Men and Women – 1 Timothy 2:8-15

The issue of women in leadership is a complicated one, and a controversial one.  For many evangelicals it has become a badge of orthodoxy to deny women leadership of men.  And this passage has been the rallying cry.  But this passage must be seen in the context of the entire Bible.  For example, there are several God ordained women in leadership over men mentioned in Scripture.

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.  (1 Timothy 2:8-15 ESV)

The way prayer is conducted is also important.  If our prayers are not in line with our character there is hypocrisy.  Men cannot be arguing and fighting, full of anger, and still offer up holy prayers.  Women cannot be focused on appearance and sensuousness and lift up holy prayers.

Men and women must also exercise their proper roles.  In this time it was not considered proper for women to teach men and hold positions of authority over them.  Paul urges the women to be submissive in this way in the church since God gave man the ultimate authority in the couple relationship.

Paul’s other reason for female submission is notoriously hard to understand.  The woman was deceived by the serpent but Adam was not.  Does this mean Paul considered women more easily deceived?  The long history of deception surely includes more men than women.  And if Adam was not deceived but disobeyed anyway, then is that not even more dangerous in those who teach and hold authority?  And how does childbearing offer an alternative for women, or in any way contribute to their salvation?

There may be false teaching that is behind the oddness of Paul’s remarks, teaching that we are not familiar with but that the recipients were, of course, and that makes more sense of these remarks.