The Evangelical Burka - Part 5

"The Silence of the Ladies" - Did Paul really teach that women should be completely silent in Church? Let's address the "Evangelical Burka" of silence.

LET’S BEGIN AN EXPOSITION OF THE PASSAGE

1 TIMOTHY 2:11

“A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.”

The Greek word translated here as “quietly” is hesuchia, which some older versions translate as “silence.” Paul uses the same word in the following verse, which I will refer to next. As noted above, educating women was controversial in “the Greco-Roman world, with some suggesting that it was inappropriate altogether.”[1] However, contrary to the norms of the day, Paul’s words in this verse indicate that he expected Christian women to receive instruction in the Church. In light of the cultural tension this would create, Paul calls upon them to do so in a manner that models the culture’s definition of an honorable woman: modesty, piety, “silent in public spaces,” and “full submission” to their husbands.[2]

This interpretation is consistent with the concept of the woman receiving instruction “quietly” (hesuchia) as further defined to mean: “descriptive of the life of one who stays at home doing his own work, and does not officiously meddle with the affairs of others.”[3] Therefore, it is plausible that Paul’s use of hesuchia in this verse calls for Christian women to consistently conduct themselves in culturally acceptable ways that align their lives with the Greco-Roman view of “social order,” which included proper submissiveness to their husbands. Since these cultural expectations were not contrary to biblical teachings, aligning with them would be viewed positively by society, thereby helping cultivate an environment favorable to the spread of the Gospel.^[4]

In this, and further instructions by Paul, the reader must not lose sight of the Apostle’s overriding concern, that “in every way, they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” (Titus 2:10). As we will see further on, the Greco-Roman culture highly valued the roles of men and women, the marriage relationship, and family. And so, when the citizens of Ephesus perceive that the teachings of Christ build stronger families and respectable men and women, the rest of society would see the Gospel as beneficial and desirable. Furthermore, the unbelieving women of Ephesus would likely be impressed to see that the Church valued women through their inclusion in biblical instruction, while also encouraging them to be models of honorable Christian women consistent with the current culture.

1 TIMOTHY 2:12

“I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”

So, we will explore the three elements in verse 12, beginning with the last one, (hesuchia) “…to remain silent,” to tie it together with the previous verse’s similar command.

“BUT TO REMAIN SILENT”

Some Bible teachers believe that Paul wanted to “silence” all the women in Ephesus and disqualify them from teaching based on the assumption that they had all been led astray by Hymenaeus and Alexander (1:20).[5] This view is based on the general belief within Greco-Roman culture, with some exceptions, that women had an inborn, gender-specific propensity to deception and therefore should not be allowed to teach, since they are less capable of discerning Truth from error than men.

However, an overlooked fact in this view is that the false teachers were men, demonstrating that “gender is an unreliable measure for who can teach” and who can be led astray. ^[6] Therefore, Paul’s prohibition on women teaching cannot be about an alleged inability of women to discern Truth from error.

As we continue through the text, I intend to demonstrate how neglecting to consider the cultural understanding of the original Greek words in this text has created what I have termed an “Evangelical Burka” that wrongly subjugates women by unnecessarily excluding them from ministry in Jesus’ Church. And just to remind the reader, as I stated at the outset of this manuscript, I believe that God has created men to be leaders in His Church, consistent with the creation order, but that women, as co-heirs in Christ, also have a vital role in the ministry.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VERB AND A NOUN.

Once again, let us consider the Greek word hesuchia, translated as “silent” in verse 12. This Greek word is used five other times in the New Testament (NT), such as in Luke 14:4, Acts 11:18, 21:14, and 22:2. According to Stong’s Concordance (#G2271), the word is not a verb (an action) but a noun (the name of something) meaning, “stillness, that is, desistance (slowing down or stopping) from bustle or language: - quietness, silence.” This Greek word conveys the idea of an unruly crowd being “hushed,” calling for respectful conduct as the women receive instruction rather than prohibiting them from speaking at all in such a setting. But wait, there’s more.

By cross-referencing Paul’s use of the feminine noun with the masculine hesuchios (#G2272), the point becomes clearer. The masculine noun is similarly defined as “[be] still, to keep one’s seat, undisturbed, undisturbing, peaceable, quiet.” Once again, based on the original definitions of the original Greek words, there is substantial evidence to conclude that Paul’s emphasis appears to be on the manner in which the women receive instruction, not on completely silencing their voices when the Church has assembled.

The Apostle, knowing that the unbeliever’s view of Christ’s teachings will be shaped by how believers conduct themselves within the Church, is likely calling for a respectful learning atmosphere as these teachings are addressed, as well as reinforcing the importance of women conducting themselves in the aforementioned honorable manner. [7]

STAY TUNED - Does a woman exercise authority over a man when she teaches or preaches from God’s Word? - Part 6

Next, we will consider the broader religious context of women teaching and the claim of taking authority over a man. What was Paul confronting?

---

[1] Heather Geloria, “Does 1 Timothy 2 Prohibit Women from Teaching, Leading, and Speaking in the Church?,” Pricilla Papers 27, no. 3 (2013): 21.

[2] deSilva, An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation, 678.

[3] All definitions of Greek words taken from Joseph H. Thayer’s, The Fourth Edition of Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1977) unless otherwise noted.

[4] Ibid., 676.

[5] Timothy D. Foster, “1 Timothy 2:8-15 and Gender Wars at Ephesus,” Pricilla Papers 30, no. 3 (Summer 2016): 5.

[6] deSilva, An Introduction to the New Testament, 677.

[7] Foster, “1 Timothy 2:8-15 and Gender Wars at Ephesus,” 5.