Historically, scholars and theologians have interpreted 1 Timothy 2:11–15 as prohibiting women from teaching and holding leadership roles in the church based primarily on the allusion to Genesis in verses 13–14. Originally, the limitation was understood to be because women were more easily deceived than men since Eve alone had been deceived (2:14). More recently, the interpretation has shifted to focus on the order of creation (2:13). However, a close reading of Genesis 2–3 raises questions about these interpretations and how the account supports the instruction in 1 Tim 2:11, especially in light of the shift of justification in recent decades from deception to creation order. Drawing on the use of metaleptic discourse in the New Testament more broadly, the current discussion examines both the stated and unstated points of resonance between Genesis 2–3 and 1 Timothy 2. Ultimately, it concludes that 1 Timothy draws on the Genesis narrative to address issues of deception and inappropriate power dynamics in the Ephesian community. Here, rather than the necessity of male leadership, Genesis is leveraged to depict the intended partnership between men and women as well as the threat that deception poses to that partnership and the wider community. Far from supporting hierarchy, this close, intertextual reading of 1 Timothy 2 demonstrates the importance of mutuality and truth.