Words are significant. They can mean the difference between life and death. In Counter Thought Word Studies, we look at the nuances of many Greek and Hebrew words that affect our understanding of the Scriptures.
For example, the Greek word authentein appears exactly one time in the Bible, and it has more than one possible translation, but the nearly universal choice has spawned abuse, oppression and despotism of a magnitude unmatched by even the persecutions of Nero and Domitian. This word appears in 1 Timothy 2:12, where it is usually translated “exercise authority” or “usurp authority.” Paul declares that he does not allow women to teach or exercise authority over men. On the basis of this one word, women have been almost universally restricted from the ministries of preaching, teaching and pastoring for nearly two millenia. But the root meaning of the word, as it occurs in non-biblical literature, indicates that other translations are not only possible, but likely, translations more consistent with the validation Jesus gave to women and with the number of women in leadership mentioned by Paul. (Junia and Phoebe are two prominent examples.) A valid translation, given the structure of the sentence and the cultural use of the word, suggests that Paul did not allow women to teach the doctrine that women were the originators of men. The idea that Eve was created first and that she gave life to Adam was a prevalent teaching of the Gnostics of the time, and completely contrary to the biblical narrative.
The definition of authentein matters a great deal if it eliminates half the church from ministry. One translation gives life; one translation means death. Words are significant. The more we discern the language of the Bible, the richer and more impactful it becomes.
Word Studies currently archived at Counter Thought:
Hi Don! I have been worshiping at meetings approx. once a month in Tempe area. xpmedia.com (Patricia King). Hope all is well with you. Hope to speak with you sometime soon! … Dave Miscione :).
Hey Dave. Let’s catch up this week. It’s been a while. Good to hear from you.
Hello Don. I was wondering, what about the fact that after this scripture, Paul exhorted women to be silent in church?
Tee, I believe the context of the statement that women should be silent, or remain quiet, represents the basic idea here, as does the meaning of the Greek word itself. “Quiet” or “silent,” depending on which translation you read, is the word hesuchia. Its primary meaning relates to a bearing or attitude of quietness, that is, one who stays at home doing his own work, and does not meddle in the affairs of others. It refers to a quietness of spirit, as opposed to contentious and disruptive behavior. That describes the opposite of what is represented by authentein, and in the context of 1 Timothy 2, is meant to provide a contrast. It does not imply that women should never talk. As with authentein, the traditional view that women should be kept in silent submission has colored the translations, which are not really representative of the true meaning.
In this regard, I should probably also refer to the one other place in the Bible that talks about women being silent. That is in 1 Corinthians 14:34, where it says: “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.” This is often quoted in conjunction with 1 Timothy 2:12, but there are a couple of significant differences. First, the Greek words are not the same, so a direct comparison is superficial at best. Secondly, the last phrase of that verse provides an interesting question. Where in the law does it command women to be silent? I have read the entire Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud (both Jerusalem and Babylonian), along with many of the other rabbinical sources, and I have yet to find such a command. It certainly is not a biblical injunction. There have been several attempts to explain this verse. It seems to me, however, that the only law in Corinth that required women to be silent in public was Roman law. In both ancient Greece and in Rome, women were forbidden to take part in public debate. I believe that Paul’s intention in this command is for the members of the church to recognize the standards of the society in which they lived, and not to bring disrepute to the Gospel by violating the basic standards of behavior accepted by virtually everyone. His intention was not to completely silence women. In fact, just three chapters earlier, in 1 Corinthians 11, he speaks without condemnation of women who prophesy in the assembly, so it would be very inconsistent to then turn around and tell women to always be silent.
Greetings Don and Tee,
I just found your site. Saw this enquiry so thought that I would introduce myself and share about an article I have on my website about this topic. My doctoral research took me into the area of spiritual abuse and recovery. My book is: Spiritual Abuse Recovery. My website is: http://www.ChurchExiters.com You might be interested in articles on this topic and other church related topics. Recently I was at a conference and one of the presenters did a paper on Women in the Church and the Silence Issue. I got permission from this professor to put this article in a reader-friendly version on my website. You are welcome to check it out and see what you think. All the best!