1 Timothy 4:6 If you put the
brethren in remembrance of these things you shall be a good diakonos[1]
minister, pastor, deacon of Jesus Christ nourished up in the words
of faith and of good doctrine to which you have attained 7: But refuse
profane and graōdēs[2] foolish
myths
and exercise yourself rather unto godliness
[1] Timothy is called a diakonos, which is
deacon in English. The word, diakonos,
is translated alternatively (depending on which translation one reads) as
either minister or servant. But, as we
see in this passage, the word is also used in reference to Timothy’s calling and
work as pastor and teacher.
Much controversy surrounds the function of a diakonos, most especially who can be one and if women are excluded from the office. But the controversy could be ended in a moment by consistently translating the word, diakonos, as "Servant of God," **
We
do not know if Timothy ever served as a deacon in the modern sense of
the word. We also do not know if the seven chosen to oversee the daily administrations to widows [in the Book of Acts], were actually deacons, as the office is understood today. The word has evolved to mean different things in
different denominations and fellowships. But one thing is certain, deacons
often wield great power in churches. They frequently compose the board of
directors or hold some other position of authority.
In many churches, the
pastor answers to the deacons, and to cross them, means his days may be numbered, as he is often voted out of the pastorship, if he cannot be brought to heel. This example is extreme but not rare, and is
an obvious abuse of the calling. This type of thing occurs because many are appointed as deacons based on how much money or influence they have, rather than whether or not they been called into the ministry.
The woman, Phoebe, was also called
diakonos [Servant of God], in Romans 16:1, which means
that she, like Timothy, could also have been serving as either pastor, teacher, or deacon--or a combination of the three. But not surprisingly,
in most cases, gender-biased translators simply call her, servant.
** KONOS is the Greek word for cone. KONOS uses the inverted cone to symbolize God at the top of all creation and all knowledge. https://konos.com/why-konos/?v=47e5dceea252
So, we see that a diakonos is more than a mere servant but specifically, a servant of God. And this word is used in the New Testament, without regard for whether the servant of God is female or male.
dia: means through, on account of, because of
Original Word: διά
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: dia
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ah')
Short Definition: through, on account of
Definition: (a) gen: through, throughout, by the instrumentality of, (b) acc: through, on account of, by reason of, for the sake of, because of. http://biblehub.com/greek/1223.htm
dia: means through, on account of, because of
Original Word: διά
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: dia
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ah')
Short Definition: through, on account of
Definition: (a) gen: through, throughout, by the instrumentality of, (b) acc: through, on account of, by reason of, for the sake of, because of. http://biblehub.com/greek/1223.htm
[2] It is
unlikely that Strong's G1126 – graōdēs, which occurs only
once in the Greek New Testament, is incorrectly translated in this
verse. And, as we look at one Bible version after another, the translation goes
from bad to worse. In the King James Version, the word is translated as “old
wives.” It is the same in the NIV. The translation becomes downright hateful
in the NASB, where elderly women are so disrespected [by the translators--not the Greek] that
they are portrayed as deserving of worldly fables (or, as the NIV correctly calls
them—godless myths [profane fables in the KJV]). Really? Does anyone truly believe that aged
women deserve to believe profane godless myths? Because that is what the the
NIV translation says.
Certainly, the apostle was not disrespecting elderly
women. No doubt, he had many such in his congregations, and to insult them so
would not only have been hateful but rebellion against scripture which commands
to honor both Mother and Father.
Scripture also commands respect for the elderly. But such is the prevalence of
translator prejudice against women, that the misogynistic translation survives
in most of our English Bibles to this day.
Surprisingly, the ESV (following the lead of
the RSV), which admits to being a complementarian (patriarchal) version, comes
close to translating the word, graōdēs, correctly. But
since expositors have traditionally associated the word with women, both the
RSV the ESV mistranslated the word as “silly.”
The word silly can apply to
clowns, and in some instances, such as amusing playful encounters [or
descriptions], the word can correctly apply to children. But while the word is never
used in regards to men, it is frequently and inappropriately used to describe women.
Using such words, loads the language against women in
such a way as to perpetuate gender-bias in the
human psyche.
In 1 Timothy 4:7, the word foolish or gullible would have
been more accurate, and the NET translates the word in just that way: "But
reject those myths fit only for the godless and gullible, and train yourself
for godliness."
There is one other place in the New Testament where the
word “silly” is associated with women. In this case, also, the mistranslation
is easily shown to be caused by anti-woman bias.
Traditionally, women have quietly
accepted misogyny coming from pulpits, Sunday School and Christian resource materials,
Bible translators, and lexicons, but passive acquiescence in that regard is swiftly
changing. It is being soundly rejected—as it should.
