The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming

BEST OF Season Three! 1 Timothy 2:8-3:16

Episode Summary

Paul’s reference to the Garden of Eden in 1 Timothy 2 contains several surprises worth paying attention to!!

Episode Notes

Should women teach men in church? People focus only on 1 Timothy 2:12. But wait! There's more!

• Verse 12 is only the second half of one long Greek sentence that starts with verse 11.
• Verse 12 is not the main idea of the sentence. The main idea is in verse 11. 
• Verse 11 refers to a subgroup of women - the wayward women overseers Timothy was to correct and restore to ministry.
• Paul is NOT saying that women should no teach men in church. Quite the contrary! 
• In verses 13-14 there is anachronistic use of the names Adam and Eve. 
• And the reference to each one in reverse order.
• Then in verse 15a Paul refers to Eve's saving faith in the promised Child.

Paul is obviously very familiar with the Hebrew text of Genesis 3:15-17. In that passage there are two singular collective singular nouns used: "offspring" and "pregnancy." Paul adds a third in 1 Timothy 2:15a with his reference to "the Childbearing."

If any verse deserves our focus in 1 Timothy 2:8-3:16 the focus should be on 1 Timothy 3:1a! It is Jesus, the faithful Word, who saves and restores to ministry anyone who desires that good work!

Go Deeper? Listen to Season Three of The Eden Podcast to dive deeper into the complete Section of the Letter of 1 Timothy that runs from 1:8-3:16! The transcripts will appear in 2022 as part of Book Three of The Eden Book Series joining The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3 and the book Beyond Eden, Ephesians 5-6 by Bruce C. E. Fleming, founder of the Tru316 Project (Tru316.com).