In my last post, we talked about the view that Paul’s instructions saying that women were not allowed to teach or have authority over a man were limited to the Ephesian church.
However, others believe Paul’s instructions were meant to be applied to the church in general.
There are several reasons for this.
First, when Paul talks about overseers in the church (modern day pastors and leaders), he restricts this office to men. There is no hint that women are included.
For example, he talks about the wives of the overseers. He makes no mention of the husbands of overseers. (See in comparison 1 Timothy 5:9).
The second point is their interpretation of verses 13-14.
For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. (1 Timothy 2:13-14)
The argument made here is that God didn’t create Adam and Eve simultaneously; he created Adam first and then Eve.
Adam was therefore meant to be the leader of the household, with her providing help to him in the duties God had given him (Genesis 2:18).
We see this in Paul’s explanation in I Corinthians 11:3, 7-10.
We also see this in the way Paul describes the husband-wife relationship in Ephesians chapter 5. While there is a sense in which husband and wife are to submit to each other, Paul clearly teaches the wife is to follow the lead of her husband.
This then extends to the church at large. Just as men are to lead in their own households, men are to lead in the household of God. When they don’t, problems happen.
That then is Paul’s point in verses 13-14. When Adam didn’t lead, but rather followed the lead of his wife, they both fell into sin.
Again, there is much more that can be said on this position, but those are the main points.
Why is there so much disagreement on this issue?
Mainly because when Paul points back to Adam and Eve in his explanation, he assumes that Timothy understands perfectly what he was talking about.
He doesn’t say on one hand, “Eve was improperly educated, and that was why she fell. Therefore, until the women in your church are educated, they can’t teach or have authority.”
Nor does he say on the other hand, “Adam was meant to have the leadership role, and therefore this is the model for the church, with men doing the leading.”
Because of this, I refuse to argue about this issue to the point of disrupting the church. In whatever church I am at, I will go along with what they teach on the matter and support it.
I’ll wrap up this discussion tomorrow.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 