BIBLICAL EXEGESIS OF 1 TIMOTHY 2:11-13

DIACHRONIC METHOD

I.- GENERAL HISTORICAL CONTEXT

To sensibly approach the study of 2 Timothy 2:11-13 requires at least a basic

knowledge of the general context of the first Pastoral Epistle to Timothy.

1.1 Geography of Ephesus

The most important city of the Roman province of Asia, on the western coast
of what is now Asiatic Turkey. It was located at the mouth of the Caístro river,
between the Coreso mountain range and the sea. A magnificent 11 m fairway.
wide, flanked by columns, it crossed the city to the excellent port, which served
both as a great export center at the end of the caravan route, and also as a natural
landing point for ships coming from Rome.

1.2 Historical data

Founded in the 11th century BC, due to its location, size and importance, it
was comparable to Miletus. The goddess of the city was Artemis. Its sanctuary
had 117 columns more than 18 meters high. It was conquered by King Cyrus the
Great of Persia. Despite his Ionian origin, in the Peloponnesian War he sided with
Sparta. The Spartans ceded it to the Persians who were later expelled by
Alexander in 333 BC. In 189 BC was conquered by Rome. In Roman times it was
the great city of the empire in Asia. When the port estuary lost its navigability due
to the accumulation of sediment, the decline of Ephesus began.

1.3 The Religion of Ephesus

The main part of the city, with its theater, baths, library, agora, and paved
streets, was located between the Coreso and the Caístro, but the temple that
made it famous was more than 2 km away. towards the NE. This site was sacred
to the worship of the Anatolian goddess of fertility, later identified as the Artemis of
Greece and the Latin Diana. The original Anatolian settlement was increased,
before the s. For. C., by the Ionian settlers, and a shared city was erected. The
 goddess of Ephesus adopted a Greek name, but evidently retained her former
characteristics, for she was repeatedly depicted in later periods as a figure with
many breasts. Ephesus was conquered by Croesus shortly after his accession to
CA. 560 BC and he owed part of his artistic glories to the magnificence of said
ruler. After its fall in 546, Ephesus fell under Persian rule. Croesus modified the
site of the ancient city to center it on the temple of Artemis.

Ephesus also retained its religious importance during Roman domination. It

became the center of the imperial cult and came to possess three official temples,
thus triply deserving the arrogant title of Neokoros (guardian of the temple) of the
emperors, in addition to being Neokoros of Artemis (Acts. 19:35). It is notable that
Paul had friends among the Asiaarchs (Acts. 19:31), who were officials of the
"commune" of Asia, whose primary function was precisely to promote the imperial
cult. Erdman tells us that

In Paul's time it was, along with Alexandria and Antioch, one of the three great
commercial emporiums of the eastern Mediterranean. It was the commercial, as well
as political, capital of Asia. However, its importance was still largely due to the
religious interest that focused on the city. The temple erected there to the goddess
Diana was one of the seven wonders of the world 1

1.3.1 The cult of Diana : Diana (or Artemis) was the goddess of hunting
and fertility. Her image was of a woman with multiple breasts. She had a cult
throughout the year, but especially in the spring, her followers invoked her asking
for a fruitful sowing. To worship Diana one had to engage in acts of prostitution with
one of Diana's many "priestesses." Diana's priestesses wore short tunics with a
bare chest. During the sacred month for Diana's devotees (March-April) the temple
became a veritable orgiastic party, with hundreds of couples in the temple engaged
in sexual acts with the priestesses.

1.3.2 The cult of Caesar : Caesar was considered God. The cult of
Caesar involved incense sacrifices and other rituals tied to virtually every activity of
daily civilian life. It was an activity as political as it was religious. "The authorities of
Asia" (literally, "the Asiarchs" Acts 19:31) were those responsible for overseeing this
cult in the province of Asia. Why did they defend Paul in the uproar at Ephesus?
 Possibly, because they saw the cult of Diana and not Christianity as their main
competition.

1.3.3 Occultism and magic : There were many "secret" religions in Asia.
Magic was so prevalent in Ephesus that books of magic were known throughout the
Roman Empire as the "Ephesus writings." The books burned in Acts 19:19
represented the equivalent of 160 years' wages, since the Ephesian tetradrachm (a
"piece of silver") was the equivalent of a day laborer's wages.

1.3.4 Judaism : There was a large Jewish colony. There was great rivalry
between the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews considered themselves superior and
this caused racial conflicts combined with religious issues.
1.3.5 The Nicolaitans (Rev 2:6-15): They were a sect apparently of a
Gnostic type. It was a secret religion. Redemption was not through Christ, but
through knowledge to which only an elite had access. Asia was a center of
Gnosticism.

1.4 The Economy of Ephesus

Ephesus was a prosperous center of international trade. Its strategic location
at the crossroads of Asia's two main roads and its port provided it with much tax
revenue. It also had a strong tourist income thanks to the devotees of the temple
of Diana.

1.5 The Politics of Ephesus

Ephesus was the residence of the proconsul, therefore it was the capital of the
province. The proconsul was Caesar's representative. Being proconsul of this, the
richest of the provinces, was a highly coveted position. Generally there was only
one proconsul, but Acts 19:38 says, "there are proconsuls." This unexpected
plural helps us fix the date of these events. The Roman historian Tacitus informs
us (Annals, threatens the throne. Apparently these two assassins jointly assumed
the proconsulship for a brief period in AD 54. Ephesus was the head of the
imperial postal route to Asia. All communications from Caesar arrived by mail first
 to Ephesus and from there copies went to the other six main cities of Asia
(Smyrna, Sardis, Pergamum, Thyatira, Philadelphia, Laodicea), following the order
of Rev 1:11)

II. LITERARY HISTORICAL CONTEXT

2.1 Author.

Everywhere the text highlights that its author is Paul who was writing to
the entire Church and not just to Timothy. However, given the disloyalty of
some of the leadership, Paul does not write directly to the Church, but rather
addresses it through Timothy.
2.2 Date

When Paul left Timothy in Ephesus, he continued to Macedonia, from

where he wrote to Timothy to help him bear the burden of his great trust in the
Church of Ephesus (see 1Ti.3:14,15). This occurred from 63 to 65 while Paul
was ministering to the Macedonian churches between his first and second
imprisonment. When writing the First Letter to Timothy, Paul was free, actively
engaged in traveling, advising his young assistant in his pastoral duties.

2.3 Purpose

The purpose of this epistle seems to be that, as Timothy remained at

Ephesus, St. Paul wrote to him to give him instructions concerning the election
of proper officers for the church, and for the exercise of the usual ministry.
Furthermore, to warn you against the influence of false teachers who corrupt
the purity and simplicity of the gospel with subtle distinctions and endless
disputes. He exhorts him to take constant care with the greatest diligence,
fidelity and zeal.

2.4 Circumstances of the letter

The circumstance that motivated the writing of 1 Timothy is that Paul left
Timothy in Ephesus as his personal representative and in order for him to stop
 the influence of certain false teachers, it is evident that the bearers of the error
were teachers (1:3, 7; 6:3), and the task of teaching was carried out by the
elders (3:2; 5:17). It is clear from what it says in 2 Timothy 3:6-9, and is
confirmed in 1 Timothy 2: 9-15 and 5:3-16 (esp. vv. 11-15), that these
teachers had found a very fruitful field among certain women, apparently
young widows, who had opened their homes to them and even helped to
propagate their teachings (5:13).
The church of Ephesus was most likely made up of many ecclesial cells
that met in different homes. If so, it is then easy to understand that each of
such ecclesial cells was in charge of at least one elder, and that the problem
was not so much the division into two factions of a single large community, but
rather that some of the Ecclesial cells were completely subordinated to some
of the leaders who had departed from sound doctrine.
2.5 Literary genre

The genre is an epistolatory literature

 Vital Situation . This letter goes to Timothy, originally from Lystra

(Acts 16:1), of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. His mother was
called Eunice and his grandmother was Lois (2 Tim 1:5). He was
converted by Paul (1 Tim 1:2). He joined Paul on his second
missionary journey (Acts 16:3), around 51 AD His appointment came
from God (1Tim 1:18). He was set apart for the work by Paul and the
elders (1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6). He accompanied Paul to Troas,
Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. He stayed in Berea until Paul sent
for him from Athens (Acts 17:14-15). Then Paul sent him again to
Thessalonica (1Thes 1:1; 2Thes 1:1) Later he is found in Ephesus,
where this Epistle is addressed to him. He was of a shy and
withdrawn temperament, not as adept as Titus at dealing with church
troublemakers. He was not in very good health (1Tim 5:23) The
fundamental task entrusted to the local Church of Ephesus is how to
manage the affairs of the church such as:
 1. Provide guidance in the critical conflict against the
soul-destroying errors that were spreading in the
church at Ephesus, and exhort Timothy to continue
in sound doctrine.
2. Give orders for appropriate conduct in public
worship.
 The external form of the letter writings is with an address and an
initial greeting, and a brief and generic final greeting. The scheme
reproduced in the three writings assumes these accents: "Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, to Timothy, a true son in faith, grace and
mercy and peace from God the Father of Jesus Christ our Lord"
(1Tim 1,1-2 ). This epistolary scheme also includes the information
given by the sender, Paul, to the respective recipient, Timothy, about
his current situation or future missionary and pastoral projects. But
outside of this external epistolary framework, the writings lack what is
characteristic of the epistolary dialogue known from Paul's authentic
letters. The motivations for these norms and instructions are given by
paragraphs of catechesis, fragments of hymns and doxologies, often
introduced with repeated formulas: "This doctrine is worthy of credit
and must be accepted" (1Tim 1,15; 3,1; 4, 5).

2.6 Literary Figures

No Reference Figures
1 1:1 Metonymy of Attachment 1:1. “…and from the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope”; that is, in whom we wait.
2 1:2 Synonymy 1:2. “Grace, mercy and peace” (V. also 2 Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4). In the other Epistles of Paul, we find only “grace” or
“thanks and peace”, but the Apostle adds, in these three Epistles, “mercy”, as if implying the great responsibilities that the pastoral
office entails, and for the fulfillment of which faith the mercy of God is more urgently needed
3 1:3-4 Ellipsis 1:3-4. “As I begged you to stay in Ephesus, when I set out for Macedonia, so that you would command some not to teach
different doctrines, nor to pay attention to fables and endless genealogies, which lead to dispute rather than carrying forward the
plan of God that It is by faith, so I now ask you to stay in Ephesus .” This is the nickname missing from the original.
Anacolute 1:3-4. In the original, the end of v. 4 is left hanging. The versions usually replace the apodosis by adding: “this is how I
order it now” (Reina-Valera. The NT Trilingual adds: “do it like I said.” The NIV alters the construction, in order to give it
4 meaning.)
5 1:15 Hyperbaton 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2Ti 2:11; Titus 3:8. “Faithful (is) the word.” How much more emphatic is this hyperbaton than the
cold grammatical order: “the word is faithful”!

6 1:16 Repetition Ellipsis 1:16. “But for this reason I was received into mercy, so that Jesus Christ might first show in me all his
patience, as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.” In this verse, the Greek word “ protos ” = first, is the
same as in v. previous, so we could well find an ellipsis here and replace it in v. 16, based on v. 15, reading like this: “… so that
 Jesus Christ would show in me, the chief of sinners , all his patience…”
7 2:15 Heterosis of person and number (verbs) 2:15. “But she will be saved by begetting children, if they remain (lit.; i.e. Eve and all
her daughters) in faith, love, etc.”
8 3:4 Metonymy of Subject 3:4. “let him rule his house well”; that is, his own family.
9 3:16 Synecdoche of part 3:16. “…was manifested in the flesh”; that is, as a man. Hyperbaton 3:16.
“…great is the mystery of piety.” The emphasis that the two words receive in that order is admirable. v. also in synecdoche,
10 endiadis and synonymy.
11 4:1 Tapeinosis 4:1. “But the Spirit clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, listening to spirit deceivers (Gk .
pneumasin plánois = wandering spirits) and doctrines of demons.” Paul does not mean that it is “a few” who will apostatize in the
last days, but rather numerous multitudes.
12 4:3 Zeugma 4:3. “that they will prohibit marrying, abstaining from food…” They will prohibit marrying, but they will order
abstaining. Compulsory celibacy and abstinence from certain foods are here exposed as marks of the apostasy of recent times,
without the Apostle stopping to distinguish verbs of prohibiting and commanding, which, on the other hand, are very similar in
Greek: koluónton = commanding .
Paronomasia 4:3. This text has been studied under the figures ellipsis and zeugna: but there is also paronomasia in a word omitted
13 by ellipsis. The Greek verb for “forbid” is kolyónton ; which suggests that the omitted verb (necessary for the meaning of the
following phrase), as correctly supplied in our versions, is “will command,” which in Greek is keleuónton.
14 5:6 Oxymoron 5:6. “But she who gives herself over to pleasure is dead while she lives.” This oxymoron is based on the fact that the
word “dead” indicates, of course, the absence of spiritual life (V. Eph 2:1).
15 5:17 Metonymy of the Subject 5:17. “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor”; that is, of generous
sustenance. v. in idiom.

2.7 Structure

1:1 Paul to Timothy

1:3 I begged you to stay in Ephesus
1:8 The law is good PAUL TO TIMOTHY
1:12 He counted me faithful
PIETY
1:18 I give you this commandment 20
2:1 I exhort first of all IN THE
2:8 I therefore want
3:1 If anyone desires the bishopric WOMEN AND CHURCH
3:8 The Deacons
LEADERS
3:14 I'll come see you soon 16
4:1 In the last times HE
4:6 Good minister
4:11 Let no one despise your youth 16

5:1 Do not rebuke the old man EXAMPLE

5:3 Honor widows
5:9 Widow no less
5:17 The elders
RELATIONS
5:23 Don't drink water anymore
5:24 The sins of some
6:1 Yoke of slavery
6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise THE HEALTHY
6:11 But you flee
6:17 To the rich DOCTRINE PIETY
6:20 Oh Timothy 21
IN YOU

III. PARTICULAR HISTORICAL CONTEXT

As mentioned at the beginning, the pastoral epistles are considered letters

addressed to the collaborator Timothy with matters concerning the administration
and worship of the church; but in chapter 2:1-7 here Timothy must combat wrong
doctrines and practices and must also teach about proper worship of God. In chapter
2:8-15 in this session the apostle continues writing about individual and corporate
worship and this is where he gives instructions on the proper way in which a
believer, whether male or female, should worship and assume the role defined for
men and women. in corporate worship. Where the text to analyze is chapter 2:11-13.
 Woman learns, silence.- For Jewish law she was not a person
but a thing; She was completely at the disposal of her father or her
husband. He was forbidden to learn the Law; To instruct a woman in
 the Law was to cast pearls before swine. Women did not take part in
the synagogue worship; They were locked apart in a section of the
synagogue, as if we were to say in "the chicken coop" where they
could not be seen. A man went to the synagogue to learn; but, at
most, a woman came to listen. The scripture lesson was read in the
synagogue by the members of the congregation; but never women,
because that would have been “taking away honor from the
congregation.” It was forbidden for a woman to teach in a school; not
even the smallest children. A woman was exempt from the specific
demands of the Act. It was not obligatory for him to attend the
holidays and sacred festivals. Women, slaves and children were of
the same class. In the Jewish morning prayer, a man thanked God
because he had not made him "a Gentile, a slave, or a woman . "

 Woman does not teach, under authority.- It was written from

a Greek background. The Greek background made things doubly
difficult. The place of women in Greek religion was low. The Temple
of Aphrodite in Corinth had a thousand priestesses who were sacred
prostitutes, and every afternoon they fulfilled their function in the
streets of the city. The Temple of Diana in Ephesus had hundreds of
priestesses called melissae, which means bees, whose function was
the same. A respectable Greek woman led a very secluded life. She
lived in a part of the house that only her husband had access to. It
was not even present at meals. She was never seen alone on the
street; He never attended any public meeting. The fact is that if in a
Greek town Christian women had taken an active part and had
spoken, the Church would inevitably have gained the reputation of
being a den of light women.
 SYNCHRONOUS METHOD

I. STUDY OF THE TEXT

1. MANIFEST STRUCTURE

 Diagram or Sketch

2:11 Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection.

2:12 For I do not permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise dominion over a man,
but to be silent.
2:13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, transgressed .

2. LIMITATIONS OF THE TEXT:

Text: 1 Timothy 2:11-13
CHAPTERS: Chapter. 2:1-10 and chapter: 2:14-15

Previous Context Later Context

Chapter 2:1-10 Mark 2:11-13 Chapter 2:-15

WOMEN AND PUBLIC

CULT
 INSTRUCTIONS ON SUPPORT FOR
TEACHING ON WORSHIP WOMEN

The first issue Paul addresses is communal prayer, which must be for "all" (1)
because God wants "all men" to be saved (3, 4), and the sure evidence of this is the
sacrifice of Christ." for all" (5, 6). This is followed by instructions regarding proper
decorum in communal prayer: when men raise their hands in prayer, they must not be
soiled with the disputes of false teachers (8); women should not dress seductively (for
that culture), but rather "decked with good works" (9, 10). Through the influence of
younger widows (2:15 and 5:14 should be read in parallel), Paul forbids women from
teaching (using Satan's deception of Eve that led to sin as a biblical analogy for how
they can be deceived by Satan; 4:1 and 5:15).

3. SYNTACTIC GRAMMATICAL STUDY

VERSE 11 : Let the woman learn in silence .

Paul now addresses the other aspect of the problem of immodesty, namely
the tendency to insubordination. The woman must learn with serenity, with complete
submission. Paul presupposes that women participated in public worship and his
instruction is also directed to them.
However, the woman must learn not in silence (that is, without speaking) but
in a calm attitude. In this context, it is most likely that such instructions are intended to
correct the tendency to be gossipy and meddlesome by talking about what they should
not, this way of learning with serenity is completed with the expression with complete
submission .
Verse 12: For I do not permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise dominion over a
man, but to be silent.
 It begins with a personal instruction from Paul I do not permit; I'm better off
not allowing it, it implies specific instructions for that situation; A good part of the
problem of the church was in teaching, the dissenting elders were teachers whom
Timothy probably had to serve in a certain model. In fact, in these letters Paul presents
himself as a teacher since Paul considered the implication of teaching as a spiritual gift.
Taking this evidence into account, it is most likely that the teaching in question was
instruction in scripture, that is, scripture in its presentation of salvation in Christ. If this is
prohibited, then such a precept is probably due to the fact that some of them had been
terribly deceived by false teachers who distort the old testament.
2:13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
2:14 And Adam was not deceived , but the woman, being deceived, transgressed .
Paul considers that the priority of the creation of Adam supports the fact that
women should dress modestly and adopt a calm appearance. Paul elaborates on this
second point based on the statement that Eve makes in Genesis 3:13 to the effect that
that she was deceived by the serpent, Just as in other passages Adam has been
represented as our representative whose sin affected all humanity; So Eve is here the
representative woman, whose sin affected all humanity through the deceptions of false
teachers who are involved in the doctrine of demons.

4. SEMANTIC ANALYSIS
4.1 woman: from the Greek γυνή guné specifically wife:-married, wife, woman.
Created in the image of God as the male, she is an integral part of being called
"man" ( Gen 1:27 : "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created
him; male and female he created them "). Already from the very beginning of the Bible,
the woman is considered on par with the man as a man , so from the beginning she
receives all her dignity as such. In Gen. 2 the precedence in creation is already
established between the male and the female; But if this affects the position of women (
1Co 11:9 ; 1Ti 2:13 ), it does not, however, touch their essence , already established in
the book of Genesis, at the very dawn of humanity .
4.2. Learn in Greek μανθάνω prolonged mandsáno of a primary verb, another
form of which, μαθέω madséo, is used as alternating in certain tenses; learn (in any
way):-know, study, learn. Only boys learned in the synagogues . According to the
Talmud, a Hebrew boy began to study the Scriptures at home at the age of five (2Ti
3:15), he was sent to school at the age of six; At ten he began the study of traditional
doctrine, which was not written until after the time of Christ. Jesus was viewed with
contempt because he had not studied in rabbinic schools. (See TEACHER,
SYNAGOGUE).
4.3. Authority in Greek αὐθεντέω audsentéo ἕντης jéntes (worker, laborer) to act
for oneself, ie (figuratively) dominate:-dominance The situation of women in the Greek
world at the time of the New Testament was similar to that of Judaism. The
guardianship of the father or husband under which the Hebrew woman was found and,
therefore, her insolvency, finds its parallel in Roman Law, under which the woman who
was not subject to the paterfamilias, nor under the authority of the husband , needed a
guardian who, although it was not his responsibility to take care of the woman's person,
nor the management of her assets, he did have to intervene on her behalf in processes
and business.

4.2 PRAGMATIC ANALYZES