What Does the Bible Say About Women Preachers? – Part Two

 

 

          I Timothy 1-3 and Women in the Church

 

 

I certainly cannot explain all I learned as I studied for this lesson.  Perhaps I can give you just enough to entice you to study this section of Scripture in a new light!

 

I received a lot of insight from a paper I read on the internet by Rev. Bruce Fleming.  He studied I Timothy for his Ph.D in 1993 and has been studying this book since that time.  His paper is entitled, “Discovering the Structure of I Timothy that Unlocks the Meaning of the Passages on Women in the Church.”

 

The Rev. Bruce Fleming is an ordained member of the Ministerial Association of the Evangelical Free Church of America.  He and his wife, Joy, both have served as missionaries to (French) Zaire, Africa.

 

READ: I Timothy 1-3

 

I Timothy is personal in nature.  There is a close bond between Paul and Timothy.  Paul evidently was Timothy’s mentor.

 

“Timothy, because of our faith, you are like a son to me.  I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind and merciful to you.  May they bless you with peace!”  I Timothy 1:2 (NLT)

 

There are three sections in the book of ! Timothy.  At the center of each of these sections there is a turning point used for when God makes a person ready for His service.  The Greek phrase, pistos ho logos, or “faithful is the Word” is used.  These turning points are:

 

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.”  I Timothy 1:15 (KJV)

 

“This is a true saying.  If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”  I Timothy 3:1 (KJV)

 

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.”  I Timothy 4:9 (KJV)

 

In 1:5, Paul is the subject of the faithful logos; in 3:1, those leaders who had gone astray in their ministry of teaching and leading public worship are the subject of the faithful logos and 4:9 is about Timothy. 

 

I.                   Paul

 

“As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.”  I Timothy 1:4 (NAS)

 

When Paul left for Macedonia, Timothy was to stay in Ephesus and stop some who were teaching wrong doctrine.  Overseers/teachers are the  major focus throughout the whole book of I Timothy.

 

“They are ambitious to be doctors of the Law—teachers of the Mosaic ritual—but they have no understanding either of the words and terms they use or of the subjects about which is was designed.”  I Timothy 1:7 (Amplified)

 

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”                      I Timothy 1:12 (KJV)

 

“Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”          I Timothy 1:13 (KJV)

 

Paul addresses each of his own sins.

 

“But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life..”  I Timothy 1:16 (NIV)

 

Paul explains that he was an example for those who were guilty of these same three sins and who would believe on Jesus for eternal life.

 

II.                The three sins were:

 

A.     Blasphemy:

 

“Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”  I Timothy 1:19-20 (KJV)

 

Blasphemers, are delivered to Satan—education through punishment—they sinned deliberately—they were not deceived as Paul had been.

 

Blaphemy:  1. impious or irreverent utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.  2.  Speak evil of; slander.  SYN.  Profanity, cursing, sacrilege, curse.

 

B.      Persecutors:

 

“First of all, then , I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time.  And for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” 

I Timothy 2:1-7 (NAS)

 

Paul urges prayer for those who hold positions of power.  Paul, a former persecutor, was so grateful for his salvation that he wanted prayer for the salvation of other persecutors.

C.     Injurious/Violent:

 

I Timothy 2:8-15 – Injurious/Violent men and women leaders in public ministry.

 

“I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger or quarreling or resentment or doubt (in their minds), lifting up holy hands.”  I Timothy 2:8 *Amplified)

 

Some men were among the false teachers that Timothy was left to correct.

 

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer”  I Timothy 1:3 (NIV)

 

Their argument surfaced in public meetings as they prayed, led in prayer, or taught.  “Every where/place” in Greek does not refer to all over the world but “in every place of worship.”

 

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness.”                I Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV)

 

“…as befits women who profess

 reverential fear and devotion to God.”  I Timothy 2:10 (Amplified)

 

Likewise, similarly, or “in like manner” Paul explains that he wishes to see correct behavior from some women who were false teachers.

 

NOTE:  Rev. Fleming said “that there is no Greek verb used in verses 9-10 which indicates they are coupled with verse 8.  Vs 10 concludes with a reference to teaching and to “good works.”  In French, a college professor is said to “profess” a lesson.  The Greek word is used in a similar way here.”

Somehow their teaching had gone astray to the point of being injurious and they were  now to be retrained.

 

“Let a women learn in quietness in entire submissiveness.”

I Timothy 2:11 (Amplified)

 

“Let a women learn in silence with all subjection.”      I Timothy 2:11 (KJV)

 

Learn is an imperative verb, which is the strongest verb in this passage.  In English we would print it with an exclamation point.  Paul states that these women were to be allowed to learn!  What does “in silence” mean?  This is the same word used earlier in the same chapter in verse 2 to describe a “quiet and peaceful life.”

 

“For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

I Timothy 2:2 (KJV)

 

While learning, they were to do so “while quiet.”  The prepositional phrase “in all subjection” at the end of verse 11 is not “the key phrase” to the whole passage.  “A woman,” the learner and student, is “in subjection,” to the teacher, or to the material being learned, or even to the One who inspired the doctrine and guides the teacher.

 

“But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”  I Timothy 2:12 (KJV)

 

Verse 12 gives us sketchy details to understand in what these women had been teaching injuriously.  Verse 12 is not a command, nor a prohibition. The conjunction “but” in this case says “now”  “I am not permitting…”  “authenetein” – type of teaching.

 

“authentein” Gk. – self-chosen, of own accord, willing of self, to act of oneself, i.e. dominate; usurp authority over.

 

This type of teaching was not of the positive sort described in Colossians 3:16.

 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”  Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

 

This is the only place in the New Testament that the word “authentien” is used.  After researching literature of the day, some scholars think it may have had something to do with sex reversal, female dominance, promiscuity, or even ritual murder.  Whatever it means, it had to do with false teaching and incorrect practice that tore down the church in an injurious way.

 

“For Adam was first formed, then Eve; and it was not Adam who was deceived, but (the) woman who was deceived and deluded and fell into transgression.”  I Timothy 2:13-14 (Amp)

 

Paul uses the conjunction “for” to indicate a reason for what he just said.  He makes reference to Genesis which paralleled the situation in Ephesus.  In Ephesus there were two kinds of sinners.  Paul said he was deceived and injurious as these women who wanted to learn were deceived; in contrast to others who were knowingly and willfully sinning, Hymehaneus and Alexander.

 

“Nevertheless (the sentence put upon women (of pain in motherhood) does not hinder their (souls’) salvation), and they will be saved (eternally) if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control; (saved indeed) through the Childbearing, that is, by the birth of the (divine) Child.”           I Timothy 2:15 (Amplified)

 

The women are saved by believing in the One to come and these women need to continue in faith and love and holiness and self-control.  Verse 11 commands Timothy to “Let the woman learn!”  Verse 15b informs Timothy that a woman who does learn must remain faithful to what she has learned and put those instructions into practice.  The word “if” indicated that not every woman being retrained would remain faithful.  This hesitation is reflected in the list of qualifications, and potential disqualifiers in Chapter 3.

 

Continued in Part 3.