Day 15 - I Timothy 2:13-15

A Daily Devotional Study of I Timothy

Pagan Feminism

h 1 Timothy 2:13-15    h

¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ¹⁵Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

W

hen Eve saw her co-likeness lying flat, she showed pity upon him and said, “Adam, live! Rise up upon the earth!” Straightway her word became a deed. For when Adam had risen up, he immediately opened his eyes. When he saw her, he said, “You will be called the mother of the living, because you are the one who has given me life.” 
(taken from I Suffer Not a Woman by Richard & Catherine Clark Kroeger)

The above quotation is from writings that archaeologists have unearthed from the region and period in which Paul wrote his letter. The writings are Gnostic, an early heresy that mixed Christian teachings with pagan myths. Interestingly, all the creation accounts from this literature give preeminence to Eve and present her as the one who gives life to Adam and instructs him.

These discoveries help clarify why Paul used a strange Greek word, authentein, in verse 12. It is the word from which we get “author” and “authentic,” and it refers to the origin of a person or thing. It also carried connotations of dominance and control. In one situation, it referred to a murderer, who was said to have authenteined the victim. Aware of this, we can more accurately identify the false teaching being confronted in Ephesus.

Remember that Ephesian culture gave primacy to the female. This was because the culture of Ephesus was rooted in the worship of Artemis, the most famous goddess of the ancient world. Her massive temple in Ephesus was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Portrayed as self-sufficient, she was a fertility goddess, and could reproduce without the help of a male cohort. According to one ancient source, the legendary female army, the Amazons, originated in Ephesus, and Artemis was their role model. Because of the preeminence of Artemis in Ephesus, female primacy permeated all areas of Ephesian life and culture.

Syncretism Ran Rampant in the Ephesian Church

What the Gnostic literature demonstrates is that the ideas of Artemis and her female primacy have become intertwined with the Biblical account of creation. This mixture of different beliefs is known as syncretism and it had become the basis for the continuation of female primacy among the Christians in Ephesus. In other words, a radical feminist movement, based in pagan myths mixed with Biblical stories, is running rampant in Ephesus. According to 1:3, correcting this false teaching is the reason Paul left Timothy in Ephesus.

Why Paul Uses a Strange Greek Word

This would explain why Paul uses the strange Greek word authentein in this passage (2:12). This is the only place in the New Testament that this word is found because this is the only place and time where its use was relative and appropriate. By using authentein, Paul is saying that he does not allow a woman to teach that the female authored the male, thereby, claiming superiority and control. This is what the false teachers in Ephesus are propagating. Paul is setting the record straight (v. 13-14), pointing to the Genesis account of Adam being formed, then Eve. He merely points out that Eve was not Adam’s teacher, as the false teachers claim, but was actually deceived by the serpent. 

Stop Abusing Scripture 

This passage (I Timothy 2:11-15), therefore, should never be used to place restrictions on women today. To do so is to misuse and abuse Scripture. To do so is a failure to rightly divide the word of truth as Paul commanded in II Timothy 2:15. Paul is here addressing a local situation that is directly related to the city of Ephesus at that time. Nonetheless, there are things that we can learn from this passage. 

Confronting the Same Issues Today

There is a pagan or secular feminism today that we must distinguish from the Biblical truth of equality. Secular feminism has no standard of truth and will draw on myths, legends and all kinds of even conflicting sources to try and make their point. It often comes across as angry and in-your-face. Biblical equality, on the other hand, is based on (1) the creation account of Genesis 1-2 where there is gender equality and mutuality; (2) an understanding that gender inequality came with the fall of Genesis 3; and (3) that Jesus came to restore things as they were before sin entered the world and that He is the true liberator of both men and women.

Reflection & Prayer

Thank you, O Lord, for liberating both women and men through your death and glorious resurrection. Thank you for giving us understanding that Paul, in this passage, is not limiting or restricting all women but is dealing with a particular situation of false teaching in the city of Ephesus. Thank you for helping us to “rightly divide the word of truth” so that we will bring your glorious freedom to men and women everywhere. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!