SSL 2 - 1 Tim. 2:1-15
LAST WEEK: As we commenced the new quarter in 1 Tim. 1:1-17, Paul, in the salutation (vv. 1-2), stated that his apostleship came by "the commandment of God," and therefore, by extension, appoints him to speak on behalf of god, so that his words of instruction here and elsewhere should be regarded as "sound doctrine." In vv. 3-7, where Paul warned against false teaching, we discussed two points of application: (1) As NT Christians, our "doctrine" is defined by apostolic teaching and interpretation. For us, that means that the Bible, both OT and NT, and any doctrines derived from them, are to be defined and interpreted according to apostolic interpretation. (2) According to Paul, the chief goal of Christian instruction is love. The word Paul uses for love is agapé, which is defined as sacrificial love motivated by the desire to benefit others, like that demonstrated by Christ when he willingly gave His life for us on the cross. In vv. 8-11, talking about the relevance of OT Law to NT Christians, Paul said (3) the true purpose of OT Law is to show people what sin is. In the NT context, OT Law is intended to convict people of their sin as a way of explaining and offering them the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a pattern for living. This is a part of sound doctrine and why we should study the OT. In vv. 12-17, Paul shared his testimony, (4) which clearly revealed that his salvation was undeserved. Like all of us, his ignorance didn't excuse his sin or merit God's mercy toward him.
THIS WEEK: Continuing his instructions in 1 Tim. 2:1-15, Paul covers two topics: (1) the importance and role of prayer in worship in vv. 1-8 and (2) how women should conduct themselves in church worship vv. 9-15. I will preface this by saying that the section on women is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine today. Some people view Paul as a chauvinist in this text, while others, in some modern churches, contend that the text is cultural and specific to the church at Ephesus at that time and therefore not applicable to church worship today. However, if we accept that "all" Scripture is inspired by God, then we must conclude that this isn't Paul's opinion but is part of what we should abide by as "sound doctrine."
Read 1 Tim. 2:1-4 - PRAY FOR "ALL"
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
v. 1: "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men" - In saying "First of all," Paul means this is of highest importance as part of our worship, individually and corporately. When he says "I urge" (Gk. parakaleo = to invite), it's given as a request, not a command, yet it's something expected of us. This isn't a general prayer like Jesus modeled in Mt. 6:9-13 but is laid out in specific elements: (1) entreaties [intercessions] = prayers for the needs of others; (2) prayers (Gk. proseuche) = words that indicate a desire to draw close to God; (3) petitions = prayer to meet particular needs; and (4) thankgivings = prayers that express gratitude to God. The term, "made on behalf of all men," is very opened-ended and implies that we have a duty to pray for all kinds of people everywhere. Cite example/organization of Gideons' prayer list.
v. 2: "for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity" - Paul connects two ideas here: (1) to pray for political leaders, both ours and those of foreign nations, (2) so that Christians everywhere can lead "tranquil and quiet lives," that is, not only free of persecution but also the freedom to proclaim Christian truth-the Gospel.
vv. 3-4: "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" - The prayers then, are the right and proper thing for us to do, individually and as a church, because-this is a great statement-God wants all people to be saved, although He allows them the free will to choose or reject Him. Moreover, in order to be saved, individuals must come to "knowledge of the truth" (v. 4b), and it's our job to spread this truth.
TRUTH 1: We should pray for all people because God desires all people to be saved. Paul's recom-mendations for prayer in the context of are very open-ended but at the same time are divided into distinct elements for so that every area of concern will be covered. The way Paul lays it out tells us that our prayers during worship should be well organized and intentional every step of the way.
Read I Tim. 2:5-8 - A RANSOM FOR ALL
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
vv. 5-6: "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time" - Paul is still on the subject of prayer and explains the theological basis of why we need to pray and what we've been told to pray for: (1) Since there's only "one God, and one mediator," He's universal and seeks all people everywhere (he's multi-cultural, multi-national, etc.); (2) God's son, Jesus, gave Himself on the cross as a "ransom for all" (that means every last person on this earth, no exceptions); and (3) Jesus came and sacrificed Himself, as a "testimony," at exactly the right time (explain expansion of known world).
v. 7: "For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth" - Because of the "testimony" Jesus, Paul has been appointed (by Jesus) to three roles: (1) "preacher" (Gk. kerusso = herald) to proclaim a message; (2) "apostle" (Gk. apostolos = one who is sent) as a representative of Jesus Christ; and (3) "teacher" (Gk. didaskalos = one fitted to teach) to teach the Gentiles about Gospel living. Paul used the parentheti- cal, "(I am telling the truth, I am not lying)," to make a point of stating his honesty as a direct contrast to the false teachers, who were telling lies.
v. 8: "Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension - Just as God desires everyone to be saved, Paul exhorts "men in every place to pray." The use of the masculine "men" here doesn't mean women aren't supposed to pray; it means men should not delegate their responsibility to pray to women. Lifted hands, as we know, is a symbol of worship, and prayer time should be a time of peace and harmony, without any bickering or quarrelling.
TRUTH 2: The theological basis for our organization of prayer is based on our belief that there's only one God and Mediator, and He gave His only son Jesus Christ as the ransom for all people. This fits perfectly with the truth that God is universal and seeks all people everywhere, and added to it is the fact that Jesus came-to forgive people of their sins-at precisely the right time in history.
Read 1 Tim. 2:9-10 - APPROPRIATE ATTIRE OF WOMEN IN WORSHIP
9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.
v. 9: "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments" - First, Paul is referring to the context of corporate worship, not elsewhere. In short, he's saying that women should wear apparel that's suitable for the time of worship, which is to say, modest and discreet. In the Ephesian church, some rich women wore extravagant gowns and hairstyles (woven with gold beads or pearls) to flaunt their wealth, which not only drew attention from men but also caused jealousy among other women.
v. 10: "but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness" - Instead of trying to draw attention to their external appearance, Paul suggests that "good works"- actions that demonstrate faith and a gentle spirit-make women more attractive than fine jewelry.
TRUTH 3: In the context of public worship, Paul says that women should dress modestly and discreetly so that they won't draw excessive attention to their external appearance. Instead of focusing on the external, Paul maintains that "good works"-actions that demonstrate faith and a gentle spirit-make women more attractive than provocative clothes and fine jewelry.
Read 1 Tim. 2:11-15 - CONDUCT OF WOMEN IN WORSHIP
11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.
v. 11: "A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness" - This statement needs to be understood in context: In the ancient world, women generally weren't taught or educated at all; and even in Jewish tradition, women weren't taught OT Law, but Jesus lead the way when he included women during the teaching in His ministry (Jn. 4:27-30; 11:28-30). When Paul says "quietly receives," the term implies peacefulness and calmness, not silence. "Submissiveness" also needs to be understood in context: The Greek sword, hupotasso, doesn't denote inferiority but is a military term that means to come under rank or accept instructions. Thus, in the same sense Paul encouraged women not to dress extravagantly, he asks them to accept Christian instruction with patience and self-control.
v. 12: "But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet" - This verse can be confusing. Paul isn't commanding women to never teach. Women can teach women and children, and can even teach men in certain environments, but not in the context of public worship, as from a pulpit or sanctuary, which is reserved to elders and deacons. The repeated reference to "quietness," again, has to more to do with self-control than silence. There's no question that women can be endowed with the teaching gift the same as men, but the relevant question here is where it is appropriate for those gifts to be exercised.
v. 13-14: "For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" - First, can we agree that God Almighty, the Creator of everything, is a God of order, and His reasons for doing things in a particular order have a purpose? To further explain himself, Paul cites two premises in support of his instruc-tions in vv. 11-12: (1) The order of creation: man first and woman second, and before God created woman, He established Adam's leadership in creation when he named the animals and then, after God created her, named the woman (and later named her Eve); and (2) When Satan brought the fall, he approached Eve not Adam, to temp her to take the lead (i.e., she wanted to be like God); then Adam sinned, not out of deceit but because he submitted to his wife. And next, when God confront-ed Adam and Eve in the Garden, we cannot help but note that God held Adam accountable for the fall, not Eve, because it was his responsibility to lead and he failed. (See Gen. 2:7-25; 3:1-17 for the whole story.) Based on this, it's clear that Paul's creation-based rationale contradicts any suggestion that his instructions in vv. 11-12 were temporary and limited to the situation in Ephesus at that time.
TRUTH 4: Paul's instructions that women receive Christian teaching peaceably with self-control and not to teach or exercise authority over men is based on God's concept of order in the context of public worship. Paul cited two Biblical premises from Gen. 2 and 3 in support of this: (1) man was created before woman and given the position of leadership in the garden; and (2) in the fall, Eve was deceived by Satan, but the Adam sinned when he submitted to his wife instead of taking the lead.
Comment: It should also be noted that God's order in worship is not based on competence or ability but design. In many ways women may be better suited for leadership and teaching roles than men, because they are typically better communicators and tend to be more empathetic and merciful; yet, when God created men and woman, He gave them specific roles that were to be honored both in the home and in church. God wants men to lead-and godly women want them to lead as well. They want them to step up in leading the family in prayer and devotions. They want men to set examples in faithfulness, love for God, and moral purity. Here's the question for all of us in this church: Are you willing to accept the roles that God has ordained for us, whether a man or a women, in worship?
v. 15: "But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint" - This verse can also be confusing to readers. First, "being preserved" isn't a reference to salvation: both women and men are saved by grace alone by faith in Jesus Christ alone. While God hasn't called women to serve in the primary leadership roles of the church, it may be said that He has given them potentially the most important mission: Biologically women are designed to carry infants in the womb and have the natural ability to nurture them after birth. Mothers have a unique bond with their children and thus, great influence over them in their formative years. Look at Biblical History: God called Jochebed before He called Moses (Ex. 2:1-10; 6:14-20), He called Hannah before He called Samuel (1 Sam. 1:1-20), and He called Mary before He conceived Jesus (Lk. 1:26-38). Godly women are on the front lines of God's redemptive plan for mankind.
TRUTH 5: While God hasn't called women to serve in the primary leadership roles of the church, it can be said that, through the bearing of children, He's given them a potentially more important mission. Women are biologically designed to carry infants in the womb and have the natural ability to nurture them after birth. Mothers have a unique bond with their children and thus, great influence over them in their formative years.
