Insight from 1 Timothy 2:<\/p>\n
1 Timothy 2:11\u201312 work together. These two verses are highly structured, and the reader is supposed to see this structure. English translations can, due to the awkward word order employed in Greek (awkward at least to our ears!), obscure this structure. It is helpful here, therefore, to consider the Greek text. Verse 11 begins with \u201cin silence\u201d (\u1f10\u03bd \u1f21\u03c3\u03c5\u03c7\u1f77\u1fb3) and verse 12 ends with \u201cin silence\u201d (\u1f10\u03bd \u1f21\u03c3\u03c5\u03c7\u1f77\u1fb3). Scholars refer to this type of repetition as an \u201cenvelope<\/b>\u201d (or \u201cinclusio\u201d). Authors \u201cbuild\u201d an envelope by repeating key words at the beginning and end of a passage. Everything within the envelope is somehow connected to the key word or words. Even if you do not know Greek, consider the words highlighted in bold below:<\/p>\n
11 \u0393\u03c5\u03bd\u1f74 \u1f10\u03bd \u1f21\u03c3\u03c5\u03c7\u1f77\u1fb3 <\/b>\u00b5\u03b1\u03bd\u03b8\u03b1\u03bd\u1f73\u03c4\u03c9 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c0\u1f71\u03c3\u1fc3 \u1f51\u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u03b1\u03b3\u1fc7\u0387 12 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b4\u1f71\u03c3\u03ba\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9\u03ba\u1f76 \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u1f10\u03c0\u03b9\u03c4\u03c1\u1f73\u03c0\u03c9 \u03bf\u1f50\u03b4\u1f72 \u03b1\u1f50\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd \u1f00\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u1f79\u03c2, \u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1fbf \u03b5\u1f36\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f10\u03bd \u1f21\u03c3\u03c5\u03c7\u1f77\u1fb3<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Here is a very wooden English translation of the Greek. This translation allows consideration of Paul\u2019s emphasis here. Notice, again, the words highlighted in bold:<\/p>\n
11 A woman in silence<\/b> let her learn in all submission. 12 But to teach by a woman I do not permit or to have authority of a man, but (she is) to be in silence<\/b>.<\/p>\n
An envelope in literature is similar to how a large manila envelope might work in a home. If someone wrote \u201creceipts for taxes\u201d on the front of the envelope, and \u201creceipts for taxes\u201d on the back of the envelope, anyone picking up the manila envelope would know what to expect to find inside of the envelope. In the same way, by using an envelope, Paul signals that everything in verses 11 and 12 somehow relates to women being \u201cin silence\u201d in the church.<\/p>\n
To be \u201cin silence,\u201d for Paul, is not a negative thing. These words actually carry a connotation of peace and contentment. Consider how the word is used in two other New Testament passages:<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said …\u201d (Acts 22:2)<\/p>\n
\u201cNow such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.\u201d (2 Thessalonians 3:12)<\/p>\n
In fact, Louw & Nida<\/i> (one of the standard Greek lexicons) offers the following entirely positive definition for \u1f21\u03c3\u03c5\u03c7\u1f77\u1fb3 (\u201cin silence\u201d): \u201cTo live in a quiet, peaceful, mild manner\u2014to live a quiet life, peaceful living\u201d (Louw & Nida).<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cIn silence\u201d should not lead to ideas of muzzling. The words are not negative in any way. Instead, the words should bear the idea of a place of peace, rest, and safety.<\/p>\n
Much more can be said about this passage and its meaning. But this brief consideration of \u201cin silence\u201d should demonstrate Paul\u2019s desires here are not to harm women or diminish their personhood in any way. His words are intended to allow her \u201cto live in a quiet, peaceful, mild manner.\u201d His words point toward flourishing, not diminishment.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_crdt_document":""},"class_list":["post-4689","reading-plan","type-reading-plan","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan\/4689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reading-plan"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}