[This is the second excerpt from my upcoming mini-book on the subject of women in ministry - a debate that continues to divide believers and entire denominations unnecessarily. For more introductory comments and opening remarks, see Part 1.]
What’s A Woman To Do?
In my 40-plus years in ministry, I have observed that most American Christians rarely engage in in-depth Bible study, and even more rarely read their Bibles consistently. Instead, they ask their pastors or favorite teacher/evangelist to explain the scriptures. Using chosen English translations with the specific wording they desire, these preachers and teachers inform “casual Christians” about what the Bible says in the selected passage. Satisfied that these professionals have more insight and knowledge than lowly church members, they begin repeating to others what their revered teacher/preacher told them to believe, never having searched the scriptures themselves.
However, such a shallow approach to something so consequential for fulfilling the Great Commission and the structure of Jesus’ Church is fraught with numerous dangers. To err in such a way is to risk removing a large portion of the body of Christ, upon whom God places His Spirit and calling. When “body parts” are removed, the “Body” is handicapped and weakened in its ability to proclaim the message of repentance and faith in Christ effectively. Furthermore, misinterpreting the biblical stance on a Christian woman’s role in the Church opens the door for further error, potential legalism, and false doctrine. Simply applying modern-day culture and the English language is inadequate for interpreting Scripture written in an ancient foreign language almost 2,000 years ago on the other side of the world.
The stakes are too high. We cannot afford to quickly apply a 21st-century understanding of the Apostle Paul’s instructions in this challenging passage to all people groups of all ages.[1] Undoubtedly, godly biblical scholars have landed on both sides of the issue. Therefore, we must approach this topic with a level of humility. We must also acknowledge that the cultures and concepts of today differ significantly from those of Paul and Timothy’s day. So, as we approach this topic, we must first recognize that Paul’s teachings should be viewed as “situation-specific”[2] (pertaining to the people and issues at hand), “occasional”[3] (reflecting what was happening within a specific moment in history), and within a pre-existing culture.
“Go Home!”
“Go home” was one of several derogatory statements directed to Beth Moore from Pastor John MacArthur at his 2019 conference titled “Truth Matters Conference” (I do not believe she was in attendance at the time). Beth Moore is a well-known and much sought-after speaker who has preached and taught the Bible to thousands nationwide and beyond. At the time of this rebuke, she was also a member of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), which holds that women are not to teach or preach when men are in attendance and should not hold the office of Pastor (the actual Greek word, poimēn, is translated as “Shepherd” except in Eph. 4:11).
Nevertheless, the fruit of Beth Moore’s ministry displays an undeniable “Teaching” gift as listed among the five ministry gifts to the Church in Ephesians 4:11-12:
“It was He (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (NIV84, Emphasis added)
Only heaven knows how many believers, both men and women, have been edified and become better equipped for “works of service” through the teaching and, yes, preaching of scripturally wise women of God. Furthermore, since most Evangelical denominations interpret “prophecy” to mean preaching the Word of God, then Joel’s prophecy about the last days, as quoted by Peter on Pentecost, is further proof that women have a place in this form of ministry.
“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” (Act 2:17-18 NIV84, Emphasis added)
The typical response to my assertion that women can preach and teach the Word of God would be, “So long as there are no men present.” Oddly enough, many of these same Church leaders and denominations have sent women out onto the foreign mission field, where they minister to men and women in ways their denomination will not allow them to do at home. How is this not a contradiction?
The Ignored Conflict Within the Passage Itself
Clearly, when read plainly, the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 sound unequivocal:
“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.”
There it is! Unquestionable and irrefutable proof that women should not teach or preach, or even speak up in the Church whenever men are present, if at all. Or so we are told by many conservative religious leaders, who hold such a view. But there is a problem with such a literal application of these two verses. The problem is that if we are to take these two verses literally, then what about the following three verses? Should these also be taken literally?
Consider what they say about the fall of humanity and women’s path to salvation from a purely literal reading:
“For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—IF they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety”. (vv.13-15, NIV84, Emphasis added)
A literal reading of verses fourteen and fifteen gives the impression that the Apostle Paul is a misogynistic, woman-hating monster. The 21st-century reader would recoil at Paul’s seeming assertion of Adam’s innocence in the Garden, blaming Eve as the one solely responsible for the fall of all humanity.
“But wait, there’s more!”
If that is not troubling enough, a literal reading of verses fourteen and fifteen suggests that the woman’s only hope for salvation is to give birth at least once. What if a woman has not had a child, or is infertile and incapable of having a child? How absurdly contrary to the message of salvation through repentance and faith in Christ:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph 2:8-9 NIV84, Emphasis added)
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Act 2:21 NIV84, Emphasis added)
Of course, proponents of excluding women from ministry do not apply a literal reading of verses fourteen and fifteen (which suggest that only mothers can be saved), yet they see no conflict with doing so with verses eleven and twelve. The term “cherry picking” seems apt in this case, which is troubling because some excellent expository preachers who have significantly blessed the Church in many ways are guilty of doing so in this instance.
Someone may say that verses eleven and twelve are literal, while thirteen through fifteen are more figurative. But on what basis can one distinguish Paul’s sudden swing from literal to metaphor in just a few verses? And who is to say which part in this text is to be verbatim and which figurative? Either way, when considered within their immediate context, we are faced with some troubling teachings that contradict the most basic elements of salvation for women.
If, Then.
If literal interpretations are troublesome for some of these verses and inconsistent with other teachings in Scripture, then we must be missing some context. If this is true for verses fourteen and fifteen, and it clearly is, then we are likely missing some important context in understanding verses eleven and twelve. A truly objective approach to this subject would see it no other way.
Context Matters
It has been rightly stated that the three rules for correctly interpreting Scripture are: Context, Context, and Context — more specifically, cultural/historical context, the context of the biblical text, and linguistic/exegetical context. Current cultures and definitions of words have no place in a proper understanding of first-century writings.
In other words, the student of Scripture must determine what Paul had in mind when he wrote to Timothy, and what the latter understood his elder mentor was commanding him to do. If we hope to grasp Paul’s instructions about women in this passage correctly and then apply them to today’s Church, we need to step into Paul’s mind and into the dominant Greco-Roman culture of Ephesus in the first century.
Additionally, we cannot ignore the fuller meanings of key Greek words chosen by Paul in this passage. Finally, Paul’s other similar teachings to the Corinthians, for example, are just as significant in our pursuit of truth as is the current text. We will examine all of these in this short work.
Coming up in Part 3:
As I have already stated, the stakes are high if we misinterpret and thereby misapply this and similar passages to women in ministry. To understand what is at stake, we will examine Paul’s underlying motivation behind his teachings and how other key cultural practices of the Jews and the people of Ephesus can provide clarity and resolve the disturbing contradictions mentioned in Part 2.
[1] T. Desmond Alexander, Brian S. Rosner, D.A. Carson, Graeme Goldsworthy, eds., New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 2000), 137-138.
[2] David A. deSilva, An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018), 661.
[3] Abiola I. Mbamalu, “‘The Woman Was Deceived and Became a Sinner’ – a Literary-Theological Investigation of 1 Timothy 2:11–15,” HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 70, no. 3 (February 21, 2014): 7, https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v70i3.2062.
I appreciate you mentioning Beth Moore. Wonderful Bible teacher and leader. But she’s no longer a part of the SBC. She’s now an Anglican. I’m sure Michael Bird and N.T. Wright are happy to have her on board.
Thanks! Well researched and edifying.