¹¹A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. ¹²But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

Paul addresses behavior in the fellowship of believers called the church. This is not a statement of life in general, equal voting rights, leadership in the marketplace, or any other area of life. Paul writes about church life:

I [Paul] am writing these things to you [Timothy], hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. (1 Tim. 3:14–15).

When he writes “a woman,” he addresses women in general, similar to how he writes “an overseer” to refer to all overseers (1 Tim. 3:1). In the church, men are to take the spiritual lead. We have seen already that men were centered out for the responsibility to pray publicly (1 Tim. 2:8), whereas women were to give attention to acting modestly. This dichotomy is now further developed with specific instructions to women (not just women who were false teachers, as some modern commentators erroneously assert). They are to “receive instruction,” not to give it. They are not to exercise authority but to quietly accept authority. In these regards, they are the receivers, not the givers.

The context of this instruction about teaching and authority is in relation to men. In his letter to Titus, Paul instructs women to teach other women (Titus 2:3–5), and mothers, of course, to teach their children. In keeping with elders being men (see 1 Timothy 3) and men’s headship in the family (Eph. 5:23), Paul’s teaching here is consistent with the church being the “household of God.”

Some assert that women are being prohibited from teaching in an authoritarian way, but not from teaching in general. But that censure could apply to men as well, and indeed Paul does elsewhere censure three named men in his letters. Why not include men along with women here, if that were the issue? The word for “authority” (Greek: “authentein”), as most commentators point out, is used only here in all of Scripture. However, standard Greek lexicons are clear about its meaning having a strong element of authority. Women are not to do this. They are not to teach, speak, or otherwise act with authority in the church in relationship to men. In practice that would include public teaching of the Word, conveying authoritative spiritual truth, or acting in any role of authority over men. But why? That comes next.

Lord, help me joyfully accept the responsibility You give me in the church.