Besançon Spencer, Aida2019-09-252019-09-252017-02-131974http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/163290"Should women be ordained as pastors according to the First Letter to Timothy 2:11-15? Scholars have traditionally interpreted this text in three ways: as applying at face value directly to women everywhere (thus they should not be ordained pastors); or as not applying to any women in the present age either because the text is not authoritative (Paul probably did not write it) or his imperative only refers to women in the first century (it was a cultural mandate). I would imagine that women and men who tend to favor the last two interpretations do so because the imperative in First Timothy seems inconsistent with the contemporary educational achievements of women or with the concept of a loving God. Yet if the text is interpreted as solely relevant to the first century,' have we not dismissed the author's references to the universal criteria of Adam and Eve (verses 13-14) in establishing models for ecclesiastical behavior? Also, could all of Scripture then be set aside as simply "cultural?""engWith permission of the license/copyright holderwomenecclesiastical behaviorCulturePastoral EpistlesCommunity ethicsSocial ethicsSexual orientation/genderBiblical TheologyNew TestamentPractical theology and theological educationArticle