Syntactical Background Studies to 1 Timothy 2:12
“Syntactical Background Studies to 1 Tim. 2.12 in the New Testament and Extrabiblical Greek Literature,” in Discourse Analysis and Other Topics in Biblical Greek (ed. Stanley E. Porter and D. A. Carson, JSNTSup 113; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1995), 156-79.
The injunction in 1 Tim 2:12, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man,” occupies a central position in the contemporary debate on the role of women in the church. To this day, no agreement has been reached regarding the proper rendering of this passage. While exegetical and hermeneutical issues cannot be dealt with here, this study will seek to establish an accurate translation of the text.
A new methodological approach will be taken, utilizing the Ibycus system. A search of extrabiblical Greek literature in the relevant time period will provide a significantly enlarged data base that will aid in the study of the syntactical construction found in 1 Tim 2:12. It is hoped that the clarified translation of this text will advance its proper interpretation.
