07) Paul's Instruction for Women

Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Today we will be in the second half of chapter 2 of 1 Timothy if you all would like to turn there. Last week we finished Paul’s first instruction for church conduct. Paul has become aware that there are elders in the church that are teaching false doctrine and leading people astray. As the leadership has gone sideways so has the conduct in the church.
Timothy is being given instructions on what the correct conduct should be so he can make the appropriate corrections. The first instruction we looked at was the instruction on prayer. It would seem that the church had come to the belief that certain groups of people were not to be the object of their prayers and along with that were not to be considered for the gospel message.
Paul speaks in a general sense for all men and also specifically for leaders.
1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Last Sunday evening we had a great turn out with about 35 people here praying for our nation our leaders and our church. I encourage every one to come and join us in evening prayer.
We ended last week with verse 8. This verse is a transition between the first instruction on prayer and on the second subject of the appropriate conduct in the corporate service of the church.
Verse 8 starts with a therefore so it is a command given in response to verses 1-7.
8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.
Paul instructs the men in every place to pray. They are to do this with holy hands and without anger and argument. We focused last week on the prayer part of this instruction and today we transition into the appropriate conduct of believers during the corporate gatherings.
It is not uncommon to see a news story that details a church whose worship service has denigrated to fighting and name calling. Anger and arguments are not uncommon. If we look back to chapter 1 we see Paul point out what has developed in the church.
3 As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine 4 or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith. 5 Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on.
The leaders of the church were developing and accepting new ideas and false ideas and the result was that anger and arguments were evident in the church gatherings. Paul is instructing these men to be holy and to have their behavior reflect Jesus instead of their own selfish ambitions and desires.
Most here have been part of a church split or a church conflict and what Paul is telling Timothy is that this type of behavior does not have any place in the corporate gathering of the church.
Why not? Isn’t that when all of the church is together, isn’t that when discussions are to be made? The answer is no.
The simple fact is when the church gathers together there is one purpose. To worship God. There are different activities that may be included, such as the reading of the word, signing hymns and spiritual songs, teaching and preaching, and prayer. But all of these activities are to be conducted in worship to God.
To raise our hearts affection from our own self and turn to direct our minds and our affections toward him. This is not what was happening. People were gathering to argue and fight about their new ideas. Ideas that Paul says they don’t even understand what they are saying. So he starts with the men who are fighting and arguing and then he turned to the women. This where we pick up the text today.
9 Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel, 10 but with good works, as is proper for women who profess to worship God. 11 A woman is to learn quietly with full submission. 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. 15 But she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with good sense.
Godly Adornment
Godly Adornment
Paul starts with the women's appearance.
9 Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel, 10 but with good works, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.
This verse starts with likewise or also. It is a new subject in the same topic. The topic in verse 8 as we looked is is men who were not conduction themselves in godliness and now likewise he turns to women who were not conducting themselves in a holy way. As the men were attempting to draw others to themselves by convincing them they were right, there were women who were attempting to draw attention to themselves as well.
The ESV words this verse much closer to Greek and it reads
9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
The word translated adorn comes from the Greek word kosmeo which where we get cosmetic. It mean to arrange or to put in order. He is instructing the women in this church to arrange themselves for corporate worship in an appropriate way. To intentionally prepare to gather with the believers to worship God. To be ready to come to sit before the Lord.
Do we dress differently for different occasions an audiences? We dress differently when we go to work verses going to the gym. We dress differently to go to a state event verses going to the woods on vacation. You dress differently to work in the yard verses an opera.
Each place we go calls for an appropriate apparel. The corporate worship service is to come before the Lord together. There is certainly respectable and disrespectful apparel when we come before God.
Motivation
Motivation
When Paul speaks of apparel he is not just speaking of cloths but the entire appearance or demeanor of a person. He describes the attitude that these women were to take when they arranged themselves for the worship service.
With decency and good sense or modesty and self control. The motive and attitudes of the women Paul is addressing is one of enticement and self. The were dressing in ways to specifically draw the eyes of men and the ire of women. They were not concerned about standing before the eyes of the Lord but before the eyes of people. Paul uses a very uncommon word here that is translated into modesty or decency. The idea is that these women had are self controlled attitude about never wanting to be the cause of another’s sin.
This attitude should be held by all believers. In all areas of our lives. From leaders who lead people astray with false ideas, to parents being examples to our children, or stronger believers than weaker ones.
6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses will inevitably come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes.
This idea applies to all believers. That we should be wary to lead others into sin. And here Paul was specifically addressing women in the context of the church in Ephesus. They were actively pursuing to draw the attention of other believers in the church and he says this is not appropriate in the worship service.
They were to be cognizant and motivated by who the real audience is God. He is the object of our praise and worship, of our affections and behaviors and these should be of the utmost reverence during corporate worship. They were not to arrange themselves in a way that drew the attention of other believers to themselves.
Negative Example
Negative Example
He specifically points out four things that were examples of what he was speaking of. Elaborate hair, gold, pearls, and expensive apparel.
The hair styles in that time were used by women to draw attention to their wealth and status. Unlike today with all of the ease to put a hair style together it was quite an undertaking to do elaborate hair styles. It was common for wealthy women to weave in precious metals and gems into their hear to establish their prominence.
In 2013 a jeweler put together this hairstyle to commemorate his 60 years in business. The new hairdo features 51.53-carat and 50.76-carat heart shape diamonds; a 10.47-carat vivid blue internally flawless briolette diamond pendant; a 6.51-carat intense pink internally flawless oval cut diamond ring; and a selection of jewelry crafted from the 550-carat Letšeng Star, the 14th largest white rough diamond ever discovered.
This hair do was worth over 500 million dollars. To have someone walk into the worship service with this hairstyle would only be doing so to draw attention to themselves.
This was also true for clothing at the time. Dresses were very expensive and only the wealthy could afford most of them.
A common dress could range from 500-800 denarii. A days wage for a common worker was 1 denarius. It would take between two and three years of wages to buy one dress. I am not sure how many women would look forward to dropping 100-200k on a common dress. There are records of a woman wearing dresses and making sure the sales tags were still on them just to prove the value. There is one dress reported at 7,000 denari which is approximately $1.5 million.
It is likely that the early church had wealthy women that were showing up in these types of outfits. Along with very expensive gold and pearl jewelry. The issue was once again that the focus was not on God but on themselves and this is what Paul was addressing.
The positive
The positive
He then tells Timothy what the women who were behaving in this way are to present themselves in the following way
10 but with good works, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.
These women were professing to worship God, but they were actually looking for people to worship them. They were to come not decorated in temporary of the things of this world but in the godly works of faith.
3 Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, 4 but rather what is inside the heart—the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
Paul is addressing the heart of worship. The heart of the believer. A person who confesses to worship God but only wants people to look at them are in sin and in error and Timothy is to correct these people. They are to enter into the sanctuary of God adorned with the most precious of attire. The attire of the humbly Christian.
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
When a believer confesses to worship God they must evaluate their own life and ask the question “Am I seeking others to worship me?” “Am I coming to honor and respect God in reverence to the Lord as we gather as his bride. To take the sacraments and to be the church of Jesus. It is an examination of the heart and motive that is in question.
The question is does this apply today? I believe absolutely. Though styles and what defines wealth changes over the years. God does not change and men and women are still tempted to flaunt their wealth and status. God is still holy and we are to come before him together in ways that point to him.
There may be a temptation to say this does not apply because no one is running around in dresses that cost three years wages. Maybe not in this building but in the church today this self centered exhibition of me is very prevalent. I would even go to say it is even worse.
Paul was addressing believers in the congregation but where I see the most blatant example of this today is in the leadership of churches. This have been come to be the right of the pastor and they claim the evidence of God will for them.
Worship services have turned from humbly seeking the Lord to elevating the Pastor, the worship band, the status of leaders.
There is even an Instagram page dedicated to pointing out the extravagance of the celebrity pastor.
One pastor brags of his $115k watch that was more expensive than his second home. Another wears a $3600 Gucci jacket, one has a $1250 fanny pack, or a $2542 belt.
One pastor has been seen wearing a pair of sneakers that has a resale value of $5600, Sell for $9000 to $25010 depending on size. With one up to $85K. When a pastor wears shoes that are worth more than a house of some members it is obvious that their focus is not on God but on themselves. When they speak of their wealth as a focal point of sermons their focus is on themselves.
The point Paul is making is not that he is against hairstyles, jewelry, or other apparel or wealth. The issue is when people enter into the worship of God knowingly over the top. They want to be the center of attention and to make a scene. They want their presence to be memorable and to be talked about.
It is not the value of what is worn but the good works that testify to the work of God in the lives of God’s children. After he speaks of the the attitude and the roles of women in the worship service.
Godly Roles for Women
Godly Roles for Women
11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
The first role that Paul instructs is for the women in the church to be learners. The word translated as learn means to gain knowledge, skill, to receive instruction or to be informed. The context of this command to the church was in a time where women were not typically taught. In the Jewish culture they were not encouraged to participate in the synagogues and many rabbis would not even teach a woman.
The secular life of a Greek woman was also highly restricted from public life.
1 Timothy: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Role of Women
The respectable Greek woman led a very confined life. She lived in her own quarters into which no one but her husband came. She did not even appear at meals. She never at any time appeared on the street alone; she never went to any public assembly. (The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], 67)
They were left out of much and treated as spiritually inferior. Therefore when Paul says let a woman learn, he is affirming at no time did God command or teach that women were not to learn about God, who he is, what he has, done and his scriptures. The Jewish treatment of women came from leaders who had over time moved away from God’s OT teaching of women and learning.
The children are to honor the father and mother. We see that the command to teach children is not specific to men.
1 “This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess. 2 Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all his statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life. 3 Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey. 4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.
Proverbs refers to the teaching of the mother many times. And wisdom is personified as a woman.
20 My son, keep your father’s command, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.
Women participated in service in many ways in the nation of Isreal and even participated in the Nararite vow
2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When a man or woman makes a special vow, a Nazirite vow, to consecrate himself to the Lord,
The new testament affirmed the spiritual equality of women as well.
28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Equal in christ, equal in salvation, equal in hope, faith, grace, mercy, love, and all other effects of the Gospel. Though this is what the bible taught about spiritual equality the Jews had not maintained this view.
As Paul taught, women worked side by side with him and the women in the church were gaining freedoms both in the church and in the culture but there was a swing that went to far.
Even though the great apostle Paul was commanding that they were to be taught, he also instructs on the roles that God has established in this church and in his people.
11 A woman is to learn quietly with full submission. 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to remain quiet.
This is a response to most likely women that were going from being able to gather and learn to grasping for authority and attempting to be teachers in the corporate worship services.
He says there were to learn quietly and with full submission, just like everyone else.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
God has always established leaders in this people. There is a burden and a responsibility to being in these places of authority.
1 This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.”
1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.
The instruction to women from Paul applies to all in the church worship service. Paul had already instructed men to not quarrel in anger. And that he is providing instruction for Godly conduct in the Church. The false teachers are likely men and we will continue to see behaviors that are unbecoming of a professed believer in Christ.
The women that were in this church were not only learning but they were usurping the roles, authority and responsibilities that God establishes.
The ot and nt are consistent with male leadership roles. There were no Queens other than one usurper. There were no female priests, no judges other than Deborah. No authors of any of the books in the old testament were written by women. Though there were women that God used at times for prophecies. No woman had a public, continued, prophetic ministry.
It is not to say that at times God used women for his purposes but they are the exception and not the rule. And many times God used them when the men were just not doing what they were supposed to be doing.
Like the OT the New does not have any pastors that are women, apostles, no books of the NT are written by a woman. No sermon is recorded of a woman.
This is not to once again demonstrate any spiritual inferiority. The New testament is full of women that interacted with Jesus, were healed by him, were involved in prayer, and the work of the church.
Paul speaks highly of many women that served in ministry along side of him. They are to be taught and taught well. They are even to be teachers. They are to be teachers of their children and teachers of other women.
3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered.
They can even teach along side men in private situations
26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately.
But in the worship service of the church God has established men to be the elders and teachers. The ones who have authority. An authority that is in submission to Christ’s authority. The responsibility of leading Jesus’s sheep falls on men to have the responsibility.
At first this seems to be degrading, but that is not the intent. Submission to good authorities should be a blessing. As Christ submitted to the will of the father and the church submits to Christ, as wives submit to husbands, and children to parents. These are not supposed to be a burden to the one under authority.
The responsibility of church leaders is to be worthy of submission. Living out the words of the bible in the lives of the leader. The next chapter is all about the life of those in authority. The responsibility that falls on the husband to lead his home spiritually is vital to a family. A wife who has a husband that lives out Christ’s example of love for the church, has no problem with being under his authority. It is save and comforting to know that those over us take their responsibilities seriously.
The emphasis of this book is the degradation of quality leaders and the effects on the institutions God has created. What wife wants to submit to the husband of today. Look at the sitcoms. and media. The are simple dumb failures at everything. What child wants to submit in what is considered parenting today? And what church member in the average church wants to submit to their authority because you have zero desire to imitate the chaos and hypocrisy that exists in their lives.
7 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.
We are blessed here at Dishman. Not because of your leadership. But because there are men and women here who take their roles seriously. They take their walk with God seriously. They take the word of God seriously and are constantly testing the spirits to see if there is any thing that would not honor God in our worship services. In no way are we perfect but we are definitely moving in the direction that would align with what Paul is instructing Timothy.
Paul then give an Old Testament example
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.
Paul points to the order of God’s creation of man to reinforce this idea. Since Adam was created first he was given authority over Eve who come next. He is implying that headship and responsibility was established before sin ever entered the equation.
When the serpent came it was Eve who was deceived and he was very clear that Adam was not deceived. He saw through the lies however she stepped out from under his authority and protection and he allowed that which was not what God had established.
8 For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. 9 Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.
It was through Adam’s sin that Paul teaches sin entered
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
When the one who is under authority steps out from under that authority there becomes vulnerability and especially vulnerability to the schemes of the enemy. When believers step out from under the authority of good leaders they are vulnerable. I have never known anyone’s life to grow closer to God when they are not part of a biblical church.
When wives step out from under their husbands they become vulnerable. When children step out from under their parents the become vulnerable. Why do the mass majority of children walk away from their faith or fall into all sorts of sin when they leave the home. The protection and guidance of those that have been called to be responsible are not there. Why are our wives and kids being tore up in the world? Because the average christian man has not been taught the role God has for him or has rejected it for his on selfish desires. He plays while his wife and kids fend for themselves.
Paul finishes with a very interesting statement
A Woman’s Highest Role
A Woman’s Highest Role
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. 15 But she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with good sense.
Even though Eve was deceived and transgressed Paul says she will be saved through childbearing. This is a very contested verse. We do know that this is not referring to eternal salvation because the scriptures teach that salvation comes through the name of Jesus alone. Faith alone and there is only one way.
It says she will be saved if THEY continue. There may have been people in the church that used the deception of Eve to keep women from the privileges that God has afforded them. Though Eve led humanity into the fall, it is likely Paul is encouraging them to take on the greatest role that God has given women.
The role of mother. A role that God made specifically for women a role that no man can understand or fathom. No man can understand the bond made with a child as it grows inside the womb. The time when they are little. The intimacy with each and every child.
In the context of being learners, Paul is encouraging them to train their children by living in faith, love, holiness, with good sense.
Timothy is very familiar with this as his father was greek and it was his mother and grandmother who taught him.
5 I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also.
The role of the mother I believe is very noble. Mothers spend time and care for their children. God has entrusted the little one into the care of mothers. And like the woman in proverbs 31 a mother is not idle she is hard worker has been entrusted with important responsibilities. She may participate in financial aspects of the family, like the example of buying land and starting a vineyard.
But there is a responsibility of mother to the care of the children. Not as domestic engineers but as God established examples and teachers to the next generation. I have seen first hand the impact of a mother who fears the Lord in her care for children. Who works hard to know God for the benefit of her children.
I know I am not the only one who has had this blessing. But it is becoming less and less common.
Women do not see being a mother as important anymore. less and less women are interested in this responsibility. What they see as a burden to their life and their plans.
As the church leadership continues to be compromised, so with the families in the church. The impacts are great.
Even though I believe that motherhood is very important, there are those that are called not to have children and there are those who for various reasons are not able to. My encouragement to you is this. Pursue God be a learner, as you will have more time and freedom in your life use that for the glory of God. Walk along other women who are new to the faith or need encouragement or training.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The heart of believers is what is a question in this section of scripture today. Even though he is specifically instructing Timothy on women, the truths apply to all believers for the motives of worship to God in the public service.
God’s roles of public teaching and leadership are not to be a burden and should be a blessing when both parties are seeking God. The role of women in the church is a hot topic issue today but I really don’t think is should be. The issue comes down to the heart.
There are many men and women that are seeking the authority positions in the church that God has not allowed or called. Young men who like the idea of leading continue to hurt churches as they are in it for the wrong reasons.
As celebrity pastors continue to gain in wealth and prestige on the backs of the sheep there will be many who believe that because everything is impressive that God is behind it. But anything that takes the worship off of God and onto man has no place in the corporate worship service of God.
Let us be people of God. Living out a life that is holy before God. May we come here each week prepared, arranged and put together to meet with God and not with man.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Communion
Warning
Children, Lost, Sin
19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Prayer
Song
Closing
Blessing/Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.