ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <title>Are the Sisters free to Function</title> <meta name="Author" content="Jon Zens"> <meta name="copyright" content="Jon Zens"> <base href="Are the Sisters free to Function"> <meta name="Description" content="Analysis of the place of the woman in the Church"> <meta name="Keywords" content="woman,Church,veil,submit,submission,feminism,prophetes"> <meta name="revised" content="August 2007"> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="generator" content="skedit"> <meta name="language" content="en"> <meta http-equiv="pragma" content="no-cache"> <meta http-equiv="cache-control" content="no-cache"> <meta name="robots" content="index,follow"> <meta name="revisit-after" content="30 days"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.his-kingdom.net/style_orange.css" /> </head> <div class='box'> <div class='boxtop'><div></div></div> <div class='boxcontent' style="display:marker"> <p><center><img src="http://www.his-kingdom.net/graphics/header-hk.png"></center></p> <br /> <h1>Are the Sisters free to Function</h1> <p style="margin-left: 0px; text-align: center">by Jon Zens<br />August 2009</p> <p style="margin-left: 0px; text-align: center">An Exploration of Paul s Concerns in 1 Timothy 2:11-15</p> <p>In the history of the church 1 Timothy 2:12 has been used unrelentingly as a proof-text to swiftly and decisively squelch the ministry of women in fellowships. In 1987, the assembly Nancy Sehested pastored was put out of the Memphis Association of Southern Baptist Churches, and 1 Timothy 2:12 was used as a key part of the basis for this decision. In 2006 Sheri Klouda was let go from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. She taught Hebrew at the seminary, but  based on 1 Timothy 2:12  it was concluded that women should not be "teaching men." But is it that simple?</p> <p>My examination of the evidence has brought me to question the traditional use of 1 Timothy 2:12 to silence female believers. If the "silence" use of 1 Timothy 2:12 rests on very questionable assumptions, then women in the body of Christ have been put under an unfounded bondage based on a serious misinterpretation of a critical passage of scripture. Everyone admits that 1 Timothy 2:11-15 is attended with difficulties at every level  contextual, cultural, linguistical, grammatical and conceptual. Nevertheless, it would seem to me that for those who truly desire light from God s Word, sufficient light can be uncovered to show that the traditional understanding of 1 Timothy 2:12 is riddled with dubious assumptions and even prejudices. If this is true, then it truly has been used to abuse half the priesthood of believers. The evidence is such that Bible teachers and church leaders would do well to re-visit the common application of 1 Timothy 2:11-15, which may be misguided and unwarranted.</p> <p>How Does the New Testament As A Whole View Women?</p> <p>Before coming to 1 Timothy 2:12, which is often seen as a restrictive text regarding females, it is imperative for us to review the overwhelmingly positive picture of Abraham s daughters painted in the New Testament (Luke 13:16). This information cannot be dismissed or forgotten when reflecting on two passages, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:12, that mention concerns about some sisters. </p> <ul> <li>Neither the Gospel narratives nor the recorded words of Jesus ever put restrictions on the ministry of women.</li> <li>Jesus fully accepted women as his disciples and they accompanied him in his travels with the male disciples (Luke 8:1-3). These women also supported the mission of Jesus with their own resources. These facts may be much more significant that it initially appears. In the first century it was unheard of for a Jewish rabbi to have female followers. Luke reports this rather matter-of-factly, yet this band of women, men and Jesus was hardly kosher to the curious onlookers as they went from city to village. </li> <li>After Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and saw God s salvation, Anna the prophetess "gave thanks to God and spoke of him [Jesus] to all the ones expecting redemption in Jerusalem" (Luke 2:25-38). Anna did not just proclaim Christ to women, but to "all."</li> <li>Jesus applauded the evangelistic efforts of the Samaritan woman (John 4:35-38). After experiencing a revelation of Jesus, she left her jar at the well and went to her city telling men, women and children about the Messiah (John 4:28-29). Everyone in Sychar knew about her history of broken relationships, yet she boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah  a Redeemer even for those outside of Judaism!</li> <li>In the context of Jesus crucifixion the male disciples fled, yet the women were present and they helped in his burial (Matt.27:55-56,61; Mark 15:40-41; Luke 23:55-56; John 19:25-27).</li> <li>A woman s testimony was disallowed as evidence in first century courts. Yet the Lord chose females to be the first witnesses and proclaimers of his resurrection (John 20:1-2, 11-18; Luke 24:1-11, 22-24; Mark 16:1-8; Matt.28:1-11).</li> <li>After Christ s ascension, 120 men and women prayed together and chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:14-15).</li> <li>The Spirit came upon the 120 disciples and they spoke the wonderful works of God in many foreign languages (Acts 2:1-4).</li> <li>Some thought that what was occurring on the Day of Pentecost was evidence of too much wine, but Peter insisted that it was a fulfillment of what Joel prophesied would come to pass  "your sons and daughters will prophesy ... .I will pour out my Spirit on my male and female slaves and they will prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18). There is no suggestion that males may prophesy freely, but that females are restricted in some ways.</li> <li>Philip the evangelist had four virgin daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9). We would not be wrong in assuming that there were many other sisters who had this gift, not just Philip s offspring.</li> <li>Paul entrusted his letter to the Romans to Phoebe, and she delivered it. She was a deacon in the assembly at Cenchrea and Paul had the highest regard for her (Romans 16:1-2). Paul recognized her as a prostatis, which carried with it the idea of leadership (cf. 1 Thess.5:12).</li> <li>Paul designated Priscilla and Aquila as his "co-workers" (Romans 16:3). The same word is used with reference to people like Timothy and Titus.</li> <li>Junia and Andronicus (wife/husband or sister/brother) were greeted by Paul as "outstanding among the apostles" (Romans 16:7). They were his relatives and had been in prison with him. There were people called "apostles" who were not among the Twelve, like Barnabas. Junia was also among such apostolic workers. There is no reason to think that she was the only such female apostle.</li> <li>Among all the people Paul greeted in Romans 16, ten were sisters among whom were "Tryphena and Tryphosa [who may have been twins], women who work hard for the Lord" (Romans 16:12).</li> <li>In line with Acts 2:17-18, Paul encouraged brothers and sisters to prophesy in the gatherings (1 Corinthians 11:4-5; 14:23-24).</li> <li>The open meeting Paul described in 1 Corinthians 14 envisioned all the men and women  "the whole assembly"  "each one of you"  "you may all prophesy one by one"  functioning together in an encouraging manner.</li> <li>Galations 3:28 indicated that "in Christ" human distinctions, like male and female, are no longer norms of judgment in the congregation. In the first century, prejudices abounded in folks minds when certain people like "Gentile," "Jew," "slave," and "woman" were mentioned. Paul stated that in the body of Christ this should not be the case.</li> <li>Women were prominent in the assembly at Philippi, beginning with Lydia s home. In Phil.4:3 Paul asked for two sisters  who must have had no small spiritual influence in the body  to be at peace with one another. He called Euodia and Syntyche "co-workers" and "co-strugglers" in the gospel.</li> <li>2 John is addressed to "the elect lady and her children." This probably referred to a respected sister in whose home the saints gathered. She had apparently exerted significant spiritual influence upon a number of people. Women s homes were mentioned as meeting places for the brethren in Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 1:11, 16:9 and Colossians 4:15.</li> <li>In Rev.2:20-24 Christ rebuked the Thyatiran congregation for allowing a false prophetess, nicknamed "Jezebel," to "teach" some of the Lord s servants to sin grievously. If it was such a crime for a woman to teach the brethren, why didn t the Lord just condemn the assembly for even allowing a woman to instruct others? This incident in Thyatira implies that the assembly permitted other male and female prophets to teach the truth. Christ s bone to pick with them wasn t that a woman taught, but that what she taught was false teaching. We will come back to this passage in the course of our investigation of 1 Timothy 2:12.</li> </ul> <p>This survey of New Testament highlights concerning women is important because it reveals the freedom of the sisters to function in the kingdom. In the general flow of the New Testament there are no jitters about "restrictions" upon Christ s daughters. Such a survey should also serve as a corrective to those who squelch and intimidate the sisters by using their interpretation of two passages  1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:12  to cancel out the ministry of sisters unfolded in other Scriptures.</p> <h2>"Pastorals"?</h2> <p>Before coming to our passage in 1 Timothy, it is vital to note that the tradition of designating 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus as "Pastoral Epistles" is very misleading. One writer calls Timothy a "young pastor."[1] Timothy and Titus were not resident pastors/elders. They were itinerant apostolic assistants. Paul at one point tells Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5). In these three letters Paul gave his co-workers instructions regarding issues and problems faced by the assemblies they moved among and assisted.</p> <h3>Why Was 1 Timothy Written?</h3> <p>The purpose of 1 Timothy is stated by Paul in 1:3-4  "As I urged you upon my departure to Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain persons to neither teach differently, nor to pay attention to myths and unending genealogies, which stir up questions rather than furthering the stewardship of God in faith." "The key to understanding the letter," Gordon Fee notes, "lies in taking seriously that Paul s stated reason in 1:3 for leaving Timothy in Ephesus is the real one; namely, that he has been left there to combat some false teachers, whose asceticism and speculative nonsense based on the law are engendering strife, causing many to capitulate to the false teaching."[2] </p> <p>1 Timothy is not a church manual for a pastor. It is a mandate for an apostolic assistant to deal with serious issues involving false teaching in Ephesus. Unfortunately, some women had become involved in this problem.</p> <p>The Immediate Context of 1 Timothy 2:11-15</p> <p>In terms of the basic structure Paul used in this section (2:1-15), we can note the following (I have tried to follow the Greek closely in translating the verses in 1 Timothy 2:1-15):</p> <ul> <li>"I exhort [the whole assembly to pray] ... to the end that we might live a peaceful and quiet life" (vv.1-2).</li> <li>"I will that the males [plural] pray ... " (v.8).</li> <li>"Similarly [I will that] the women [plural] (pray) in proper clothing ... " (v.9).</li> <li>"Let the woman [singular] learn in quietness ... " (v.11).</li> <li>"But I am not now permitting a woman [singular] to teach with the goal of dominating a man [singular], but to be in quietness" (v.12).</li> <li>"For Adam [singular] was first formed, then Eve [singular]" (v.13).</li> <li>"But she [singular] will be delivered through childbearing if they [plural] remain in faith" (v.15).</li> </ul> <p>The same Greek word, hesuchia (quietness), is used in verse 2 with reference to all believers leading a quiet life, in verse 11 with reference to a woman learning in quietness, and in verse 12 with reference to a woman being in quietness. The word simply does not mean "silent." Verse 2 obviously does not envision us leading a "silent" life, but rather a life in which we are not known as rabble-rousers. Thus, any Bible version that has the woman in "silence" (2:11-12) reveals some level of bias, is a very inaccurate translation and leaves an impression upon the mind that is not from the Lord.</p> <p>Apparently this congregation in Ephesus was riddled with false teaching and there was some level of disorder going on. One can appreciate, then, why Paul would emphasize prayer among the brethren and then elaborate on the world-wide salvation purpose of God in Christ (vv.3-7).</p> <p>The implicit contrast between prayers in Christian assemblies and those in Jewish synagogues must be underscored. Jews in the first century were under Roman rule. Their synagogue prayers focused on the destruction of their Gentile enemies, not their salvation. Paul, on the other hand, exhorts the assembly to intercede on behalf of those in civil power and for the salvation of people all over the world.</p> <h2>Key Observations On 1 Timothy 2:11-15</h2> <p>Truly, I am a debtor to all the hard work others (listed in the "Suggested Sources") have done in trying to understand these verses. Along with some possible insights that I have come to see, in most cases I am just calling attention to some foundational points that they have unearthed through diligent research. I m going to structure my comments by contrasting the traditional view with some correctives that seem warranted.</p> <p>I appeal to you to follow my presentation with an open heart and a willingness to consider the evidence unfolded. There are many assumptions and layers of tradition that must be carefully evaluated. As John R.W. Stott has said, "To me the essence of being a radical is being willing to subject one s inherited traditions and conventions to biblical scrutiny."[3] "It may be that much of what we call Christian," notes Bill White, "would have to be thrown out in the light of Biblical re-education ... Let s approach Scripture with an open mind and heart and discover what God has called us to in the way of re-education and renewal."[4] Let s face it  we all struggle to let go of old things learned in order to give way to new things unveiled.</p> <p>1 Timothy 2:11  "Let a woman learn in quietness in all submission"</p> <p>Traditional View: The word hesuchia has been taken to mean "silence," meaning that women are not to speak in assembly meetings. "All submission" is taken to mean that females are to be passive receivers, not active participants.</p> <p>Correctives:</p> <ul> <li>Hesuchia means "quietness," not "silence." Further, in 1 Timothy 2:2 the stated goal is for all believers to live a "quiet" life. In 1 Thess.4:11 Paul instructs all the brethren, "strive eagerly to be quiet, to do your own business and work with your own hands." The apostle tells those believers who are not working "to work with quietness and to eat their own bread" (2 Thess.3:12).</li> <li>Since "quietness" is to be a quality of all the saints, if Paul mentions that a woman needs to learn in quietness, wouldn t that imply some special circumstance that required this instruction? Is it not clear from the context that the males needed a dose of quietness too, as they were manifesting "wrath" among themselves (v.8)?</li> <li>The fact that hesuchia does not mean "silence" illustrates the careless use of Scripture by those who with full confidence and dogmatism cite 1 Timothy 2:12 as an end to further discussion. Let s look at two examples of such misuse, one by a "clergy" person and another by a "lay" person.</li> </ul> <ol> <li>In 1970 British Reformed theologian Donald MacLeod pontificated, "[In 1 Timothy 2:11-14] the woman is explicitly forbidden to aspire to the offices of teaching and ruling. She is to be submissive; she is to be a learner; she is to be silent. Paul does not qualify this last injunction in any way ... The injunction to silence, then, is comprehensive. Women are not to teach nor to rule nor to lead the public prayers of the congregation."[5] His intimidating remarks are premised on the mistaken assumption that hesuchia means "silence." Everything he says is built on a false foundation. Being knowledgeable of Greek he should have known better, but he gives no evidence of caring what hesuchia really meant in verses 2, 11 and 12. The incorrect translation of the verses suited his agenda, so he squeezed it for all it was worth.</li> <li>In a letter to an editor, "Brother Richard" was upset at "Liberals" for pointing out the mention of a female apostle in Romans 16:7 and lashed out with what he felt were the final words on the matter: "These liberals obviously do not accept the Reformation proclamation  Scripture alone, long a basic tenet of the Lutheran faith. You do not have to strain your brain to understand 1 Timothy 2:12 which states unequivocally,  I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man; she must be silent. Delete this or any other sentence out of the Bible and you are now free to say or do anything you wish.  Sola Scriptura! "[6] (Christian News, March 26, 2007, p.19). You can see how such dogmatism is based on (a) a faulty translation of verses 11 and 12 and (b) hearing Bible teachers like MacLeod perpetuate a false understanding of these verses to those in church audiences.</li> </ol> <p>Isn t quoting a Scripture like this similar to how the cults take a verse out of context and build false teaching on it? Some cults will assert that Christ is only human with a verse like "the Father is greater than I [Jesus]" and totally disregard many other contexts that confirm his deity. Those who focus on 1 Timothy 2:12 as a proof-text to shut down female ministry are guilty of using one Scripture to cancel out the clear revelation of their ministry in many other settings. In this case, the misuse of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 is aggravated by the fact that they impose "silence" on women when the Greek word, hesuchia, has no such meaning in the first place. Using one Scripture to cancel out the combined impact of many other Scriptures is not a safe way to handle God s Word.</p> <p>"In all submission." Again, the New Testament clearly teaches that "submission" is to be an attribute of all believers, not just the sisters.</p> <ul> <li>Romans 13:1, 5 -- every person is to be subject to the civil authorities.</li> <li>1 Corinthians 14:32 -- the spirits of the prophets are subject to [under the self-control of] the prophets.</li> <li>1 Corinthians 16:15-16 -- the brethren are to submit to those who lay down their lives for others.</li> <li>Eph.5:21 -- all Christians are to mutually submit to one another in the fear of Christ.</li> <li>James 4:7 -- we are all to submit to the Lord.</li> <li>1 Peter 5:5 -- "all of you, be subject one to another."</li> </ul> <ul> <li>We must ask, do only women learn in all submission? Do men somehow learn in a different way, without submission? Aren t "quietness" and "submission" necessary qualities in order for anyone to learn? If this is indeed the case, then are we not warranted to suggest that there must have been a problem with some women, or a woman, which accounts for why Paul would issue this special directive?</li> <li>"Let a woman learn [Greek, manthano] ... " We must not forget that learning in the early church was not male-driven and pulpit-centered. It was a body experience in which all participated. We have already seen that both men and women are free to prophesy (Acts 2:17-18; 1 Corinthians 11:3-5). Paul made it crystal clear in 1 Corinthians 14 that he wanted prophecy from both genders to be central in the gathering. In 1 Corinthians 14:31 he directs the saints in this manner: "you may all [males and females] prophesy one by one, so that all [men and women] may learn [manthano] and all may be encouraged." In the New Testament even singing results in teaching and admonishing (Eph.5:19; Colossians 3:16).</li> <li>Nowhere in the New Testament are sisters forbidden to contribute to the learning process according to their gifts and graces. Thus, the concern Paul expressed in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 must have been rooted in problems that had surfaced in the Ephesian congregation. Some women, or a woman, were involved in false teaching and needed to be in a learning posture at that time. In only makes sense that generally speaking the assembly benefits and thrives from the input of both brothers and sisters. Donald Joy makes this astute observation:</li> </ul> <p>We are always impoverished when a single sex group meets, discusses, and makes decisions, since only part of the full-spectrum personhood seems to be present. So where urgent decisions are being made, we surely want both sexes speaking ....[7]</p> <p>It is noteworthy that from a practical standpoint the traditional "male headship/female submission" notion has been one of the most abused concepts in the flow of church history. In the past and in the present it is very easy for males with controlling spirits to use "male headship" as a "Biblical" justification to keep women under their thumbs.</p> <p>It cannot be denied that the NT connects certain words with the marriage relationship. But did the NT mean by those words what post-apostolic theologians attached to them? For example, many assume that "male headship" means that the husband has "authority over" the wife, and not a few assume it means that all women are to be subject to all men. In my personal journey I have seen repeatedly the importance of sorting out what the New Testament actually teaches, versus the traditions that have been added on, or the negative influence of baggage that we read into texts.</p> <p>The retrogression that occurred with reference to women in the post-apostolic age can be compared to what happened in other doctrinal and practical areas. For example, the Lord s Supper was transformed from a time of the brethren remembering the Lord in a meal together to an elaborate "Holy Sacrament" officiated over by a clergyman.[8] The monumental difference, however, between such things as the Lord s Supper and what happened to women was that half of the church was rendered inferior and useless. </p> <p>We apparently assume that "male headship" means "authority over" and connect it with decision-making. But in the first century it was the "heart," not the "head" that was connected with decision-making, and there is much evidence to suggest that "authority over" was generally not connected to the concept of "head."[9]</p> <p>Again, many assume that male headship must result in the virtual non-expression of the wife's gifts. However, Scripture does not confirm such a lop-sided opinion. Both Huldah and Deborah were functioning prophetesses, but that did not keep them from being godly wives, as their husbands' names are mentioned.</p> <p>Most people are in ignorance of a vastly significant historical reality. Paul indeed used the words "head" and "submission" with reference to husbands and wives. There is, however, a huge chasm between what Paul had in mind with those words and how they were misappropriated and merged into the "mind-body dualism of classical Greek philosophy" by the early church fathers in order to utterly suppress women in home and church.[10] Males were connected with the "mind" (spirituality) and females were connected to the "body" (carnal lust). Thus Origen "taught that women are more closely connected to the flesh than men and thus not as spiritual," and Augustine "associates women with the evil flesh that must be controlled by the spirit, which he believed was superior in men."[11] Thus the "goal of salvation was to free the pure soul from the evil material body."[12] The state of celibacy became exalted upon the basis of this "Platonic spirituality" which exalted the unseen realms and denigrated the body. The most spiritual posture, it was presumed increasingly by the church, was to separate oneself from sexual expression. Translated into daily life this meant, "keep away from women, for they are the gateway into lust and profligacy."[13]</p> <p>Women are assimilated into the definition of sin. The bodily principle is seen [in Philo and the Church Fathers] as so intrinsically demonic that the high road to salvation demands the spurning of bodily life altogether for the ascetical virgin state. Sexuality and procreation correspond to the lower realm of corruption ... the carnal realm was regarded as female ... the female, even as nun, [is regarded] as the dangerous embodiment of the "fleshly principle."[14] </p> <p>Following from this, female sexuality was viewed as "responsible for the Fall of creation and the descent of man's soul into perdition."[15] Viewing women with disdain as the conduits for sin led of necessity to their subordination to males. "Since femaleness was equated with the inferior body, it followed that woman must naturally live in submission to man in hierarchical fashion, even as the body must be subject to the spirit."[16] </p> <p>This degradation of females led not a few theologians to question whether women as entities separate from men were in God's image. Further, since women were seen as "lower beings," husbands were granted the right to correct or chastise their wives. This "gave religious and legal sanction for the absolute control of the 'male mind' over the 'female body,' in the form of physical violence."[17] Thus a perverted theology led to the church's sanctioning of wife-beating.</p> <p>The Council of Toledo in 400AD "decreed that [clergy] had the right to beat their wives more severely than ordinary fellows:  A husband is bound to chastise his wife moderately, unless he be a [clergy], in which case he may chastise her harder. A later passage states that  if wives of clergy transgress their [husband s] commands, they may beat them, keep them bound in their house and force them to fast but not unto death."[18] </p> <p>This helps us understand why church leaders were so uncaring when it came to the harsh treatment of women. John Calvin s letter to the wife of an abusive husband reflects the hardness of heart and utter insensitivity to the plight of women when he replied in part:</p> <p>We have a special sympathy for women who are evilly and roughly treated by their husbands ... We do not find ourselves permitted by the Word of God, however, to advise a woman to leave her husband, except by force of necessity; and we do not find this force to be operative when a husband behaves roughly and uses threats to his wife, not even when he beats her, but only when there is imminent peril to her life ... We exhort her to bear with patience the cross which God has seen fit to place upon her; and meanwhile not to deviate from the duty which she has before God to please her husband, but to be faithful whatever happens.[19] </p> <p>This vile outlook on women was engrained in the theology of the Roman Catholic Church, and is amply documented in Uta Ranke-Heinemann's Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven: Women, Sexuality, & the Catholic Church (Doubleday, 1990, 360pp.). It is imperative to keep in mind that the very essence of the assumptions about women in traditional theology are suspect, to say the least. To link Paul's conceptions of "head" and "submission" with what is articulated in Tertullian, Augustine, Jerome and many others about females is a total disconnect. There is no continuity of Paul's teaching with the later Platonic anti-body theology that came to dominate the visible church s practice.</p> <p>Such a disconnect is strikingly illustrated when Donald MacLeod simplistically linked the past views of women with New Testament statements. "Until comparatively recently there was virtually unanimous agreement among Christians that women should be excluded from the ordained ministries of the church ....The traditional practice of the Church can claim the explicit support of several New Testament passages."[20] Without vital qualification MacLeod s last sentence is misleading and dangerous. As we have seen, "the traditional practice of the Church" viewed women as inferior beings  conduits of the devil -- who must be kept in line by a male hierarchy. Physical violence toward women was thus sanctioned by the church. This awful oppression of females was based on Platonic philosophy, not theological certainty. Such diminution of women cannot claim the explicit support of any New Testament writings. What the New Testament said about sisters and what post-apostolic theologians said about women are two entirely different worlds. Further, church tradition held that all women must be subject to all men. The New Testament has only the marriage relationship in view when it speaks of "head" and "submission."</p> <p>At a meeting in the Wesleyan Chapel in July, 1848, in Seneca Falls, New York, a Declaration of Sentiments on behalf of women noted that "in the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming, to all intents and purposes, her master  the law giving him power to deprive her of her liberty and to administer chastisement."[21] Again, we see that the physical "chastisement" of a wife was built into assumptions about marriage and protected by the law. </p> <p>Can we begin to comprehend why most wives (women) in the world cringe when they hear about wifely (female) "submission" from church leadership? Ana Audilia Moreira de Campos in 1979 described the daily life of rural women in El Salvador. This same basic picture would be duplicated in most places around the world today.</p> <p>Men who earn little or no income have almost nothing to be proud of except their virility. They have few ways to relieve their frustrations, so women often bear the brunt of their discontents. There is absolutely no respect for the human dignity of women. It is common for their husbands and fathers to beat, kick and humiliate them in the most vulgar ways ... The majority of men in our rural communities refer to women as "idiots," "pigs," "worthless," "disobedient," "deceitful," "disloyal," "lazy," "stupid," and "daughters of whores" ... If it suits his mood, any of the above perceived qualities serve as sufficient reason for him to mistreat his wife ... From the day she is born, a female is regarded as inferior. The birth of a girl child is a great disappointment ... No one celebrates the birth of a girl ... The woman s job never ends. She has to work at least sixteen hours a day to complete her chores ... Men, however, think women s work has little value ... Women have become the nation s beasts of burden, shouldering the basic responsibilities of the family and society in order that men may be free to pursue whatever work and pleasures they desire ... The myth of women s inferiority continues to flourish because of traditional customs and educational biases that have conditioned both sexes to believe the male is superior ... This national inferiority has been created and forced by men. Institutionally, it is maintained and reinforced by the school system, the government, the Church, the community and the family.[22] </p> <p>Notice that last sentence. National female inferiority "is maintained and reinforced by ... the Church." How can we be surprised at this in light of the way women were treated in the history of the church? The church has led the way in the putting down of women. What Paul meant by "submission" has nothing to do with the meaning it took on as the Platonic body/soul notions infiltrated Christian theology.</p> <p>In his The Subversion of Christianity, Jaques Ellul notes that when the church became powerful</p> <p>all that represented weakness or inferiority (physical, social, etc.) was put in second place. Women are the most spectacular instance of this. After a period of independence that came with the spread of Christianity, they were relegated to a lower order ....[T]he more feminine liberty was suppressed, the more women were accused (of being the temptress of Genesis, etc.), [and] the more they were reduced to silence.[23]</p> <p>This bottom-rung status of women in the post-apostolic age did not emerge because of careful study of Scripture. It came about as a result of the conflation of alien political and philosophical forces. "What began as a movement that offered dignity and equality to women," Ross Saunders observes, "ended up as an organization that was almost totally androcentric."[24] Thus, the second-century world of Tertullian was not really any different from most cultures in the 20th-century world  "In our society, men control almost every facet of life. From the government to the Church, from political parties and cooperatives to sports, men run things."[25]</p> <p>Practicing the New Testament perspectives on marriage  oneness, equality, husband as  head, the wife as  submissive  can be tricky, especially when you factor in the peculiar chemistry of personalities that each couple brings to the table. When Paul mentions "in all submission" in 1 Timothy 2 it does not appear that the marriage relationship is in view. He probably has submission to gospel teaching in mind. When the apostle mentions wifely submission in Eph.5:22, the intimate connection of this verse with verse 21 is noteworthy. In verse 21 the last of five participles  "submitting"  that flow out of a Spirit-filled life is given. Mutual submission to one another in the body of Christ is an outgrowth of Spirit-fullness. In verse 22 there is no verb  "The wives to their own husbands ... .." The verb must be drawn from verse 21  "The wives to their own husbands [submit] ... ." In Eph.5:22-33 the husband being the "head" has nothing to do with "authority over" the wife. Most of the instruction in this passage is directed toward the husbands, who are to nourish, cherish and lay down their lives for their brides. In the gospel age the husband-wife relationship is to be a reflection of how Christ and the church relate. The benchmark is not the sin-based gender war of Genesis 3:16, but the gospel-bathed "symphony" of husband and wife working together under Christ s Lordship (1 Corinthians 7:5).</p> <p>Further reflection upon marriage, headship and submission can be found in Patricia Gundry, Heirs Together: Mutual Submission in Marriage (Zondervan, 1980, 192pp.); John C. Howell, Equality & Submission in Marriage (Broadman, 1979, 140pp.); and I. Howard Marshall, "Mutual Love & Submission in Marriage, Colossians 3:18-19 & Eph.5:21-33," Discovering Biblical Equality, Pierce & Groothuis, eds. (IVP, 2005), pp.186-204.</p> <p>1 Timothy 2:12  "But I am not now permitting a woman to teach with the goal of dominating a man, but to be in quietness."</p> <p>Traditional View: This verse is taken as an always-binding command by Paul that women are not to teach men, which if done would be a wrongful usurping of male authority. Instead of teaching, women are to be in silence.</p> <p>Correctives:</p> <p>First, it must be pointed out that there is no command (imperative) from Paul in this text. The wording in the King James Version, "I suffer not a woman," can certainly sound like a command, but it isn t. Instead, it is a simple present tense, "I am not now permitting a woman ... ." This could imply a shift in Paul s strategy because of the problems that existed in Ephesus. Timothy had worked with Paul for years and was not used to hearing restrictions on the sisters from Paul. But now Paul announces, "I am not now permitting a woman ... ."</p> <p>Considering the background of the assembly in Ephesus will be helpful in this regard. Read Acts 18:34-20:1 and you ll see that Paul spent three years there. This was his longest tenure in any city during his journeys. With this background in mind, we can surmise that during his years in Ephesus  approximately 54-57AD  the sisters were functioning along with the brothers in a fashion similar to the meeting described in 1 Corinthians 14. It was not Paul s habit to put restrictions on the sisters. However, things changed when false teaching crept in and some women were involved in the aberrations. As a result, at this time some six years after he left Ephesus (approximately 63AD), Paul must announce to Timothy, "I am not now permitting a woman to teach ... ."</p> <p>After leaving Ephesus, around 58AD Paul came to the island of Miletus (30 miles south of Ephesus) and called for the elders of the Ephesian assembly. In his farewell address to these servants, Paul mentions no concerns about the sisters, but does warn them, "I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from among yourselves people will arise and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30). By 63AD this had come to pass, and Timothy was left in Ephesus to combat the confusion created by false teachers and false teaching (1 Timothy 1:3-4).</p> <p>Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesian assembly around 61AD. This epistle is the pinnacle of Paul s sublime expression of God s purpose in Christ and his Body, but there are no concerns expressed about the sisters or any restrictions on them mentioned in his apostolic communication.</p> <p>Around 64-65 AD, Christ himself directed a short letter to the Ephesian assembly which is recorded in Revelation 2:1-7. Jesus expressed his concerns to them, but such correctives had nothing to do with the functioning of the sisters. This is significant because in Jesus letter to Thyatira he was upset about the false teaching ministry of a woman nicknamed "Jezebel" (Rev.2:20ff.).</p> <p>Two infinitives. When Paul says, "I am not now permitting a woman," he follows with a neither ... nor construction involving two infinitives, didaskein (to teach) and authentein (to have one s way with, to dominate). It must be asked, how are the two infinitives to be correlated? Philip Payne and others suggest that the best fit is that of goal or purpose. In other words, Paul in this Ephesian situation where some women were propagating error does not want them to teach with the purpose or goal of having their way with (or dominating) a man. Payne sees the closest English parallel to how these two infinitives are employed to be our idioms: hit  n run, eat  n run, hence, teach  n dominate  to teach with the goal of dominating (with false teaching). It is this specific type of teaching that Paul is not permitting.[26]</p> <p>There is only one use of the verb authenteo in the New Testament and it is the infinitive authentein in 1 Timothy 2:12. Traditionally it has been translated as, "nor to usurp authority over the man." This view assumes that the very act of a woman teaching a man is inherently a wrongful deed that violates male headship. But the Bible nowhere substantiates such a notion.</p> <ul> <li>Deborah, a Prophetess, Judge and Wife, sat by her palm tree and made judgments as men and women came to her for counsel in applying the Mosaic law to their lives (Judges 2:16-19; 4:1-5:31).</li> <li>King Josiah sent a male envoy to the Prophetess and Wife Huldah after the Book of the Law was discovered. She gave them (and ultimately, Israel) the word of the Lord (2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chron.34:22-28). </li> <li>Further, we know that Priscilla and Aquila explained the way of God more perfectly to Apollos in their home in Ephesus (Acts 18:19-26). The assembly in Ephesus also met in the home of Priscilla and Aquila where we can safely assume she had some edifying things to say.</li> <li>When males and females prophesy in a gathering, Paul says that "learning" is one of the outcomes. Thus, brothers and sisters are constantly learning from one another. In this sense, it is clearly not wrong for women to contribute to the "learning" (manthano) of males.</li> </ul> <p>If there is a divine law that women-teaching-men is sinful, then there can be no exceptions. But there is no concern in this regard expressed in Scripture, and there are clearly cases where women taught men. In Romans 12:6-7 where Paul is listing some gifts, he mentions "prophesying" and "teaching." There are no gender restrictions here  both men and women can be involved in such activities. There is nothing inherently evil in women-teaching-men, but it is a problem when women teach error, or teach with a view to dominate men. Of course, the same concerns hold true if males teach error or teach with the goal of dominating others!</p> <p>But the vital matter that must be reckoned with is that authentein simply does not have the meaning "exercise authority over." In classical Greek literature before Christ, the word was used to refer to a murderer or to one who contracted for a murder to take place. Linda Belleville observes:</p> <p>If Paul had wanted to speak of an ordinary exercise of authority, he could have picked any number of words. Within the semantic domain of "exercise authority," biblical lexicographers J.P. Louw and Eugene Nida have twelve entries, and of "rule" [and] "govern" forty-seven entries. Yet Paul picked none of these. Why not? The obvious reason is that authentein carried a nuance (other than "rule" or "have authority") that was particularly suited to the Ephesian situation ... [Louw and Nida] put authenteo into the semantic domain "to control, restrain, domineer" and define the verb as "to control in a domineering manner": "I do not allow a woman ... to dominate a man" (1 Timothy 2:12) ... [They] also note that [authentein] is expressed idiomatically as "to shout orders at" ... or "to bark at" ... So there is no first century warrant for translating authentein as "to exercise authority" and for understanding Paul in 1 Timothy 2:12 to be speaking of the carrying out of one s official [teaching] duties. Rather the sense is the Koine [common Greek] "to dominate; to get one s way."[27]</p> <p>We must remember that our Lord taught us that in his kingdom "authority"  who s in charge  is to be a non-issue (Matt.20:24-28; 23:11; Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46; 22:24). The idea of one person having dominion over another or others is the essence of all that is antichrist. No one is to be the top-dog, and there are no positions of authority. I don t know how many times I ve heard, "women shouldn t be in positions of authority." The truth is, neither males nor females are to be in positions of authority! There is no chain-of-command in Christ s domain. The greatest position is at the bottom of the ladder. Those with the most spiritual influence will live as those with no authority. They will live as slaves and children  who had no status in first century culture. The greatest in Christ s kingdom lays down his life for others  which is precisely what Jesus did as the servant par excellence.</p> <p>In this vein we must rid ourselves of the traditional idea that some kind of inherent authority resides in the position of "teacher" (or, in our day, "preacher"). Christ is the one with all authority in his kingdom, and he oversees his assemblies with his word. Everything that is brought before the brethren is weighed and evaluated in light of the truth as it is in Jesus. Hebrews 5:12 says, "by this time you ought to be teachers, [but] you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God s word all over again." Obviously, not every person has the gift of teaching (cf. James 3:1), but all the brothers and sisters can be teachers in some way and contribute to the learning process in the assembly. Again, the New Testament is not against women teaching, but Paul does put the kibosh on a woman teaching with the goal of dominating a man.</p> <p>As an aside, it is crucial to note that the only place in the New Testament where the word "authority" is connected to gender is in 1 Corinthians 7:1-7. Interestingly, in this passage the "authority" (exousia) mentioned has nothing to do with the husband being the boss of the wife. Instead, it is a mutual authority  neither the man nor the woman has "authority" over their own body. The wife has authority over her husband s body, and the husband has authority over his wife s body. An implication of this truth is that the two cannot separate from one another physically unless they mutually agree [symphonou, be in symphony] that this should be done. Many take "male headship" to mean that the husband has "the final say." But how could that be in light of 1 Corinthians 7:1-7? The husband, Paul teaches here, cannot unilaterally announce, "We are going to be physically separated awhile." Such action can only take place if they mutually agree on it. If this is the case in an important issue like physical separation, one would assume that the goal in marital decision-making is for the couple to be one-minded. In light of this passage what "male headship" actually entails needs to be revisited.</p> <h2>1 Timothy 2:13  "For Adam was formed first, then Eve."</h2> <p>Traditional view: The creation of Adam before Eve shows that women are subordinate to male headship. Paul refers to the creation order to reinforce why it is wrong for women to teach men.</p> <p>Correctives:</p> <p>There is no evidence in the pre-fall account of Adam and Eve s creation, or in 1 Timothy 2:12, that a wife s subordination to her husband is in view. The Scripture nowhere teaches that all women must submit to all men. The concepts of "head" and "submit" coupled together apply specifically to the marital relationship (Eph.5:22-24).</p> <p>Keep in mind that Eve was already in Adam s side before her appearance on earth. The name "Adam," in fact, includes Eve  "When God created Adam, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them  Adam " (Gen.5:1-2). This was a type of Christ and his bride. Just as Adam fell into a deep sleep when his wife came forth from his side, so Christ descended into the sleep of death and when his side was pierced, out of him flowed his bride into the ground to die with him. Later she would become the firstborn of a new creation, also with him, by him and in him.</p> <p>We tend to think of that which is "first" as being the most important, as being superior, or as having priority. But Paul s use of "first ... then" "does nothing more than define a sequence of events or ideas ... This, in fact, is the case throughout Paul s letters (and the New Testament, for that matter).  First-then defines a temporal sequence, without implying either ontological or functional priority."[28] Thirteen verses later Paul says, "let the deacons first be proven, then let them serve ... " (1 Timothy 3:10). Why Paul would mention Adam being made first is highlighted by noting the female-centered religion in Ephesus.</p> <p>Reflecting on the background of the Ephesian assembly will be helpful at this point. The Temple of Artemis was a massive structure and was the focus of religious attention in Ephesus. Her Latin name was Diana. Her temple was then one of the seven wonders of the world. The effects of this woman-centered religion were pervasive. A significant share of the cash flow in this city was connected to the sale of idols and religious objects. Paul and his associates were in Ephesus for three years. It is likely that some of the converts to Christ were women who had been in the cult of Artemis, which included the practice of temple prostitution. Many ladies in Ephesus would be female-centered in their outlook on life. The influence of the gospel reached the point where many believers were confessing their past evil activities and burning their occult books publicly (Acts 19:18-19). A riot almost erupted, but at stake was the honor of the female god  "Artemis is the goddess that everyone in Asia and the whole world worships" ... .They all shouted the same thing for two hours: "Great is Artemis of Ephesus" (Acts 19:27,34). N.T. Wright provides this excellent summary of religion in Ephesus and the "why" of Paul s instructions in 1 Timothy 2:11-15:</p> <p>There are some signs in the letter that it was originally sent to Timothy while he was in Ephesus. And one of the main things we know about religion in Ephesus is that the primary religion the biggest temple, the most famous shrine was a female-only cult. The Temple of Artemis (that's her Greek name; the Romans called her Diana) was a massive structure which dominated the area; and, as befitted worshippers of a female deity, the priests were all women. They ruled the show and kept the men in their place. </p> <p>Now if you were writing a letter to someone in a small, new religious movement with a base in Ephesus, and wanted to say that because of the gospel of Jesus the old ways of organizing male and female roles had to be rethought from top to bottom, such that the women were to be encouraged to study and learn and take a leadership role, you might well want to avoid giving the wrong impression. Was the apostle saying, people might wonder, that women should be trained up so that Christianity would gradually become a cult like that of Artemis, where women did the leading and kept the men in line? That, it seems to me, is what verse 12 is denying. Paul is saying, like Jesus in Luke 10, that women must have the space and leisure to study and learn in their own way, not in order that they may muscle in and take over the leadership as in the Artemis cult, but rather so that men and women alike can develop whatever gifts of learning, teaching, and leadership God is giving them ("The Biblical Basis for Women s Service in the Church," an address given at St. John s College, Durham, England, at the CBE Conference on September 4, 2004).</p> <p>Such background material aids our understanding of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 at least in the following ways:</p> <ul> <li>We can see why Paul was concerned about female modesty in v.9. The Artemis influence which included the superiority of women ideology out of which some of the sisters came would contribute to dressing habits that were far from modest.</li> <li>This helps us understand why a woman influenced by the feminist Artemis cult could "teach with the goal of dominating a man."</li> <li>We can then appreciate why women under the spell of false teaching would need to learn in quietness.</li> <li>"Adam was formed first" has a real punch with Artemis in the background. The Diana-cult taught that Zeus and the Titaness Leto had twins and the female came first  Artemis originated before Apollo.</li> <li>We can then understand why Paul would stress that Eve was "deceived." The Artemis religion glorified women as superior to males. Paul punctured the Artemis balloon in two ways  Adam was made first, not woman; Eve was not superior to man for she was deceived into sinning against God.</li> <li>Verse 15 is mysterious indeed, but the Artemis backdrop may provide some light. This helps us understand why Paul would mention help in childbirth through faith in Christ. The women in Ephesus looked to Artemis for help during the childbirth process. "As the mother goddess, Artemis was the source of life, the one who nourished all creatures and the power of fertility in nature. Maidens turned to her as the protector of their virginity, barren women sought her aid, and women in labor turned to her for help"[29]. "She [singular] will be saved through the childbirth" could also suggest the thought that even though Eve was deceived, God still promised in Gen.3:15 a seed (child) who would crush Satan s head and bring salvation (cf., Rev.12:4-5).</li> </ul> <p>1 Timothy 2:14  "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."</p> <p>Traditional view: Verse 14 shows that serious problems arise when women take the lead. Paul does not want women to teach because they are more easily deceived than men. Women are more prone to wander into error. Therefore, the teaching role has been left in the hands of males.</p> <p>Correctives:</p> <p>The idea that women are more prone to error is based on a key faulty assumption  that females are inferior to males when it comes to spiritual discernment. The history of the church  in which women were removed from the picture  illustrates to the hilt that males are very susceptible to conjure up, propagate and fall into error. Most false teaching has originated with and been spread abroad by males.</p> <p>"Isn t Paul using Eve as an example of what can go wrong when women usurp the male s leadership role? ... This view is without scriptural support. Eve was not deceived by the serpent into taking the lead in the male-female relationship. She was deceived into disobeying a command of God, namely, not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She listened to the voice of false teaching and was deceived by it."[30] </p> <p>The notion that females are more capable of being deceived than males is shown to be false by observing that Paul applies the Eve-deceived model to an entire Christian congregation (2 Corinthians 11:3). The possibility of being deceived is not a problem peculiar to females.</p> <p>"The language of deception calls to mind the activities of the false teachers at Ephesus. If the Ephesian women were being encouraged as the superior gender to assume the role of teacher over men, this would go a long way toward explaining 1 Timothy 2:13-14. The relationship between the sexes was not intended to involve female domination and male subordination. But neither was it intended to involve male domination and female subordination. Such thinking is native to a fallen creation order (Gen.3:16)."[31] Why would we want to take our cue from the curse-ridden words, "your desire will be your husband, and he will rule over you" (Gen.3:16)? That is a simple description of sin s implications for the husband/wife relationship. Wouldn t we want to be informed instead by the redemptive implications of Christ s cross and resurrection, and the pre-fall relationship of Adam and Eve to which Jesus appeals in Matthew 19:4-6?</p> <p>It is fascinating to take note of the parallels between 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and Rev.2:20-24:</p> <ul> <li>Paul  "I am not now permitting a woman ... ."</li> <li>Jesus to Thyatira  "You permit the woman ... ."</li> <li>Paul  "to teach with the goal of dominating a man ... ."</li> <li>Jesus to Thyatira  "she teaches ... my servants to commit fornication ... ."</li> <li>Paul  "the woman [Eve] being deceived ... ."</li> <li>Jesus to Thyatira  "she deceives my servants ... ."</li> <li>Paul  "she will be delivered through childbearing if they remain in faith ... ."</li> <li>Jesus to Thyatira  "I will cast her [ Jezebel ] into a bed ... .and I will kill her children with death."</li> </ul> <p>As I pointed out earlier regarding Rev.2:20-24, Jesus problem is not that a female was teaching, but that she was a false prophetess whose teaching was causing the Lord s servants to sin. The implication would be that Jesus had no issue with male and female prophets exalting Christ in the assembly. If it was the apostolic custom for sisters to be silent, then one would expect the Head of the assemblies to sternly rebuke such a fundamental violation of decorum by this woman "Jezebel." Apparently Jesus did not see this as a gender issue, but as a concern for what was taught and the effects the teaching had on the hearers.</p> <p>The Gospel Applied to Cultural Situations</p> <p>A major concern uttered by some is that if you don t see a passage like 1 Timothy 2:11-15 as an expression of "timeless truth," are you not on a slippery slope that leads to truth being relativized? The answer to this concern is a resounding, "No!"</p> <p>The New Testament letters were written in response to specific problems in various cultures. Steve Atkerson observes, "Everything in the New Testament is called an  occasional document. There was some occasion, usually a problem, that motivated the author to write the book."[32] What is wrong, then, in noting that in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Paul brought gospel truth to meet the needs of a concrete situation in Ephesus? Here is a summary of how that truth was applied:</p> <ul> <li>Usually the sisters and brothers functioned together in the participatory meetings of the assembly. Because of false teaching that had infected some women, Paul announced that some should be learning in quietness, not teaching with the goal of dominating men.</li> <li>It is not right for a woman or a man to teach with the goal of dominating others. In Christ s kingdom no one is to dominate anyone else. "You are all brethren." No clergy. No laity. No honorific titles. No elevation of some above others. If anything, give honor to the parts least esteemed.</li> <li>The mandate to have dominion over the earth was given to both Adam and Eve. They were not to seek dominion over each other, but to carry out their stewardship of the earth as a team. Females are not superior to males as was taught in the Artemis religion of Ephesus.</li> <li>Just as Eve had been deceived by Satan s false teaching in the Garden, so some women in Ephesus had been deceived by the false teaching that was making the rounds.</li> <li>Many women in Ephesus looked to the goddess for help and guidance regarding the issues of virginity, fertility and childbirth. Paul directs godly women to look to the Lord Jesus.</li> </ul> <p>The truth is, in most cases we have just bits and pieces of information about what was behind many apostolic statements in the epistles. Often it is hard to know exactly what question was being answered or what problem was being addressed. We are, as it were, hearing one side of a conversation. But such issues do not keep us from either profiting from the New Testament, or discerning the Lord s mind. The Holy Spirit teaches us the mind of Christ. However, we do have to confess in humility that there is a great deal we will always struggle with to properly understand.</p> <p>There are cultural matters in the New Testament which we have to face. In 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, for example, you have some gospel perspectives brought to bear upon some cultural issues like headcoverings. Some people conclude that headcoverings are still binding; others see them as a cultural item that we are not required to emulate in our day. 1 Timothy 2:8 mentions men praying with uplifted hands. Do we teach that male prayer is invalid unless the hands are lifted up? Would 1 Timothy 2:9 lead us to confront a sister who donned some jewelry that contained some pearls or gold? Based on 1 Timothy 5:9, would we tell a 57-year old widow in need that we couldn t help her for three years until her 60th birthday? Why don t we "greet one another with a holy kiss" (1 Thess.5:26)?</p> <p>The New Testament was written in the first century and many culturally-rooted issues appear on its pages. Because of this are we to conclude that it is all "cultural" and contains no relevant "truth" for us today? No, rather we affirm that the gospel is brought to bear on many Jewish and Gentile cultural matters that impacted the early Christian assemblies.</p> <p>As we, being New Covenant believers, approach any topic or concern, the key perspective for us must be, "you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus" (Eph.4:21). The fundamental truth about sisters in Christ is that they are free to function. There is no revealed emphasis on universally applicable restrictions to their service in the kingdom.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Evidence has been presented to suggest that the traditional understanding of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 rests on some very shaky assumptions, and some fundamental misunderstandings about what Paul actually said. Difficulties found in these texts are often glossed over by those who use them to muzzle female ministry. It is time for honest Bible students to revisit 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and to separate reality from fiction. Those who simplistically wave 1 Timothy 2:12 as a proof-text to silence women had better be careful that they do not incur the dreaded millstone by hurting Christ s little ones (Matt.18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2).</p> <p>In terms of what actually happened in history, I think Bart Erhman puts his finger on another huge factor in the marginalization of women in the church  the movement from simplicity to institutionalization.</p> <p>Women played a prominent role in Paul s churches, as missionaries and leaders; moreover, Paul maintained that in Christ the distinctions between male and female were obliterated. But Paul did not advocate a social revolution for women; instead, he insisted that men and women maintain their distinctive gender roles ... Women may have enjoyed more prominent roles in the Christian communities early in the movement s history because churches met in the home, women s sphere of influence. When churches acquired a more public character, however, men appear to have asserted more fully their gender claims and removed women from positions of authority [33]</p> <p>In closing, I believe Cheryl Schatz challenges us with a very astute observation about the need for plural witnesses in order to establish something as sin or as sound teaching. She writes:</p> <p>The dilemma is that every single sin that is enunciated in scripture is always confirmed by two witnesses. The reason is that there must be at least two or three witnesses for a matter to be established (Deut.17:6, 19:15). Is there any confirmation in scripture that lists women teaching the Bible to men as a sin? No. There is not even one place in scripture that says it is a sin for a woman to teach the Bible to men. The fact that there is no second scripture that charges women with sin by teaching the Bible to men proves that this interpretation cannot be right ... Jesus confirmed this rule in Matt.18:16 by expanding its use to the need to have two or three witnesses when one is establishing a fact that would bring a charge against a person ... One witness alone is invalid according to the OT law. In John 8:16-18 Jesus himself says that he has the required two or three witnesses to establish the validity of his testimony, thus even Jesus himself submits to the law of two or three witnesses. Paul also places himself under this requirement as he establishes in 2 Corinthians 13:1, that his third visit to the Corinthians meets the requirement in order to establish a fact. Then in Phil.3:1 Paul tells us why it is so important to have the second and third witness. He says it is a safeguard for the church ... So here we are at 1 Timothy 2:11-15. Those who say that this prohibits women from teaching the Bible to men are left without a second witness ... For those of our brothers in Christ who believe that Paul is commanding something for all women to abstain from or be charged with sin, we simply ask them to prove from scripture the second witness, or withdraw the accusation of sin to women who are part of the body of Christ, but whom God has called to teach the entire body of Christ.[34]</p> <h2>Summary</h2> <ol> <li>1 Timothy 2:11-15 says nothing about women being "silent."</li> <li>There is no command (imperative) in 1 Timothy 2:12 connected to women not teaching. Paul uses a simple present tense, "I am not now permitting ... ."</li> <li>The infinitive, authentein, does not mean "to exercise authority over." The two infinitives, didaskein and authentein, are best correlated together as purpose or goal, thus translated as "I am not now permitting a woman to teach for the purpose of dominating a man."</li> <li>Some key elements in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 are clarified and elucidated by considering the pervasive influence of the Artemis cult in Ephesus: (a) women coming out of a goddess-based religion would need to be reminded concerning modesty in dress; (b) the need for a posture of learning on the part of some women because of the influence of false teaching; (c) because of the female-centeredness of the Artemis religion, it can be appreciated why a woman would teach with the goal of dominating a man; (d) because the Artemis cult believed that males originated from the goddess, it can be understood why Paul would point out that Adam was formed first; (e) because women were viewed as superior in Ephesus, it can be appreciated why Paul would mention that Eve was deceived into sin; (f) while many women looked to Artemis in connection with fertility and childbirth, Paul directs godly women to Christ as the promised Seed who was promised to Eve in Genesis 3:15.</li> <li>When the ekklesia began on the Day of Pentecost the first thing that was mentioned concerned males and females prophesying together. Women and men prophesying are mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:4-5. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul wished for prophecy  from the whole assembly  to be central. Thus, to use 1 Timothy 2:11-15 as a basis to completely silence the sisters in Christian assemblies is hardly an accurate way to handle Scripture. It uses one context to cancel out the revelation of many others.</li> </ol> <p>May we have grace and humility to search the Scriptures together in order to see what is indeed really so!</p> <p>Endnotes:</p> <p>[1] David P. Kuske, "Exegesis of 1 Timothy 2:11-15," at www.wisessays.net/authors/k/kusketimothy</p> <p>[2] Gordon Fee, Gospel & Spirit, p.54</p> <p>[3] Evangelical Newsletter, April 30, 1982, p.3.</p> <p>[4] Searching Together, Spring, 1983, p.32.</p> <p>[5] "The Place of Women in the Church," Banner of Truth, #81, June, 1970, p.3.</p> <p>[6] Christian News, March 26, 2007, p.19.</p> <p>[7] Bonding: Relationships in the Image of God, 2nd ed., Evangel, 1999, p.25.</p> <p> </p> <p>[8] P.E. Kretzmann, "The Eurcharist Between 30 and 325 A.D.," Concordia Theological Monthly, 1:3, 1930, pp.167-183; Emil Brunner, The Misunderstanding of the Church, Lutterworth Press, 1954, pp.63-70.</p> <p> </p> <p>[9] Cf. Laurie Fasullo, "What About the Word Kephale ( Head ) in the New Testament?"</p> <p>[10] Joy Bussert, Battered Women, LCA, 1986, p.6. Cf. Murray J. Harris, "A Comparison of Immortality in the New Testament with Immortality in Plato," Raised Immortal: Resurrection & Immortality in the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1985, pp.201-205.</p> <p> </p> <p>[11] Jann A. Clanton, In Whose Image? God & Gender, Crossroad, 1991, p.41).</p> <p>[12] Bussert, p.7.</p> <p>[13] Cf. Elizabeth A. Clark, Jereome, Chrysostom & Friends, Edwin Mellen Press, 1982, 254pp.</p> <p>[14] Rosemary R. Ruether, New Woman, New Earth, Beacon, 1995, pp.17-18.</p> <p>[15] Bussert, p.7.</p> <p>[16] Ibid., p.9.</p> <p>[17] Ibid., p.12. Cf. Del Martin, "An Overview of Cruelty," Battered Wives, Pocket Books, 1977, pp.29-32.</p> <p>[18] Ibid. </p> <p>[19] Cited by Bussert, pp.11-12.</p> <p>[20] Banner of Truth, 1970, p.1.</p> <p>[21] Coline Jenkins-Sahlin, "The Women s Declaration," 33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women s History, Tonya Bolden, ed., Crown Publishers, 2002, p.19.</p> <p>[22] "Challenge of Women s Liberation," Cross & Sword: An Eyewitness History of Christianity in Latin America, H. McKennie Goodpasture, Orbis, 1989, pp.264-267.</p> <p>[23] Eerdmans, 1986, pp.33-34; cf. pp.73ff., 90ff.</p> <p>[24] Ana De Campos, "Liberation," p.266.</p> <p>[25] Outrageous Women, Outrageous God: Women in the First Two Generations of Christianity, E.J. Dwyer, 1996, p.165.</p> <p>[26] Philip Payne, "Authentein in 1 Timothy 2:12," Evangelical Theological Society Seminar Paper, Atlanta, Ga., November 21, 1986.</p> <p>[27] Belleville, "Usurping," pp.211,216.</p> <p>[28] Ibid., p.220).</p> <p>[29] Ibid.</p> <p>[30] Ibid., p.223.</p> <p>[31] Ibid.</p> <p>[32] In Search of the Biblical Church, DVD, Timothy Germain, ed., 2007).</p> <p>[33] The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3rd Ed., Oxford, 2004, p.406.</p> <p>[34] http://strivetoenter.com/wim/2006/07/02. Some suggest that 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 might be such a second witness. However, the apostle s flow in 1 Corinthians 11:1  14:33 only supposes the full participation of the sisters. They prophesy along with the men in 1 Corinthians 11:4-5 (cf., Acts 2:17-18). In 1 Corinthians 12:7,14 Paul teaches that every part of the body has a manifestation of the Spirit for the good of the whole. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul mentions "all of you," "the whole church," "each one of you," and "you may all prophesy one by one." Thus to use 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 as a magic wand to cancel out the immediate context is indeed a cavalier way to handle Scripture. If Scripture does not contradict itself, then we cannot use a few verses to negate many others that reveal and assume the full functioning the Lord s daughters. </p> <p>Suggested sources for further study:</p> <ul> <li>Elizabeth Abbott, A History of Celibacy, DeCapo Press, 2001, 493pp.</li> <li>Linda Belleville, "What English Translators Aren t Telling You About 1 Timothy 2:11-15," Christians for Biblical Equality Conference, Orlando, FL, 2003 (cassette).</li> <li>Linda Belleville, "Teaching & Usurping Authority: 1 Timothy 2:11-15," Discovering Biblical Equality, Ronald Pierce & Rebecca Groothuis, eds., IVP, 2005, pp.205-223.</li> <li>Biblical Illustrator, "Hairstyles of First-Century Asia Minor," 6:4, 1980, pp.71-74.</li> <li>Del Birkey, The Fall of Patriarchy: Its Broken Legacy Judged by Jesus & the Apostolic House Church Communities, Fenestra Books, 2005, 376pp.</li> <li>Kathleen E. Corley, Private Women, Public Meals: Social Conflict in the Synoptic Tradition, Hendrickson, 1993, 217pp.</li> <li>Alan Crandall, "St. Paul Versus the Femi-Gnostics," 1996, unpublished paper, 3pp.</li> <li>Richard W. Dortch, Fatal Conceit: How the Deception of Power Becomes Every Man s Trap, Every Woman s Dilemma, New Leaf, 1993, 257pp.</li> <li>Eldon Jay Epp, Junia: The First Woman Apostle, Fortress, 2005, 138pp.</li> <li>Lauren Fasullo, "What About the Word Kephale ( Head ) in the New Testament?" and "A Critique of Wayne Grudem s Understanding of  Head in the N.T.," 1995. Studies presented to Grace Bible Fellowship, Baton Rouge, LA.</li> <li>Joy E. Fleming, Man & Woman in Biblical Unity: Theology from Genesis 2-3, CBE, 1993, 44pp. </li> <li>Gordon Fee, "1 Corinthians 7:1-7 Revisited," Paul & the Corinthians: Studies on a Community in Conflict, Essays in Honor of Margaret Thrall, Brill, 2003, pp.197-231.</li> <li>Gordon Fee, "The Great Watershed  Intentionality & Particularity/Eternality: 1 Timothy 2:8-15 As A Test Case," Gospel & Spirit: Issues in NT Hermeneutics, Hendrickson, 2006, pp.52-65.</li> <li>Matilda J. Gage, Woman, Church & State, Persephone Press, 1980, 294pp.</li> <li>Joseph F. Green, "Diana of the Ephesians," Sunday School Lesson Illustrator, 4:4, 1978, pp.34-39.</li> <li>Rebecca Groothuis, "Leading Him Up the Garden Path: Further Thoughts on 1 Timothy 2:11-15," at www.cbeinternational.org/new/free_articles/timothy_meaning.shtml</li> <li>Mary Hayter, The New Eve in Christ: The Use & Abuse of the Bible in the Debate About Women in the Church, Eerdmans, 1987, pp.131-133, 148, 155, 161.</li> <li>Joanne Krupp, Woman: God s Plan Not Man s Tradition, Preparing the Way Publishers, 1999, pp.97-107.</li> <li>Catherine & Richard Kroeger, "I Suffer Not A Woman": Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence, Baker, 1992, 253pp.</li> <li>David P. Kuske, "Exegesis of 1 Timothy 2:11-15," at www.wisessays.net/authors/k/kusketimothy</li> <li>Dennie R. MacDonald, There Is No Male or Female: The Fate of a Dominical Saying in Paul & Gnosticism, Fortress, 1987, 132pp.</li> <li>Berkeley Mickelsen, "Who Are the Women in 1 Timothy 2:1-15? Parts 1 & 2," Priscilla Papers, 2:1, 1988, pp.1-6.</li> <li>Margaret R. Miles, Carnal Knowing: Female Nakedness & Religious Meaning in the Christian West, Vintage, 1991, 254pp.</li> <li>Craig Morphew, "Thrown to Lions, Woman Pastor Emerges Moral Victor," St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch, January 30, 1988, p.3B</li> <li>Julia O Faolain & Lauro Martines, eds. Not In God s Image: Women in History from the Greeks to the Victorians. Harper, 1973, 362pp.</li> <li>Carolyn Osiek, Margaret MacDonald, Janet Tulloch, A Woman s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity, Fortress, 2005, 354pp.</li> <li>Alan G. Padgett, "Beginning With the End in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16," Priscilla Papers, 17:3, 2003, pp.17-23.</li> <li>Philip Payne, "Authentein in 1 Timothy 2:12," Evangelical Theological Society Seminar Paper, Atlanta, Ga., November 21, 1986.</li> <li>Philip Payne, "Women in Church Leadership: 1 Timothy 2:11-3:13 Reconsidered," Japan Harvest, #4, 1981-82, pp.19-21.</li> <li>Rena Pederson, The Lost Apostle: Searching for the Truth About Junia, Jossey-Boss, 2006, 278pp.</li> <li>"Professor Made to Leave Seminary  Because Women Can t Teach Men, " Tyler [TX] Morning Telegraph, January 27, 2007, p.3A.</li> <li>Kathy Sanders, "Headship from a Woman s Perspective," 4th Searching Together Conference, Osceola, WI, 2004 (cassette).</li> <li>Ross Saunders, Outrageous Women, Outrageous God: Women in the First Two Generations of Christianity, E.J. Dwyer, 1996, 182pp.</li> <li>Cheryl Schatz, "Is There A Law That Forbids Women from Teaching Men?" Women In Ministry Blog, July, 2006, at http://strivetoenter.com/wim/2006/07/02 or www.mmoutreach.org</li> <li>"Seven Wonders of the World, Version 2.0," Duluth News Tribune, March 19, 2007, pp.A1,A5.</li> <li>Willard Swartley, "The Bible & Women," Slavery, Sabbath, War & Women: Case Issues in Biblical Interpretation, Herald Press, 1983, pp.178-183,324.</li> <li>Henry E. Turlington, "Ephesus," Sunday School Lesson Illustrator, 4:4, 1978, pp.40-49.</li> <li>Frank Viola, "God s View of a Woman," www.ptmin.org/view.htm</li> <li>Frank Viola, "Now Concerning A Woman s Role in the Church," www.ptmin.org/role.htm</li> <li>Jon Zens, "Romans 16:1-16  Brothers & Sisters Doing Kingdom Work," 7th Searching Together Conference, Osceola, WI, 2006 (cassette).</li> <li>Jon Zens, "Those With the Most Spiritual Influence Live As Those With No Authority," 6th Searching Together Conference, Osceola WI, 2005 (cassette).</li> <li>Jon Zens with Cliff Bjork, "Women in the Body of Christ: Functioning Priests or  Silent Partners?" Searching Together, 31:1-3, 2003, 47pp.</li> <li>(If you are interested in obtaining any of the above materials, please contact us at jzens@searchingtogether.org; 651-465-6516)</li> </ul> <h2>Responses:</h2> <p>[The following email came from Frank R. Ames who is a Professor of Biblical Studies at Colorado Christian University, Lakewood, CO. He spoke on 1 Timothy 2:11-15 on August 11, 2007, at the Christians for Biblical Equality conference in Denver. I sent him my article on 1 Timothy 2, and this is his response.]</p> <p>Dear Jon:</p> <p>Thank you for sending a draft of your article on 1 Timothy 2. I enjoyed reading it, though was saddened to learn about the dismissal of Sheri Klouda. I was not aware of her situation so took time to read more about her plight (http://kerussocharis.blogspot.com/2007/01/sheri-klouda-gender-discrimination_17.html). </p> <p>Regarding your article, I think that your references to Artemis Ephesia advance the argument in the right direction, but I think that they can can be nuanced and expanded. Artemis worship does provide the informing background for the whole of 1 Timothy, for the Ephesian Christians once worshipped Artemis or, at the very least, were significantly influenced by the a city culture devoted to Artemis. The author of the epistle seems to be combating mixed devotion to Jesus, whom the converts had embraced, and to Artemis, whom the converts could not yet abandon altogether. Although the epistle does not mention Artemis by name, its allusions to Artemisian beliefs and practices would not have been missed or misunderstood by citizens of Ephesus. In another epistle, when Paul reports that he "fought wild beasts at Ephesus" (1 Cor 15:32), he surely refers to his conflict with Artemis worshippers, for the Ephesian goddess was known as "Artemis the Hunter, Queen of the Wild Beasts" (Iliad 21.470). I offer only a few other examples, though many may be identified in 1 Timothy.</p> <p>(1) The first doxology in the epistle is directed "to the only God," and the language implies that the author of the doxology has a competing deity in mind (1:17). The concluding doxology reiterates the concern in the description "who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see" (6:15-16a; cf. 2:5). Artemis was, of course, known as Phosphorus or light-bearer (Strabo, Geo. 3.1.9), who carried her torch through the forests but could never be approached (cf. also "savior," "immortal," "invisible").</p> <p>(2) The promise of being "saved through childbearing" (2:15) counters Ephesian belief that Artemis was the goddess who protected women in labor. Reading of this promise that conclude that it refers to a life of caring for children or to the birth of Jesus are simply unaware of the social context of the Ephesian people or the mortality rates and concerns of ancient women. This promise directly confronts reliance upon the protection of Artemis. Fearing death during the dangers of labor, women throughout the ancient world and particularly in cities with shrines to Artemis turned to her for safekeeping. Artemis was not a fertility goddess, nor was the Artemisian religion a fertility cult. Artemis was a perpetual virgin who discouraged marriage and often punished pregnant women at the time of delivery by inflicting death. </p> <p>(3) The call for appropriate prayers that is found in 1 Timothy 2 also counters Artemisian worship practices. Men sought her for help in battle; women petitioned her for protection in childbirth. This, I would argue, is why the epistle instructs the men to pray for peace and why it admonishes women to dress modestly: both instructions are about traditional Artemisian prayer practices. To recognize the unified argument throughout 1 Timothy 2, one need only the minor prompting of a few inscriptions or statements from classical literature. I quote two from The Greek Anthology: "The head covering and light blue veil of Amphareta rest on your head, Goddess of Childbirth, because she promised to give them when she asked you to keep dreaded death far away during labor;" and "Goddess, Savior of Children, accept and keep this bridal cloak and the glossy, plaited crown from my head, Blessed Goddess of Childbirth, from Tisis, who remembers how you guarded her when she felt the pains of labor" (VI, 270; VI, 274). </p> <p>(Note: I did not have time to double check my references and quotes, so use with caution.)</p> <p>In Ephesus women prayed to Artemis by offering elaborate clothing and adorned braids of hair, whereas the men prayed by raising hands slightly above waist level with palms turned upward. Regarding these women, Heliodorus wrote, "Their locks of hair carry prayers" (Aeth. 1.12).</p> <p>Other aspects of Artemis worship are evident in references to shipwreck, savior, false widows (a class of devotees of Artemis), instructions to marry, respect for leaders, and warnings against greed. Regarding the creation of Adam and Eve reference, the analogy is the birth of Artemis and Apollo, for Artemis was born first. </p> <p>I think that you have spotted a crucial cultural/religious dynamic at work in the epistle. Perhaps some of these other details will prove useful in solving a few remaining interpretive issues in the letter. In my work, I am less attentive to philological arguments, for words, as you know well, are understood in context. For this reason, I spend the greater part of my energies on reconstructing the social world of a text in detail. This provides a framework for deciding what statements are likely to mean in historical perspective. </p> <p>I have more to say regarding the silence of women instructions in 1 Timothy 2, which I think somehow relate to the topic of prayer, but am refining details and would not want to advance untested ideas at this point. Other material presented here has been adjudicated in classrooms, conferences, and many discussions with peers, so I am confident in the overall direction. I began moving in this direction about fifteen years ago, but have not yet published my argument for the Artemisian-Christian syncretism of the Ephesian church. I will finally do so when one or two more questions can be answered to my satisfaction. My primary field is Hebrew Bible, and my work in New Testament and classical studies is secondary and proceeds at a glacial pace. I would value your critical comments.</p> <p>With my regards,</br>Frank Ritchel Ames</p> <p>**Hello, Greg! Great to see you & Sandra the other night. I've responded to your great questions/comments below in bold between the ** ** </br>Jon**</p> <p>Hi Jon!</p> <p>Well, I have been through your paper on 1 Tim 2:12 once now, and I have to tell you that I am really very grateful for the insight God has given you, and I'm amazed at the argument you put forward. I'm challenged to rethink much of what I've been taught, and I'm glad to do it. I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind. Before I ask, them, please know that I am not asking from a perspective of trying to argue against your point or to be belligerent or arrogant. I simply want to know our Lord more through a better understanding of His word - and when I see/read/talk with someone who knows His word much better than I, I'm compelled to ask questions. I hope that you do not take offense by anything I ask, because it is not intended to be offensive. If it sounds that way, perhaps we could discuss in person some time when you are in the area.</p> <p>**No problem I won't be offended by anything you ask!**</p> <p>I'm really amazed as I began the paper that you cite 20 passages of scripture that show a vrey respectful, honoring perspective of women in the New Testament. Your point that these passages counter the principle of women being kept silent is very convincing. I like to try applying what I've been calling the "common sense test" on scripture, and when you compare the 20 examples of women to the one, it's a pretty convincing case that 1 Tim 2:12 probably does not mean what I've been taught. I also apprecitaed Cheryl Schatz' perspective about two or more witnesses being required for a matter's establishment.</p> <p>My first question is in the translation of the Greek. I am not a</p> <p>Greek scholar by any stretch of the imagination. Your handling of the Word 'hesuchia' meaning 'quietness' and not 'silence' is very interesting, and it truly makes this point pretty easy to agree with you. I'm just wondering then, how much has been interpreted incorrectly, or at best somewhat deceptively? I notice in the ESV it is interpreted as "remain quiet." Would you recommend that translation as more accurate than the NIV (which I have used until recently)? I believe that God's word is inerrant and complete, and if I question translation I'm really in a bad spot. Any thoughts you could offer would be much appreciated.</p> <p>**The TNIV is much better in many ways. Here's what it has for 1 Tim 2:11-15:</p> <p>1 Timothy 2:11-15 TNIV (Today's New International Version) 1 A woman [a] should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; [b][c] she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women [d] will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.</p> <p>Footnotes:</p> <ol> <li>1 Timothy 2:11 Or wife; also in verse 12</li> <li>1 Timothy 2:12 Or teach a man in a domineering way; or teach or to exercise (or have) authority over a man</li> <li>1 Timothy 2:12 Â Or over her husband</li> <li>1 Timothy 2:15 Greek she</li> </ol> <p>Greg, you have to face the fact that any translation does not equal the original manuscripts, which are lost. It is not wrong to question any translation (cf. The attached article on Translations by W F Bell). Anytime you go from one language into another, you face a myriad of issues. The KJV, NIV, TNIV, RSV, etc etc all have problems. Any version is fine for the most part, but when you get into some fine points (and important ones) you must dig into the Greek. And the truth is, most translations of 1 Tim 2:11-15 have been flawed by bias and wrong assumptions.</p> <p> </p> <p>For more detail on the struggles translators face, please read pages 4-5 of Preato's attached article about 'submission' & 'head.' We have so many assumptions we have inherited about these words that are built on incorrect assumptions. I can't stress how unbelievably helpful & insightful I think Preato's entire article is. It boils things down so incredibly well.** </p> <p> </p> <p>Secondly, I wonder why it is that I struggle with the idea. I don't</p> <p>think that giving freedom to minister equals usurping headship, do you?</p> <p> </p> <p>**The whole idea of "usurping headship" needs revisiting in light of 1 Cor 7:1-4.**</p> <p> </p> <p>I don't think that I have ever been a man who dominates my wife or women, and I have been extremely blessed by the teaching and wisdom of many women (your daughter Hannah is a great example!). Again, applying the common sense test, it is clear to me that there is nothing wrong with women teaching and ministering to men. But my teaching has told me that men *must* lead all public prayer, worship, and teaching. I'm not sure that I see that as clearly as I see the scripture's freedom for our sisters. When I question this teaching, I sometimes feel a sense of worry and doubt that I'm acting incorrectly. Perhaps it stems from my Catholic upbringing of blind obedience...I don't know. I'm just praying for more clear revelation, and I'm grateful for the wisdom God has given you as well as your ability to communicate these things clearly.</p> <p> </p> <p>**Once a person sees that the NT confirms that there were female deacons (Phoebe) and women involved in apostolic work (Junia), it becomes clear that there was a fluidity of leadership in the first century. They weren't concerned about "who" was "in charge," as most church leaders are today. Christ is in charge & uses his people to accomplish his kingdom purposes. The word used in connection with Phoebe, "prostatis" (Rom 16:2) is used in a verbal form of "leaders" in 1 Thess 5:12. It literally means, "to stand in front of." I have to say that one of the most powerful teachings I've ever heard was from a sister in a living room in Rice Lake, WI, with her husband (a former pastor) sitting next to her. For a sister to "lead worship" or public prayer violates no divine principle. Of course, if a brother or sister was taking advantage of public ministry of any kind to gain preeminence and dominate others, then that is despicable and must be confronted. This whole "woman" issue really forces one to re-think what kind of gatherings we should have, and what "church leadership" actually involves. When you put "church" into an informal setting, you begin to look at other issues in an entirely different light!**</p> <p> </p> <p>Lastly, one thing that I have been taught is that eldership is a</p> <p>position reserved for men only. 1 Tim 3:2 saying the overseer must be the husband of one wife leads me to think that may be the case. So my question is whether women should be procluded from being recognized as Elders in a NT church, or should they serve in the same capacity in every aspect of ministry?</p> <p> </p> <p>**I think the key here is viewing the ekklesia as "family." It is natural in a spiritual family to have mature "moms" & "dads" help the others grow. The word for "elders," presbuteroi, means older men. There is a feminine form, presbutis/presbutera, which refers to eldresses, older women (1 Tim 5:2; Titus 2:3). So the ministry of "older saints" (elders/eldresses) is not limited to males. The best sense I can make is that the male elders are to watch over the flock, but the brothers & sisters still function freely in all capacities, including prophets/prophetesses, evangelists, teachers and apostles.**</p> <p> </p> <p>I'm sure that I will have more questions for you as I roll this around</p> <p>in my mind. Thanks very much for sharing it with me, Jon. Again, I m blessed to know you! Please, if anything I ask seems offensive, it as not meant to be and I would appreciate the chance to talk with you n person about it. It was a lot of fun seeing you at Randy and Hannah's. I hope to see you again soon.</p> <p> </p> <p>Your grateful brother in Christ,</p> <p>--Greg</p> <p> </p> <p>"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. "</br>C.S. Lewis</p> <h2>Endorsements</h2> <p>In an enlightening expose, Jon Zens takes the reader beneath the flourishing of cultural misnomers regarding the role of women in the church and zeros in on the historiographic roots of the often misogynist treatment of one half of the Body of Christ. This passionate, well-researched work is not only a fair treatment of the subject, but one that is biblically sound, drawing from the entirety of the Word of God. Intelligent, captivating, covering new ground -- A must read!</p> <p>Stephanie Bennett, Ph.D.</br>Palm Beach Atlantic University</br>W. Palm Beach, FL</p> <p>I really liked the article. It was a bit long and weighty. However, I thought it was needful for those who cling to the notion of male superiority and dominant authority structures. When all is said and done, the spirit-filled submission mentioned in Ephesians 5 is the antidote for top-down authority and dominance. I m still learning what it means to submit to one another in the power of the Spirit.</p> <p>Bruce E. Newkirk</br>Retired Federal Prison Chaplain;</br>Missionary to Turkey</p> <p>This piece on women is really outstanding, the best I have seen. </p> <p>This sentence particularly caught my eye for comment: "... Just as Adam fell into a deep sleep when</p> <p>his wife came forth from his side, so Christ descended into the sleep of death and when his side was pierced the bride was birthed." Jesus had said, "Truly, truly, I say unto you, Unless a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." I had not seen this aspect of the piercing of His side before you put it the way you did. Once again, you have been instrumental in giving me a treasure from the Lord!</p> <p>Jay Ferris, Bostic, NC</br>Author with Lisa Weger of Not Left Behind: Going Back for the Offended.</p> <p>I read the entire article very carefully. As we say in Oklahoma --- A number one outstanding! (That means it's excellent!). The best I've read on the subject so far. I have taken the liberty to forward this to my father. </p> <p>We are both fans of your writing and appreciate your ministry.</p> <p>In His Grace,</br>Wade Burleson, Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Enid, OK</p> <p>Your paper on 1 Timothy 2 is the most thorough exposition I have ever seen. My thinking has been along similar lines.</p> <p>Alan Crandall, Edwin Lindsay Chaplain to Students</br>University of Dubuque, Iowa</p> </div> <div class='boxbottom'><div></div></div> </div> </body></html>