Journal: Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Volume: JBMW 21:2 (Fall 2016)
Article: Ten Things You Should Know About 1 Timothy 2:11-15 And The Relationship Between Men And Women In The Local Church
Author: C. Samuel Storms

JBMW 21:2 (Fall 2016) p. 10

Ten Things You Should Know About 1 Timothy 2:11-15 And The Relationship Between Men And Women In The Local Church1

Sam Storms

Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision
Bridgeway Community Church
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

In this article we turn our attention to ten things we should know about the most controversial passage in the Bible when it comes to the role/relationship between men and women. In 1 Timothy 2:11-15, Paul writes: “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (ESV).

(1) The Text Nowhere Says That Paul Was Only Prohibiting Uneducated Women From Teaching Men.

The reason for his prohibition is stated in vv. 13-14. It is unwise to ignore the reason that is given in order to supply one that isn’t. If the lack of education were the reason for the prohibition, Paul could easily have said: “I do not permit uneducated women to teach or to exercise authority over men.”

Since Paul prohibits all women from teaching men, the egalitarian view must assume that all the women in Ephesus were uneducated. But we know this isn’t the case, as the example of Priscilla (in 2 Tim 4:19; Acts 18:24-28) would indicate. In fact, recent research has shown that it is not the case that

JBMW 21:2 (Fall 2016) p. 11

all women in Ephesus were uneducated.2

(2) If The Problem Was Uneducated Women, Why Would Paul Forbid Them From Teaching Men But Allow Them To Teach Women And Other Children?

Furthermore, why would Paul only prohibit uneducated women from teaching and not also uneducated men? If the lack of education was the principal obstacle to teaching, then Paul should have extended the prohibition to both genders. Uneducated men would, in that case, be as unqualified as uneducated women.

(3) Paul Was Not Merely Prohibiting Women From Teaching False Doctrine Or Heresy At Ephesus.

Once again, this is nowhere stated in the text. The reason is stated in vv. 13-14. The grammar requires that the actions (“teaching...