Homilies on First Timothy 9

Let a woman learn in quietness with all submission.

But I do not permit a woman to teach, nor to have authority over a man, but to be in quietness.

For Adam was formed first, then Eve;

and Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression;

yet she shall be saved through childbearing,

if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control.

The blessed Paul demands much modesty from women, much decorum.

For this reason he goes not merely as far as their appearance, not merely as far as their attire, but even as far as their voice;

and what does he say? Let a woman learn in quietness.

What does this mean? Let not a woman, he says, so much as utter a sound in church;

which very thing he also said when writing in the Epistle to the Corinthians;

For it is shameful for women to speak in church.

Why, pray? Because, he says, the law subjected them.

And again elsewhere: But if they wish to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home.

But at that time the women kept silent as a result of such teaching;

but now among them there is much tumult, much clamor, much talk—nowhere else so much as here;

one might see them all talking together, more than takes place either in the market or in the baths.

For just as if they came for this very purpose, that they might have relaxation, so are they all occupied about useless talk.

For this reason all things have been turned upside down;

and they do not consider that it is not otherwise possible to learn anything useful unless they keep quiet.

For when the discourse presses on to its argument, and no one gives heed to what is said, what is the profit? For she must be so silent, he says, that she should utter nothing in church, not only concerning worldly matters, but not even concerning spiritual ones.

This is her ornament, this her modesty; this rather than her garments will be able to adorn her;

if she thus composes herself, she will be able to offer her prayers with much comeliness.

But I do not permit a woman to teach.

What connection has this here? A very close one.

He was discoursing about quietness, about decorum, about modesty;

he said that I do not wish them to speak.

Wishing therefore to cut off from every side their occasion of talking, he says, Let them not even teach, but let them hold the rank of those who are being taught;

for thus, through silence, they will also show their submission.

For the sex is somehow talkative;

for this reason he restrains her on every side.

For Adam, he says, was formed first, then Eve;

and Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression.

What then have these things to do with the women of the present day? Yes, he says;

the male sex enjoyed the greater honor;

and in another place he showed the greater point too, speaking thus:

For the man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man.

Why then does he say this? Because from many considerations he wishes the man to hold the first place.

For first, he says, let him have the pre-eminence from these things; and secondly, from what has already come to pass.

She once taught the man, and overturned everything, and made him liable to disobedience.

For this reason God subjected her, since she had ill-used her rule, or rather her equality of honor.

Your turning, he says, shall be toward your husband.

But before this, this had not been said.

But how was Adam not deceived? Surely, then, he did not disobey—if indeed he was not deceived.

The woman says, The serpent deceived me;

but Adam does not say, The woman deceived me, but rather, She gave to me, and I ate.

But it is not the same thing to receive the deception from one of the same race and kindred as to receive it from a beast, a slave, one who is in subjection.

Therefore, by comparison with the woman, he says that the man was not deceived; for she was beguiled by the slave and the subject, but he by a free being.

Again, it is not said of Adam that he 'saw that the tree was good for food,' but of the woman; and that she ate, and gave also to her husband.

So that he transgressed not because he was overcome by desire, but simply because he was persuaded by the woman.

The woman taught once, and overthrew everything.

For this reason he says, 'Let her not teach.'

What then has this to do with the rest of women, if she suffered this? Very much indeed;

for the sex is weak and fickle.

And besides, it is here spoken of the whole nature.

For he did not say, 'And Eve being deceived,' but 'The woman,' which is rather the name of the common sex than of her in particular.

What then? Did the whole nature fall into transgression through her? Just as of Adam he says that he was 'in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a figure of him that was to come';

so also here it was the female sex that transgressed, not the male.

What then? Has it no salvation? 'Yes,' he says.

And of what kind is this? That which is through childbearing.

For he was surely not speaking of Eve;

'If they continue in faith and love and holiness with sobriety.'

In what faith? In what love? In what holiness with sobriety? As if he were saying:

'Be not cast down, you women, because your sex has been reproached;

God has given you also another means of salvation, namely, the rearing of children;

so that you may be saved not only through yourselves, but also through others.'

See how many questions are born at once.

'The woman being deceived,' he says, 'fell into transgression.'

Shall she then be saved through childbearing? He does not say this, but that the female nature shall be saved.

Did she then not fall into transgression? Yes, she did; but it was Eve who transgressed, whereas the female sex shall be saved through childbearing.

For why not also through her own virtue? Surely she did not shut this out from the others? What then of the virgins? What of the barren? What of the widows who lost their husbands before bearing children? Are they perished? Have they no hope? And yet it is the virgins who are held in the highest esteem.

What then does he mean to say? (2)

Some say that, just as He subjected the whole race from the very formation through what was done to the first woman (for since Eve was formed second and was made subject, therefore let the rest of the race also be subject, he says);

so accordingly, since she also transgressed, the rest of the race too became involved in the transgression.

For there the whole came from the gift of God, but here from the sin of the woman.

So what he means is this:

that just as all men died through the one, since the one sinned, so also the whole female sex transgressed, since the woman fell into transgression.

God gave her no small consolation, namely, the bearing of children.

'But this belongs to nature,' he says.

For it is not only the work of nature that is granted, but also that of the rearing of children.

'If they continue,' he says, 'in faith and love and…'

that is, if after bearing them they keep them in love and purity.

In these things they shall have no small reward for such labors, but even an exceedingly great one, because they have reared athletes for Christ.

By 'holiness' he means the upright life, and by 'sobriety' he means orderly conduct.

This is said with reference to this matter, not to the words 'If any man desires the office of a bishop.'

For since this was in doubt, therefore he says, 'Faithful is the saying,' that fathers shall be able to enjoy the virtue of their children, and mothers also, when they have reared them well.

What then, if she herself be worthless and laden with a thousand evils? Shall she be benefited by the rearing of children? Is it not more likely that she will rear them to be like herself? These things he says concerning the virtuous woman, not the ordinary one, that she shall receive much reward and recompense for this too.

Hear this, fathers and mothers, that the rearing of children shall not be without reward for you.

This too he says as he goes on: 'Well reported of for good works, if she has brought up children';

along with the other things he sets down this one also.

For it is no small thing to dedicate to God the children given by God.

For if they have a good base and foundation for the upbringing, they shall have a great reward;

just as, on the other hand, if they are negligent, they shall have punishment.

Since Eli too perished because of his own sons;

for he ought to have admonished them,

but he did not do so as he ought; and because he was unwilling to grieve them, he destroyed both them and himself as well.

Hear this, you fathers;

bring up your children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord, with much watchful care.

Youth is wild, requiring many to oversee it—teachers, tutors, attendants, nurses;

for it is well if, even with all these, it can be held in check.

Like an untamed horse, like an unbroken beast, such is youth.

If, then, from the very first and from the earliest age we fix good bounds for it, we shall not need many labors thereafter, but habit will become to them a law for the future.

Let us not allow them to do anything that is pleasant and hurtful, nor indulge them as children;

let us above all keep them in sobriety;

for this above all things corrupts youth.

For this we need many struggles, much attention.

Let us marry them off quickly, so that they may receive the bride with bodies pure and untouched;

such loves are the warmer.

He who is chaste before marriage will be much more so after marriage;

but he who has learned to commit fornication before marriage will do this after marriage too.

'For to a man that is a fornicator,' it says, 'all bread is sweet.'

For this reason crowns are placed upon their heads, as a symbol of victory, because, having remained unconquered, they thus approach the marriage bed, since they were not overcome by pleasure.

But if, overcome by pleasure, one gives himself over to harlots, for what reason does he still have a crown upon his head, being defeated? These things let us enjoin upon them, with these let us admonish them, frighten them, threaten them, doing now this, now that.

A great trust do we have in our children.

Let us therefore take care of them, and do everything, lest the evil one snatch them away from us.

But now everything is done by us in the opposite way.

For that our estate may be a goodly one, we do all things, and we seek to entrust it to a faithful man; we go in search of a driver of asses, and a keeper of mules, and a steward, and a most trusty accountant.

But that which is more precious to us than all things—how we may entrust our son to some one able to preserve his self-restraint—this we do not consider.

And yet this is the most precious possession of all, and it is for its sake that those other things are acquired.

For their possessions, then, we take thought, but for themselves no longer.

Do you see the unreasonableness of it? Train the soul of your child, and those other things will follow of themselves.

For if this be not good, the money will be of no benefit to him;

but if this be rightly ordered, poverty will do him no harm.

Do you wish to leave him rich? Teach him to be good;

for so he will be able both to acquire possessions, and if he acquire them not,

he will fare no worse than those who possess them.

But if he be wicked, though you leave him countless wealth, you have left him no guardian, but have made him worse than those who are driven to the last extremity of poverty.

For to those children who have not been well disciplined, poverty is better than wealth.

For poverty holds them fast in virtue even against their will;

but wealth suffers them not to be self-controlled even when they wish it, but leads them astray and overturns them, and casts them into countless evils.

You mothers, watch over your daughters above all;

this guardianship is an easy one for you;

watch over them, that they may be keepers at home;

and above all things train them to be reverent, modest, to despise money, and to remain unadorned.

Thus give them in marriage.

If we mould them thus, you will save not only them, but also the husband who is to take her;

and not the husband only, but the children also;

and not the children only, but the grandchildren too.

For when the root is good, the branches will spread out for the better, and of all these things you will receive the reward.

As benefiting therefore not one soul, but many through the one, so let us do all things.

For a woman ought to come forth from her father's house to marriage as an athlete from the wrestling-school, possessing every skill with exactness, like leaven able to transform the whole lump into her own beauty.

And the young men again should be so venerable as to be distinguished rather by their orderliness and self-restraint, that they may have much praise both from men and from God.

Let them learn to master the belly, to abstain from extravagance, to be good managers, affectionate, and let them learn to be ruled.

For thus they will be able to procure a great reward for their parents;

thus will all things be to the glory of God and to our salvation, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, and honour, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.