothing to do with their psychological makeup or intellectual capabilities. Those who insist that subordination and equality are mutually exclusive would do well to consider Christ’s relationship to the Father. While on earth, Jesus assumed a subordinate role, yet He was in no way inferior. First Corinthians 11:3 states, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ” NASB. Macarthur p. 49-50
Some will disagree with this and that’s ok. When we wrestle with topics, our best course of action is to go to Scripture. Is the portion of scripture prescriptive or descriptive? Are there places in the Bible that contradict this passage? What did the passage mean to the original audience?
We will look at specific women in the Bible and see if we can discover the answers.
Stay tuned…..