Note 6 at 1 Tim. 2:11: There is a great controversy in the church today over these verses. The contention has increased with the change of women's roles in society. There isn't a simple answer, but a subtle point in this passage should defuse much of the contention.

Paul is not teaching that women in general, are to submit to men in general (Col. 3:18). Paul is speaking about a wife not taking by force, the leadership role over her husband.

That is the point of Paul specifying that women should not usurp authority over "THE man." This singles out an individual man, not mankind. It refers to a wife not being her husband's boss. Paul is saying that a wife is to let the husband take the leadership role in the church (Eph. 5:22-24). She is to let her husband speak.

The word "usurp" in this verse further strengthens this interpretation. Usurp means, "To seize and hold, . . . by force and without legal right or authority" (NAHD). Paul is talking against a woman lording it over her husband. We've all seen boisterous women with little mousy husbands. That's what Paul is speaking against.

This is similar to what Paul goes on to say about the men in the next chapter. He told Timothy not to make a man a bishop who couldn't rule his own house. Likewise, he is saying that a woman should not speak in the church if she's trying to usurp her husband's authority. If a man's home isn't in order, he shouldn't minister, and if a woman's husband isn't in agreement with her saying something, she should be quiet.

The reason for Paul's instruction about the wife keeping quiet is to keep her from usurping authority over her husband. This does not forbid women to speak in the church if their husbands are in agreement.

Paul spoke of women praying and prophesying in the church services (1 Cor. 11:5). Priscilla instructed Apollos (Acts 18:26) and Paul instructed the older women to teach the younger women (Tit. 2:3-4). It appears that Paul does not forbid women to teach under appropriate circumstances.

In verses 13-15, Paul continues his argument using Adam and Eve as an example of a husband and wife relationship. This is not a "men are superior to women" passage of scripture, but a "husbands are the head of their wives" (Eph. 5:23) passage.

Note 7 at 1 Tim. 2:11: The Greek word for silence (HESUCHIA) used in verses 11-12, was also used in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 as a "description of the life of one who stays at home doing his own work, and does not officiously meddle with the affairs of others" (Thayer's). The word "officiously" means, "Excessively forward in offering one's services or advice to others"(NAHD). In that passage, it is clear that Paul is not telling people to work in total silence, but to mind their own business.

Likewise, in 1 Timothy 2:11-12, Paul is not talking about complete silence. This same Greek word was used in Acts 22:2 and 2 Th.3:12 to mean "undisturbed, settled down and unruly" (Strong's). Apparently, the women had gotten out of hand in the church services and Paul was putting things in order by telling them to let their husbands do the talking.