gengwall

Craig – All of vs. 11 and 12 are singular. They form a distinct change in number from the preceeding verses which is not a mistake. Also, vss. 14b and 15 continue the instruction begun in vs. 11 and are directed at a specific woman (“THE woman was deceived…yet she will be saved”). Grammatically, vss. 11 and 12 simply can’t be about the congregation – they must be about a singal woman – or the whole passage is senseless.

The confusing point is the final use of the plural “they” in vs. 15. Those who believe that the passage is about all women and their conduct in the congregation see “they” as confirmation that the passage has been talking about women all along. But that makes jibberish out of the use of “a woman” and “the woman” and “she” that have preceeded “they”. Logically, “they” has only two possibilities: the entire congregation (who should continue in faith love and holiness to benefit the fallen woman and aid her restoration) or the small set of people intimately involved in the problem – the woman and her husband.

I originally was inclined to believe the former but now have more confidence that it is the latter after discussing this for over a year now on this blog. But either way, what is absolutely clear is that “the woman” of vss. 14 and 15 is the very same woman in vss. 11 and 12. Logically and gramatically that is the only conclusion that the text supports.