1 TIMOTHY 2 — PRAYER, SALVATION FOR ALL, AND ORDER IN WORSHIP

Chapter 2 begins the part of the letter that deals with order in the church's public life. The first section is about prayer for all people and the universal scope of the gospel, which is the foundation for everything that follows. The second part gives specific instructions for men and women in worship, probably addressing problems in Ephesus. The setting is important. Ephesus was the center of the cult of Artemis, a fertility goddess whose temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world and whose priestesses wielded considerable power. The church there had been troubled by false teachers who forbade marriage (4:3), who were especially influential among certain women (5:13; 2 Timothy 3:6–7), and whose teaching included myths and speculations (1:4). It is against this background that Paul's instructions about women, which are brief and have an unusual focus on the problem at hand, should be read. The passage has been interpreted in different ways by faithful, Bible-believing Christians, and it requires patience, humility, and careful attention to context. This commentary affirms that women may serve in all ministry roles consistent with their gifting, and it offers a reading of the passage that is consistent with that conviction while presenting the alternatives fairly.

The setting of this chapter in Ephesus is important for understanding it, and the details of the setting have been confirmed by archaeology. The temple of Artemis at Ephesus was among the largest buildings in the ancient world, and excavations at the site have revealed the extent of its influence on the city. Artemis was associated with fertility and childbirth, and her cult was a major economic force, as the riot of the silversmiths in Acts 19:23–41 shows. Luke's description of the city in Acts is detailed and accurate: the "temple keeper," the "town clerk," the "proconsuls," and the theater where the crowd gathered all correspond to what is known of Ephesus from inscriptions and excavations. The prayer for rulers in this chapter also has historical interest. Early Christians, even under persecution, prayed for the emperor and for the empire, as the writings of Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian show. The statement about the one mediator and the ransom is likely a very early confession, and it reflects the belief that Jesus was both fully human and uniquely able to save. As for the question of women in ministry, the historical evidence from the New Testament and the early church shows that women were active as prophets, teachers, deacons, patrons, and fellow workers, to a degree that was unusual in the ancient world, and this fact is itself an indication of the radical change that the gospel brought.