Paul’s ministry is generally considered to have spanned from around 34 AD, following his conversion, until his death around 67 AD, making it approximately 33 years.
1 Timothy 2’s instructions on worship provide guidance on public conduct and demeanor of Christ-believers by the Apostle Paul in the Jewish synagogues where the converted Gentiles were joining in worship. They were unfamiliar with Jewish traditions as Paul had experienced them.
Jesus believers continued worshipping in the synagogues until they were expelled in 70 AD as Christ-believer’s doctrine became more and more divergent from the practice and teaching of Judaism, including the practice of Sunday worship in home churches as they began to evolve.
looking at 1 Timothy 2!from that perspective, Paul is speaking from his own experience of synogogue traditions:
“ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.”
Here Paul establishes his authority as an apostle of Christ, then follows it up with expectations for public worship in local synogogues where men and women are not to make a scene, but conduct themselves modestly and well-behaved, not arguing or standing out in unseemly ways. He reminds them that Jesus followers are worshipping the one true God of Jews and are not at odds with Jews, but are adopted into the life of the people of God.
“THEREFORE, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds,appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.
( Here’s Paul’s WHY!)
FOR Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.”
Contextually, Paul is speaking of his own personal practice of women not speaking or teaching then harkening back to Genesis and the creation story of man having been formed FIRST by God, then woman, also by God (from out of the man!). Paul’s simplistic observation and rationale to the Gentiles for not allowing women to teach or have authority seems next to lie in his observation that Adam was not deceived, but Eve was. And apparently his opinion at that point was that Eve alone sinned.
That is not consistent with God calling out Adam, chastising him and then rendering a curse in judgment upon him as well as upon Eve (and the serpent!).Furthermore, New Testament statements by Paul elsewhere point to the reality that while sin entered the world through one man, and accrued to all mankind, so, too salvation comes through one man, Jesus Christ, and makes salvation available to all.
See Romans 5:12-19
“THEREFORE, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
Clearly, Paul reveals some conflict in his articulation of the origin of sin, and matures in his understanding of the oneness God intended for Adam and Eve as partners and co-conspirators in sinning. (NOTE, too, Paul was not married!) I have written about this elsewhere and I believe it is clear God did not dump all,!or even most of the responsibility on Eve, as Paul appears to in this 1 Timothy 2text. And Paul’s very next statement shows a clear understanding of his own conflicted positions….
Returning to 1 Timothy 2: “BUT, women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.”
From what will women be saved? From the immediately preceding verse in Timothy 2! It would seem he is excusing Eve and womanhood in general for being the deceived one who sinned first, and also from the curse women received from God as a result of her part in it….that women would have pain increased in childbirth, but in spite of that pain, their desire will still be for their husband, and to control him. So, Paul says here, if she bears children AND maintains a posture of continuing in faith, love and holiness with propriety, she will be saved.
Saved from what? That which resulted from her sin? From God’s curse? From separation from God? (Hint: all of the above.)
Faith in whom? Love for whom? Holiness according to whom? And propriety according to whose standards? Well, the apparent answer to all of those would be toward God and in keeping with God’s will. It would appear to be a release from the curse of desiring one’s husband above the commanded priority of keeping and loving God as one’s first and only priority. (Since one can only have ONE priority!)
This “desire” contained in the woman’s curse by God can quickly become dependency on a man or, alternately, on her children for giving her life significance or security that define her identity. Anyone we allow to define our identity other than God becomes a hindrance to our relationship with God and is itself the curse’s burden that can be overcome by continuing in faith, love and holiness with propriety, in the eyes of God for God.
Any use of this chapter to justify misogynistic suppression of women’s expression of their gifts and graces shows ignorance of Paul’s life, of early church history, of the whole instruction of Scripture, and of the dangers of dependency or codependency by a woman of God on anyone…. parents, spouse, children, etc. in lieu of keeping the LORD God first in your life. Incidentally, the same expectation for keeping relationship with God first in one’s own life AND in his marriage is also an obligation on the man, as well. He, every bit as much as a woman, certainly should know that. But since God’s curse on the woman sets up a possible misinterpretation that can lead to idolatry of a woman for a man, a man for a woman, or either one of them or both for themselves. How could anyone possibly believe that a good and loving Father could condemn any daughter of His to the kind of controlling, demeaning abuse and misogyny that some men have interpreted as a man’s privilege and blessing arising from a curse on a woman? And in fact, God has given godly women in equally yoked marriages a clear release from domineering men and from desiring to dominate her husband. Both have ONE LORD, God, Savior, Master, and example… Jesus Christ. A man is to love and guide his wife as Jesus loves and guides His bride, the church,.
A woman is to obey her husband (and appropriate other leaders ) as unto the LORD. For her to do that he had best be learning how to live into that kind of love and leadership himself. The two are ONE in Christ, not competing entities for power, but servants of Christ and one another. Each needs to edify and encourage the other in that goal.
3/19/26. From my post on Facebook…
A younger generation pastor I know shared this with me. He has called me a spiritual mother to men as well as to women and has shown appreciation for my ministry.
Today I read a statement that said that a hallmark of Christian nationalism’s character is misogyny. I am not a Christian nationalist, nor am I aware of people in my circle who are. I look forward to the day when the LORD God puts an end to biblical ignorance that undergirds religious nationalism and religious misogyny….
https://disciplerofself.com/teaching/satans-miscalculation/