gengwall

Assuming we are on reasonably common ground….

I think there is a full circle here, not so much with 1 Tim 2 but with inner-church relations in general which encompasses 1 Tim 2, and it DOES revolve around 1 Cor 11 and Ephesians 5 because of the use of “head” in both. Here is the progression as I see it (and patriarchal men and the women who follow them believe it).

Ephesians 5 says that the man is boss (i.e. “head”) in the marriage and the woman needs to obey* (i.e. “submit”)…..->
In a more general sense, 1 Cor 11 says that all men are “head” over women. This is especially true in church where the women need a “head” (i.e. boss) to watch over and “cover” them…..->
Therefore, any discussion of male/female relations in church (e.g. 1 Tim 2) can only be understood in the context of the general hierarchical arrangement of men as boss and women as obedient follower…..->

As I and many others have said before, this is extremely myopic and misguided. But it is also pervasive. It is a belief that I truly think is a fundamental component of our (men and women alike) fallen state.

I really think it begins with the gross misinterpretation of Ephesians 5 and snowballs from there. It is no wonder that these men (and the women who believe them) think that “will rule over” is a command, not a consequence. That is why I am so passionate about getting to the heart of Ephesians 5, because to me, the misinterpretation of it is the root of many of the problems. BUT, the correct interpretation of it is the solution to many of the problems.

That is also where I run into such resistance from women, because they also are prisoner to this patriarchal paradigm even if they are rebelling against it. Even if I present a very egalitarian view of Ephesians 5, they simply don’t believe me. Actually, they don’t believe I believe what I am saying because they believe all men believe that Paul was outlining male rule. They see conspiracy all over the place because they have believed the lie that the patriarchal paradigm is really what Paul meant. (Of course, they have also suffered the real life pains that that paradigm produces.) Therefore, they distrust me and dismiss Paul. I have literally had women tell me that I don’t really believe what I am saying; that Paul was a misogynist plain and simple and anyone who tries to paint him otherwise is either a fool or a liar. And it all stems from this fundamental, pervasive, invasive misunderstanding of “head” and “submit”.