In this short article (500 words), I put forward the case that 1 Timothy 2:12 says nothing, one way or the other, about whether competent women can be pastors, preachers, priests, elders, or any kind of church leader or minister.
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Here are 3 reasons why 1 Timothy 2:12 may be about a particular couple in the Ephesian church and not Paul’s general thoughts on women in ministry.
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The creation order of man first, woman second, as given in Genesis 2, is often brought up in discussions about the place of men and women in ministry and in marriage. What significance did Paul place on man being created first?
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Timothy well knew Paul’s views on ministry. So it doesn’t make sense that 1 Timothy 2:12ff represents the apostle’s general teaching on women in ministry, a teaching that Timothy needed to be told or reminded of. What’s going on in this verse?
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Does 1 Timothy 3:4a (“managing his own household well”) show that men, and not women, are to rule or manage their households? What was the role of the first church overseers and bishops?
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This short post looks at the verb authenteō (authentein) in 1 Timothy 2:12. My claim is that “to have/exercise/usurp authority” is an inadequate and misleading translation.
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Here is a coherent interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:12 that takes into account surrounding verses as well as documented heresies in the 1st-2nd century church.
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In this article, I take a detailed look at the word authentein (translated as ‘to usurp authority’ in 1 Timothy 2:12 in the KJV). A brief history of how authent- words and how their meanings developed is included.
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In this article, I look at the language of 1 Timothy 2:12 and discuss the possibility that this verse concerns an anonymous couple in the Ephesian church, rather than men and women more generally.
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In this article I look at the NT verse that mentions women elders (1 Timothy 5:2) and compare it with other verses. I also look at elders, men and women, in early Judaism.
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Is 1 Timothy 2:13 (“For Adam was formed first and then Eve”) a reason for the prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12? Does the created order disqualify women from teaching and leading men?
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Taking 1 Timothy 2:12 at face value, with no understanding of the verse’s context and challenges, can lead to a flawed interpretation. This post looks at six factors that must be considered when interpreting 1 Timothy 2:12.
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