What's the deal with Timothy?
My oldest daughter read the letters to Timothy recently. She said she was confused because she knows I have more egalitarian views than our church and when she reads Timothy, it seems like Paul is saying that a woman should know her place. Does Paul really mean to put the kibosh on women for all time? What is going on here? Does God really not want women teaching and preaching the Good News in the presence of men?
Simply put, no. That is not what is going on here. We are reading someone’s mail addressed from a specific person, to a specific person, at a specific time, for a specific reason. There is wisdom to be gained from these letters, but to remove it from these parameters is to break up the story into unrelated fragments. Secondly, even if we assume we perfectly understand what is intended here in Paul’s writing, if it does not correspond with his Master, Jesus, then we must reconcile the person of Jesus with the writing of Paul. When there is a point of tension, Jesus gets priority.
This is not the format to be exhaustive. I will address what I have in my devotional notes, as this is what I shared with my daughter. When reading scripture, I have found it very helpful to see the big picture. What type of book is it? In this case, a letter. What is the overall theme of the book, and if the author has written multiple letters/ books, what is the consistent message of the writing and how does it support the story arc of all of scripture as it relates to Jesus?
This is a personal letter to Timothy to aid him as he addresses false teaching and chaos in the church of Ephesus. So, what is going on in Ephesus? The origins of the gnostic gospel emerge and teach a dualistic theology and the need for special knowledge to attain a divine state. The teaching leans on fables and disputes. These make up the “empty words” we read about. Idle talk, desire to teach yet have no understanding, loveless, legalistic, impure hearts and motives, selfish ambition, greed, covetousness…these are the product of the “empty words.” Instruction without love is legalism. This is not what Jesus taught. How was this entering the church and what was its effect?
Traveling teachers who were paid by wealthy patrons, mainly women in this case, began to teach their ideas of special knowledge to elevate to a divine state. They taught for profit. These women were largely idle, but influential. (Acts 13:50 tells the Jews stirring up prominent and devout women to counter the teaching of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. Their voices were influential.) Chaos was emerging because some were young widows and they were using this status for benefit, to the harm of more deserving widows. They were disruptive to the assembly. Their dress was ostentatious and created division.
Paul wrote to Timothy, in similar fashion as he did to the church in Corinth. As a Pharisee, Saul was a Torah scholar. He starts his letters with theologic basis and moves into application to make God’s people distinct, just like Leviticus does. Paul never refers to a law about women. The only law that Paul asserts throughout his writing is the law of love. When referring to law of Torah, it is generally addressed as common law and not statutory. The law is source of wisdom, but has specific application to specific situations. The “muzzle the ox” usage was appropriated wisdom based on principle and not a literal usage when he cited it. You may call it relativism. Whatever, it is still true. If you doubt it, consider Jesus as He would say “you’ve heard it said…but I say.” He asserted Himself as authority over the law. For more on this, read the gospels and note where Jesus is accused of violating Torah law and He refutes it.
More on Paul. His name Paul was his Greco-Roman name. Saul his Hebrew name. To the Greeks, he was Greek. To the Jews, he was Jewish. Within a culture, his writings seem consistently aimed to assimilate to the culture where reasonable, to resist where necessary. He did this with conduct and diet. He challenged men of in cultures of dominating practices to love their wives and challenged them to mutual submission. He challenged them to care for their slaves with respect as a brother. This was subversive to a culture centered on power. Paul’s instruction is imitate Christ. The epitome of Imago Dei is in Philippians 4, where Christ gives up power to benefit others. This is what we are called to become.. This is not the way of the Greco-Roman patriarchy.
The idea of women and their roles must be looked at across the cultural spectrum Paul addressed. Women were apostles, Women taught. Women were advised when and how to speak, as were men. Quiet, reverent lives contrasted to loud and ego-driven lives of the culture. Our culture is no different. The issue of Eve is consistent with this idea. Referring back to Genesis, as Jesus did when confronted with issues, Paul says the deception of these women is no different than the deception of Eve. These women will find salvation from this in raising a family, entering community. Being idle busy-bodies full of self exaltation, this is the whisper of the snake.
The false doctrine entering the church strays from the command of love. Love from a pure heart brings edification as a steward of God’s grace. “Pure of heart is to will one thing” (Tony Campolo referring to Soren Kierkegard). If that one thing is Jesus, love is the fruit and the tree of life is given to us. If that one thing is anything else, we eat afresh of the knowledge of good and evil and succumb to the original lies that turned the world upside down in the Garden.
So, what is Timothy to do with these disputes and dangerous doctrines that are leading people away from the love of Christ? How do you combat legalism and empty words? Prayer, intercession, supplication, and thanksgiving for those in positions to exercise authority and for peace in the land. He implored those who were idle to become busy with purpose. He advised those who adorned themselves with elaborate garments to be known instead for good works. He advised all to rebuke the false teaching that rejected the Imago Dei. The idea of the quiet life of 1 Thesselonians 4 is evident. The theme, consistent with Paul’s writings, is quiet, peaceable, godly living. OK, great. What does that mean?
Eusebia is the Greek word here for godly. Hesychion is the word for quiet. These same words appear together 1 Timothy 2:11 as well. A quiet and godly life is the life Paul encourages for all disciples of Christ. This type of living changes the expression of men and women from the cultural dictates. Men, lift up holy hands in prayer rather than hands of wrath (“strikers’). You are not to be violent. This is not the way of Christ. Women, dress modestly rather than self-exalting. Present yourself in such a way that is proper for good works rather than attention grabbing displays. In a culture of domineering patriarchy and materialism, these traits would create a distinction between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of our God. Philippians 4 presents this as the Imago Dei, the image of Christ-life, contrasted with the Image of the beast, or the cultural habits of power in this world.
Then the sticky thing about learning in silence. Well, hesychia refers to calm, unmeddling, tranquil, not loud, not boisterous, not disruptive. Let the “good works prepared in advance for you to do (Ephesians 2:10)” be what is on display. These women were commanded to learn in this way. Why? Because they were loud, boisterous, and disruptive. I Corinthians 12 does the same thing. A gathering of disciples should reflect mutual love for one another (Ephesians 5:21) in the manner in which they learn and conduct themselves. (Note how Paul addresses the five concerns in 1 Corinthians only to point to the ideal of love in 1 Corinthians 13). New found freedom often leads to questions being asked by eager learners in such a way that is disruptive. Also, 1 Corinthians 12 is clear that women were called to prophesy, which is to speak God’s message. The only caveat was the head-covering thing. So, the issue is not to speak or not to speak. The issue is what to wear when you speak, how to go about it, in other words, how to speak in a culturally respective way. There are several other Greek words that are translated as “silence” that were not used here that would have been emphatic commands. This is not an emphatic command. They were not used. Stop trying to use them.
1 Timothy 2:12, Paul gets to the “teach or have authority” issue. The word for teach is more than mere instruction, but refers to a rabbinical style that would address how to live, think, and practice. Authntein is only found here in the New Testament. (This is also a reason that this work is considered by some to be a second century work not written by Paul. Also, the timeline Acts doesn’t match and Gnosticism was more of an issue in the second century. That is another topic.) “Or have authority” would then define teaching by authentin. The common usage for the word is “abuse of authority”. So here we go. These rich, idle women were positioning themselves to not only spread a gnostic gospel, but were integrating cultural systems of power, possession, and position (Mammon) as a way of life. “If you want to be rich and influential in the church, act like us”. To say that women cannot exercise authority is to ignore many women in the New Testament, like Lydia, Dorcas, and the apostle Junia.
But if that is the case, then what about all the stuff on Eve being to blame for everything. So, rich women in Ephesus, who enjoyed heightened privileges that went along with their wealth, were now asserting themselves in the church in a variety of ways. They were showing off in the way they dressed. They were likely the ones claiming to be widows and creating the dissension in this area. They were also the likely patrons to the “false teachers.” This makes sense with the overall story. Eve was “completely deceived” by a false teacher. She spread the message. Adam knowingly went along with the message. So, the women spread the deceit of the “false teachers” amongst the church in the same manner that Eve’s deception spread to mankind. The false message of “empty words” and the contrast to Imagao Dei supports the story being told here.
The salvation and child-bearing is weird though, right? Well, yes. But it is obviously not literal. After the fall, man and woman began having children. Restoration and reconciliation of the Garden-Life would come about through this process. Raising children in community is a process that develops self- giving love, faith, holiness, and self-control. The idle and self-serving women of Ephesus are a stark contrast to the women of maturity.
Simply, this book seems weird. Maybe not even by Paul. But when it is looked at as part of the an overarching story that points us to Jesus, it becomes more manageable. What is going on? Look up the literary allusions. Use common sense. Timothy was taught by Lois and Eunice, his mother and grandmother. Should they not have taught him? Should they have been silent? To Timothy, Paul is saying “you are not of the kingdom of Ephesus. You are of the Jesus Kingdom. All the stuff of false teachers is no different than the stuff of the first false teacher- you can be your own god and do what you want. Timothy is to encourage the church of Ephesus to be rich in good works and stay away from useless talk.” Imitate Christ.
To conlclude, there is plenty of particulars to dive into that I did not. The big picture is the idea. Ezer kenegdo of Genesis 2:18 tells us that woman is the (ezer)” helper/ strength/ power” for man. This is the same word use of God (ex Psalm 54:4). She is also the equal complement of man, the completion of man. Without woman, man is incomplete and powerless to fulfill God’s purposes in this world. Man without woman is “lo tov.” The word for rib here is only translated as “rib” in this instance. Everywhere else it is translated as a side (architecturally). Literally, man is split in two, and one of the sides forms woman, or Eve ( Chava which is life.) For God’s kingdom to be good, dust or earth (Adam) and his equal partner, life, must be animated by Divine Breath. This is good.
The letters to Timothy do not condemn women to silence in the assembly in perpetuity anymore than they condemned women to silence in the early church.
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/women-in-the-early-church
The involvement of women continued in the first few decades of the church, attested by both biblical and extra-biblical sources. A number of women served as leaders of the house churches that sprang up in the cities of the Roman Empire—the list includes Priscilla, Chloe, Lydia, Apphia, Nympha, the mother of John Mark, and possibly the “elect lady” of John’s second epistle.
In the 2nd century, Clement of Alexandria wrote that the apostles were accompanied on their missionary journeys by women who were not marriage partners, but colleagues, “that they might be their fellowministers in dealing with housewives. It was through them that the Lord’s teaching penetrated also the women’s quarters without any scandal being aroused. We also know the directions about women deacons which are given by the noble Paul in his letter to Timothy."
There is much that could be said because there is much that is misunderstood. To my daughter, I say, look at the history of the church, what was actually done, and you will see active women, teaching and exercising authority rightly. You will see women prophesying in the church in a culturally relevant manner. You will see women apostles adorning themselves with good works. You will read of Paul’s commendation of such women. You will find all the evidence you need to be the “eshet chayil” (woman of valor) God created you to be, full of life, and full of strength. Mankind needs you.
