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1Ti_2:11-12. Further injunctions for women.
γυνὴ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ μανθανέτω ] ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ , “without speaking herself;” μανθάνειν denotes here, as in 1Co_14:31, attention to the word in order to learn from it what is necessary for advancing and building up the Christian life.
ἐν πάσῃ ὑποταγῇ ] “in complete subordination,” i.e. without contradiction.
The thought here expressed is to be filled up by what Paul says in 1Co_14:35 (which passage should be particularly compared with this[104]): ΕἸ ΔΈ ΤΙ ΜΑΘΕῖΝ ΘΈΛΟΥΣΙΝ , ἘΝ ΟἼΚῼ ΤΟῪς ἸΔΊΟΥς ἌΝΔΡΑς ἘΠΕΡΩΤΆΤΩΣΙΝ .—“Spiritual receptivity and activity in domestic life were recognised as the appropriate destiny of women, and therefore the female sex was excluded from the public discussion of religious subjects” (Neander, Geschichte der Pflanzung der Kirche durch die Aposteln, Part I. p. 125). Though in Christ there is no distinction, yet Christianity does not put an end to the natural distinctions ordained by God; it recognises them in order to inform them with its higher life.
διδάσκειν δὲ γυναικὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπω ] Διδ . stands first in emphatic opposition to ΜΑΝΘΆΝΕΙΝ ; in the parallel passage (1 Corinthians 14) ΔΙΔ . stands instead of the more general word ΛΑΛΕῖΝ .
ΟὐΔῈ ΑὐΘΕΝΤΕῖΝ ἈΝΔΡΌς ] Leo: “ ΑὐΘΕΝΤΕῖΝ et ΑὐΘΈΝΤΗς apud seriores tantum scriptores ita occurrit, ut dominii notionem involvat; melioribus scriptoribus est αὐθέντης idem quod ΑὐΤΌΧΕΙΡ ” (see Valckenaer, Diatr. in Eurip. rell. chap. 18 pp. 188 ff.; Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 120). Luther has rightly: “that she be master of her husband;” whereas in the translation: “to assume to herself respect or mastery” (Heydenreich, de Wette, van Oosterzee), the notion of assumption is imported. Hofmann, too, is wrong when he says that αὐθεντεῖν in conjunction with the genitive of the person should mean: “to act independently of this person, i.e. as one’s own master” (!).
Many expositors (Matthies, and earlier, Estius, Calovius, and others) assume in this word a reference to domestic relations; whereas Heydenreich, de Wette, Wiesinger, and others, limit even this command to behaviour in the assemblies for divine worship.[105] This last is correct, as is shown by ἈΛΛʼ ΕἾΝΑΙ ἘΝ ἩΣΥΧΊᾼ , corresponding to ἘΝ ἩΣΥΧΊᾼ in 1Ti_2:11. Yet ΟὐΔῈ ΑὐΘΕΝΤΕῖΝ Τ . ἈΝΔΡ . puts the prohibition to teach under a more general point of view, and at the same time confirms it. Nor can it be denied that women are not ΑὐΘΕΝΤΕῖΝ Τ . ἈΝΔΡ . in the assemblies, because in the apostle’s opinion that does not beseem them at any time. The reason why not, is given in the verses that follow.
It is to be observed, further, that 1Ti_2:12 corresponds exactly with 1Ti_2:11 : ΓΥΝῊ … ΓΥΝΑΙΚΊ ; ΜΑΝΘΑΝΈΤΩ … ΔΙΔΆΣΚΕΙΝ ΟὐΚ ἘΠΙΤΡΈΠΩ ; ἘΝ ΠΆΣῌ ὙΠΟΤΑΓῇ … ΟὐΔῈ ΑὐΘΕΝΤΕῖΝ ΤΟῦ ἈΝΔΡ .; ἘΝ ἩΣΥΧΊᾼ … ἈΛΛʼ ΕἾΝΑΙ ἘΝ ἩΣΥΧΊᾼ . This parallelism is clear proof that the same thing is spoken of in 1Ti_2:12 as in 1Ti_2:11, which Hofmann denies. Still 1Ti_2:12 is not therefore superfluous, since it both emphasizes and more precisely defines the particular ideas in 1Ti_2:11.
ἈΛΛʼ ΕἾΝΑΙ ἘΝ ἩΣΥΧΊᾼ ] The same construction is found in 1Co_14:34. The infinitive is dependent on a ΒΟΎΛΟΜΑΙ to be supplied from ΟὐΚ ἘΠΙΤΡΈΠΩ —an abbreviated construction which occurs also in classic Greek.
De Wette rightly directs attention to these points, that we must not by arbitrary interpretations take away the clear definite meaning from the commands here laid down, in order to make them universal in application; and, on the other hand, that they are not to be considered as local and temporal ordinances: they are rather injunctions to be still held valid as applying to public assemblies.[106]
[104] Otto quotes the agreement of these passages with one another as a proof that the letters are contemporaneous. It is, however, to be observed that Paul himself, in the words: ὡς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῶς ἁγίων (1Co_11:33), describes the maxim as one which he was seeking to establish in all the churches. Hence there is nothing strange in his urging it on Timothy’s attention at a later period, just as he had urged it before on the Corinthians.
[105] Hofmann, in opposition to these two views, maintains that the apostle here speaks of the “Christian life in general,” “of all action for which there was occasion in ordinary life;” but the context gives no ground for his assertion.
[106] Compare with this apostolic expression, Const. Apost. iii. 6 : οὐκ ἐπιτρέπομεν γυναῖκας διδάσκειν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ , ἀλλὰ μόνον προσεύχεσθαι καὶ τῶν διδασκάλων ἐπακούειν . Tertull. De Virg. Vel.: non permittitur mulieri in ecclesia loqui, sed nec docere, nec tinguere, nec ullius virilis muneris, nedum sacerdotalis officii sortem sibi vindicare. It is curious that in the Apost. Const. it is permitted to women προσεύχεσθαι in church, while here it is granted only to men to do so. But, on the one hand, προσεύχεσθαι in the Constitutions does not mean exactly prayer aloud; and, on the other hand, this passage here does not plainly and directly forbid προσεύχεσθαι to women; it only forbids distinctly διδάσκειν on their part.—There is the same apparent contradiction between 1Co_14:34-35, and 1Co_11:5; 1Co_11:13. While in the former passage λαλεῖν is forbidden to women, in the latter προσεύχεσθαι and even προθητεύειν are presupposed as things done by women, and the apostle does not rebuke it.—The solution is, that Paul wishes everything in church to be done εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν ; while, on the other hand, he holds by the principle: “ τὸ πνεῦμα μὴ σβέννυτε ” (1Th_5:19). Meyer on 1Co_11:5 differs.