1 Timothy 2:13 kjv
For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
1 Timothy 2:13 nkjv
For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
1 Timothy 2:13 niv
For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
1 Timothy 2:13 esv
For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
1 Timothy 2:13 nlt
For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve.
1 Timothy 2 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:26-27 | Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;... So God created man in His own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. | Humanity created in God's image, male and female. |
| Gen 2:7 | Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person. | Adam's specific creation from dust. |
| Gen 2:18-24 | The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him.”... So the Lord God caused a deep sleep... and took one of his ribs... and formed a woman. | Eve created from Adam's rib as a helper. |
| Gen 3:16 | To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth,... Yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” | Consequences of the Fall, male rule affirmed. |
| 1 Cor 11:3 | But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. | Hierarchy rooted in creation order. |
| 1 Cor 11:7-9 | For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man was not created for woman, but woman for man. | Directly affirms creation order as a basis for roles. |
| Eph 5:22-24 | Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as Christ is also head of the church... | Husband's headship within marriage. |
| Eph 5:31 | For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. | Genesis creation of "one flesh" in marriage. |
| Rom 5:12 | Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned— | Adam's federal headship in relation to sin. |
| Rom 5:18-19 | So then, just as through one offense, condemnation came to all people, so also through one righteous act, justification of life came to all people. For just as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one Man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. | Adam as humanity's representative head. |
| Col 3:18-19 | Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them. | Complementary marital roles. |
| Tit 2:3-5 | Older women likewise are to be reverent... and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. | Encouragement for distinct women's roles. |
| Matt 19:4-5 | And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” | Jesus affirms the Genesis creation narrative. |
| Mk 10:6-8 | But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one flesh; | Jesus reinforces creation in marriage. |
| Acts 17:26 | And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, | All humanity descended from one man (Adam). |
| 2 Cor 11:3 | But I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from a simple and pure devotion to Christ. | Links to Eve's deception, part of the Fall argument. |
| Luke 3:38 | the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. | Genealogy back to Adam. |
| Prov 8:22 | The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. | Wisdom present at God's pre-creation work. |
| Mal 2:15 | But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Be careful then about your spirit, and do not deal treacherously with the wife of your youth. | God made one man and woman for godly offspring. |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. | Creation reveals God's nature. |
1 Timothy 2 verses
1 Timothy 2 13 Meaning
1 Timothy 2:13 provides a foundational reason, derived from the Genesis creation account, for the apostle Paul's preceding instructions regarding the roles of men and women within the context of the church assembly. It states that Adam was created first, and then Eve, establishing a divinely ordered sequence that underpins distinctions in authority and function, particularly concerning teaching and spiritual leadership, while maintaining the equal worth and dignity of both male and female.
1 Timothy 2 13 Context
1 Timothy chapter 2 discusses the conduct within the gathered assembly of believers. Following exhortations for prayer for all people (vv. 1-8), Paul provides specific instructions regarding women's demeanor in worship, urging modesty and a spirit of learning (vv. 9-12). Verse 13, marked by the introductory "For," directly links these instructions to the very origins of humanity as recorded in the book of Genesis. By referencing Adam's prior formation, Paul appeals to a timeless, divinely established order rather than temporary cultural customs of Ephesus, a city known for its prominent worship of the female deity Artemis. This reference to the creation order, coupled with the subsequent mention of the Fall in verse 14, provides the theological grounding for his directives on authority and teaching roles within the church.
1 Timothy 2 13 Word analysis
- For (γάρ, gar): This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding statement in 1 Timothy 2:11-12. It signals that Paul is providing the theological bedrock—not a cultural or temporary expediency—for the quiet learning and non-authoritative teaching roles he prescribes for women in the assembly.
- Adam (Ἀδάμ, Adam): Refers to the first human being God created. The name itself is linked to the Hebrew word for 'ground' or 'earth' ('adamah), from which he was formed. Paul uses "Adam" here as the designated initial figure of humanity, a prototype whose original position has lasting implications.
- was formed (ἐπλάσθη, eplasthe): The verb plasso means 'to mold' or 'to shape' from soft material like clay. It specifically describes God's deliberate, hands-on, and direct action in crafting Adam from the dust of the ground (Gen 2:7). This emphasis on formation highlights God's purposeful design and the specific method of Adam's creation.
- first (πρῶτος, prōtos): This signifies priority in time, sequence, and, by implication in Paul's argument, in divinely established order or rank. It's not merely a historical note but presented as the basis for a theological principle, establishing Adam's original headship.
- then (εἶτα, eita): A temporal adverb meaning 'afterward' or 'next'. It stresses the sequential nature of Eve's creation following Adam's, underscoring the divine order of events and creations.
- Eve (Εὔα, Eua): The first woman, whose creation from Adam's rib (Gen 2:21-22) is intrinsically linked to his. Her name means 'life' or 'life-giver' (Gen 3:20). Her sequential and derivative creation (from Adam, for Adam) contributes to Paul's argument about complementary roles.
1 Timothy 2 13 Bonus section
The creation order argument presented in 1 Timothy 2:13 is not unique to this passage but is also mirrored in 1 Corinthians 11:7-9, demonstrating Paul's consistent reliance on the Genesis narrative as a normative pattern for relational and hierarchical dynamics within humanity and the church. This recurring appeal suggests that the order of creation held significant weight in early Christian theology for establishing divinely intended roles. Furthermore, the very distinction between "formed" (Adam from dust) and Eve's less detailed, but implied, subsequent creation reinforces the primary emphasis on Adam's foundational origin point, even as Eve is a glorious complement, a 'suitable helper' from his very essence. This emphasis stands as a contrast to potential gnostic tendencies of the time which might have distorted creation accounts.
1 Timothy 2 13 Commentary
1 Timothy 2:13 offers the initial theological pillar of Paul's instruction regarding order in the church. By rooting his directives in the specific creation narrative, Paul grounds his argument in the unchangeable, pre-fall design of God rather than cultural convention. Adam's being "formed first" indicates more than a mere chronological sequence; it signals a divinely intended order and a pre-eminent position as the head of the human race. While both male and female are equally created in God's image and possess equal spiritual dignity and value before Him, their distinct order of creation indicates a functional distinction in roles. This does not imply superiority of one sex over the other but highlights God's purposeful establishment of complementary functions, which, in the context of this letter, applies to the leadership structure within the church assembly. This foundational order laid at creation sets the stage for understanding later dynamics, including those related to the Fall, without diminishing the immense value of women as co-heirs of grace.