2:12 to teach: Paul uses a Greek word that indicates the type of teaching that was found in the Jewish communities and synagogues from which he had come. Such teaching was more than giving information to students. It included the call by the rabbi, or teacher, to have his disciples listen, believe, and practice his words. Such teaching was built on the revelation of God and assumed that there would be some sort of oversight, like that exercised in the early church by the elders (see 4:11; 4:16–5:2;
2 Tim. 3:17; 4:1–4;
Titus 2:15; 3:8–11 ).
Generally those who exercised this responsibility in the early church had the spiritual gift of teaching (see
Rom. 12:7;
1 Cor. 12:28), but not every gift of teaching (by men or women) was necessarily to be exercised over the entire congregation. The word or seems to indicate that teach is defined by the phrase have authority over a man. It seems best to understand this passage as teaching that women may exercise their spiritual gifts in a variety of ministries in a local assembly (see
2 Tim. 3:14;
Titus 2:3, 4), as long as those gifts are exercised under the appropriate leadership of men. Other commentators have viewed this verse as an example of Paul using his apostolic authority to curb the spread in Ephesus of false teaching (see 1:3–7) that apparently was becoming popular among some women who had not been properly instructed (see v. 11).
Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (1 Ti 2:12). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
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