Deep Creek Anglican Church Blog

Phillip Adam, a regular columnist in The Weekend Australian Magazine, has a fine literary talent.  I read his articles with both interest but also sadness at his often professed atheism.  Today’s column, ‘Rich in experiences‘ is an account of his early childhood, brought up in Kew East, Melbourne on a farm with his Mum’s farmer parents.  This was a life, not rich materially, but obviously very rich in rewarding experiences.  How did he end up on the farm?  Phillip writes:

“Faith and farming were the family business.  Both were non-profit.  Dad was a Congregational minister in a country town so my parents scraped by on the proceeds of the collection, a few coins dropped into what the Reverend Adams bitterly called “the begging bowl”.  With the congregation either impecunious or unappreciative, times were tough.  The Adam’s family were as poor as the manse’s church mice.  So Mum used the excuse of WWII to get a job in Melbourne (at “the rationing”) while the Rev. Adams provided Christianity to soldiers in New Guinea.  In their absence, at the age of two, I was placed on permanet loan to Mum’s farmer parents.”

As I read this touching account, my mind went to 1 Timothy 5:17-18:

¹⁷The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

How tragic, that sometimes in the history of the Church, congregations have not obeyed such a clear instruction from the Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we don’t live out the Gospel (of which 1 Tim 5:17f is but one of many practical directions) the witness of the Church, to a watching world, is severely tarnished and the Lord simply dishonoured.

Philip Payne’s Man and Woman, One in Christ is, I believe, the most comprehensive treatment of Pauline texts in relation to men and women in the life of the church.  The reader will benefit from a steady and close reading of each of the twenty five chapters with their Bible open.  The interaction with the Greek text may be off putting for some readers, but there is ample explanation for those not acquainted with Greek grammar and differences in manuscripts.

Clearly the matter of women’s roles in the Church has become a most contentious issue, particularly in the last few decades.  In my own journey, it was my wrestling with Scripture that gradually moved me from a complementarian position (that I grew up with) to an equality of men and women, in all respects, including public ministry in the Church.

As I read and studied, pondered and prayed about ‘women’s ministry’, I:

• noted numerous instances of sloppy exegesis by proponents on both sides of the debate;
• became increasingly concerned that this matter has become, in some quarters, to be a prominent test of orthodoxy;
• reflected back on my own experience of growing up in complementarian churches, where a whole set of man-made rules, about what women could and could not do in public ministry (that bore simply zero connection with Scripture), were the accepted doctrinal infrastructure.  Interestingly, in churches that spoke loud and often about the authority of Scripture;
• recognised that in our frailty, the struggle to live out sola Scriptura and semper reformanda is very real.

Philip Payne has made an enormous contribution to this tragically contentious issue in the Church. How significant will it be in bringing greater unity on this issue?  I’m not overly confident, if the concluding words in Tom Schreiner’s review of the book in the April edition of Themelios are anything to go by:

“Most of what [Philip Payne] says is not new, and his egalitarian readings are unpersuasive. Surely he will convince some, for many in our culture today ardently desire egalitarianism to be true. But it will not hit the scholarly world like an avalanche. It is closer to being another drizzly day in Portland, Oregon.”

Wow!!  I do trust that Philip Payne finds his encouragement in Christ and not in book reviews!

The Holy Spirit speaks only truth and God does not contradict Himself.  The complementarian and egalitarian readings of Scripture cannot both be correct.  The challenge for all followers of Jesus is to roll-up our ‘Bible reading shirt sleeves’ and seek to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying, notwithstanding the baggage that we all bring to biblical interpretation.

The full list of my posts on Man and Woman, One in Christ are:

Introduction

Chapter One: Backgrounds to Paul’s Teaching Regarding Man and Woman

Chapter Two: Women Paul Names as Ministry Leaders

Chapter Three: Paul’s Theological Axioms Imply the Equality of Man and Woman

Chapter Four: Galations 3:28: Man and Woman: One in Christ

Chapter Five: 1 Corinthians 7: The Equal Rights of Man and Woman in Marriage

Chapters Six and Seven: 1 Cor 11:2-3

Chapters Eight and Nine: 1 Cor 11:4-6

Chapters Ten to Thirteen: 1 Cor 11:7-16

Chapter Fourteen: 1 Cor 14:34-35

Chapter Fifteen: Eph 5:21-33

Chapter Sixteen: 1 Tim 2:8-15 Introduction

Chapters Seventeen to Nineteen: 1 Tim 2:8-12

Chapter Twenty: 1 Tim 2:12 on ‘assume authority’

Chapter Twenty One: 1 Tim 2:13-14

Chapter Twenty Two: 1 Tim 2:15

Chapter Twenty Three: 1 Tim 2:8-15 Conclusion

Chapter Twenty Four: 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9: May Women be Overseers and Deacons?

Chapter Twenty Five: Conclusion: Paul Consistently Champions the Equality of Man and Woman in Christ

Chapter Twenty Four: 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9: May Women be Overseers and Deacons?

A ‘surface’ reading of 1 Tim 3:1-13 would seem to suggest that all church leaders must be male.  Philip Payne argues that such a conclusion would not be in line with Scripture.  His argument in summary is:

• “anyone” in 1 Tim 3:1,5 and Tit 1:6 implies the eligibility of women to be overseers
• “one woman man,” in 1 Tim 3:2, excludes polygamists and probably adulterers from church office, but it must not be a requirement for all church officers since that would exclude unmarried men like Paul
• nowhere in the qualifications for overseers, elders, or deacons does Paul mention “man,” “men,” any masculine pronoun, or any expression that excludes women from office (contra. NIV that inserts 14 masculine pronouns into 1 Tim 3:1-12)
• women are eligible to be deacons, with the same title (deacon, not deaconess) and same requirements as men
• women are able to meet all the qualifications of overseers as seen by the similar expressions specifically regarding women that parallel each overseer qualification in 1 Timothy.

Chapter Twenty Three: 1 Timothy 2:8-15: Conclusion

Philip Payne has devoted seven chapters to the exegesis of 1 Tim 2:8-15.  It is a very detailed and extremely comprehensive treatment.  It is certainly not the only biblical passage dealing with ‘women in the church’ but it is often used by complementarians to uphold a position of restricting the role of women in public ministry.

I believe that Payne conclusively demonstrates that Paul’s restrictions in 1 Tim 2 relate to a particular situation in Ephesus. They do not have universal application (which of course, if they did, would put them at odds with other Scriptural data, in its references to Phoebe, Priscilla, Junia, Euodia, Syntyche).

In this brief concluding chapter on vv8-15, Payne notes that:

• the central purpose of 1 Timothy is to counter false teaching in the church in Ephesus
• some women had been greatly influenced by the false teachers  - hence the injunction on v11
• the women were prohibited from doing what the false teachers were doing – assuming authority
• throughout passage, women are affirmed – encouraged to engage in good works (v9); to learn (v11); formed by God (v13); through woman, the Saviour brought into the world (v15)

“This exegesis argues that 1 Tim 2:12 does not support a prohibition of women teaching or having authority over men.  Nothing in this passage states that women are inherently unsuited to teach or exercise authority over men in spiritual or any other matters.  Nor does Paul universalise this particular prohibition for all churches and all times.” (444)

If you’re in Melbourne this coming weekend (11th-13th June) you might like to check out the Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) International Conference 2010: Better Together.  The keynote speaker on Friday night is Dr Graham Cole, past Principal of Ridley Melbourne: Mission & Ministry College.  The Conference has assembled a wonderful group of international and local speakers and workshop facilitators – more information here.

Chapter Twenty Two: 1 Timothy 2:15: Salvation through “the Childbirth”

¹⁵But women will be saved through childbearing-if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” (NIV)

How should this verse be understood, coming at the end of 1 Tim 2:11-15?  It has generated some amazing interpretations, and not just by so-called ‘liberal scholars.’  The author of Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul’s Letters, Philip Payne, tackles this challenging verse in the same way he has done throughout the rest of the book – with very detailed exegesis (with focus on immediate context, broader context of book and author, and canonical context), careful and close scrutiny of alternative views and an eye to historical interpretations.

Key points include:

• Verse 15 stands in direct contrast with the negative statements about woman’s deception and transgression in verse 14
• “be saved” refers to spiritual salvation with God as the agent of salvation.  Its future tense points forward beyond Eve to the Promised Saviour
• Eve is treated as representative on women in general
• Salvation from the fall (appealed to in v15) is that same salvation through the seed of the woman identified in Gen 3:15b
• “The terrible consequences of Eve’s deception highlight the seriousness of the deception of women in Ephesus.  Yet the story of Eve also offers women hope and dignity.  Although women experience pain in childbirth as a result of the fall, a woman gave birth to the promised Seed who will destroy Satan and overcome the fall.  Not only was woman the vehicle for the entry into the world of sin, dearth, and the power of Satan, she was also the vehicle for the entry into the world of the Savior who delivers people from sin and death.” (422)
• “though childbearing” (NIV) is literally “through the childbirth”: ‘through’ indicates the means, instrument, agency through which salvation came; ‘the childbirth’ refers to a specific childbirth – that of Christ.  Payne comments, “Paul evidently chose the particular expression “the childbirth” (as opposed to simply “Christ”) in order to highlight the positive role of woman in salvation and to counterbalance his immediately preceding citation of her negative role in the fall.” (437)
• v15 is not simply a call to a role; it is a call to the Saviour.
• v15b shifts to the plural – Eve’s descendants, to experience the salvation that Christ provides, must abide in faith, continue in love (defining mark of a Christian) and holiness (inevitable result of the work of the Holy Spirit).
• Paul is not advocating legalism to the women of Ephesus: bear children, be good.  Instead he is pointing them to ennobling life in Christ, who alone saves.” (441)

Chapter Twenty One: 1 Timothy 2:13-14: The Need for Respect, the Danger of Deception

¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” (NIV)

Payne makes the following points:

• v13 is best understood by 1 Cor 11:8, 12.  Man is the source of woman, and all the things that Paul has just commanded are predicated on respect for man.  Note that in Scripture the obligation to respect the other sex is mutual
• Eve’s deception in v14 “fits perfectly as a reason for an explanation of Paul’s restriction on women teaching in verse 12.”  The problems caused by women in the Ephesian church are reminiscent of Eve in Eden.  Eves in Ephesus were causing havoc, even brining spiritual death to themselves and others.
• What about Adam?  Elsewhere Adam is regarded as culpable for the fall (Rom 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:21f).  v14 “faithfully reflects Gen 3:1-5, where Satan did not target Adam for this deception but rather the woman.  Like Eve, women in Ephesus  were the target of false teachers…”
• The view put forward by some that women are more susceptible to deception than men is not sup[ported by Scripture.  ”Neither the Genesis narrative nor Paul draws any anthropological generalization from Eve’s deception.”

Our author concludes:

“This logical relationship between verses 11-12 and 13-14 supports the view that Paul restricted teaching by women because false teachers had deceived women in Ephesus….Eve’s deception vividly illustrates the danger when a woman is deceived.  Consequently, there is no need to attempt to find here a cryptic appeal to gender-based hierarchy established at creation.”

Chapter Twenty: 1 Tim 2:12: Part III  [on the subject of 'assume authority']

Go and make yourself a good cup of coffee and come back for this overview of a most important chpt. in Man and Woman – I’ll attempt to pick the key points out of a very detailed analysis.

The issue is the appropriate meaning of a rare Greek word translated  ”to have authority” (eg. NIV).  The three major interpretations are: “exercise authority,” “dominate,” and “assume authority.”  Payne’s very detailed analysis (your coffee will get cold!) comes down on the side of “assume authority.”  He rounds out the chapter with:

“Since false teaching is the occasion of this letter (1 Tim 1:3-11), and since false teaching influenced the women in Ephesus particularly, Paul first commands that women learn in quietness and full submission in order to to turn deceived women away from the false teaching and to encourage them to embrace the true gospel.  Combined with this, he institutes a present prohibition against any woman seizing authority for herself to teach a man.  Paul’s goal is to exclude unauthorised women from teaching men in the church.  This prohibition does not, however, restrict teaching by authorised women, such as Priscilla (2 Tim 4:9), since just such teaching might be critical in influencing deceived women to reject error and embrace the truth.”

Chapter Seventeen:1 Tim 2:8-11: “Let a woman learn in quietness and in all submission”

Chapter Eighteen: 1 Tim 2:12: Part 1: “I am not permitting a woman to teach”

Chapter Nineteen: 1 Tim 2:12: Part II: Does oude separate two prohibitions or conjoin them?”

Philip Payne now launches into some close-up work on 1 Timothy 2. In chpt. 17 he looks at vv8-11.

⁸I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. ⁹I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ¹⁰but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. ¹¹A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. (NIV)

Here are some of the exegetical conclusions drawn by Payne:

• the call in v8 for the men not to be angry or disputing “similarly” applies to women in v9
• Paul is concerned by immodesty and the flaunting of wealth (v9)
• some of the women in the Ephesian church were “professing godliness” in accordance with false teaching (see 6:1 and 2 Tim 3:5f)
• “quietness” in the context of the passage’s desire for peace without trouble is not silence but quietness-peace, the opposite of discord and disruption
• “full submission” refers to submission to Christian doctrine (‘submission’ modifies ‘to learn’).  Payne comments:

“Similarly, in verse 14, the woman was throughly deceived about God’s command.  The Genesis account of the woman’s deception deals entirely with the serpent’s distortion of God’s Word, not the man’s authority…Furthermore, Paul uses ‘transgression’ to refer explicitly to transgression of God’s law, never against male authority, and the same is true of the entire NT.”

In chpt. 18 our author looks at v12.  Some of the exegetical conclusions drawn by Payne are:

• A fundamental question is whether “I do not permit a woman to teach…” is a universal prohibition or relates to a particular situation in Ephesus?
• After a lengthy technical analysis, Payne concludes that “Paul’s verb choice favours a limited, not universal prohibition.”
• v12 does not restrict women from holding a specific position, such as pastor-teacher.  It prohibits an activity.
• “to teach” is not narrow – it is used in the sense of imparting knowledge or skills
• “teaching” not does have a particular authority in the church contra. prophecy
• the NT witness is that “Paul encouraged women to teach, and in his word usage “teaching” was not an activity restricted solely to particular individuals”
• the concern in 1 Timothy is not the original false teachers but their impact on others, especially women.  ”The most likely reason Paul commands women to learn in quietness, restricts their teaching and argues for it, based on Eve’s deception, is that there was a significant problem with women who had been deceived and were spreading this destructive teaching.

In chpt. 19 our author continues to look at v12 – particularly as to whether “to teach” and “to have authority over a man” are two different prohibitions or merged into one.  Payne’s conclusion, after a very detailed study is simply:

“…this verse does not prohibit women such as Priscilla from teaching men, as long as their authority is properly delegated, not self-assumed.  It simply prohibits women from assuming for themselves authority to teach men.”

Chapter Sixteen:1 Tim 2:8-15: Introduction”

Philip Payne now comes to the much debated section in 1 Timothy regarding women’s ministry.  He takes eight chapters in Man and Woman, One in Christ to consider in detail 1 Tim 2:8-15.

He begins by considering the situation in the Ephesus church addressed in this occasional letter.  Our author concludes that the Pastoral Epistles were authored by Paul but penned by Luke; the time setting was after his first imprisonment in Rome (ending between AD 61 and 63) and his execution under Nero (sometime between AD 64 and 68).

Payne contends that the primary purpose in writing this first letter to Timothy was to advise him on how to overcome false teaching in the church at Ephesus.  In this introductory chapter, there are two main topics considered by our author:

False Teachers: The havoc wrought by false teaching teaching dominates the entire letter (see esp. 1:3-11, 18-20; 4:1-8; 5:11-15; 6:9-10).  Chapter 2 is linked to this problem of false teachers in a number of ways:

• by the use of ‘therefore’ in v1
• by the use of ‘first of all’ showing that Paul is going to identify the first thing that needs to be addressed because of the contentiousness caused by the false teaching
• the theme in chpt.2 of quietness and peace is in contrast to the environment created by the false teachers
• the reference in 2:14 to Eve’s deception also links to false teaching.

Our author also looks at the false teaching in chpts. 3 to 6. His conclusion: the church at Ephesus had been infiltrated by an early from of Gnosticism (clear link with five problems identified in 1:3-11).  Further, the prominent teaching role of women in Gnostic circles helps explain Paul’s restriction on women teaching in this situation.

Women’s involvement in the false teaching: Payne reviews the letter and finds numerous instances where Paul describes women using identical or similar expressions to those used to describe false teachers.  Further, “no other book of the bible has a higher proportion of verses focussed specifically on problems regarding women: 21 out of 113 verses.”  In 5:13, the Greek word “gossip” (NIV) in fact most likely means ‘teachings or philosophies opposed to the truth.’  False teaching had deceived the women in Ephesus (2:14).

But why was it so attractive to women, especially widows?  The false teaching (encompassing resurrection already taken place; forbidding marriage; food restrictions) pointed to an overly realised eschatology – women in Ephesus likely considered themselves in the ideal state before Christ – highly attractive if you were a widow pushed out to the fringe of society.  More than that, with the philosophy that the body is spiritually unimportant, the male false teachers propagating this heresy appear to have had illicit sexual relations with women caught up in their teaching.

Payne concludes that the “problems caused by women depict a situation where women had become central to the false teaching that was dividing the church.”  And so Paul, seeking to bring peace in the church, puts forward 2:11-12 as a practical solution to the situation in the Ephesian church.

Our author finishes his chapter with eight reasons that support the conclusion that 1 Timothy is “not a manual on church order but is rather a letter from Paul giving Timothy specific instructions for dealing with false teaching in Ephesus.”

Even if you are not particularly focussed on 1 Tim 2:8-15, I recommend chpt. 16 of Man and Woman as an excellent overview of 1 Timothy.