1 Timothy 2:8-15 has a been a battleground in the recent history of interpretation as scholars have been offering varying interpretations of a passage that at first blush cuts against modern egalitarian sensibilities. Verse 12 has proven to be particularly problematic for modern interpreters who support the ordination of women as pastors. A literal translation of verse 1 Timothy 2:12 reads: “I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over/domineer a man.” At the heart of the exegetical dispute is the problem of translating the phrase “to teach or to exercise authority over.” Dr. Ben Witherington, who will soon be adding to his impressive list of…

Yesterday I wrote in response to Ben Witherington’s critique of the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible. Today, Dr. Witherington apologizes for the remarks that he made there (HT: Justin Taylor). He explains that he didn’t have the whole story when he originally wrote, but now he does. You can read the entire apology in the “comments” section of the original post which is titled “The Problem with the ESV.” I understand where he’s coming from. I had to revise my post after reading the critiques of those who visited my site. I had overgeneralized on one point, and I’m glad that someone pointed it out to me. Oh,…

Ben Witherington’s apocryphal account of the origin of the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible has been roundly refuted on the ESV Bible Blog (HT: Justin Taylor). Among other things, Witherington alleges that the ESV translation too often manifests conservative biases rather than accurate translation. His comments imply that he detects complementarian biases being manifested in the ESV’s translation of texts like Romans 16:7, 1 Timothy 2:12, and Ephesians 5:21-22. Witherington writes, “The ESV doesn’t do justice to any of these texts, and at the expense of women.”

One of the most dangerous things that a theologian can do these days is attempt to describe and/or define the Emerging Church Movement. It’s a perilous task not because one is literally risking life and limb, but because those within the movement have taken great pains to resist being pigeon-holed into any rigid system of belief. Not only that, the movement is in many ways so disparate that characterization has appeared to many to be a well-nigh impossible task.