TL

” Given the example above, is the shift from plural to singular grammatically or topically different? “

Yes, it is. First you were referencing all the men and all the women. Then you shifted to a single woman with a single man. This changed the dynamics. In your example the general topic was the same, men and women being around each other and a man and a woman being alone. Though being alone was different involving possible intimacy, than general mingling, it was still within the same topic of physical presence.

However, the shift in Paul’s advice to Timothy related the topic back to the section in chapter one where he was addressing teaching. Verses 9-10 were about attire and modesty, while praying and not fighting as the men were also instructed. Actually, everything in chapter two relates back to chapter one in some way.

But in verses 11 the shift gets more personal with a reference to one woman with one man. Unfortunately for our understanding the one man is not identified. Is it a teacher, a husband, or a particular man from a particular incident that Paul isn’t naming but Timothy wrote Paul about? Or was it all 3, her husband who was a teacher that she was publicly usurping his authority, his guidance, etc. We don’t know precisely. But the message is clear enough that whoever that woman was, Paul told Timothy to let her learn. This gives us another clue that she was likely misguided in her understanding on something, just like the people in chapter one were desiring to be teachers but according to Paul “understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. ” They did not have sound doctrine. But instead of throwing her out of the community of believers as Paul recommended for Hymenaeus and Alexander, Paul tells Timothy to let her learn in the demeanor of a student, in submissive quietness. Still talking about learning, Paul tells Timothy that he, Paul, does not want such a woman to teach or exercise coercive authority (authentein) over the man (teacher, husband, or whoever she was doing this to). Then Paul points out a few points from Scriptural doctrine. Again we don’t know the point he was aiming at so we’re not clearly certain why he brought them up, and there could be a couple reasons. And the statements are still on the subject of why the woman must be allowed to learn.