Should women be allowed to preach to a mixed audience? 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (part 5)

Today we continue our series on 1 Timothy 2:11-15, with part 5. (Parts one, two, three, and four are in the archives of this blog.)

From the beginning of Paul’s letter to Timothy, he is clear on his purpose for writing. After his initial greeting, he got right to the point: “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines…” (1 Timothy 1:3). Paul does not name a specific line of teaching (because Timothy already knew, of course), so we have to look for details in the rest of the letter that help us understand to what exactly he is reacting.

What were those “certain men” teaching?

1. Distortion of Mosaic Law

“…wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions…” (1:7).

Apparently, the false teachers did not understand the purpose of the Law; it was valuable only for the unrighteous (not yet saved). But they were teaching about it anyway—with a perverted perspective.

2. Attacked the nature of God

“Among those are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme” (1:20)…”so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against…” (6:1).  

It seems these false teachers were casting doubt on the very nature of God, because to blaspheme is to cast aspersions on His holiness, power, wisdom, or goodness.

3. Speculation about Genealogies

“…nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith” (1:4).

Great emphasis was evidently being placed on family roots, which smacks of privilege rather than grace.

4. A positive interest in the enemy

“…paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…” (4:1)…for some have already turned aside to follow Satan” (5:15).

5. Aversion to the physical world

“…men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected…for bodily discipline is only of little profit…” (4:4, 8).

Evidently the teachers were against physical comforts, viewing them as evil rather than provisions from a good God.

6. Worldly fables

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women…” (4:7)

Use of story seems to have been a feature of their content.

7. Causing division

“… a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (6:4-5).

Division in the body of Christ is an indicator that Satan has a foothold among some of its members.

8. Offering an alternative to godly “knowledge”

“…guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—which some have professed and thus gone away from the faith” (6:20). 

 

Was there a false teaching that embodied all of these components, one that steered people away from God and His gospel of grace?

Yes. Gnosticism.

We do know that proponents of Gnosticism were present in Ephesus (where Timothy was serving). In His letter to Ephesus, Jesus mentions them: “This you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” Revelation 2:6). The Nicolaitans were a gnostic group.

 

In the next post in our series on 1 Timothy 2:11-15, we will look at some of the tenants of Gnostic teachings. They are very important to this discussion, because what Paul talks about in our passage is very likely related to this false doctrine. Stay tuned…