Testing Paul's Words - The Addition

So far we have explored various ways through time God's words have been nullified by additions to and subtractions from God's words via rules of etiquette or the traditions of men. Now let's test the Apostle Paul's words to see if the cause of sin as defined by Moses is indeed a snare to even an Apostle.

It is important to remember here that the idea of adding and subtracting to God’s words did not come from Moses. Rather, nullifying God's words was witnessed by, then understood by, then communicated by Moses. The evil of nullifying God's words existed at the very fall in Genesis 3. It did not start like the laws of marriage at the beginning of creation. With this in mind, the apostle Paul justifies his command in Timothy 2:12-15 by two things:

But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. 1 Timothy 2:12-15

1.  The First Created or Sequential Order:

The sequential order Paul referred to was actually established by God in Genesis 1:26-28 and was affirmed by Adam in Genesis 2:23-24.

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:26-28

God created Adam last on the sixth day but gives Adam authority over all the earth. During this process, God delegated authority prior to taking Eve out of Adam's side. This is significant because Eve was inside Adam at the time the command to rule was given to Adam. Thus, Eve received authority just as Adam did, Hebrews 7:10-11. In the same way, at the time Adam named, or delegated authority to, the animals, Eve was still inside Adam doing the delegation along with Adam. This unity of authority was the will of God from the very beginning of the creation story. 

After Eve was removed from Adam’s side, she had the same authority Adam had as evidenced by her own attempt to quote God’s words (stand upon God’s words) to the serpent. It is also evidenced by what Adam said.

The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:23-24.

Adam literally made Eve equal to himself in authority and over all of creation just like God had done while Eve was still inside Adam. Therefore, Paul’s justification for woman’s lesser author over all men does not agree with what took place at the beginning of time prior to the fall of man. Men might not like this fact but that is tough. 

It wasn't until some time later after Eve was taken out of Adam that the sequential order of the fall recorded in Genesis 3 actually took place. Eve fell first and as a result, God partially revoked Eve's authority in equality with her husband BUT NOT OVER ALL MALES. Eve was already married to Adam at the time of the fall. God NEVER SAID all males will rule over all females. 

To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16

It is possible to speculate or argue that because every man was still in Adam's loins,  Hebrews 7:5-10, at the partial revoking of authority of women found in Genesis 3:16, that therefore, women are subject to obey every man regardless of marital status. The problem with that SPECULATION is that life passes from man to women as living sperm moves from man’s body to woman’s body and not the other way around. Thus, by this same logic, women were also in Adam's loins at the exact same time and would, therefore, be just as exempt as men. For this reason, such speculations are fallacious and will get no more side tracking.  

Genesis 3:16 literally marks the very beginning of any kind of chain of command or reduced authority in women. It is important to note here that the chain of command given to Christians in the New Testament follows the exact same flow chart given to us in Genesis 3:16. See it for yourselves:

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:22-24

Keep in mind there is no other chain of command in the Bible governing a woman and other men that are not her husband. So, in 1 Timothy 2:10-11 when Paul writes that Paul does not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, he has added to God’s words and admits it opening in the passage. Please read it again and pay attention to the “I” pronoun:

But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But  women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. 1 Timothy 2:12-15

2.  Eve was Deceived, Not Adam:

Is there any Bible verse other than 1 Timothy 2:12-15 that proves women should be subjugated to all men simply because she was deceived? I have not yet found one. So I’m very hesitant to establish a matter on one fallen person’s imposed rule of etiquette even if he is an apostle.

Was Eve deceived? Yes, but it does not follow that she automatically lost all authority over any man that was not her husband when God explicitly stated “your husband”:

To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16

Adding all men to this pronouncement is the very example of nullifying God’s words for the sake of our own interpretations. Besides, Paul wrote the following Bible verses that do not distinguish between genders.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; Romans 12:10

and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Ephesians 5:21

• Moses' Example
• Pharisee Examples
• Today's Application
  • First Problem
  • Second Problem
• Three Current Examples
  • Keep Your Shoes On
  • No Laptops in the First Four Rows
  • No Loud Worship
• Testing Paul's Words
• The Addition
• God's Original Design
• The Subtraction
• The Curse
• Conclusion of the Matter

Copyright (c) 2013 by Diane Pebley All rights reserved, no use granted without the express written permission of the author, Diane Pebley