Can Women Teach Men?

 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 1 Tim 2:11–12 NIV

1 Tim 2:11-15 The subordination of women in this passage is situational, not an eternal law.

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer
or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 1 Tim 1:3–4 NIV

There were certain people, men and women, who were teaching pagan doctrines. The dominant pagan religion in Ephesus was dominated by the goddess Artemis. A pagan form of feminism was infiltrating the Christian church. Women were dominant in Artemis worship and some women were trying to dominate after their Christian conversion.

Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.

They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently. 1 Tim 1:4–7 NLT

It is clear here that not all the instructions in 1 Timothy are meant for all the Christians in Ephesus, and certainly not for all Christians or all women at all times.

One aspect of Gnostic teaching was the invention of fables about Adam and Eve. Some of these can be found in 2nd century documents, but the ideas were already widespread in the later New Testament period.

A common feature of these stories is that Eve is idealised and often appears before Adam.

For Adam was created first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and fell into sin. 1 Tim 2:13-14

The point of these verses is to refute the false teachings of the early Gnostics.

 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 1 Tim 2:11–12 NIV

The domineering woman (or perhaps some domineering women) who was not to teach but to learn humbly was most likely one of the false teachers who spread Gnostic fables.

Incidentally, the word PERMISSION is a translation of EPITREPEO, a Greek word that always refers to situational instructions.