Saved Through Childbearing? 1 Timothy 2:15 as a Hermeneutical Caveat

Paul’s infamous statement in 1 Tim 2:15 about being “saved through child- bearing” is as universally recognized as it is exegetically difficult. Similarly, the need for biblical theology to rest on texts that invite, rather than defy, under- standing is also widely affirmed. Regrettably, Paul’s prior statement in 1 Tim 2:13-14 (“Adam was formed first, then Eve. . . .”), though also quite difficult, is regularly cited as a pillar of complementarian theology. Interpreters would do well to approach such texts with humility rather than dogmatism.