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Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15
"Women in the Church" offers a definitive statement of the complementarian interpretation of this crucial New Testament passage on the role of women in the church. In this second edition, each chapter has been thoroughly updated and reworked, and a new chapter of pastoral application has been added.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1995
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April 21, 2016
Sometimes we need to read larger chunks of the Bible more quickly. And sometimes we need to drill down into a single chapter or verse. Either way, our goal is to understand clearly what God has spoken, so we can know him and live for his good pleasure.
Because too much study of verses-in-isolation can give us a mistaken picture of God's intentions, my interest lies more with the first, broad type of reading. But I'm also committed to regularly studying small portions of text, in context, to gain deeper insight into the big picture. To that end, I was delighted to receive from Crossway a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
And this book goes deep. The subtitle deceives, as this book is really about not the paragraph of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, but the lone controversial verse of 1 Timothy 2:12: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet." Though parts of the book look at the paragraph - and even the full chapter - to explain the passage's logic, the book targets verse 12 as the chief subject. Beyond that, one chapter of Women in the Church examines, nearly exhaustively, the lone Greek word behind the English phrase "exercise authority." So after discussing the cultural context of first-century Ephesus, the contributors move from the word "exercise authority," to the phrase "teach or exercise authority," to the sentence, to the paragraph, to the chapter, to contemporary non-Western cultural applications, and finally to a virtual round table discussion about contemporary Western-culture applications.
As I said, this book goes deep. The material is thorough and exhaustive. The controversial verse gets tackled from almost every direction. I benefited greatly from this book, and I'm glad to have read it. I highly recommend the book for pastors, scholars, and academically minded Christians familiar with the Bible's original languages.
However, I can't recommend it for the average reader for three reasons:
1. It is long.
2. It is technical.
3. It uses much Greek without ever transliterating it. For example, when discussing the word for "exercise authority," the book never uses authentein. It uses αὐθεντεῖν. If Greek study will play a role in a work of scholarship I prefer this approach; but I admit it makes it difficult for people who don't know the difference between v and nu.
The contributors try to make the book more accessible in the last chapter, where they interview a panel of pastors and Christian writers about their own church experiences. And this chapter begins exceptionally well:
"Tried-and-true Bible study moves from observation to interpretation to application. In this volume so far, we've done plenty of observing and interpreting...But while the detailed efforts at observation and interpretation have clarified the meaning of the passage, many questions remain on the level of significance, that is, with regard to specific points of application in the myriad of contexts in which many of us find ourselves today."
I couldn't agree more with this quotation. But unfortunately, the chapter doesn't follow through on its promise to offer "specific points of application." The round table discussion remains vaguely general. And in the end, I found it less than satisfying.
With that said, the rest of the book offers careful scholarship on key questions that arise over this passage. Is Paul addressing a specific cultural situation that no longer holds true today? Does "teach or exercise authority" really mean "teach authoritatively"? Is authentein best translated as "assume authority" (NIV) and not as "exercise authority" (ESV) or "have authority" (NKJV, HCSB)? Is the prohibition time-bound, as is the prohibition on braided hair and jewelry in 1 Tim 2:9? How do we make sense of the many objections to the "traditional" understanding of this verse?
So my feelings on the book are mixed. If you have these burning questions, and you're not threatened by a technical approach to them, go for it. There is much here for you. But if you just want plain English, you may want to wait for another book that takes this research and adapts it for ordinary folks.
Because too much study of verses-in-isolation can give us a mistaken picture of God's intentions, my interest lies more with the first, broad type of reading. But I'm also committed to regularly studying small portions of text, in context, to gain deeper insight into the big picture. To that end, I was delighted to receive from Crossway a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
And this book goes deep. The subtitle deceives, as this book is really about not the paragraph of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, but the lone controversial verse of 1 Timothy 2:12: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet." Though parts of the book look at the paragraph - and even the full chapter - to explain the passage's logic, the book targets verse 12 as the chief subject. Beyond that, one chapter of Women in the Church examines, nearly exhaustively, the lone Greek word behind the English phrase "exercise authority." So after discussing the cultural context of first-century Ephesus, the contributors move from the word "exercise authority," to the phrase "teach or exercise authority," to the sentence, to the paragraph, to the chapter, to contemporary non-Western cultural applications, and finally to a virtual round table discussion about contemporary Western-culture applications.
As I said, this book goes deep. The material is thorough and exhaustive. The controversial verse gets tackled from almost every direction. I benefited greatly from this book, and I'm glad to have read it. I highly recommend the book for pastors, scholars, and academically minded Christians familiar with the Bible's original languages.
However, I can't recommend it for the average reader for three reasons:
1. It is long.
2. It is technical.
3. It uses much Greek without ever transliterating it. For example, when discussing the word for "exercise authority," the book never uses authentein. It uses αὐθεντεῖν. If Greek study will play a role in a work of scholarship I prefer this approach; but I admit it makes it difficult for people who don't know the difference between v and nu.
The contributors try to make the book more accessible in the last chapter, where they interview a panel of pastors and Christian writers about their own church experiences. And this chapter begins exceptionally well:
"Tried-and-true Bible study moves from observation to interpretation to application. In this volume so far, we've done plenty of observing and interpreting...But while the detailed efforts at observation and interpretation have clarified the meaning of the passage, many questions remain on the level of significance, that is, with regard to specific points of application in the myriad of contexts in which many of us find ourselves today."
I couldn't agree more with this quotation. But unfortunately, the chapter doesn't follow through on its promise to offer "specific points of application." The round table discussion remains vaguely general. And in the end, I found it less than satisfying.
With that said, the rest of the book offers careful scholarship on key questions that arise over this passage. Is Paul addressing a specific cultural situation that no longer holds true today? Does "teach or exercise authority" really mean "teach authoritatively"? Is authentein best translated as "assume authority" (NIV) and not as "exercise authority" (ESV) or "have authority" (NKJV, HCSB)? Is the prohibition time-bound, as is the prohibition on braided hair and jewelry in 1 Tim 2:9? How do we make sense of the many objections to the "traditional" understanding of this verse?
So my feelings on the book are mixed. If you have these burning questions, and you're not threatened by a technical approach to them, go for it. There is much here for you. But if you just want plain English, you may want to wait for another book that takes this research and adapts it for ordinary folks.
January 7, 2023
Really helpful. "Women in the Church" is a pretty exhaustive, robust analysis of one of the crucial passages in the discussion. While some readers will inevitably disagree with the book's conclusion, I suspect all can appreciate this thorough, astonishingly well-researched presentation of the complementarian position.
The issue is treated with academic rigour; as a result it is not for the faint-hearted! Without a reasonable understanding of exegetical/hermeneutical principles and basic Greek, it may feel a little heavy...but still worth reading.
The best book I've read on the subject so far. The third edition is especially strong.
The issue is treated with academic rigour; as a result it is not for the faint-hearted! Without a reasonable understanding of exegetical/hermeneutical principles and basic Greek, it may feel a little heavy...but still worth reading.
The best book I've read on the subject so far. The third edition is especially strong.
January 14, 2022
Source for my thesis
May 6, 2016
Crossay recently published the third edition (1995, 2005, 2016) of Women in the Church: An Interpretation & Application of 1 Timothy 2:9–15 by editors Andreas J. Köstenberger & Thomas R. Schreiner. This is not a collection of articles from differing positions; to the contrary, it intentionally and thoroughly espouses a complementarian position by all contributors. This volume focuses more on attempts to thwart the ever-increasing egalitarian position rather than provide sufficient and convincing arguments for its own. (I’ve read elsewhere that the second edition was better at arguing for rather than against, but I have not read that edition) I believe the volume as a whole “fails to convince,” as is often stated about opposing positions, often using probably, likely, and most likely in reference to its own arguments when denouncing other positions that do the same. An inherent problem in these varying hermeneutics is a lack of verifiable absolutes; the complementarian position here goes with “majority rules” and ignores exceptions when trying to understand the Greek texts, using history only when suitable for its needs while chastising opposing positions for doing the same.
There is much focus on single words & phrases in 1 Timothy 2:9–15 without properly addressing the whole of Scripture and its intended trajectory. Appealing to a “plain sense reading” of verse 13, it is assumed that there is an intended creation order of male authority and female submission (are we also to assume this order in the new heavens and new earth?), and therefore no reason to address the whole of Scripture. The final chapter is a roundtable Q&A in which the editors ask people for their thoughts on several issues, but only includes complementarians already in agreement on virtually anything of importance, meaning the entire “discussion” is unhelpful and pointless. Everyone skirts around what women should or should not wear, ignoring a “plain sense reading” of verse 9, while assuming any good Christian using rigorous biblical exegesis will agree with the “plain sense reading” of verse 13.
There are two points made in the text (paraphrased and summarized below) that really need more attention if they are to be at all convincing:
1) Ephesus was not unlike any other Greco-Roman city, and therefore Paul’s words (their “plain sense meaning”) must be for all people at all times. There is much effort made to demonstrate the lack of uniqueness in the culture of Ephesus, but it wasn’t enough to demonstrate how Paul’s text can under no circumstances be culturally based.
2) Paul did not use the exact words and phrasing in this passage as he did in another passage that referenced husbands and wives, so the Greek text here must mean men and women even if used to refer to husbands and wives elsewhere. This is almost a side note in the text that is quickly brushed to the side. Again, there needs to be much more effort and evidence for this argument to convince.
(I received a digital copy of the book without page numbers, so forgive the lack of specific locations for references above.)
All in all, this volume is the most thorough of any complementarian arguments I’ve read in a single source, but it fails to convince on a number of levels in the same manner spoken of other positions. One section fervently appeals to the reader by pulling in references to a number of female PhDs that agree with the authors all at once, as if to say, “See! Smart women agree with us!” It was a low point in the text. This may be useful to students and scholars as a resource of the traditional complementarian position if they need one in their library.
For those interested, I read and addressed the text from a position of neither traditional complementarianism nor pure egalitarianism. I find fault with both extremes on some level, and reviewed this book as one expecting a thoroughly convincing exegetical argument, which I did not find.
*I received a complimentary digital copy of the reviewed book from Crossway through the Blog Review Program in exchange for this honest review.
There is much focus on single words & phrases in 1 Timothy 2:9–15 without properly addressing the whole of Scripture and its intended trajectory. Appealing to a “plain sense reading” of verse 13, it is assumed that there is an intended creation order of male authority and female submission (are we also to assume this order in the new heavens and new earth?), and therefore no reason to address the whole of Scripture. The final chapter is a roundtable Q&A in which the editors ask people for their thoughts on several issues, but only includes complementarians already in agreement on virtually anything of importance, meaning the entire “discussion” is unhelpful and pointless. Everyone skirts around what women should or should not wear, ignoring a “plain sense reading” of verse 9, while assuming any good Christian using rigorous biblical exegesis will agree with the “plain sense reading” of verse 13.
There are two points made in the text (paraphrased and summarized below) that really need more attention if they are to be at all convincing:
1) Ephesus was not unlike any other Greco-Roman city, and therefore Paul’s words (their “plain sense meaning”) must be for all people at all times. There is much effort made to demonstrate the lack of uniqueness in the culture of Ephesus, but it wasn’t enough to demonstrate how Paul’s text can under no circumstances be culturally based.
2) Paul did not use the exact words and phrasing in this passage as he did in another passage that referenced husbands and wives, so the Greek text here must mean men and women even if used to refer to husbands and wives elsewhere. This is almost a side note in the text that is quickly brushed to the side. Again, there needs to be much more effort and evidence for this argument to convince.
(I received a digital copy of the book without page numbers, so forgive the lack of specific locations for references above.)
All in all, this volume is the most thorough of any complementarian arguments I’ve read in a single source, but it fails to convince on a number of levels in the same manner spoken of other positions. One section fervently appeals to the reader by pulling in references to a number of female PhDs that agree with the authors all at once, as if to say, “See! Smart women agree with us!” It was a low point in the text. This may be useful to students and scholars as a resource of the traditional complementarian position if they need one in their library.
For those interested, I read and addressed the text from a position of neither traditional complementarianism nor pure egalitarianism. I find fault with both extremes on some level, and reviewed this book as one expecting a thoroughly convincing exegetical argument, which I did not find.
*I received a complimentary digital copy of the reviewed book from Crossway through the Blog Review Program in exchange for this honest review.
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June 26, 2025Chapter I - claims that Ephesus is basically like any other Hellenistic city therefore everything Paul says in it is universally applicable (not limited to Ephesus) - doesn’t address that Paul was clearly concerned with specific false teaching in Ephesus and skates over any discussion of Artemis as celibate/midwife and how that may have affected the Ephesian church
After arguing that there were a few wealthy women who held some limited power in Ephesus, he concludes: “To conclude, in 1 Timothy 2, after reminding the wealthy women of Ephesus in particular about true piety in contrast to outward show, Paul anticipates that such women might misunderstand their inherited, worldly privileges to imply that they could step outside their divinely ordered role in the new covenant community. He points them instead to their distinct, profound, and significant roles in the church as those who hold the high calling of the general office in Christ’s body and calls them, like all believers, to adorn this vocation with lives of grateful service.”
He hasn’t really made any compelling evidence (certainly not from the text) that women were attempting to “step outside their divinely ordered role.” If anything, he asserts that wealthy, powerful Greco-Roman women consistently did NOT step out of their cultural daughter/wife ‘roles.’ The background on Ephesus is helpful, but it’s certainly not enough to support a claim that a few wealthy Ephesian women were wanting to usurp divinely given roles as a result of their own worldly privileges. I am unconvinced. Other arguments that include more about Artemis as background for 1 Tim. bring much more clarity to the text and are far more compelling.
Chapter II - Given that I have taken very little Greek, I have little ability to evaluate who has the better arguments on the back and forth battles over the meaning of authenteo. This one seemed pretty good, but I’ve found other slightly different ones convincing too.
Chapter III - Similar thoughts as chapter II, applied to the whole sentence. Not particularly persuaded one way or the other on how to translate the sentence.
Chapter IV - his interpretation still seems like a stretch that makes no better sense (than egalitarian arguments) of the Eve deceived phrase in particular. I remain completely unconvinced that women are spiritually saved by adhering to some ‘childbearing’ role; a physical salvation makes more sense in this context. It also doesn’t make sense that Paul would emphasise mothering to that degree when elsewhere he prefers men and women to remain single - nowhere is childbearing presented as a spiritual gift. And Schreiner cannot get away from it being problematic to say women are in some form spiritually saved through childbearing. I’m also not sure how men teaching and having authority in the church vs. Women being mothers at home makes sense as a role binary? One is at church and one is in the home…
“More likely, Paul saw in the woman’s function of giving birth a divinely intended and ongoing difference of function between men and women. This does not mean that all women must have children in order to be saved.Though the underlying principle is timeless, Paul is hardly attempting to be comprehensive here. He has elsewhere commended the single state (1 Corinthians 7). He selects childbearing because it is the most notable example of the divinely intended difference in roles between men and women and because many women throughout history have had children. Thus, Paul generalizes from the experience of women by using a representative example of women maintaining their proper role. To select childbearing again indicates that the argument is transcultural, for childbearing is not limited to a particular culture but is a permanent and ongoing difference between men and women. The fact that God has ordained that women and only women bear children signifies that the differences in roles between men and women are rooted in the created order. When Paul says that women will be saved by childbearing, he means, therefore, that they will be saved by adhering to their ordained role.”
After all his statements about egalitarian readings being a stretch, Schreiber’s final interpretation is…well…a major stretch. Somehow bearing children is a spiritual gift for women? Nowhere else are physical gifts presented as ‘good works.’ (This all besides the fact that women don’t spontaneously give birth to children. If women are supposed to have children then the burden must be placed equally on men since it very obviously takes both - and Schreiner is very keen to emphasise that this is about childbearing not childrearing so one can’t even argue a difference in role of raising children; it’s literally just birthing them that he is referring to.) That’s all I can say.
Chapter V - most of the arguments in this chapter seemed against feminist scholars instead of more conservative orthodox ‘egalitarian’ or mutualist scholarship, so I didn’t find it particularly compelling… He sets up all his arguments as “this is the traditional way vs. these crazy new ideas that are only the result of radical feminism.” And for many feminist arguments, that may be the case, but it’s not the case for the arguments from orthodox scholars that I’m reading. (Also just saying this is the historic traditional way is not quite enough of a slam dunk for a whole essay, especially when other scholars like William Witt have argued that while the practice of not ordaining women may be ‘traditional’, the arguments used now supporting such practices are largely new)
Chapter VI - really nothing to say here; very short essay also on authenteo
Chapter VII - a roundtable discussion on applying the tenets of this book by random ppl who agree with each other and are on the very strong side of complementarianism is just…well…not very compelling
After arguing that there were a few wealthy women who held some limited power in Ephesus, he concludes: “To conclude, in 1 Timothy 2, after reminding the wealthy women of Ephesus in particular about true piety in contrast to outward show, Paul anticipates that such women might misunderstand their inherited, worldly privileges to imply that they could step outside their divinely ordered role in the new covenant community. He points them instead to their distinct, profound, and significant roles in the church as those who hold the high calling of the general office in Christ’s body and calls them, like all believers, to adorn this vocation with lives of grateful service.”
He hasn’t really made any compelling evidence (certainly not from the text) that women were attempting to “step outside their divinely ordered role.” If anything, he asserts that wealthy, powerful Greco-Roman women consistently did NOT step out of their cultural daughter/wife ‘roles.’ The background on Ephesus is helpful, but it’s certainly not enough to support a claim that a few wealthy Ephesian women were wanting to usurp divinely given roles as a result of their own worldly privileges. I am unconvinced. Other arguments that include more about Artemis as background for 1 Tim. bring much more clarity to the text and are far more compelling.
Chapter II - Given that I have taken very little Greek, I have little ability to evaluate who has the better arguments on the back and forth battles over the meaning of authenteo. This one seemed pretty good, but I’ve found other slightly different ones convincing too.
Chapter III - Similar thoughts as chapter II, applied to the whole sentence. Not particularly persuaded one way or the other on how to translate the sentence.
Chapter IV - his interpretation still seems like a stretch that makes no better sense (than egalitarian arguments) of the Eve deceived phrase in particular. I remain completely unconvinced that women are spiritually saved by adhering to some ‘childbearing’ role; a physical salvation makes more sense in this context. It also doesn’t make sense that Paul would emphasise mothering to that degree when elsewhere he prefers men and women to remain single - nowhere is childbearing presented as a spiritual gift. And Schreiner cannot get away from it being problematic to say women are in some form spiritually saved through childbearing. I’m also not sure how men teaching and having authority in the church vs. Women being mothers at home makes sense as a role binary? One is at church and one is in the home…
“More likely, Paul saw in the woman’s function of giving birth a divinely intended and ongoing difference of function between men and women. This does not mean that all women must have children in order to be saved.Though the underlying principle is timeless, Paul is hardly attempting to be comprehensive here. He has elsewhere commended the single state (1 Corinthians 7). He selects childbearing because it is the most notable example of the divinely intended difference in roles between men and women and because many women throughout history have had children. Thus, Paul generalizes from the experience of women by using a representative example of women maintaining their proper role. To select childbearing again indicates that the argument is transcultural, for childbearing is not limited to a particular culture but is a permanent and ongoing difference between men and women. The fact that God has ordained that women and only women bear children signifies that the differences in roles between men and women are rooted in the created order. When Paul says that women will be saved by childbearing, he means, therefore, that they will be saved by adhering to their ordained role.”
After all his statements about egalitarian readings being a stretch, Schreiber’s final interpretation is…well…a major stretch. Somehow bearing children is a spiritual gift for women? Nowhere else are physical gifts presented as ‘good works.’ (This all besides the fact that women don’t spontaneously give birth to children. If women are supposed to have children then the burden must be placed equally on men since it very obviously takes both - and Schreiner is very keen to emphasise that this is about childbearing not childrearing so one can’t even argue a difference in role of raising children; it’s literally just birthing them that he is referring to.) That’s all I can say.
Chapter V - most of the arguments in this chapter seemed against feminist scholars instead of more conservative orthodox ‘egalitarian’ or mutualist scholarship, so I didn’t find it particularly compelling… He sets up all his arguments as “this is the traditional way vs. these crazy new ideas that are only the result of radical feminism.” And for many feminist arguments, that may be the case, but it’s not the case for the arguments from orthodox scholars that I’m reading. (Also just saying this is the historic traditional way is not quite enough of a slam dunk for a whole essay, especially when other scholars like William Witt have argued that while the practice of not ordaining women may be ‘traditional’, the arguments used now supporting such practices are largely new)
Chapter VI - really nothing to say here; very short essay also on authenteo
Chapter VII - a roundtable discussion on applying the tenets of this book by random ppl who agree with each other and are on the very strong side of complementarianism is just…well…not very compelling
December 17, 2023
Thorough and dense! Not a book I would recommend to everyone. It’s 450 pages comprising essays from various New Testament scholars just showing how to interpret 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and why it cannot be gotten around by various arguments that try get behind the text rather than confront it.
It persuasively dispels a few pretty common arguments against complementarian readings of Paul’s letters:
1.) that Paul only intended to write to the Ephesian church’s particular situation and no other, they demonstrate this not to be the case.
2.) that Paul meant “have authority” in a way that only meant to domineer and not what it would mean for positive authority.
3.) why other various difficulties in the passage don’t make it impossible to interpret, even if difficult to understand at times.
This is the kind of thing I was looking for in terms of balanced and clear! For someone at the seminary level I found it very helpful, and I’m looking for a book that gets across the same love and helpfulness in a more accessible format!
It persuasively dispels a few pretty common arguments against complementarian readings of Paul’s letters:
1.) that Paul only intended to write to the Ephesian church’s particular situation and no other, they demonstrate this not to be the case.
2.) that Paul meant “have authority” in a way that only meant to domineer and not what it would mean for positive authority.
3.) why other various difficulties in the passage don’t make it impossible to interpret, even if difficult to understand at times.
This is the kind of thing I was looking for in terms of balanced and clear! For someone at the seminary level I found it very helpful, and I’m looking for a book that gets across the same love and helpfulness in a more accessible format!
December 30, 2024
“To claim from the Holy Spirit a word of knowledge or a calling, however high and holy, while setting aside the teaching of Scripture and engaging in a task prohibited by Scripture but acceptable in modern culture is to involve the divine triunity in contradiction and to transfer divine authority into human hands.”
April 26, 2020
Too often books on this issue are plagued by the “I’m the hope of the modern church” interpretation of the biblical text. If this messiah complex is the be placed aside, then the content of this book must be grappled with. Like it or not, the content of this book should be addressed by the frustrated prophet of the modern day.
For me? I don’t really care about the inherent rebelliousness of the modern church. I will seek the shelter of my Lord and Savior, at any and every crossroad, however costly. The faithful stagger while the privileged fiddle around. It’s time to step up.
For me? I don’t really care about the inherent rebelliousness of the modern church. I will seek the shelter of my Lord and Savior, at any and every crossroad, however costly. The faithful stagger while the privileged fiddle around. It’s time to step up.
November 2, 2023
Very good read - technical, nearly 900 footnotes. Not for everyone but it was enjoyable to read on some of the most difficult verses in the NT.
April 9, 2024
Must read.
August 17, 2024
Read in preparation for a sermon on 1 Timothy 2:12. Rigorous scholarship and helpful interaction with modern voices.
October 18, 2020
I rage quit this book
October 4, 2016
Read for forthcoming review.
Excellent resource reworked for a third edition. Really great and very helpful.
Excellent resource reworked for a third edition. Really great and very helpful.
March 19, 2016
I specially ordered this book for the purposes of writing a paper on 1 Tim. 2:9-15 as part of course requirements for a Systematic Theology course. I sought to give the text a fair treatment, and as best as I can, resist the inclinations of allowing my presuppositions to influence my understanding and interpretation.
This book should get a more stars by complementarian reviwers and less stars from the egalitarian reviwers. Therefore I would like to disclose that my view of women in ministry is close to Blomberg's position of "Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian" (see the Appendix of the Two Views on Women in Ministry that he co-edited - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19...).
Hence, while I do not hold a strict complementarian view like the authors (and editors) do, I was overwhelmed and inspired by their dedication and passion they have for interpretation God's Holy Word. Their love for God and his Bible is ever so evident across the multiple authors. Of the 30-40 other books and commentaries** on 1 Tim. 2, this title stood out as one that achieved a beautiful mix of positive matter/substantives being put forward with a lively interaction with (egalitarian) scholarship that was published after the first edition in 1995.
At no part of the book did I sense any bigoted or sexist agenda. What matched the most rigorous of academic scholarship, was an equally enormous amount of grace and pastoral care. I would like to echo Schreiner's call to “bend over backward to love those with whom we disagree, and to assure them that we hope and pray that God will bless their ministries, even tough we believes that it is a mistake for women to take on a pastoral role.” (p85-86).
I heartily recommend this book! If like me, you would like to embark on a study of 1 Tim. 2 to attempt to find out what the bible actually affirms, I would recommend this book, alongside Stanley J. Grenz and Denise M. Kjesbo's Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry. In my opinion, these two are the best in the respective camps (in the defence of their position in the rebuttals of the other).
UPDATE: The 2016 Edition has been released. See my review of it at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
**List of authors consulted for my research paper are as follows:
Baugh, S. M. "A Foreign World: Ephesus in the First Century." In Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, edited by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner, 13-38. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
Blomberg, Craig L. "Neither Hierarchicalist nor Egalitarian: Gender Roles in Paul." In Two Views on Women in Ministry, edited by James R. Beck and Craig L. Blomberg, Neither Hierarchicalist nor Egalitarian, 329-72. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.
Bowman, Ann L. "Women in Ministry." In Two Views on Women in Ministry, edited by James R. Beck and Craig L. Blomberg, 237-302. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.
Clowney, Edmund P. Called to the Ministry. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1964.
Fee, Gordon D. 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus. New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988.
Grenz, Stanley J. and Denise Muir Kjesbo. Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995.
Gritz, Sharon Hodgin. Paul, Women Teachers, and the Mother Goddess at Ephesus. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1991.
Grudem, Wayne A. Evangelical Feminism & Biblical Truth: An Analysis of More Than One Hundred Disputed Questions. Crossway reprint ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012.
Guthrie, Donald. The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary. 2nd ed. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, edited by Leon Morris. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990.
Guthrie, Donald. "1 Timothy." In New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, edited by Gordon J. Wenham, J. Alec Motyer, Donald A. Carson, and R. T. France, 1297-98. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.
Keener, Craig S. Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and Women's Ministry in the Letters of Paul. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1992.
Keener, Craig S. The Ivp Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Keener, Craig S. "Women in Ministry." In Two Views on Women in Ministry, edited by James R. Beck and Craig L. Blomberg, 25-73. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.
Knight, George W. The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text. The New International Greek Testament Commentary, edited by I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1992.
Köstenberger, Andreas J. "A Complex Sentence: The Syntax of 1 Timothy 2:12." In Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, edited by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner, 53-84. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
Köstenberger, Andreas J., Thomas R. Schreiner, and H. Scott Baldwin. Women in the Church: A Fresh Analysis of I Timothy 2:9-15. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995.
Kroeger, Richard Clark and Catherine Clark Kroeger. I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992.
Lea, Thomas D. 1, 2 Timothy, Titus. The New American Commentary, edited by David S. Dockery. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1992.
Marshall, I. Howard. "A Further Look at 1 Timothy 2." In Women, Ministry and the Gospel: Exploring New Paradigms, edited by Mark Husbands and Timothy Larsen, 53-78. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007.
Marshall, I. Howard and Philip H. Towner. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles. The International Critical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. New York: T&T Clark International, 2004.
Moo, Douglas. "What Does It Mean Not to Teach or Have Authority over Men?: 1 Timothy 2:11-15." In Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism, edited by John Piper and Wayne A. Grudem, 176-92. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1991.
Schreiner, Thomas R. "Women in Ministry." In Two Views on Women in Ministry, edited by James R. Beck and Craig L. Blomberg, 175-235. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.
Schreiner, Thomas R. "An Interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:9-15." In Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, edited by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner, 85-120. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
Stott, John R. W. Guard the Truth: The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Towner, Philip H. The Letters to Timothy and Titus. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2006.
Towner, Philip H. "1-2 Timothy and Titus." In Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, edited by G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, 891-98. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.
Winter, Bruce W. Roman Wives, Roman Widows: The Appearance of New Women and the Pauline Communities. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2003.
Wright, N. T. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. 2nd ed. Paul for Everyone: The Pastoral Letters. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
This book should get a more stars by complementarian reviwers and less stars from the egalitarian reviwers. Therefore I would like to disclose that my view of women in ministry is close to Blomberg's position of "Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian" (see the Appendix of the Two Views on Women in Ministry that he co-edited - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19...).
Hence, while I do not hold a strict complementarian view like the authors (and editors) do, I was overwhelmed and inspired by their dedication and passion they have for interpretation God's Holy Word. Their love for God and his Bible is ever so evident across the multiple authors. Of the 30-40 other books and commentaries** on 1 Tim. 2, this title stood out as one that achieved a beautiful mix of positive matter/substantives being put forward with a lively interaction with (egalitarian) scholarship that was published after the first edition in 1995.
At no part of the book did I sense any bigoted or sexist agenda. What matched the most rigorous of academic scholarship, was an equally enormous amount of grace and pastoral care. I would like to echo Schreiner's call to “bend over backward to love those with whom we disagree, and to assure them that we hope and pray that God will bless their ministries, even tough we believes that it is a mistake for women to take on a pastoral role.” (p85-86).
I heartily recommend this book! If like me, you would like to embark on a study of 1 Tim. 2 to attempt to find out what the bible actually affirms, I would recommend this book, alongside Stanley J. Grenz and Denise M. Kjesbo's Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry. In my opinion, these two are the best in the respective camps (in the defence of their position in the rebuttals of the other).
UPDATE: The 2016 Edition has been released. See my review of it at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
**List of authors consulted for my research paper are as follows:
Baugh, S. M. "A Foreign World: Ephesus in the First Century." In Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, edited by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner, 13-38. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
Blomberg, Craig L. "Neither Hierarchicalist nor Egalitarian: Gender Roles in Paul." In Two Views on Women in Ministry, edited by James R. Beck and Craig L. Blomberg, Neither Hierarchicalist nor Egalitarian, 329-72. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.
Bowman, Ann L. "Women in Ministry." In Two Views on Women in Ministry, edited by James R. Beck and Craig L. Blomberg, 237-302. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.
Clowney, Edmund P. Called to the Ministry. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1964.
Fee, Gordon D. 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus. New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988.
Grenz, Stanley J. and Denise Muir Kjesbo. Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995.
Gritz, Sharon Hodgin. Paul, Women Teachers, and the Mother Goddess at Ephesus. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1991.
Grudem, Wayne A. Evangelical Feminism & Biblical Truth: An Analysis of More Than One Hundred Disputed Questions. Crossway reprint ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012.
Guthrie, Donald. The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary. 2nd ed. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, edited by Leon Morris. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990.
Guthrie, Donald. "1 Timothy." In New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, edited by Gordon J. Wenham, J. Alec Motyer, Donald A. Carson, and R. T. France, 1297-98. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.
Keener, Craig S. Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and Women's Ministry in the Letters of Paul. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1992.
Keener, Craig S. The Ivp Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Keener, Craig S. "Women in Ministry." In Two Views on Women in Ministry, edited by James R. Beck and Craig L. Blomberg, 25-73. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.
Knight, George W. The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text. The New International Greek Testament Commentary, edited by I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1992.
Köstenberger, Andreas J. "A Complex Sentence: The Syntax of 1 Timothy 2:12." In Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, edited by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner, 53-84. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
Köstenberger, Andreas J., Thomas R. Schreiner, and H. Scott Baldwin. Women in the Church: A Fresh Analysis of I Timothy 2:9-15. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995.
Kroeger, Richard Clark and Catherine Clark Kroeger. I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992.
Lea, Thomas D. 1, 2 Timothy, Titus. The New American Commentary, edited by David S. Dockery. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1992.
Marshall, I. Howard. "A Further Look at 1 Timothy 2." In Women, Ministry and the Gospel: Exploring New Paradigms, edited by Mark Husbands and Timothy Larsen, 53-78. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007.
Marshall, I. Howard and Philip H. Towner. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles. The International Critical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. New York: T&T Clark International, 2004.
Moo, Douglas. "What Does It Mean Not to Teach or Have Authority over Men?: 1 Timothy 2:11-15." In Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism, edited by John Piper and Wayne A. Grudem, 176-92. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1991.
Schreiner, Thomas R. "Women in Ministry." In Two Views on Women in Ministry, edited by James R. Beck and Craig L. Blomberg, 175-235. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.
Schreiner, Thomas R. "An Interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:9-15." In Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, edited by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner, 85-120. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
Stott, John R. W. Guard the Truth: The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Towner, Philip H. The Letters to Timothy and Titus. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2006.
Towner, Philip H. "1-2 Timothy and Titus." In Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, edited by G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, 891-98. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.
Winter, Bruce W. Roman Wives, Roman Widows: The Appearance of New Women and the Pauline Communities. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2003.
Wright, N. T. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. 2nd ed. Paul for Everyone: The Pastoral Letters. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
October 14, 2025
1 Timothy 2:9-15 on the surface seems very restrictive for women (women cannot teach or exercise authority over men). Yet Jesus, Paul (in other places), and other New Testament writers seem to take a much higher view of women compared to their culture. Broadly, orthodox Christians today fall into the complementarian camp (women cannot be pastors) and the egalitarian camp (women can be pastors). This is an extremely surface characterization, and this book dives deeply into the nuances.
The authors are complementarian, but quite affirming of women and their abilities. Different contributing authors discuss the culture of 1st century Ephesus (where Timothy was serving), the Greek behind the passage, exegetical perspectives, theological perspectives, history of interpretation, and a closing roundtable covering a variety of topics with a variety of participants (mostly women).
Although I fall more on the egalitarian end, this book was well researched and well reasoned. They presented their side in a compelling fashion. This topic does tend to attract extremists from both sides, so I appreciated the authors' solid reasoning and care to emphasize areas of agreement.
The authors are complementarian, but quite affirming of women and their abilities. Different contributing authors discuss the culture of 1st century Ephesus (where Timothy was serving), the Greek behind the passage, exegetical perspectives, theological perspectives, history of interpretation, and a closing roundtable covering a variety of topics with a variety of participants (mostly women).
Although I fall more on the egalitarian end, this book was well researched and well reasoned. They presented their side in a compelling fashion. This topic does tend to attract extremists from both sides, so I appreciated the authors' solid reasoning and care to emphasize areas of agreement.
May 26, 2025
Women in the Church is an exceptional book that interprets and applies 1 Timothy 2:9-15, with a focus on 2:12. The contributors are solid in their exegesis, seeking to understand Paul’s authorial intent, his context and the Ephesian culture. This thorough treatment defends the historic Protestant interpretation of this difficult text.
If you are looking for an in-depth academic work addressing various interpretations and challenges that have been levied against the complementation interpretation of this text, this is the book for you. However, for a shorter entry-level work, Kevin DeYoung’s Men and Women in the Church is a great starting point.
I highly recommend this work as a reference and for those interested in delving deeper into this text.
If you are looking for an in-depth academic work addressing various interpretations and challenges that have been levied against the complementation interpretation of this text, this is the book for you. However, for a shorter entry-level work, Kevin DeYoung’s Men and Women in the Church is a great starting point.
I highly recommend this work as a reference and for those interested in delving deeper into this text.
March 31, 2023
Une collection d'articles. Les défauts et qualités de ce genre de livre (avec en plus une bonne partie de discussion "dictionnaire").
Par contre un article sort particulièrement du lot : celui de Robert Yarborough. Sa force vient de la hauteur de vue qu'il prend en sortant du contexte occidental et en regardant les églises des pays qui devraient devenir les plus importants lieux du christianisme si les courbes de progressions restent les mêmes.
Ça plus son retour d'expérience de ministère parmi des pays "sharia-law" comme il dit fait qu'il apporte vraiment quelque chose de plus que les autres.
Par contre un article sort particulièrement du lot : celui de Robert Yarborough. Sa force vient de la hauteur de vue qu'il prend en sortant du contexte occidental et en regardant les églises des pays qui devraient devenir les plus importants lieux du christianisme si les courbes de progressions restent les mêmes.
Ça plus son retour d'expérience de ministère parmi des pays "sharia-law" comme il dit fait qu'il apporte vraiment quelque chose de plus que les autres.
August 20, 2024
I am very thankful for this book. Winsomely written and now in its third edition, it is crystal-clear throughout.
As an Australian reader I appreciated the engagement with Claire Smith's work but would have appreciated some more engagement with John Dickson's, as this is particularly influential and/or representative of some in Sydney Anglicanism.
The thorough engagement with contrary voices such as Philip Payne was respectful but also revealing.
I hope those holding some of the simplistic (and often mutually contradictory) views on this passage might engage with this book as we all seek to understand how to take God's word seriously.
As an Australian reader I appreciated the engagement with Claire Smith's work but would have appreciated some more engagement with John Dickson's, as this is particularly influential and/or representative of some in Sydney Anglicanism.
The thorough engagement with contrary voices such as Philip Payne was respectful but also revealing.
I hope those holding some of the simplistic (and often mutually contradictory) views on this passage might engage with this book as we all seek to understand how to take God's word seriously.
March 14, 2020
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars (7/10) because my overall experience with this book was positive. There were some very strong sections, and some particularly weak sections. As an overall read, it was odd to have one chapter that was so technical as to list every known use of a particular Greek word, while another chapter was a round table discussion with nothing technical in the slightest. The areas of grammatical interpretation we strong, but I wish that they had devoted more space to ways it applied in our modern cultural context, other than the simple “women aren’t to serve as elders.”
April 30, 2021
This is a very "biblical scholarship"-y type book. 6 of the 7 chapters are ~50 pages long and are very well written. Knowledge of Greek is decently necessary in understanding many of the arguments in the book. The authors write humbly but with firmness, which I appreciate. They interact with other scholarship in ways that are very understandable and helpful for me as a reader.
I would recommend this book to any serious student of the Bible in understanding one of the most difficult and contested passages today.
I would recommend this book to any serious student of the Bible in understanding one of the most difficult and contested passages today.
January 9, 2023
This was a thorough, academic, and compelling exposition of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and the meaning and significance of Paul’s prohibition of women teaching and having authority over men in the church. Definitely an academic work; there were a couple of chapter where I had to do a little skimming because the content went over my head without any formal training in original languages. Overall a very helpful resource providing a lot of food for thought.
July 11, 2024
I think if you were awoken in a cold sweat one night over 1 Timothy 2:12, this would be your book. It does not cover all seven verses, just verse 12. They do a really in depth look, but I had to stop reading because the tediousness of looking at one single verse was getting to be real difficult in the monotony. But it’s not just the whole verse itself, it’s just looking at “to have authority over” (αὐθεντεῖν). It’s a handy resource for someone who is writing a dissertation and that’s about it.
March 9, 2024
Very good, but very technical. Makes one thankful for people qualified & knowledgeable enough to provide guidance on such matters.
Takeaway: Paul led / planted many churches. He would have seen the best way a church should be structured. So his teaching is experienced based and not just theoretical.
Takeaway: Paul led / planted many churches. He would have seen the best way a church should be structured. So his teaching is experienced based and not just theoretical.
April 7, 2024
I read the third edition of this book. It consistently got better as it went along. While the beginning was a bit dry, it built upon that foundation with a common thread holding it all together in a way that many works with multiple authors fail to achieve. Truly well done, thoroughly researched, and yet accessible to a reader without a seminary degree.
May 16, 2024
This book is extremely dense, but very useful in assessing the linguistics of 1 timothy 2. The authors are quite frank and demonstrate the complexity of finding interpretation from the linguistic pursuit. The current edition of this book and Westfall’s Paul and Gender were released in the same year—I wish I could have seen them interact with each other’s arguments!
May 24, 2019
An extremely well-prepared and marvelously thorough treatment of a timely issue in congregations everywhere. I have already held my copy up to the congregation I preach to and have endorsed the book with my highest praise. I like everything about this work.
April 25, 2023
Chapter 6 was the only chapter that is applicable to everyday life and also written in a clear manner. I struggled through the rest of the book. A lot of it looked Greek to me (both literally and figuratively).
November 26, 2024
An excellent, thorough and in-depth study of 1Timothy 2:9- 15. It is hard to go against the evidence presented here. This book is no an easy to read book, but a theological study that defends the complentarian view of leadership and marriage within the church.
January 21, 2025
A must read if you are trying to decide what 1 Tim 2:9-15 means.
A must read if you are trying to decide what 1 Tim 2:9-15 means. This book covers every aspect needed to discover what the text means for the church today.
A must read if you are trying to decide what 1 Tim 2:9-15 means. This book covers every aspect needed to discover what the text means for the church today.
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