Ladies and Gentlemen: In the Life of the Church

1 Timothy 2:8-15

Welcome

Mission+Vision

Goals and our series thus far.

Men are designed to lead, women are designed to support and cultivate

Reminder on terms:

Biblical manhood is assuming the mantle of fitting authority and sacrificial responsibility to lead, love, protect, and provide in the home and in the Church. He is called to exhibit strength.

Biblical womanhood is the glad embrace of the God-given calling to come alongside, support, and strengthen godly leadership through discerning and devoted help. She is marked by a disposition to nurture, cultivate, and beautify.

Complementarianism is the theological belief that men and women are designed by God equal in value but possessing distinct complementing roles and functions in the home and in the church (what we are advocating for)

Egalitarianism is the theological belief that God created men and women as equal partners with no distinction of gifting, calling, or purpose

(More of a political bend!)

In the 1950s the united Methodist church was at its peak. Generations after the Wesley brothers founded the modern Methodist movement, there were thousands of churches across America with over 9 million attending and climbing. But there were cracks in the foundation. In 1956 the methodist church ordained its first woman pastor with many more to come in the decades to follow. Since the 50s, many churches, denominations, and groups have followed suit to adjust their viewpoint on women serving as pastors in the wake of the feminist movement in America. The ignoring of Biblical patterns and commands has consequences. The Methodist church similarly responded to the sexual revolution by affirming and ordaining homosexual pastors accepting their lifestyle as congruent with Christianity. Over the last few years the Methodist church has fragmented and seen over 7,000 churches disassociate as they have abandoned all Biblical truth in favor of a religion of their own making. This is not just a pattern in our recent church history, it is a path. A path of rejecting God’s design and twisting passages of the Bible to mean what we want. Even within the SBC, questions are being raised regarding fellowship with churches who have women pastors. Saddleback Church the largest southern baptist church led by Rick Warren was recently disfellowshipped because they have women preaching pastors. It’s a big concern under the entire Christian umbrella.

The “annie get your gun” mentality of “anything you can do I can do better” has not only dominated our culture for the last 60 years but our churches have morphed and adjusted, not to clear biblical commands regarding the church, but to public opinion and every wind and wave of doctrine cooked up to suit our own desires. You say “well that passage doesn’t feel right to me….or I struggle with that passage or command.” The answer is not to scissor out hard to swallow passages. Will you walk away from salvation by grace alone because that’s difficult? or every passage on holy living because that’s hard? Before you know it, we’ve made a religion of our own making that doesn’t resemble Biblical instructions at all. Why are we harping on Biblical manhood and womanhood so much in our series? Because you point the water hose at what is on fire….and our clarity on men and women in creation design is currently on fire. So how are men and women called to act in the Church? The Bible is clear and today we are going to unpack 2 commands for women and 2 commands for men from 1 Timothy.

Main Idea: Embrace God’s good design for men and women in the Church

Opening Illustration: When I first met my wife she was a pro wrestler who had just given her life to Jesus. Classic Pastor’s wife am I right? …. So she had to ask the question, what now? Could Jesus fit into that life? Instead of trying to cram Jesus into her old feministic worldview that had led her, she slowly let Christ shape her worldview of what a strong woman is and laid aside the old woman in favor of what God was doing. She is stronger today than ever before and not because she throws men around on the mats.

Embracing God’s design and walking in contentment and obedience is sometimes the hardest thing we can do in this life. Allowing God to make us into who we were made to be…..not who we want to be.

Introductory statements on 1 Timothy

Timothy as one of Paul’s companions

Timothy being sent to Ephesus to right what was out of order after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment

Main idea of 1 Timothy is instruction on how one is the salvific savior leads us to operate in the household of God in a specific way

Men in the Church are to be men of prayer instead of bickering

“I desire” or “I do not permit” in this passage is the same as what we saw in 1 Corinthians 7 where Paul speaks of his own opinion. We aren’t supposed to try to parse out here what is inspired by God or just Paul riffing

Remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14:37 “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.” Paul has a theology of inspiration here.

Men here are called to pray with hands lifted in holiness, not anger or an argumentative spirit.

Men have a proclivity towards anger and quarreling. Not that women can’t as well but it seems to be a peculiarly male temptation

A few other sections of 1 Timothy identify this problem at Ephesus:

1 Timothy 1:3–7 “3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”

1 Timothy 6:3–4 “3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,”

Brothers, get on your knees and lift your hands to the Lord in submission rather than seeking to position yourself through controversy!

1 timothy 2:1 says lift “prayers for all people” this is to be of utmost importance that the church may live a “quiet life”….more on that quiet life in a few minutes

Prayer lifting to the Lord is normative and let them be holy not angry or quarrelsome. Is it normative for you? Why not? Who are you praying for right now?

Lifting of hands in worship and prayer to the Lord is assumed. Not emotionalism but rather an expression of dependence on our heavenly father. Let us lift holy hands not angry hands! This ought to be a normal practice men!

Men, lead by worshipping and praying. Let your family see you express your dependence on the Lord.

2. Women in the Church are to be women of modesty instead of posturing

A few things to define here looking at verses 9 and 10:

Respectable: to wear things that are considered proper or helpful towards others. To be a respectful person is to be considerate. Women in the church should consider the brothers when you make apparel decisions. Do not ensnare!

This apparel is to be modest and exercising self control: modesty defined is to refrain from pushing the boundaries of what is considered appropriate in your context. To be a modest person is to not be desirous of attention in actions and appearance….this requires self control as this is not a natural bend.

We have some good hair, jewelry and nice clothes in the room so what are we to make of Paul’s words here:

Women are to be more concerned with the adornment of good works as those who are walking in godliness according to verse 10. The outward flash of costly things is one of pomp, circumstances and receiving of praise. Our ultimate concern for men and women ought to be our pursuit of Christ which results in godliness in us as we become more like him.

These commands are applicable to men as well but seems to be a peculiar concern for women as anger is a peculiar temptation for men.

Modesty in clothing choices, makeup, hair, cosmetics…..lots of vague grey area here. A few pastoral comments:

Consider the call of Paul in Titus 2:3–5 “3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”

Seek the wisdom and advise of other women in your life who exhibit Christ likeness in their conduct. We ought to be marked by helping each other make decisions that are honoring to Christ and helpful for the church. Women, who are you allowing to instruct you in areas of modesty and good works?

2. Its the heart of the instruction not the letter of instruction. No one should be measuring skirt length but we should ask the questions “is this respectable towards others? Exhibiting modesty that accords with Christlikeness?”

Instead of asking how close to the line can I get without crossing it, ask how can I best honor the Lord through what I choose to look like outwardly?

Instead of asking how might what I wear boost my confidence, think instead how can I love my brothers best through what I choose to wear?

Instead of asking what can I wear to outshine my sisters, ask what can I wear to best exemplify Christ to my sisters and model him.

3. Men in the Church are to be men of aspiration and committed to teaching sound doctrine

To speak plainly, the next few verses instructing women assume 2 things regarding men in the Church:

That men are teaching sound doctrine in the church

Paul uses the terms doctrine or sound teaching 8 times in 1 Timothy. This is a key concept for the reinvigoration of health into the Ephesian Church

Brothers, are you equipped as discerners of the Word? Are you able to teach someone else how to understand the Bible? Doctrine is not just for the academic but for the faithful

That men are providing pastoral leadership and operating as the spiritual initiators in their homes and in the Church.

The Church is to be less like a corporation and more like a family. This is why Paul calls the church “the household of God” in chapter 3 of 1 Timothy.

Just as husbands are to be the heads of their home in God’s good design, likewise, they are to be the spiritual heads of the Church under Christ as elder/pastor/overseers.

Brothers, how are you seeking to lead in your homes? and how then is that translating to you leading in the church? If there is a void of leadership women are stepping into, its your fault!

Men, if you want to grow as a leader, I want you to consider joining the lead pathway leadership cohort in the Fall. Take practical steps to grow.

4. Women in the Church are to be voracious learners, glad child bearers, and devoted helpers for their husbands and homes

A few comments on verse 11

Women are to be learners. Radical for this context! Mary at the feet of Jesus….women do not be content with shallow doctrine and faith but press in as faithful interpreters of the Scripture!

“quietly” does not mean an absence of input or interaction from women in the church

When he calls the church in verse 2 of chapter 2 to have a “peaceful and quiet life” he is not asking the church to live in silence.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 “11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,”

Christians here are to have a quietness of spirit and not quarrelsome

in 2 Thessalonians 3:11–12 Paul says “11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

Quietly here stands as a contrast to busybody. Do not be idle or a busybody with little to do rather remain quiet in spirit laboring in what God has put before you to do.

In the same way Paul urges reform to the widow care ministry in Ephesus in 1 Timothy 5:11–14 he says this “11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.”

So the context of 1 Timothy tells us women in the church were needing a reorientation towards Biblical womanhood.

To remain quiet 1 Timothy 2:11 therefore we can conclude means to not be a busybody or a usurper of the leaders God has given in men.

To be “quietly submissive” is not an idea of subjugation but rather one of roles in the church as in the home.

Verse 12 Paul calls women not to teach or exercise authority over men.

Is this a prohibition of women teaching entirely?

Consider Titus 2:3 “3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,”

or Proverbs 1:8 “8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,”

Or think of priscilla alongside her husband aquilla instructing apollos.

So we must conclude this is not a prohibition of teaching entirely but rather a prohibition of such a teaching which exercises authority in the way an Elder/Pastor would

Consider 1 Timothy 5:17 “17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.”

or 1 Timothy 3:2 “2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,”

The main distinction between elders and deacons is that elders are called to exercise authority and to teach so it is clear instruction that women ought to take on a quiet spirit, not one of usurping what God has called men to do in leading the church and the home.

You might think “that is so patriarchal” and “isn't that just a cultural thing for Paul? We don’t wear head coverings like it says in 1 Corinthians 11 and we say that’s cultural…why can’t we apply those same interpretational methods here?

The grounding for the statement of verse 12 is in verse 13. He roots these instructions in the garden of eden creation order. Man was created first and then eve who was created to be his support.

In Genesis 3, the woman became a transgressor by assuming the role of leader and led them into deception. Adam stood back and eve led them into sin. In this, God reminds us of the consequences of sin and that part of the Fall was the taking of roles that ought not to be taken.

Verse 14 is not a degradation of women’s discernment but a reminder of the way God created men and women to operate together.

Verse 15 has produced much confusion as well let me summarize my thought here:

What we normally think when we read verse 15 is that somehow childbirth saves women….what does that mean? Saved as in physically? Spiritually? Actually neither…..

To be “saved through childbearing” Paul is not saying the means by which we are saved rather it is one of the difficult things in this life Christ brings us through. Childbearing is not the means of salvation but women will be preserved as they go through the pain of childbearing. and Paul caveats then, if she continues in faith in Christ and walking in Him because that is ultimately where preservation comes from. Despite the judgement of God on sin in the Fall, God’s promise of salvation and redemption is made available despite transgression here!!! (get hype)

Since pain in childbirth was the epitome of the curse for woman, Paul is reminding them not only of Christ’ redemption of all humanity but also his particular concern for their pain

This is a salvific reminder! Although transgression entered the world through the twisting of gender roles, God provided a way of escape through faith evidenced in the promise of Genesis 3:15 that a promised seed would come who would restore all things.

He is the new Adam who does not abdicate responsibility. He does not stand by as his people fail

He offered himself up on a cross to atone for our transgressions and right what was wrong.

The curse is broken! Enmity between men and women can be ended in Christ.

How do we embrace biblical manhood and womanhood? by embracing Christ! The Gospel message transforms our worldview and makes us a new creation in him.

You can have that today by simply by believing in his name and confessing him as Lord. I’d love to walk you through that today.

Friends, let us build a vision of the church and our lives that looks more like a home and less like a corporation with every family member playing their part as God designed.

I spoke about my wife at the beginning of this sermon talking about the transformation of a worldly strong woman into a Christlike strong woman. Today, for you who are members of our church, you see my wife as a mother to our son and supportive help mate to me….how is that? It’s because she had an encounter with a God who never leaves you the way you were and teaches you to

Main Idea: Embrace HIS good design for men and women in the Church

Lets pray