Well, last week we kicked off this series with a bang, and we're back again to look at the question of women in ministry: are they allowed to preach and/or teach according to the Bible. (Spoiler alert, the answer is yes, but you have to use context to get there.)
The next clobber verse we're looking at is found in 1 Timothy 2:11-12, “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.”
At first glance again, that seems pretty cut and dry, but we have to unpack the scripture and understand the context surrounding it, otherwise we'll use this scripture to oppress an entire group of people.
The first thing to point out is the first statement, “Let a woman learn.” At first glance, it doesn't seem like much, but this is a huge statement being made here. Under the Jewish religious system, women weren't allowed to learn at all. From Adam Clarke's commentary, we see Rabbi Eliezer telling us, “Let the words of the law be burned, rather than that they should be delivered to women.”
Stop for a second and think - we have a Rabbi here stating that he would rather have the scriptures burned than given to a woman. What a radical departure it must now be for Paul to be saying that a woman is capable of learning?
We then see that the women, while able to learn, were to learn silently and with all submission. While this again seems harsh in a many "traditional" readings, isn't this how we're all supposed to learn? Every single one of us is called to submit to the Gospel, to submit to the teachings of Christ. Remember, James tells us that God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
So this passage actually starts off quite progressive. Paul's instructions are that women are to learn the same as men.
But does it continue in this way?
"I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man, but to be in silence."
While this seems to shut down women in ministry again, we must look at the audience.
Paul is writing to his spiritual son, Timothy, in this letter. He speaks glowingly of the women in Timothy's life who taught and imparted faith into him, Lois and Eunice, in 2 Timothy 1:5. He actually doesn't mention a father figure (besides himself) in connection with Timothy.
Now, the next question is where was Timothy living at the time this letter was written? Well, Timothy is widely regarded as the first Bishop of the Church at Ephesus. Ephesus just so happens to be the city where they had a temple built to worship Artemis (or Diana, to the Romans), and the cult of Artemis worshippers was largely led and dominated by women, to the point that they lorded their authority over men and led worship services marked by orgies.
Since many of the people who got saved in Ephesus were members of this cult, most scholars believe that Paul was actually writing to ensure that women didn't begin to jump in and take over, treating the Church like the Cult of Artemis.
In response to Paul allowing the women to learn, N.T. Write states, "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 so that men and women alike can develop whatever gifts of learning, teaching and leadership God is giving them."
Look at Jesus' words in Luke 22:25-26, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that." In other words, men and women are to learn in the same way, and both are not to Lord their authority over one another, but rather, lead in the way of Grace.
Notice that the Jesus we follow does not demand allegiance. His call to the disciples was simply, "Follow me". Time after time he simply declares that. When He finds someone in sin, He offers grace and forgiveness, not demanding the penalty that the Law required. All leaders in the Body of Christ are to be the same way, male or female.
All are free to learn. All are free to teach. None are free to dominate. This is what Paul was teaching, and this is the way of Christ.
By Grace,
Dave