1 Timothy 2:12, "or"

1 Timothy 2:12

“or”

It may seem ridiculous to talk about the word “or” but every word of these verses have been contested and some would say that “or” is a conjunction that absolutely puts these two ideas together meaning that authority and teaching must be taken together and not separately. In other words both must be present in order for the action to be prohibited. This however is not the meaning of the conduction “or”. Here is the meaning:



If we look to see how “or” is used elsewhere in the New Testament, we find it can mean two exclusive non- connecting things, neither of which will be connected with the subject that is talked about. For example, Mattew 6:26 “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? In this passage “sow”, “reap” and “gather” are not meant to imply one action, but instead it is to imply that all are connected to actions that fowls do not do. Here are some more verses that confirm this:

Mar 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

Luk 6:44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall 0 not be able to gainsay nor 3761 resist. They will not be able to do this and they will not be able to do this.

In this verses to teach and to have authority are two separate actions that Paul does not allow women to do. A more direct translation of the word order in the Greek is “But to teach, a woman, I do not permit, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence”, which gives more of the idea that these are two separate actions that Paul is talking about.

What type of authority is being addressed here? Governing?

Also if this verse was limited to an Elder or Preacher why didn’t Paul just say that instead of using functional language and not title.