Bill The Baptist
Puritan Board Graduate
I recently got into a debate with someone on Facebook regarding 1 Timothy 3:11. In his opinion, this passage allows for women to be deacons, and many others such as Mark Dever would agree. The KJV, ESV, HCSB and other translations render this passage something like this, "Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things." This translation would seem to indicate that Paul is referring to the wives of deacons. Other versions, such as the NASB and the NIV 2011 would render it something like, "Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things." Some have interpreted this to mean that Paul is including women among those who are eligible to be deacons. The debate revolves around the Greek word gune, which can be interpreted as "woman" or "wife." Those who argue for "woman" point out that in all other instances where gune is translated as "wife" there is a possesive pronoun accompanying it, therefore since there is not a possesive pronoun in this passage, it must be translated as "woman" or "women." My question is 1. Which is the correct way to translate this word?, and 2. Even if "women" is the correct translation, does this passage actually allow for female deacons?