Deborah…Unless There’s A Dude (Part 4)

In our last article, Deborah…Unless There’s A Dude (Part 3), we recalled that 1 Timothy is written to those in Asia Minor and specifically those in the city of Ephesus. We looked at the unique cultural context of Ephesus (with the Cult of Artemis and a unique background of warrior women), and we concluded that unique context is the first key for a correct understanding of 1 Timothy 2:12.

In this article, we are going to turn to the second key of five keys of correctly interpreting 1 Timothy 2:12: the uniqueness of the Greek word, authentein.

“But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”
— (New American Standard Bible, 1995, 1 Tim. 2:12)

“Exercise authority over” is a translation of one Greek word, the word authentein.

Now, this word is only found one time in all the Bible, and of course, it’s right here, and that should certainly catch our attention and surprise us, given that the Bible talks so much about authority.

Yet, this word for exercising authority is found nowhere else in the entire New Testament, and it’s not used in the Septuagint (that time period’s Greek translation of the Old Testament).

The fact that it is a very rare word should tell us that it has a very rare meaning, and it should tell us that what was happening in Ephesus (that needed to be addressed with women and men) was also very rare.

So let’s dig into this word.

We can find over a hundred examples of this word in antiquity if we get generations away from this time period, but from 27BC to approximately AD 150 we have only six examples of the use of this word, including its use here in Timothy (1).

You can see the six charted out below:

(Image from Hübner, 2015) (2)

So let’s dig into this word further.

The verb authentéō is a compound word from the Greek word, autós meaning "self" (3) and entea meaning "arms (4)." It means to unilaterally take up arms, acting as an autocrat – literally, self-appointed (acting without submission) (5).

If we had a word for conquering or domineering that had the word “I” embedded in it, that word would capture authentein.

It’s critical for us to understand that this is not the standard New Testament word for authority.

This is the word for a self-appointed, non-submitted domineering.

It is worthy saying that this is not a word for authority that is ever permitted (by anybody over another) in Scripture. It’s not like we have Scriptures that say women should not authentein but men should.

First, God never, in all of His Word, speaks about authority as being intrinsic to self.

He says all authority is His, that all authority is delegated by Him, and that authority is delegated for His intention.

When God gives authority, what are we supposed to do?

“Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
— (Christian Standard Bible, 2017-2020, Matt. 20:25-28)

God does not call us to use the authority He has given to lord it over others, and He does not call us to use it to strongly dominate others, which are the two words Jesus uses to describe what the Gentile leaders do.

Again in:

“nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”
— (New American Standard Bible, 1995, 1 Pet. 5:3)

Don’t lord over those you have authority over, but lead by example, we are told.

In Ephesians 5, when we read that the husband is the head, we don’t read that he is then to lord over his wife, or dominate his wife, but to love as Christ loved the church.

Biblical authority is from God, for God’s purposes, and therefore is authorized.

It’s delegated. It’s received. It’s not taking up one’s own cause.

Authority and dictatorship are opposites.

Authority and domineering are opposites.

When we have authority, it’s delegated by God, and we are only authorized to exercise it in alignment with God’s will.

If someone is in authority and commanding something God would not command, deciding something contrary to God’s will or saying words to those under them that God would not say to them, that is an abuse of authority. They are not operating in an authorized fashion.

The point is this, there is no self-appointed authority that is ever going to be considered good – or even neutral – in the Bible.

Yet, self is the first word in the word in our passage: authentein.

But also, the second part of the word authentein is “to take-up arms.” It is antagonistic, a word of opposition, even oppression.

When you read the Scripture, you see that authority was never given to oppress others, only oppress God’s enemy, and that the goal of His delegated authority is for us to bring whatever is within the area of authority He has given us into conformity with Him and His Kingdom.

God would never allow a man to authentein over another man. In fact, He never allows us to use His delegated authority to even to strongly exercise lordship or authority over others (Mathew 20:25), which were much softer words than the use of authentein in 1 Timothy 2.

To simply translate this as “I don’t allow a woman to exercise authority over a man” is frankly reckless and misleading.

When we know the actual word used in the Greek, it is clear that Paul is saying, “I don’t allow a woman to self appoint her own authority over her husband and dominate him.”

Now, I’m sure you’re thinking, “Husband, where does that come in? Are you trying to be sly by just throwing that in?” We’re not :), we will get to that next. But before we do, let’s stay focused on authentein.

If we read the next chapter about men as overseers in the church, it’s clear Paul does not allow men to authentein either.

Instead, in 1 Timothy 3:2-3, he says these men in authority must be:...temperate, prudent, respectable . . . not pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable . . . (New American Standard Bible, 1995, 1 Tim 3:2-3)

Temperate there is the word sophron, the same word that began and ended the section on wives in the last chapter.

All to say, authentein is off limits for all Christ-followers. Nowhere is it allowed for men, but not for women. It’s off limits for men, and it’s off limits for women in the same way that lording it over and dominating are according to Jesus in Matthew 20:25.

1 Timothy 2 is the only verse in the whole Bible which at first glance appears to say that women cannot be in positions of authority over a man.

Nowhere else is that stated.

In fact, there are many examples of the opposite in the Old Testament and New Testament alike: Deborah, Phoebe, Junia and Miriam to name just a few.

After looking at this closely, we sincerely believe it’s a case-closed situation.

God’s Word does not say what most English translations seem to say it says.

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.” — (English Standard Version, 2001, 1 Tim. 2:12)
“I do not permit a woman to … assume authority over a man.” — (New International Version, 1984, 1 Tim. 2:12)
“But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” — (King James Version, 1611, 1 Tim. 2:12)
“But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness.” — (English Revised Version, 1885, 1 Tim. 2:12)

The earlier version of the English Standard Version is the most restrictive, making it a wide-ranging statement.

“I do not permit a woman to exercise authority.” — (English Standard Version, 1971, 1 Tim. 2:12)

By translating as they have, they are making “authentein” an equivalent of the standard word for authority, which is eksousia.

In English it reads the same, but in Greek its apples and donuts!

If one said, “I am a leader” and another, “I am a self-appointed dominator,” and then a first century Greek translated both the same way, we might not be thrilled!

Our translation of authentein reads as if it’s the standard word for authority (eksousia), when it isn’t, and as a result, it fails to make clear the unique nature of authentein.

The New International Version builds in the idea of taking up authority, saying “I do not allow a woman to assume authority…,” which hints toward self-initiative in the act. (New International Version, 1984, 1 Tim. 2:12)

The King James actually got closer here in translating it as “nor to usurp authority over a man” but yet that still softens the meaning of the term. (King James Version, 1611, 1 Tim. 2:12)

The English Revised goes with “nor to have dominion over a man,” which is good to switch authority for dominion to be true to the word, but it still misses the self appointed piece of its meaning. (English Revised Version, 1885, 1 Tim. 2:12)

The Literal Standard Version as well as Young's LIteral Translation went with

“nor to rule a husband,” (Literal Standard Version, 2020, 2 Tim. 2:12) and that is the best translation we have found.

We would advocate for future translations to flesh authentein out fully with something like, “I do not permit a wife to . . . self-appointed domineer a husband.”

Now...the question of women or wives teaching men or husbands still remains, but to say the Bible says women can never be in authority over men because of 1 Tim 2:12 is simply untrue.

We’ll come back to the teaching piece.

If you’re interested to learn more on the next key to interpreting 1 Timothy 2, be sure to read the subsequent article, Deborah…Unless There’s A Dude (Part 5).

1 Hübner, Jamin. “Translating αὐθεντέω (authenteō) in 1 Timothy 2:12a.” Priscilla Papers 29, no. 2 (2015). https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/translating-%CE%B1%E1%BD%90%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%AD%CF%89-authenteo-1-timothy-212a/.
2 Hübner, Jamin. “Translating αὐθεντέω (authenteō) in 1 Timothy 2:12a.” Priscilla Papers 29, no. 2 (2015). https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/translating-%CE%B1%E1%BD%90%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%AD%CF%89-authenteo-1-timothy-212a/.
3 Discovery Bible. “Authentéō: H.E.L.P.S. (Hill Emphatic Language Pointer System) Word Studies. (2021). https://biblehub.com/greek/831.htm
4 Discovery Bible. “Authentéō: H.E.L.P.S. (Hill Emphatic Language Pointer System) Word Studies. (2021). https://biblehub.com/greek/831.htm
5 Discovery Bible. “Authentéō: H.E.L.P.S. (Hill Emphatic Language Pointer System) Word Studies. (2021). https://biblehub.com/greek/831.htm

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