From: HoLogos@aol.com
Date: Mon Jun 29 1998 - 04:45:13 EDT
The both truly likeable and respectable Ward Powers suggested ANHR and GUNH
meaning "husband and wife" in I Timothy 2:12. (As for the rest of you, my
life is enriched by all of your existences and your knowledge. How happy are
we for this forum. And you are all very brave, as I, to hold out your
thoughts into the firing range. I congratulate you all. I esteem you all.
And most esteemed of all are the kind, I confess. O my soul, you will be
happier in the next life to reflect on times you were kind to someone, than
times you managed a show of cleverness to someone.
Ward's suggestion raises other questions in my mind (a mind not humble enough
to boast its opinions humble, though I am certainly of low estate). Questions
about the same words ANHR and GUNH in I Corinthians 14:34-35. There the
context is rules of order hOTAN SUNERCHSQE, when you assemble for church.
"hAI GUNAIKES EN TAIS EKKLHSIAIS SIGATWSAN," and, "hUPOTASESQWSAN."
This EN EKKLHSIA setting is distinguished from "EN OIKWi" in v. 35. If in
church she wants to inquire about something, let her ask her husband at home.
This EI DE TI MAQEIN QELOUSIN reminds me of the MANQANETW EN PASHi hUPOTAGHi
in I Timothy 2:11.
MAQEIN, MANQANETW. Same word.
In I Cor. 14:35 Paul says, AISCRON GAR ESTIN GUNAIKI LALEIN "EN EKKLHSIA."
Now if it is a disgrace for "wives" to speak "in church," why would it be
less discraceful for a single woman to speak in church?
And where in the law was Paul talking about, when he said in v. 34, "KAQWS KAI
hO NOMOS LEGEI"? The only thing I can find of relevance is the principle
found in Numbers 30:3-8, that an unmarried woman is subject to her father, and
a married woman to her husband. So if I understand Paul correctly, an
unmarried woman should be silent in church because of her father, and a wife
because of her husband. (And all, perhaps, DIA TOUS AGGELOUS.) As for a
divorced woman, would her speaking in church be more appropriate than that of
other women?
The Greek in Numbers 30:3-8 is interesting. For "whoever," it uses the
distributive doubling of ANQRWPOS ANQRWPOS. Then it discusses four subsets of
women. For "unmarried woman" it says GUNH EN TWi OIKWi TOU PATROS AUTHS EN
THi NEOTHTI AUTHS, and for "married woman" it says GENOMENH ANDRI, "having
become in the state of with-man" or "with husband," and for her husband it
says hO ANHR AUTHS. For a widow it uses CERA, and for a divorced woman,
EKBEBLHMENHS, "she who is put away."
A girl once asked me, "Does that mean then that if a single girl has title to
her own house, she can speak in church?" A valid question, but I politely
restrained a grin. I don't think Jesus is one to allow ownership of property
as a criterion for the privilege to speak in church. By the way, in my
conversation, I was trying to accomodate by using terms such as "human."
Another girl, however, corrected me, that she was not a human, but a "hugirl."
Sometimes, one is left thinking DOKEI FILONEIKOS EINAI.
HoLogos@aol.com (David Palmer)
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