I Timothy 2:8-15
 
I desire then that in every place
the men should pray, lifting holy hands
without anger or quarreling;

also that women should adorn
themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly
apparel, not with braided hair or
gold or pearls or costly attire
but by good deeds, as befits
women who profess religion.

Let a woman learn in silence
with all submissiveness.

I permit no woman to teach or to have
authority over men; she is to keep silent.

For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

Yet woman will be saved through bearing
children, if she continues in faith and
love and holiness, with modesty.
(Revised Standard Version)

Context: 
This text might be the most troublesome one in modern Christian circles. Feminist scholars tend to reject it outright, or softpedal its importance in various ways.

Let’s not forget these are “pastoral” letters. St. Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus about their problems. The verses before this passage exhort believers to lead quiet and peaceable lives. The Jewish community had rejected Christianity, and so Christians could no longer rely upon the Jewish cloak of “exception” when dealing with the religious expectations of their Roman overseers. The Christians were not to give the Romans any capricious reasons to assert their power.

Thus, in I Timothy 2:1-2, Paul exhorts the faithful to pray for (not “to”) their rulers, as an exercise in citizenship.

Translation:
The question of authority and women keeping silent in the assembly is actually taken up elsewhere in Paul’s epistles (see I Corinthians 14:34, which uses a Greek term sigao which connotes silence directly). The fact that St. Paul ties his teaching to the Old Testament story of Adam and Eve adds to the emphasis of his point. (While some today might dispute this, it seems clear he is recommending against women preaching.) Women did not take positions of authority within religious gatherings back then except as temple prostitutes. Ahem!

Vocabulary:
in silence: The Greek here is hesuchios, also seen in I Timothy 2:2, exhorting followers to a peaceable co-existence. It’s conjectured that some women were praying ecstatically in ways that were disruptive.

submission: This word (hupotasso) also indicates the submission the Church gives to Christ, specifically ordering husbands to lay down their lives for their wives (Eph. 5:24). It’s also related to decorum.

to teach or have authority: Teach (didasko) implies the teaching of doctrine, while authority (authentao) carries the connotation of domination. The juxtaposition of the two terms carries a connotation in Greek of blending the terms, perhaps that women ought not dominate using doctrine.

childbearing: The Greek word teknogonia implies the performance of maternal duties in addition to physical child bearing.

Meditation:

St. Paul wished to exhort Christ’s faithful to peaceful living and avoiding nasty confrontations with the local authorities. But, his exhortations contradict other biblical evidence of women teaching (see Luke 2:36, Acts 21:9, I Corinthians 11:9). Why would he bring Adam and Eve into this question?

Sure, Eve listened to the serpent, took the apple, and gave it to Adam to eat. But she didn’t hold him down and forcefeed him. And both were punished for their disobedience.  God held them both equally liable for their transgressions.

Men and women do have particular strengths and weaknesses. St. Paul is clearly pointing to the women in Timothy’s community who were not paragons of peaceful living. Have you seen similar situations in local parishes? I have. Often, a cadre of women are at the center of the turmoil, gossiping and stirring the pot. Usually, men step in to bring the situation to closure.

Just as often, men exercise their legitimate authority without adequate thought to the consequences. (See example of Adam with apple above.)  Usually, the women bring the unintended consequences to the men’s attention (with varying degrees of virtue), and help them to mend fractured relationships.

I exercise power over my children. However, the prior relationship of wife required the greatest development of my virtue. This may seem contradictory. But, the desire to give the best to your children arises concurrently with an intimate acquaintance with your own flaws (and those of your spouse, of course). Because of our flaws, my husband and I had to learn to unite ourselves in our shared need for Jesus as Savior. Then, we could work together with patience and prudence. 

Smart men know that women can help them identify evil and mend broken hearts with loving attention. Smart women know that men can help them set aside unhelpful emotions and attend to the priority at hand. When men and women meet in Jesus as helpmates, all of the talents entrusted to the family and parish will come to fruitful use. I’d like to believe that this was St. Paul’s vision, if only he had had a decent woman to help him say it!

Discussion Questions:

1. Describe a problem that occurred in your parish or in your home, and how the men and women in the situation helped or hindered its resolution.

2. Is it better to proselytize by talking about doctrine or living the doctrine? Which is easier for you? Why?