1 TIMOTHY 2:1-15: TEXT: v9-15 [SERIES 9]
It will not have been lost upon us that Paul specifically addressed his remarks on prayer (v8) in the context to men
This is not to say that women are not to pray or that they are not required to lift up holy hands without wrath/doubting
[i] We have the whole church (male/female) praying in Acts 12 for
Peter’s release/prison: specific mention/Rhoda being there
[ii] Again: General exhortations/other epistles to Christians as a whole to pray without ceasing etc.,
[iii] Experience of female Christians who have felt the burden to pray
(as the Spirit/God has helped their infirmities) and indeed the
women folk often prove to be the prayer warriors/Church
Although the exhortation of v8 may be taken then as a whole and the word “man” be interpreted in a generic fashion, yet the Greek word for man is not the usual anthropos but rather aner
Aner is usually translated by the word husband (Ephesians 5:25)
This being the case, the reference to the women (v9) is more
likely to be a reference to wives in particular, although all women
(married or otherwise) may be seen/general and indeed all saints
Although there may be specific exhortations in the Bible, yet they all work from general principles from which we all may learn
Let’s keep this in mind, even though we address (as the text demands) the ladies in the church
There is no room for the men to switch off as if it were all irrelevant
to us – let’s learn from the general principles
1) THE DEMEANOUR OF THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN:
A/ The Apostle has some views here on women’s fashions
Fashion is one of those subjects over which people can differ
Beauty is strictly in the eye of the beholder!
One woman’s lovely dress is another woman’s worse nightmare!
So there is room to differ when it comes to taste
But Paul here isn’t writing here as a fashion expert
He doesn’t care whether women go for plain or for patterns
He is writing by inspiration/God and relates the outward style and appearance of Christian women to their profession/faith
B/ He urges the ladies/fellowship to go for modest apparel (v9)
Several reasons for this:
[i] Obvious one is this: Modest in regards to what is to be covered
Thinking now of the signals which women can send to red blooded males (young and old) through what they wear
True that men have their responsibilities in this regard
Job made a covenant/eyes and not think upon a maid (Job 32:1)
Also true that no matter a woman dresses, there are those males who will entertain unclean thoughts concerning her
In this case, there is not that much that a girl can do
But it is also true that a woman can dress provocatively – either
intentionally or otherwise – and they are responsible for that
Bible talks about the attire of a harlot (Proverbs 7:10)
Not acceptable for a professing Christian (indeed anyone) but esp./Christian to allow herself to go anywhere near that place
The last thing a Christian female wants is to be noted for her style of dress that draws unwholesome attention to her body
[ii] Modest in regards to cost and style
Need not be dowdy or cheap rubbish that doesn’t last
That would be one extreme – but the other is that is signals
again to a watching world that the wearer of these clothes is far
from being a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth (Hebrews 11:13)
C/ Extends not only to clothing, but to her general appearance
No general ban on broided hair or pearls or gold etc.,
They are not sinful in themselves
Paul is speaking relatively here and urging the sisters again to have everything in proportion
Everyone of us (men too! seeing the principles here are the same) ought
to be asking ourselves: What signals do I send out to folk?
Assuming that we have got to that basic place where we profess
godliness (v10) i.e. we have clearly spoken re: being a Christian, does
our lifestyle reflect our words?
Is it also evident by everything else or is it in word only?
If in word only, then that is not good
NT Christianity must be much more than ticking the right boxes
The Orange Mobile phone people tell us: It’s good to talk
So it is. We believe with our heart and confess with our mouth
We believe and therefore we speak
But we also live it out so that our lives match our words
D/ Therefore we not only say the right things and dress and appear in
the right way (signifying our other worldliness) but we are to adorn
ourselves in good works (v10)
It is very easy to do a little in the way of good works
Enough to get registered on some scale somewhere
Bible never lets us think that suffices for a Christian
Here we are to adorn ourselves in good works (v10)
Elsewhere, we are called to be zealous/good works (Titus 2:14)
In 1 Timothy 6:10 we are to be rich in good works
Perhaps the living embodiment of these things was a lovely
Christian lady called Dorcas whom we meet in Acts 9:36
Now there was at Joppa a certain
disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this
woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. (Acts
9:36)
This is the demeanour of Christian ladies (and men as too)
2) THE DISCRETION OF THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN: v11-12
A/ This relates to the place of the Christian lady in the church
Before we develop this, we need to see something very important
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are
all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
There are no superior groups within the Christian church
No one should gain any advantage in the fellowship because of their
gender – their material wealth – their colour or whatever
Paul sometime gets a hard time from liberal theologians and esp. feminist groups suggesting that he was anti-women
This is not the case – NT elevated women further than the society of that day ever did
For example – in the law, the witness of a woman carried little
or no weight – First witnesses of Christ’s/resurrection
were women
So the Bible isn’t anti-women
Indeed, Rahab (originally: Gentile harlot) is set forth in Hebrews 11 as an example/faith and in James 2 as example/good works
B/ However, God in His infinite wisdom has decreed that governing/church is for the brethren and not the sisters
Not for all brethren, but for the spiritual only
(Next chapter sorts out the spiritual men from the boys)
C/ Let’s see what Paul urges upon the sisters:
[i] They are to learn (v10)
Every Christian (male/female) has a command from Christ:
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me (Matthew 11:29)
Again: They all shall be taught of God (John 6:45)
The sisters are to be taught in spiritual things
Later on, we see that the older women themselves are to teach:
The aged women likewise, that they be
in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to
much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women
to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
(Titus 2:4)
How so if they themselves are untaught? – Let them learn
[ii] They are to learn in silence with all subjection (v10)
We have similar words in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 where the woman is forbidden to have a teaching role in the church/large
As seen they may have a teaching role (if fitted) to other ladies
They are permitted to teach children in Sunday Schools
We do not see any problem with (say) a lady missionary bringing an account of her work on the Mission Field
She is reporting and even exhorting but not strictly teaching
Again: We have examples in the NT of women prophets and of Priscilla teaching Apollos in the way/God more perfectly
These things were evidently done in a private capacity within the home or among other women or among children
However when the church as a church came together, even the well instructed sister was to be in silent subjection
Question: Why the silence and all subjection?
Some think (on/basis that they were to ask questions/home)
that the ladies were inclined to shout out/meetings
Sometimes the questioner can become the teacher
It is deemed wiser to have the ladies silent on the teaching front as regards to the whole church
[iii] Furthermore, (teaching or not) the woman is not to usurp authority in the church
There is more than one way to skin a rabbit – more than one way
for a woman to have an inordinate say in the running/church
But it is not to be done as Paul makes clear here and elsewhere
D/ These verse actually relieve women from a lot/responsibility
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. [judgement] (James 3:1)
E/
How greater is the responsibility/men to teach and have authority
especially with so many honourable women/church who would be capable as
their life/testimony/knowledge/wisdom would indicate!
3) THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN WOMEN: v13-14
A/ Paul is not only writing here by inspiration (sufficient in itself) but he draws upon OT Scripture for his teaching
This is not the first time Paul has done this in his epistles
As if he was just out to annoy the Liberals/Evolutionists, he goes right back to the Garden/Eden and to Adam and Eve
[i] He takes the account there as literal
Just as the Lord Jesus did before him (Matthew 19)
Just as he [Paul] would do elsewhere (Romans 5)
We need not be ashamed of the early chapters of Genesis
[ii] He takes the very order of creation seriously
He notes that Adam was created before Eve
Eve was to be the help meet for Adam
[iii] He takes the sin story very seriously
He notes that Eve was deceived but was still part of the sin
He notes that Adam was not deceived at all
Seems to suggesting here that Eve lured him into the sin
She took the lead and implication is: She had the authority
No attempt here to exonerate Adam
This isn’t Paul’s contribution to the blame game
(That was played in the Garden/Eden too)
But it evident that the woman is not to have authority either in the home (as taught elsewhere) or in the church (taught here)
4) THE DELIVERANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN: v15
A/ This is one of the strangest verses in the NT!
It is hard enough (IMHO!) to follow the Apostle’s reasoning here
[i] We see that we go from the singular (“her”) to plural (“they”)
This suggests that we talk about Eve in the early part/verse and then move into a general application
[ii] The subject of salvation comes up
Salvation in the Bible does not always mean saved from the guilt and power of sin (as in Matthew 1:21/Acts 4:12 etc.,)
Might do here, but such is not to be had through bearing a child What of childless women for one reason/another?
C/ Basically there are two main interpretations
(Plus a few left of centre type ones – we will spare you them)
[i] First main interpretation:
Eve
having been in the transgression (with Adam) not only brought sin (and
sinners) into the world, but also (through her “daughter” Mary brought
the Saviour into the world
This was the first gospel promise in Genesis 3:15 (note emphasis)
And
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Jesus Christ is distinctly known as the seed/woman
Galatians 4:4: God sent forth His son, made of a woman
Again: A virgin shall conceive and bear a son (Isaiah 7:14)
Through the woman (Mary) a child is born and a son is given and His name (and all that it entails) is called Wonderful etc.,
The
salvation which was purchased by the seed of the woman is a free gift
and it produces a spirit of perseverance as seen in the words “continue
in faith, charity etc.,”
I tend to run with this view of things
The marginal references (AV) seem to agree (3:15/7:14)
B/
Second main interpretation reduces the meaning of the word “saved” away
from the eternal salvation part and links it to the role which the
Christian woman can play in this world
She cannot have authority or teach in the church
She is to be ever subject to her husband/home
But she can have an important role in teaching her children
Our Lord Jesus gave (in this sense) his stamp of love/approval upon mothers in general when he said to John: Behold thy mother
Proverbs 31 has the children rising up and calling the virtuous woman blessed – thus honour is restored again
THE END