10-1-10. 1 Timothy 2:9-15: Subjection And Silence
The connection between the principles and the practical relationship between men and women is brought out in 1 Tim.2:9-15. This passage is in the context of Paul’s exposition of the atonement in v.5,6. Christ’s work for us will cause male and female to respond in different ways: “(Christ) gave himself a ransom for all...for there is one...mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus...I will therefore that men pray...in like manner also (i.e. also as a response to Christ’s work), that women...learn in silence with all subjection”. Men and women are united through their common relationship to Christ’s sacrifice. Yet the men are told to respond to this by leading the public prayers in a spirit of fervent faith in Christ’s mediation: “Lifting up holy hands (after the pattern of Solomon’s public prayer), without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim.2:8). The woman’s response is to dress in a sober manner and “learn in silence with all subjection”, thereby showing her recognition of the fact that Eve as a representative of the whole race had been deceived by sin in Eden, and that we depend upon a sober, reverent acceptance of Christ for our salvation. And categorically, she is not to “teach” (v.12).
The Greek word for “teach” (didasko) is the normal word used concerning Christ and the apostles ‘teaching’. It is related to the Greek word didache, from where we get the word ‘doctrine’; the woman must not ‘doctrinize’. Other uses of the word didasko (translated “teach”) show the type of teaching a woman cannot do. It is used about teaching:
-
young converts (Col.2:7; 2 Thess.2:15)
-
in the church (Acts 20:20; 1 Cor.4:17; 2 Tim.2:2; Tit.1:9 A.V. mg.)
-
in the synagogue (Mt.13:54; Mk.1:21; Lk.4:15)
-
in a house group (Acts 28:31)
-
in small informal groups of believers (Acts 20:20; Mk.8:31; 9:31)
-
in the temple (Mk.12:35; Lk.19:47; 20:1; Jn.7:14)
-
to a large crowd of people in the presence of the disciples (Lk.5:3)
-
as God taught Christ (Jn.8:28) and as God teaches us (Jn.14:26; 1 Thess.4:9; Lk.12:12)
-
as Jesus teaches the believer (Eph.4:21; 1 Jn.2:27; Gal.1:12).
1 Tim.2:12 clearly says that a woman must not teach. These are types of situation where it would be inappropriate for her to be the teacher in a teacher : pupil relationship. However, we discuss elsewhere the fact that a woman can teach other women.
Subjection
A few verses later, the Greek word for “subjection” used in 1 Tim.2:11 occurs again: “A bishop must be...one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity” (1 Tim.3:2,4). Children are in subjection on account of being ‘ruled’ by their father. It is in this loving, serving sense that the man has dominion over the woman. In practice, children are ‘ruled’ by good parents by being taught by them. The children being subject “with all gravity” matches the woman being subject with modesty “and sobriety”. The same Greek word for “subjection” is found in 2 Cor. 9:13 and Gal.2:5 concerning subjection to teaching. It is also used regarding our subjection to God (Heb.12:9; James 4:7) and Christ (Heb.2:8). There can be no doubt that God’s intention is for His daughters to relate to His sons as we all do to God and Christ. Therefore to fulfil this typology, it is fundamental that the man must ‘rule’ and teach the subject woman, not the other way round. It should be noted, however, that 1 Pet. 3:1 speaks of the woman being “in subjection to your own husbands [Gk. ‘men’]”; whereas first century society expected that women be subject to men generally. Here, however, there is a far narrower and more ‘liberal’ view of subjection than what generally there would have been in the surrounding society.
With these principles in mind, the discussion about whether a Bible study is formal or informal appears irrelevant. The commands concerning “silence” in 1 Tim. 2 and 3 are “that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Tim.3:15). The house of God is not defined according to whether believers assemble in a certain building at a specified time- it refers to any collection of believers. The typology and Old Testament precedents concerning women do not just snap into place in the ‘formal’ setting of a church meeting. Typology is something which we live out in our daily experience.
Defining Silence
With this in mind, we will now consider the explicit commands of 1 Tim.2 and 1 Cor.14:34 in more detail. 1 Tim.2:11,12 define “silence” as not teaching: “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence”. Note the double stress of “silence”. If a woman (cp. The church) does teach, she is usurping authority over the man. Note how “a woman” is connected to “the man”- not “a man” (cp. 1 Tim.3:1). The use of “the man” is surely to highlight the typology of “the man Christ Jesus” of a few verses previously (1 Tim.2:5). If a woman teaches men, she is usurping authority over Christ, in terms of the typology. Because typology is so important to God, women should be extremely nervous of ‘teaching’ brethren because of the blasphemy which this commits by doing such violence to the type. It is for this reason that the idea of women leading church Bible studies is to be so strongly opposed.
It has been argued that the commands for sisters to “learn in silence” are basically telling them not to chatter during church meetings. However, 1 Tim.2:11,12 clearly defines “silence” as not teaching. More information on the definition of “silence” will be found in the consideration of Objection 14 in Appendix 1.
