In Part Two we looked at the EDC claim of direct precepts in scripture for male only eldership. Recital ‘P’ from the EDC brings another possible precept to consider. Here is the next claim in full:
“P. The apostle Paul further teaches that elders / overseers must be men by precept when he prohibits women from “teaching” or “exercising authority” over men (1 Tim 2:12); Paul’s language here anticipates his requirement, in the immediate context, that elders / overseers must be “able to teach” and “rule” (1 Tim 3:2, 4–5; cf. 5:17; Tit 1:9; 1 Thess 5:12; Rom 12:8; 1 Cor 12:28); the linguistic and conceptual parallels tie the two texts together and indicate that they are mutually interpretive; thus Paul prohibits to women in 1 Timothy 2:12 that which he requires of elders / overseers in 1 Timothy 3:2, 4–5; this observation confirms both that the kind of authority and teaching prohibited to women in 1 Timothy 2:12 is the official and authoritative ministry of ruling and teaching, and that the elders / overseers charged with this authority and teaching are to be men; further, although modern scholarship has attempted to limit the contemporary application of 1 Timothy 2:12, especially by claiming that Paul’s command addresses a particular problem of female false teachers in Ephesus, such arguments are unpersuasive for several reasons: (a) Paul clearly grounds his command in God’s good order, established at creation, and in the events of the Fall (1 Tim 2:13–14); (b) the context further indicates that his command is a universal and enduring regulation for the Church in all ages (Recital Q); (c) Paul’s syntax indicates that either “teach” and “exercise authority” are both negative, or both positive, and the word he uses for “teach” is positive throughout his letters to Timothy and Titus, thus; (d) Paul does not merely prohibit women from teaching falsely (contrast 1 Tim 1:3; 6:3) or from “domineering” men, but from teaching and exercising authority over men in the manner that properly belongs to the elders / overseers; (e) although there were false teachers in Ephesus, the only false teachers Paul names are not women but men (1 Tim 1:20; 2 Tim 2:17–18) and thus the claim that 1 Timothy 2:12 specifically addresses female false teachers in Ephesus is speculative; (f) in sum: recent scholarship provides no compelling reason to abandon the plain reading of the text, which has been common in the Church for nearly two millennia;”
In 1 Timothy 2:12 Paul says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or assume authority over a man.” The EDC believe this anticipates Paul’s requirement of 1 Timothy 3 (and other writings) that only male elders are to teach and rule. We will look at the passages given by the EDC to see if they support this idea.
1 Timothy 3:2, 4-5 says that an elder should be able to teach (3:2) and manage their household and children (4-5). There is no reference to ‘rule’ or gender or elder only restriction.
1 Timothy 5:17 has the ideas of teaching and leading. The word translated as ‘rule’ has a sense of leadership, management and care (Strong’s Lexicon). There is nothing to suggest that teaching is elder and/or male only.
Titus 1:9 says an elder should encourage by teaching but there is no indication of authority or gender restriction.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 encourages appreciation of those who lead and admonish. It does not mention elders, authority, gender or teaching.
Romans 12:8 says, “if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” There is no mention of elders, gender or teaching. In the two previous verses it reads, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;”. This places no limits on teaching or leading other than the grace given.
1 Corinthians 12:28 says, “And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.” There is no mention of elders, gender or authority.
Teaching and leading are functions of elders, but there is no reason to limit them to only male elders. In Part Two we saw no reason to believe that Paul has only male elders in view in 1 Timothy 3. Thus the following conclusion is unsupported:
“the linguistic and conceptual parallels tie the two texts together and indicate that they are mutually interpretive; thus Paul prohibits to women in 1 Timothy 2:12 that which he requires of elders / overseers in 1 Timothy 3:2, 4–5; this observation confirms both that the kind of authority and teaching prohibited to women in 1 Timothy 2:12 is the official and authoritative ministry of ruling and teaching, and that the elders / overseers charged with this authority and teaching are to be men;”
The EDC claims any attempts to limit the contemporary application of 1 Timothy 2:12 fall short and give reasons a to f below:
“(a) Paul clearly grounds his command in God’s good order, established at creation, and in the events of the Fall (1 Tim 2:13–14);”
The EDC assume Paul’s reference to Adam and Eve grounds the ‘command’ of verse 12 in the created order. We will consider the ‘command’ of verse 12 before looking at 13-14.
In verse 12 Paul says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” Paul would not normally say “I do not permit” for something that is a permanent command. It has the sense of a decision that is temporary. As Philip Payne has observed, “Paul uses many imperatives, but “I am not permitting” is not an imperative, and Paul’s original letters don’t use the verb “permit” to give a permanent command” (The Bible vs biblical Womanhood). The limited force of “permit” is also discussed here.
If verse 12 suggests a limited command, why does Paul refer to the created order? Paul says, Adam was formed first and then Eve. Paul also says that Adam was not deceived, but Eve was. Eve was tricked and then she sinned. Adam was not deceived or tricked, but knowingly disobeyed and sinned, as Paul reminds us in Romans 5:14. There is something in being formed second that allowed Eve to be tricked but not Adam.
There is more than one way to understand the Genesis reference. One is that Adam has a different and fuller experience of God and his commands than Eve did due to being created earlier. Adam received the command firsthand, and learnt of God’s love and providence in having God address his ‘aloneness’. Eve did not experience these things. Thus Eve was easily tricked and the connection to 1 Timothy 11-12 that asks a dominating female false teacher to be quiet and learn. Philip Payne asks the question, “Can you think of any more powerful example of the danger deceived women pose to the church than Eve’s deception?” (The Bible vs. Biblical Womanhood).
To suggest that Paul’s reference to Adam and Eve is an appeal to a hierarchy based on a created order does not hold weight because:
1. The Genesis account does not support it. Adam is formed from the dust that was created before him. Adam was formed after cats – they seem to sense this! Eve was formed from up to half of Adam (his side). Adam and Eve are both placed in dominion over the cats and the dust from which Adam was formed;
2. Wider scripture does not support it. It is often not the firstborn who is called by God to serve, e.g. Joseph & David.
“(b) the context further indicates that his command is a universal and enduring regulation for the Church in all ages (Recital Q);”
We will deal with this in Part Four when we deal with Recital Q.
“(c) Paul’s syntax indicates that either “teach” and “exercise authority” are both negative, or both positive, and the word he uses for “teach” is positive throughout his letters to Timothy and Titus, thus;”
To determine whether Paul is using “teaching” and “assuming authority” in a positive way we can look at the context. In 1 Timothy 1:3 Paul has used a negative idea of “teach” when he says, “stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer.” Then in 1 Timothy 1:10 Paul refers to “whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine (teaching).” The context up to the point of 1 Timothy 2:12 has been of false teaching. This is negative.
“Assume authority” comes from the word “authentein”. It is used once in scripture and is negative. Authentein is not related to how we commonly understand ‘authority’. Cynthia Westfall says, “In the Greek corpus, the verb authenteō refers to a range of actions that are not restricted to murder or violence. However, the people who are targets of these actions are harmed, forced against their will (compelled), or at least their self-interest is being overridden because the actions involve an imposition of the subject’s will, ranging from dishonour to lethal force” (Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle’s Vision for Men and Women in Christ).
Both words in 1 Timothy 2:12 refer to a negative activity that he would never ask anyone to do, even elders.
“(d) Paul does not merely prohibit women from teaching falsely (contrast 1 Tim 1:3; 6:3) or from “domineering” men, but from teaching and exercising authority over men in the manner that properly belongs to the elders / overseers;”
This point relies on the assertion of the previous point that teaching and authority of 1 Timothy 2:12 are positive. They are not and this point falls.
“(e) although there were false teachers in Ephesus, the only false teachers Paul names are not women but men (1 Tim 1:20; 2 Tim 2:17–18) and thus the claim that 1 Timothy 2:12 specifically addresses female false teachers in Ephesus is speculative;”
1 Timothy 1:3 says, “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer.” Where Paul says “certain people” he uses a form of the word we looked at previously, “tis” which means anyone. In this verse he uses the non-gender specific “tisin”. Paul has not said there are certain males. He makes it clear that these certain people aspire to be teachers in verse 7. In 1 Timothy 1:20 and 2 Timothy 2:17-18 Paul references male false teachers by name but does not limit the extent of the false teachers to them. The plain reading of 1 Timothy 2:12 is that a woman is being asked to cease teaching and domineering (and instead peacefully learn) which suggests that the presence of a female false teacher in Ephesus was reality.
“(f) in sum: recent scholarship provides no compelling reason to abandon the plain reading of the text, which has been common in the Church for nearly two millennia;”
In Recitals N, O & P the EDC have given over 40 proof texts to support their reasoning. I cannot see any that clearly demonstrate what they claim. The EDC say there is no reason to abandon the plain reading of the text. Do the EDC hold to the plain reading? The meaning of texts, such as 1 Timothy 2:11-15, are not always plain. At the end of Part Three I find no compelling biblical reason to abandon female elders.
In this installment I have responded to the EDC’s presentation of 1 Timothy 2:11-15. I have not presented my own understanding. I hope to do this soon. Next time we look at Recital Q and consider the universal and enduring nature of these precepts.
