(see the website for more on authentein.) 2. It is disappointing that even though the most recent credible scholarship confirms that in Paul’s time authentein referred to an abuse of authority, some prominent complementarian scholars (Wayne Grudem, for example) refuse to correct publications that were written before this came to light. The Greek word Paul used for “authority” in this passage ( authentein) is so unusual compared to his other references to authority that he could not possibly have been talking about normative church leadership structures. “Authority” is a poor translation of the Greek word Paul uses in 1 Timothy 2:12 I started by listing my key objections and the reasons behind them in my own words. Here’s what that process looked like for me. While you don’t want to pull out a blog post or a book in the middle of a conversation, it is possible to craft a short response to serve as an effective starting point.

I strongly believe that the scholarship leans overwhelmingly on the side of the egalitarian view.īut this old and tired argument stubbornly persists, and readers continue to ask for help responding to it.

We’ve already posted several articles on 1 Timothy 2 ( Lost in Translation, Defusing the 1 Timothy 2 Bomb, More on Authentein, 1 Timothy 2: Paul’s Original Language, Timothy’s Cultural Context, 1 Timothy 2: Ten Talking Points), and there are many excellent books and articles that address the passage thoroughly. In spite of the lack of consensus and obvious translation difficulties, many Christians continue to cite portions of 1 Timothy 2 as the foundation for their belief in male-only leadership in the church. Hundreds of pages have been written on this chapter, with almost as many interpretations, proving this to be one of the least understood and most contested passages of all time.

15 But women will be saved through childbearing-if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man she must be quiet. 11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. Day.Ĩ Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. It baffles me that the #1 search term used to find The Junia Project blog is some version of “1 Timothy 2:8-15”.

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