1 Timothy 2 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Around AD 62 to 64, under the emperor Nero
Location
Ephesus, capital of the Roman province of Asia, a city of perhaps a quarter million people dominated by the temple of Artemis
Audience
Timothy and the Ephesian congregation, a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles meeting in houses across a large Greek and Roman city
Situation
Paul gives instructions for the church's gatherings, starting with prayer for rulers and everyone in authority. He then addresses how men and women are to conduct themselves in the assembly, including dress, learning, and teaching.
Key Background
Praying for the emperor was a live question for a group that would not offer sacrifice to him, and Jewish communities had long offered prayers for rulers as proof they were not a threat to public order. Elaborate braided hair woven with gold and pearls was a recognized display of wealth and status in Roman society, and moralists of the period criticized it in the same terms Paul uses. Ephesus was the home city of Artemis worship, whose temple was served by women and drew pilgrims from across the empire, so questions about women's roles in a religious gathering carried a local charge that a modern reader would miss.