Deep Creek Anglican Church Blog

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

We now come to the wrap-up chapter in Philip Payne’s magnum opus Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul’s Letters.  Our author, who we have journeyed with now for many months, concludes:

• Paul champions the freedom and equality for women both in principle (eg. 1 Cor 11:10-12) and in practice (eg. women are affirmed in ministry roles)
• 1 Cor 14:34-35 is an interpolation, not originally in the text of the Letter and in contradiction to “Paul’s repeated affirmations in this chapter that the entire church should encourage or teach one another in worship”
• 1 Tim 2:12 does not prohibit women from exercising authority over men.  It only prohibits women from assuming for themselves authority over men that the church had not granted them
• Paul’s concern in 1 Tim 2 is to specifically restrict women (the only group identified as influenced by false teachings) from taking authority into their own hands to teach in public gatherings of the church where men are present – it is particular situation in Ephesus.

At the end of 463 pages, Philip Payne finishes with this prayer:

“It is my prayer that one day soon the church with substantial unanimity will affirm that woman and man are not separate in status or privilege from one another in the Lord, but are, indeed, one in Christ.”

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 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 Fifteen: Ephesians 5:21-33 and Colossians 3:18-19: Husband-Wife Relationships”

We return to Philip Payne’s very significant book Man and Woman, One in Christ.

Philip begins this chapter highlighting that Paul’s ‘household rules’ are vastly different to those in the 1st C secular world.  ”Paul goal is the actualisation of the “New humanity” where all members are filled with the Spirit and nurtured in Christ (Eph 5:18).”

Our author contends that Paul’s statements do not endorse a hierarchical structure, so prevalent in that 1st C world.  For example, Paul effectively undermines slavery – the image of God in humankind and the family of believers who are one in Christ is fundamentally incompatible with slavery (see also 1 Tim 1:10).

Before our author gets into the detail of Eph 5:21ff with its instructions on husbands and wives, he highlights the importance of mutuality and love in the Letter to the Ephesians.  Payne comments,

“True love for one’s wife is not compatible with a husband completely controlling her life, just as true love is not compatible with a master completely controlling his slave’s life or for a parent controlling his mature child’s life.”

Paul writes in Eph 5:21 (NIV): ^“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  Payne notes that:

• the reciprocal pronoun (“one another”) shows that Paul is not in the following verses endorsing hierarchical social structures [Payne gives an extended discussion on v21 and refutes Wayne Grudem's approach in pp 277-283]
• v22 (“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord”) is in fact embedded in one long sentence in the original that goes from 5:18-24.  Additionally, ‘submit’ is not in v22, which depends on the verb ‘submit’ in v21 – ie. husbands need to submit to their wives as well.
• Additionally, it is not only husbands who are to love their wives – the reverse applies (see Eph 5:2; Tit 2:4).
• So how do we make sense of vv22, 25 with their calls for women to ‘submit’ and men to ‘love’?  Payne’s answer is important:

“Paul highlights for women and men what each tends to need to hear most.” (277)

The second critical issue that Payne wrestles with is the meaning of “head” in v23.  This is an analogous relationship put forward by Paul between husband/wife and Christ/church.  So the starting point is to understand what is meant by: “Christ is the head of the church“.  Our author makes the following points:

• By placing “saviour” in apposition [ie. the placing of a word or expression beside another so that the second explains and has the same grammatical construction as the first] to “head”, we are to understand “head” as equivalent in meaning to “saviour.”  And Paul’s following descriptions of Christ’s relationship to the church do not stress authority but rather His actions as saviour, the source of life and nourishment of the Body.
• The parallel use of “head” in Col 1:18 confirms that Paul intended this image to convey “source.”
• By using the metaphor of ‘head’ Paul encourages readers to consider how a head is s source for the body. ie. the husband is the person on whom the wife depends just as the church depends on Christ – and therefore submission is appropriate.
• When a husband is the “head” of the wife in the sense of self-giving, his wife has good reason to submit to his loving nourishment and “submission” becomes a joyous response.  [Clearly 'submission' does not entail doing anything wrong]

I found Payne’s analysis very helpful.  My understanding of this passage starts with the command of Eph 5:18 on being filled with the Spirit.  What follows, all the way down to Eph 6:9, are descriptions of what this looks like in the church and in everyday life.  And clearly Eph 5:21 is an overarching verse on the conduct of our relationships.  Payne’s examination of v21 and its link with v22, and the analysis of the ‘head’ metaphor has put much more meat on my understanding of this passage.

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

Payne begins Man and Woman, One in Christ with an examination of the various influences on Saul / Paul:

• his Hellenistic and Jewish cultural context, including Gamaliel his early teacher
• the Scriptures
• Jesus.

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Hellenistic Culture: There was considerable variety in the treatment of Hellenistic women across the various regions.  Women had more freedom in the western portions of the Hellenistic world and in Egypt.  In 1st century Hellenism, women were generally treated as their husband’s property.  There were strong social conventions so as not to give the appearance of an adulteress or prostitute.  During Paul’s lifetime, women began to assume new roles.  But most women lacked formal education.

Gamaliel and contrasting Jewish culture: See Acts 5:34; 22:3.  Rabban Gamaliel I was held in high esteem.  His sayings in the Mishnah indicate a favourable attitude toward women in sharp contrast to the rabbinic tradition as a whole.  Payne notes that with few exceptions, the overall picture of Jewish tradition from around the time of Paul is fairly consistent in its low view of women – as witnessed in the writings of Josephus, Philo and Sirach.

The Scriptures: The OT was a key influence on Paul, and in relation to women, especially the OT account of creation and fall.  Gen 1:26 reveals that God’s image is not restricted to the male, nor does the text imply any difference between the image of God in man and woman.  Gen 1:28 shows that God’s blessings encompass both man and woman and highlight intimate personal relationships.  The text of Gen 2-3 shows the equal status and mutual responsibility of man and woman.  Payne notes that a counter position is argued by some, viz. man is in a position of authority over woman and hence it is Christian duty for women to be subordinate to men.  Payne considers eleven arguments by such proponents, as follows:

1. Man was created before woman and therefore should have authority over woman. Payne however notes that woman was created second highlighting man’s need for a partner – Gen 2:18-20 does not imply that man has authority over woman.
2. Gen 2:18 stresses woman as ‘helper.’ Payne however states that the relevant noun is translated throughout the OT as ‘help, saviour, rescuer, provider.’  He concludes, “Only with her is he able to fulfill his command to multiply and fill the earth, and together they “rule over all creatures.”"
3. Man has authority because he has more active roles. Payne responds: God is the active creator.  At the crucial point of the creation of woman, man is entirely passive.
4. The woman is morally inferior. Gen 3:6 does not support this contention.  It simply tells us that the man was with the woman and he took the fruit from her.
5. Eve usurped the man’s headship. Again Payne notes that Gen 3:6 does not support this argument.  The sin is disobedience (Gen 3:11).
6. Gen 3:9 implies that man is God’s appointed head. Payne – both man and woman are called to account together by God
7. The man is responsible for religious decisions. Response: nothing in Gen 1-3 implies Adam’s religious or social leadership.
8. The prophecy to the woman in Gen 3:16 is a command ie. ‘he should rule over you.’ Payne in response quotes Claus Westermann: “the domination of the husband and the consequent subordination of the wife is seen as something which is not normal (hence as punishment).”  Man’s rule over a woman is a consequence of the Fall, and is not something good to be fostered.
9. Gen 3:17 implies that Adam abandoned his headship because he listened to his wife. Payne notes rather that Adam was fully culpable for eating the fruit and God’s rebuke highlights both his disobedience and his refusal to take responsibility.
10. The woman is not told that her curse flows from her deed.  Adam, as the head, was finally responsible. Payne comments that Gen 3:13 shows that God does care about the woman’s deed, and God’s statement of consequences for the woman precedes the consequences for the man.
11. God naming the human race ‘man’ in Gen 5:2 implies male headship. Payne – ‘man’ in Gen 1:26f and 5:1 refers to ‘man and female.’

Payne then lists twenty statements in Gen 1-3 that depict man and woman equally.

Having considered Gen 1-3, Payne looks at a woman’s marital position in Scripture.  He notes that in Prov 31:10-31 the “excellent wife” has a broad range of important responsibilities.

In considering a woman’s social position in Scripture, Payne notes those who held political leadership – Miriam  (Mic 6:4); Deborah (Judg 2:16, 18; 4:6); Esther (Esth 7:1-10).

The author then considers a woman’s religious position in Scripture.  He notes that in the OT there is no command for women to be silent in religious gatherings, indeed note Isa 40:9; Ps 68:11.  The prophetess Huldah is consulted by the priests (2 Kgs 22), when both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were available.  See also Joel 2:28f.  Payne postulates that the reason that women are not recorded in the OT as holding the office of priest is the association of priestesses in some heathen cults.

Jesus Christ: Jesus treated women as persons equal with God.  Against the culture He accepted a woman’s testimony (John 20:14ff).  He gives “no hint that the nature of God’s will for women is different than for men.”  But what about the choice of only men as His disciples?  Payne comments that women travelling with Jesus for three years would have raised legitimate suspicion, with the gospel undermined.

Comment: This is a helpful introductory chapter, examining the various influences on Saul / Paul.  The historical data on Hellenistic and Jewish attitudes to women is quite extensive.  The section on Gen 1 – 3 would have been assisted by verse-by-verse exegesis (at least the verses relating to the topic) rather than responding to somewhat disjointed objections.

Evonne Paddison is the CEO of ACCESS Ministries.  As part of the Arrow Australia Leadership Team, Evonne is the joint editor of ‘A Passion for Leadership’ and authors the chapter:

Chapter Six: Leadership under Fire – Lessons from Paul in 2 Corinthians (Evonne Paddison)

In 2 Corinthians, the apostle defends his integrity, behaviour and ministry as well as the Corinthian believers from apostasy.  With his leadership under attack, Paul exemplifies:

• Humility and resolve: Under attack, a leader’s true character is proved.  Paul is very clear that no-one is sufficient for proclaiming the truth of the gospel.  It is God who leads him in his ministry and he is but a servant.
• Transparency and integrity: Who does not find having their integrity questioned painful?  For Paul, God is his witness (2 Cor 1:23).  He is but a humble container (2 Cor 4:7-11) – salvation is the work of God alone, who will deliver him (2 Cor 4:13-18).  Christian leadership demands integrity in every aspect of our lives and ministry practices.
• Enduring zeal, vision and commitment: Paul knew that one day he would be judged by Christ and his ministry examined.  Paul’s aim was to please the Lord.  He had an enduring vision of reconciliation of God and man, and re-creation (2 Cor 5:11-21).  Paul is totally committed to the Corinthians – as seen in his sufferings and open heartedness toward them.

Evonne concludes: “The lesson for leaders to learn from the life of Paul in his Corinthian correspondence is success is not measured by our won achievements, nor by the attractiveness of a message made to please its audience…[rather] by a heart, a mind and a spirit that rely on God and are absorbed by His will being done and are compelled by His love for all people.”