gengwall

We have gone through this exercise before but it bears repeating to help make the entire passage “clear”, if for no one else, then for Mike Seaver. Instead of paraphrasing as we have done in the past, I have cherry picked (hahaha) translations that get closest to the “clear” Greek meaning and then cobbled them together to make a paraphrase that does not technically fall outside of conventional translation. Highlighted text is that which differs from the majority of the translations (and often from all other translations) yet is far closer to the original Greek meaning as understood and interpreted by egalitarians. It also is much more “clear”. Here goes.

Selected Tranlsations Verse by Verse
1Ti 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. (Good old KJV)

1Ti 2:12 and a woman I do not suffer to teach, nor to rule a husband, but to be in quietness. (Youngs Literal Translation (YNG))

1Ti 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. (many, some with variation “formed first”)

1Ti 2:14 Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience; (Hebrew Names Version)

1Ti 2:15a Yet she will be saved…(many with variation: “But…she shal[l/t] be”. NIV has “restored” as a footnote for “saved”)

1Ti 2:15b …through the child-bearing (YNG)

1Ti 2:15c …if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. (ESV and others with variations for “holiness” (sancti[ty/fication]) and “self-control” (modesty, propriety, sobriety))

The Paraphrase

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. And a woman I do not suffer to teach, nor to rule a husband, but to be in quietness[1]. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. [And] Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being decieved, has fallen into disobedience. Yet she will be restored[2] through the child-bearing if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control[3].

Specifics
Verse 11 – “the woman”. A particular woman is in view.
Verse 12 – “a husband”. The situation being dealt with is specifically intermarital and relates to how the woman and her husband are interacting.
Verse 14 – “has fallen”. The verb tense indicates past action with a ongoing result.
Verse 15a – “the child-bearing”. A particular birth (that of Jesus) is in view. Also note that the restoration is in the future.

Ironically, all of the translations when considered alone contain various degrees of “unclearness”. But if one focuses on the areas where individual translations get part of the translation right, it becomes quite clear.

Notes
1. The word does not mean absense of sound but instead, conveys a state of peacefulness.
2. “Restored” is a legitimate and probably better translation. It is strange that it only occurs in the footnote in the NIV and in no other translation. The idea is that this is a decieved and wayward Christian who needs to be brought back into communion with the congregation, not a heathen who needs salvation.
3. This ties all the way back to the general instructions for the congregation on how to conduct themsleves found in verses 8-10.