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Bible translators and commentators of 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy have got pretty much the whole world (including most Biblically conservative Christians) to believe that St. Paul prohibited women from speaking in church, from teaching, and from having authority over a man.
Bible translators and commentators of 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy have got pretty much the whole world (including most Biblically conservative Christians) to believe that St. Paul prohibited women from speaking in church, from teaching, and from having authority over a man.
(Alternatively, people are led to believe these letters were tampered with.)
(Alternatively, people are led to believe these letters were tampered with.)
34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. (1 Corinthians 14:34-35, KJV)
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. (1 Timothy 2:11-15, KJV)
But that interpretation makes just about no sense.
But that interpretation makes just about no sense.
That is because of at least 4 problems.
That is because of at least 4 problems.
(1) “She shall be saved in childbearing” (1 Tim 2:15). Not all Christian women would have been expected to bear children, most obviously if they had, following St. Paul’s exhortation (1 Cor 7:8), refrained from marriage.
(1) “She shall be saved in childbearing” (1 Tim 2:15). Not all Christian women would have been expected to bear children, most obviously if they had, following St. Paul’s exhortation (1 Cor 7:8), refrained from marriage.
(2) “Let them ask their husbands at home”. Not all women attending church would have had husbands: e.g. unmarried women and widows. St. Paul encourages unmarried women not to marry (1 Cor 7:8). Nor can the text be translated convincingly as "Let them ask their men at home", because not all women and girls would have belonged to households where Christian men belonged. For example, women who converted to Christian faith were instructed to remain in their marriages to their non-Christian husbands (1 Cor 7:13).
(2) “Let them ask their husbands at home”. Not all women attending church would have had husbands: e.g. unmarried women and widows. St. Paul encourages unmarried women not to marry (1 Cor 7:8). Nor can the text be translated convincingly as "Let them ask their men at home", because not all women and girls would have belonged to households where Christian men belonged. For example, women who converted to Christian faith were instructed to remain in their marriages to their non-Christian husbands (1 Cor 7:13).
(3) St. Paul writes about women prophesying and praying (1 Cor 11:5).
(3) St. Paul writes about women prophesying and praying (1 Cor 11:5).
(4) Both the Old Testament and the New Testament record God entrusting women with responsibility over men: for example, Deborah was the judge of Israel (Judges 4:4), and Mary Magdalene was the first messenger of the Lord Jesus’s resurrection (Matt 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20).
(4) Both the Old Testament and the New Testament record God entrusting women with responsibility over men: for example, Deborah was the judge of Israel (Judges 4:4), and Mary Magdalene was the first messenger of the Lord Jesus’s resurrection (Matt 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20).
These problems disappear if we read the Ancient Greek word “guné” to mean “wife” rather than “woman” in these text passages. Then they make perfect sense, harmonizing perfectly with their contexts and with the rest of St. Paul’s writings.
These problems disappear if we read the Ancient Greek word “guné” to mean “wife” rather than “woman” in these text passages. Then they make perfect sense, harmonizing perfectly with their contexts and with the rest of St. Paul’s writings.
Leading dictionaries of Ancient Greek such as BDAG (pp. 208-9) and Moulton-Milligan (p. 134) make clear that “guné” had at least these two distinct senses (“woman”, “wife”).
Leading dictionaries of Ancient Greek such as BDAG (pp. 208-9) and Moulton-Milligan (p. 134) make clear that “guné” had at least these two distinct senses (“woman”, “wife”).
"The wives* in the convocations must be silent. Indeed, it is not permitted to them to speak. Instead, they must be in subordination, just as the law also says. Now, if they want to learn something, they must them ask the husbands of their own about it at home. Indeed, it is shameful to a wife to speak in convocation." (1 Corinthians 14:34-35, CFB)
*Some manuscripts add of yours
"A wife must learn in quietness, with all subordination. Now, I do not permit a wife to teach or exercise authority over a husband, but to be in quietness. For Adám first was formed, then Heúa. And Adám was not deceived. But the wife, having been thoroughly deceived, became in transgression. Yet she shall be saved through the childbearing, if they continue in faith and loving-kindness and holiness with sound-mindedness." (1 Timothy 2:11-15, CFB)
It is rather neat, even perfect, that the immediate context in both cases clearly indicates which of the senses of “guné” that St. Paul intended. This is precisely in line with what one would expect of any writer, especially of St. Paul’s caliber, when using a word with more than one sense. Here are the same texts again, but here reading “guné” to have the sense of “wife”.
It is rather neat, even perfect, that the immediate context in both cases clearly indicates which of the senses of “guné” that St. Paul intended. This is precisely in line with what one would expect of any writer, especially of St. Paul’s caliber, when using a word with more than one sense. Here are the same texts again, but here reading “guné” to have the sense of “wife”.
A few Bible versions in English also translate “guné” with “wife”, at least in 1 Corinthians 14:34 (as one can see here). But not all of even those use the same translation in 1 Timothy 2 (as one can see here). And there are at least several other Bible readers who make an argument for reading “guné” as “wife” in these texts (as one can see here).
A few Bible versions in English also translate “guné” with “wife”, at least in 1 Corinthians 14:34 (as one can see here). But not all of even those use the same translation in 1 Timothy 2 (as one can see here). And there are at least several other Bible readers who make an argument for reading “guné” as “wife” in these texts (as one can see here).
References
BDAG - Bauer W. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature. 3. ed. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press; 2000.
Moulton JH, Milligan G. The vocabulary of the Greek Testament: illustrated from the papyri and other non-literary sources. Repr. Grand Rapids, Mich.; 1980.
CFB - Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2020 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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