23: WOMEN TEACHING FALSE DOCTRINE? 185exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet, for some
women are teaching false doctrine there at Ephesus.” Rather, Paul’s rea-
son is the creation order: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” We
should be reluctant, then, to accept a position based on a reason Paul
does not give, especially when it minimizes, ignores, or presents an
eccentric interpretation of the reason Paul actually does give (as several
egalitarian positions do).
Should we base our understanding of such a key verse on a specu-
lative claim with no hard evidence to support it? Should we change our
entire understanding of the verse based on no evidence? Is this a respon-
sible way to interpret the Bible? I do not believe it is.
So what is the result of this “women were doing false teaching”
interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:12? It effectively substitutes a different
meaning for the verse:
Previous meaning: I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise
authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.New meaning: In a church where most or all the women are teach-
ing false doctrine, I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise
authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.Since no churches today have most or all the women teaching false
doctrine, the verse (with this new meaning) has no direct application for
today. And it no longer prohibits women from being pastors and elders.
But if we substitute a different meaning for the verse, and if the new
meaning is wrong, then we have nullified the authority of the Bible at
that verse. People will no longer obey what God actually said in his
Word, because they will no longer know what he said. They will think
he said something else.
So if this new meaning is wrong, then this “women were doing
false teaching” interpretation actually does undermine the effective
authority of Scripture at this key verse. And when it undermines the
effective authority of Scripture in this way, it is another step on the
path to liberalism.