Getting the Whole Picture, Part 10: False Teaching in 1 Timothy 2:12

Paul is writing to Timothy in the midst of a serious pastoral crisis. False teaching was spreading rapidly in the young church at Ephesus and causing considerable spiritual damage. New believers were being confused, deceived, and in some cases led away from the faith. It is this urgent situation that prompts this letter to Timothy. 

In the context of Ephesus, a city steeped in magic, sorcery, and the well known and oft cited “Ephesia grammata” (magical spells), this was not simply harmless chatter. The Ephesia grammata was a well known incantation inscribed on the statue of Artemis (I expand on this in a future part of this series on women and witchcraft in Ephesus). 

The false teaching seems to be a toxic mix of speculative myths, blaspheme, magical practices, and early proto-Gnostic ideas. Some women were apparently involved in spreading it (see 4:7 and 5:13).

Part 10 makes a case that 1 Timothy 2:12 is not about women teaching sound doctrine and truth, but addressing and correcting a specific woman involved in false teaching (didaskein) with an attitude and behavior (authentein) causing confusion and harm in the church in Ephesus. 

This letter is about more than worship and church order, it is about people that are causing problems for the believers, including many new converts, and Paul and Timothy restoring truth and trust in the Family of God. It is into a specific problematic situation that Paul writes: “I do not permit a woman to teach (didaskein) or (oude) to authentein a man…” (1 Tim 2:12).

Paul’s deep pastoral concern for the believers in Ephesus is throughout this letter! Consider how Paul describes the false teaching. He does not hesitate to use strong language about the danger of false teaching:

• 1 Timothy 1:3–4 - Paul opens the letter commanding Timothy to confront certain people (men & women) teaching “any different doctrine” and promoting “myths and endless genealogies” that led to speculation instead of “faith working through love.”
• 1 Timothy 1:6–7 — Some had swerved into “vain discussion” (hapax: ματαιολογίαν) and desired to be teachers of the law, “without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”
• 1 Timothy 1:20 — Paul mentions two specific men, Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom he had “handed over to Satan” to stop their blasphemy.
• 1 Timothy 3:6 — When giving qualifications for those serving in ministry including teaching, Paul warns that new converts are not ready, because they might “become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the devil.”
• 1 Timothy 4:1–3 — “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, through the insincerity of liars… who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving.”
• 1 Timothy 4:7 — Paul calls it “irreverent, silly myths” (literally “old-womanish myths,” hapax: γραώδεις μύθους).
• 1 Timothy 5:13–15 — Paul warns that some younger widows “learn to be idle, going about from house to house, and not only idle, but also gossips/harmful speech (hapax: φλύαροι) and busybodies/magic/curious arts (2x in NT: περίεργοι), speaking things they ought not to say.” He then adds the sobering harm caused as a result that “some have already turned aside after Satan” (5:15).
• 1 Timothy 6:20–21 — Timothy must avoid the “irreverent babble” (hapax: κενοφωνίας) and contradictions of what is “falsely called knowledge.”

Many scholars, including Andreas Köstenberger, have argued that the Greek construction with οὐδέ /oude (“nor”) in 1 Timothy 2:12 requires that the two infinitive verbs (“to teach” and “to authentein”) must both be positive or both negative. Paul normally uses “teach” in a positive sense to refer to sharing sound Christian instruction. This has been used to support a positive meaning for authentein (“to exercise authority”).

However, Paul used “teach” in negative contexts as well. When we consider the context of 1 Timothy, the multiple references to false teaching carries considerable weight to suggest Paul intended a negative meaning, possibilities include to domineer, to coerce or usurp power, to force one’s will over another, or even possibly a violent control over another person. 

Based on Getting the Whole Picture: Part 4-9, using oude to join a negative didaskein/teach with a negative authentein fits the context of 1 Timothy very well. Paul would be prohibiting two related negative activities: disruptive or false teaching and domineering, overbearing behavior or possibly teaching erroneous, problematic beliefs in a domineering, overbearing way. None of these are appropriate for any women or men, especially as believers.

Part 11 and beyond will continue with the corrections in 1 Timothy 2:13-15 regarding created order and childbirth.