gengwall

One more thing Holly. I have done an exhaustive review of over 80 English translations of 1 Timothy 2:11-15. I am sad to report that only one translation, the Concordant Literal New Testament, gets this passage completely correct from the Greek in terms of grammar. Here is the CLNT translation. Read it carefully and see if it gives you a better sense of what is going on and what Paul is talking about.

Let a woman be learning in quietness with all subjection. Now I am not permitting a woman to be teaching nor yet to be domineering over a man, but to be in quietness. For Adam was first molded, thereafter Eve, and Adam was not seduced, yet the woman, being deluded, has come to be in the transgression. Yet she shall be saved through the child bearing, if ever they should be remaining in faith and love and holiness with sanity.

Now, I have also done a paraphrase by cobling together parts of various translations which not only get the grammar right but use English words which seem to best carry the meaning of the equivalent Greek words. I think you will find this translation in stark contrast to what you have been taught about this passage:

A wife should learn in peace, being ready to cooperate in everything. But I do not allow the wife to teach or to be domineering over the husband, rather, she is to remain at peace. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, having been deceived, has come to be in transgression. But she will be saved through the birth of the child, if she and her husband continue to live in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

Remember that I did not make up any of that; it all comes from published English translations. What a contrast, wouldn’t you agree?

Some other interesting tidbits from my scoring:

The KJV had a score of only 20 out of a possible 60 points. That was actually about average.
I am sad to say that my favorite translation, and the one I quote most, the NASB, scored only 10 points.
The worst translation was the Contemporary English Version at -1 points.
The best “mainstream” translation was the American Standard Version with 50 points.
As I mentioned, the best overall with a perfect score of 60 was the CLNT.
There were some translations that scored as well as the King James, but are much more damaging to women when they did go wrong. The worst possible single phrase I have ever seen, (and also the most unsupported biblically) comes from a version many young people use – The Message. Although The Message scored a 19, I was inclined to (but didn’t) fail it all together based on the paraphrase of the last half of vs. 14 where it says: “woman was deceived first – our pioneer in sin! – with Adam right on her heels.”