1 Timothy 2:12-15 (part 2)

v. 11 "A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet."

John Piper apparently preached from 1 Peter 3:1-7 on Sunday. It's a great sermon. Very similar to 1 Timothy 2.

Piper's sermon on 1 Timothy 12:11-15 asks imporant questions: What is meant by "quiet," what is meant by "teach," and what is meant by "authority?"

This "quiet" is the same word as found in verse 2. "...so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." It doesn't mean a mute existence, but instead seems more like tranquil and peaceful. The absence of disturbance or controversy.

"Teach" is found all over scripture. Women are commanded to teach other women, Timothy himself was taught by his mom and grandmother, Priscilla and her husband taught Apollos. So, clearly women can and do teach in scripture.

"Authority" is also used in verse 2, referring to kings and "all who are in authority." Authority is apparently some form of governorship. Paul later writes about "Elders who rule (or govern) well..." in chapter 5.

Piper surmises that the kind of teaching women are being told not to do is that which would put them in authority over other men. It's sometimes difficult to be be resolute about what kind of teaching puts people in authority. Some teaching is just teaching, with little or no authority attached.

However, as we get into chapter 3 and see the qualifications for elders, who are to govern the church, one can see that if a woman holds that office then she would have "authority" over other men. Since elders were called to both govern and teach, it stands to reason that Paul is excluding women from holding that office, or teaching as an elder.

1 Timothy 2:11-15

v. 12 "But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet."

The Greek words for "man" and "woman" in this passage can apparently be translated just as easily as "husband" and "wife," and so it is throughout this chapter. We can re-write it as:

"But I do not allow a wife to teach or to exercise authority over her husband, but to remain quiet."
(that's how it's translated from the Greek into some other languages, like Russian: а учит жене не ползволяю...).

Marriage is a word-picture of Christ and the Church. Christ loves His bride, redeemed her. Christ has authority, and yet the picture we have of Him in Scripture is that of a servant washing his disciples' feet.

So, 1 Timothy 2 brings back images of Ephesians 5. "Wives be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord..."

Тhe way life is in the home is the model we have for how life should be in the Church.

In our marriage counseling we learned a definition of submission:
"When one of 2 equals voluntarily defers to the other." The image was that of two Roman generals of equal rank on a battlefield. You can't have two equal commanders in battle, so one tips his helmet and defers to the other. (Supposedly, the Greek word for "submit" here is that same word for this act of deferment from one general to another).

My wife and I have equal "rank" in the eyes of God. Galations 3:28. And we're given an enormous amount of freedom in Christ. But, my wife voluntarily defers to my authority at home as Paul is saying she should. We have different roles and responsibilities.

So, I agree with the Zodhiates commentary on the chapter that Paul is saying women should limit some of the freedom they have in Christ, in order to defer to the authority of their men. And they shouldn't "usurp" that authority for themselves. And men have the responsibility to love their women and demonstrate Christ to them. This letter was written about conduct in the church.

But, life in the the home and life in the church should look the same. Because marriage is a word-picture of Christ and the Church.