I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

(Digging a Little Deeper into 1 Timothy 2:11-15)

For big picture ideas, a translated Bible is sufficient for a reader to comprehend the text. However, in many cases, seeing, the nuances in the Bible, requires knowing the text in the original language.

For example, in John 21:15-19, Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?"; each time Peter answered, "You know I love you." If the reader doesn't know better, he'd think that Jesus went out of His mind. However, if you read the original Greek, you'd see that Jesus asked Peter, "Do you agape me?" And each time, Peter answered, "You know that I phileo you." Peter was not willing to commit to saying that he agape Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:11 is another instance in which one has to go to the original Greek text to get the nuances of what Paul was saying to Timothy.

So, I'd like to insert the original Greek word next to the important words in these verses.

1 Timothy 2:11-15
11 A woman (gune) should learn in quietness (hesuchia) and full submission (hupotage).
12 I do not permit (epitrepo) a woman (gune) to teach or to have authority (authenteo) over a man (aner); she must be silent (hesuchia).
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman (gune) who was deceived and became a sinner.
15 But women will be saved (the word "woman" is not in the original text only the third person singular form of saved) through childbearingif they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Here are the definition of the Greek words.

gune - a woman; specifically a wife
aner - a man (properly as an individual male):fellow, husband, man, sir.
epitrepo - turn over, give leave , give permission
hesuchios - properly keeping ones seat
hesuchia - stillness (feminine version of hesuchios)
authenteo - act of oneself, usurp authority over
hupotasso - submit self unto
hupotage - derivative of hupotasso

I made several of observations about these verses.

1. Although "gune" is translated to woman in 1 Timothy 2:11-15, in Ephesians 5:22-24, "gune" is translated to "wife"
   
   Ephesians 5:22-24
   22 Wives (gune), submit (hupotasso) to your husbands (aner) as to the Lord.
   23 For the husband (aner) is the head of the wife (gune) as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
   24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives (gune) should submit to their husbands (aner) in everything.
   
   So, while most people assume that 1 Timothy 2:11-15 is about women teaching in church, there is a possibility that the assumption is false. Paul may be talking about the wife usurping the husband's spiritual authority in the family. In fact, the bit about Adam and Eve really doesn't make much sense if it's an elderly woman teaching young men and women.


2. If we search the Bible for the Greek word "epitrepo" (permit), we'd find that the word is used only when giving permission for the immediate situation. It is never used as an imperative for all situations.
   
   Matthew 8:21
   21 Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let (epitrepo) me go and bury my father."
   
   Matthew 8:31
   31 The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, permit (epitrepo) us to go into the herd of pigs."
   
   John 9:38
   38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission (epitrepo), he came and took the body away.
   
   1 Corinthians 16:7
   7 I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits (epitrepo).
   
   Hebrew 6:3
   3 And God permitting (epitrepo), we will do so.
   
   So, Paul was only denying permission for these particular women (or wives) to teach at that particular time. In fact, we do know that Paul acknowledge women speaking with the inspiration of God.
   
   1 Corinthians 11:5
   5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her headit is just as though her head were shaved.
   
   (Prophesizing is speaking with the inspiration of God and not necessarily predicting the future.)
   
   So, why was Paul not willing to give permission for these particular women to teach? We know from history that at Ephesus, Timothy was dealing with Gnostics. In Ephesus a man named Cerinthus was a leader of this cult. There is a great possibility that the women to whom Paul is referring were being influenced by the Gnostics.


3. Paul, however, does seem to make a distinction between teaching and leadership. When identifying the qualifications of spiritual leadership roles (elder, deacon, or overseer), Paul specified that the role be filled by a man with only one wife.
   
   In his epistle to the Ephesians, after he specified that we are to submit to one another, he specified how the husband and wife are to submit to one another. Wives are to submit to the husband as the church to Christ. Husband are to love the wife as Christ loves the church.