Adam's Rib or Women's Lib?

ADAM'S RIB OR WOMEN'S LIB?

I TIMOTHY 2:8-15

Joy Evang. Free Church May 24, 1998 AM

We are approaching one of the major battlefields of Scripture. A controversial passage that has

created a lot of smoke and fireworks and not much light.

I told Tom that I was preaching on this on this week end when many people would be gone, because

it would be safer. This passage deals with:

1. How men are to behave.

2. How women are to dress.

3. Women and submission.

4. Women and teaching in the church.

5. Women saved through childbirth.

Many have fought and still are fighting over this section. We have to approach it with great care, and yet deal with it thoroughly.

**I want to remind you of one fact which we must hold clearly in mind; the subject under discussion in this passage, as well as in this entire chapter, is

PRAYER, and PRIORITIES in the church.

Paul is writing about the worship of the congregation when they come together, especially as that

worship centers on and focuses in prayer. So the passage that touches on women and on their

ministry among us grows out of that subject.

Paul has already given us a brief description of the different kinds of prayer. We have looked at his word on whom we would pray for, and the helpful statement he gave us about the results of

congregational prayer.

Prayer permits us to live peaceful and godly lives: it affects the community; it reduces violence,

opens up understanding, and enables relationships to be developed.

We must never forget that God has place the Christian church in a very relevant position in the

world regarding these matters.

2ND. Paul tells us that prayer becomes an instrument for the salvation of all kinds of people. He says, God"DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED AND TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH"

In verse 8-10 the Apostle continues on that subject of prayer, discussing the atmosphere in which

prayer is to be made, i.e., the specific attitudes both men and women should have when they pray in a congregational meeting. This is what he says:

READ V 8-10

I. MEN ATTITUDE AND ACTION. Paul stated that "SHOULD PRAY" in the church. Both men and women prayed in the early church (I Cor. 11:4-5), but the emphasis here is on the men.

It is common to find women's prayer meetings, but not often do we find men's prayer meetings.

I think Paul in this passage is dealing with the PROBLEM OF MEN.

As men we are doers and fixers.

If we see a need we do not pray about it first we try to solve it or fix it, or ignore it.

If all else fail then we pray.

One of the hardest things for men to do is first pray and especially in public.

If the men do not pray, the local church will not have dedicated leaders to oversee its ministry.

It was customary for Jewish men to pray with their arms extended and their hands open to heaven.

Our traditional posture of bowing the head, folding the hands, and closing the eyes is not found in Scripture. I think it comes from family who told their children to close their eyes, so they were not looking around, bow their heads to keep from looking around, fold their hands to keep from

pocking each other.

There are many prayer postures in the Bible:

Standing with outstretched hands (I Kings 8:22)

Kneeling (Dan. 6:10)

Standing (Luke 18:11)

Siting (2 Sam 7:18)

bowing the head (Gen. 24:26)

Lifting the eyes (John 17:1)

Falling on the ground (Gen. 17:3)

The important thing is not the posture of the body but the posture of the heart.

2ND. THE ACTION

Paul stated 3 essentials for effective prayers.

I think Paul is

DEALING WITH THE WEAKNESS OF MEN.

I have known some men who prayed in public but had such reputations in the world that those who knew them thought it was fake.

There are Christian men who can put on a good show in public but in private and business they are not pleasing the Lord.

INNER ATTITUDE OF PRAYER AND OUTER ACTION

When men pray they should:

1ST. "HOLY HANDS"-

Clean hands was symbolic of blameless life (2 Sam 22:21: Ps 24:4)

If we have sin in our lives we cannot pray and expect God to answer (Ps 66:18)

2ND. "WITHOUT WRATH"

- Without might be a better translation.

A person who is constantly having trouble with other believers, who is a troublemaker rather

than a peacemaker, cannot pray and get answers from God.

I Peter says treat your wife right or God will not hear your prayer.

3RD. "DOUBTING"

- suggests that we must pray in faith, but the word really means "DISPUTING

When we have anger in the heart, we often have open disagreements with others. Christian

should learn to disagree without being disagreeable. We should "

DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT MURMURING AND DISPUTINGS" (PHIL 2:14)

Paul is dealing with the weakness of men,

Their actions do not match their prayers.

Effective praying, then, demands that I be in a right relationship with God (holy hands) and with my fellow believers (without MURMURING and disputings).

Jesus taught the same truth (Mark 11:24-26). If we spent more time preparing to pray and getting

our hearts right before God, our prayers would be more effective.

II. WOMEN ATTITUDE AND ACTION

WOMEN-SUBMITTING

In the days of "WOMEN'S LIB" and other feminist movements, the word "SUBMISSION" makes some people see RED. To mention this word is like setting a fire alarm off to some people.

Some well meaning writers have even accused Paul of being a "crusty old bachelor" who was

anti-women. Those of us who hold to the inspiration and authority of the Word of God know that

Paul's teachings came from God and not from himself. If we have a problem with what the Bible

says about women in the church, the issue is not Paul (or Peter- I Peter 3:17) but with the Lord who gave the Word (2 Tim 3:16-17)

Some women have read the early church Fathers, and have been turned off because of their negative view toward women.

TARTULLIAN the 4th century theologian said:

"You are the Devils gateway; you are the unsealer of the forbidden tree; you are the first

deserter of divine law; you are she who persuaded him who the devil was not valiant enough

to attack. You destroyed so easily God's image, man.

AUGUSTINE said some things about women which I wish he hadn't.

MARTIN LUTHER said some very unkind things about women that I will not repeat.

Much of the negative feeling is a result of misunderstanding of what the Scriptures say.

1. ATTITUDE LIKEWISE I WANT WOMEN,

The context is prayer, coming to church to pray.

2. ACTIONAs the men were to show their right attitudes with "," so the women in the church were to show their right attitudes with right appearance.

were inconsistent with their prayers because of their action of attitude.

" inconsistent with their prayers because of their action of dress.

I. THE REALM OF ADORNMENT 2:9,10

Paul emphasized that their internal character was far more important than their outward

adornment. Women's standard for dress was to be characterized by modesty.

Remember this was a new church with new baby Christian's, in a pagan culture like ours.

Some of the women were converts from JUDAISM

They had been under the law and now they found their freedom in Christ. So they said I have

total freedom, I can dress anyway I want. I can say what ever I want. I am equal to men.

Some of the women were converts from PAGANISM of the sexual and sensual religion of the

temple of Diane in Ephesus. So they were still dressing in their seductive styles like they did in the temple, and other women in town.

(A) ADORNMENT IN DRESS; SIMPLICITY AND PURITY v9

In March and April, the great annual processions to the temple of Artemis (Diana) took place.

Thousands of tourists came to Ephesus for these ceremonies, which involved sexual orgies, magical rites, intercourse with seductively dressed sacred priestesses, etc. These pagan religious events were celebrated so as to ensure the birth of healthy children and the blessing of abundance agricultural crops.

One problem that arose in the church was that some of the women were dressing seductively when they came to the meetings, thus Paul brings a corrective word here. Our world today has its own cult priestesses, doesn't it?

ACTRESSESMODELS in women's magazines.

Modonna, for instance, dresses seductively and dances before the cameras to arouse the sensual desires of men.

Her lust, of course, is to gain money from men without having a relationship with them. Some of the fashion in women's clothes today is not to make a women look beautiful but to cause lust.

Paul wants the women in the church in Ephesus to dress and teach their daughters to dress with

moderation and purity.

is from KOSMEO, from which the English word "COSMETIC" derives.

It means "TO ARRANGE TO PUT IN ORDER," or "TO MAKE READY

A woman must arrange herself appropriately to join God's people as they worship.

Part of that important preparation involves the outside, the wearing of proper clothing.

Proper translates KOSMIO, which, like kosmeo, derives from the noun kosmos. Kosmos is often

translated "world," but it really means "order," or "system." It is the antonym of "chaos."

KATASTOLE CLOTHING) encompasses not only the clothing itself, but also the look the whole demeanor. Women are to come to the corporate worship ready to face the Lord. They must not come in slovenly disarray or personal display because of an unbecoming wardrobe or demeanor.

There is a place for lovely clothes that reflect the humble grace of a woman, as evidenced in

Proverbs 31:22, "HER CLOTHING IS FINE LINEN AND PURPLE."

Proper adornment on the outside reflects a properly adorned heart.

+ DECENCY is (aidos). It is too bad the KJ translated it "SHAMEFACEDNESS" that is a bad translation.

Paul is not urging women to go around looking ashamed of themselves, with faces averted or veiled.

PROPERLY is (sophrosyne) which means "soundness of mind, good sense" Modestly, good taste.

There are some clothes that are all right to wear but not in good taste.

Don't dress like prostitutes or movie actresses.

You are the daughter of the King of Kings, don't dress like a hooker.

2ND. WOMEN SHOULD DRESS WITHOUT OSTENTATION.

NOT WITH "In the Greek and Roman world much attention was given to elaborate clothes, the art of plaiting the hair, etc.

NOT WITH BRAIDED HAIR is one word in Greek (plegma) which means something woven or braided.

NOT WITH GOLD OR PEARLS OR COSTLY GARMENTS

Women in that culture often wove gold, pearls, or other jewelry in their hairdos to call attention to themselves and their wealth or beauty.

There is nothing wrong with owning jewelry. Solomon's bride in Song of Solomon wore gold and silver jewelry (Song 1:10-11; 4:9), as did Rebekah (Gen. 24:53). There is an appropriate time and place for that, as affirmed by the words of Isaiah 61:10:

I WILL REJOICE GREATLY IN THE LORD, MY SOUL WILL EXULT IN MY GOD; FOR HE HAS CLOTHED ME WITH GARMENTS OF SALVATION, HE HAS WRAPPED ME WITH A ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AS A BRIDEGROOM DECKS HIMSELF WITH A GARLAND, AND AS A BRIDE ADORNS HERSELF WITH HER JEWELS."

But jewelry was (And is) often used as a way of flaunting a woman's wealth or calling attention to herself in an unwholesome way. It is that preoccupation which Paul forbids in the place of worship.

The Christian women were not to dress in a way with clothes, and makeup and hairdos with gold, to look like she is drawing attention to herself, or that she is a prostitute.

The expensive dresses worn by wealthy women could cost up to 7,000 denarii.

Pliny the Elder, a first century Roman historian, described a dress of LOLLIA PAULINA, wife of the Emperor CALIGULA, which was worth several hundred thousand dollars by today's standards (Natural History 9.58).

JA Clerk said to a women: "The gown will be $200, Madam. I guarantee a fit."

The women said: "I, too, guarantee a fit when my husband learns the price."

Dresses of the common women could cost as much as 500-800 denarii. To put that into perspective, the average daily wage of a common laborer was one denarius. Because of the extreme expense, most women probably owned only two or three nice dresses in their lives. For a wealthy woman to enter the worship service wearing an expensive dress would shift the focus of attention to her. It could also stir up envy on the part of the poorer women (Or their husbands).

Such showy displays were criticized even by nonChristian writers.

In his sixth satire, the first century Roman poet JUVENAL wrote,

There is nothing that a woman will not permit herself to do, nothing that she deems shameful, and when she encircles her neck with green emeralds and fastens huge pearls to her elongated ears, so important is the business of beautification; so numerous are the tiers and stories piled one another on her head! In the meantime she pays no attention to her husband!

J "What did your teenage daughter do all summer?"

"Her hair and her nails!"

Someone has said:

Wind velocity increases in direct proportion to the cost of the hairdo.

There were two problems with the women in Ephesis wearing such expensive dresses:

. It made people think the wrong thing, that the Christian women were attracting attention to

themselves instead of to the Lord. When they were present every eye focused on them and

what they were wearing or not wearing.

. The entire practice was a waste of time, because a woman's true beauty was not to be

discovered in what she were.

The emphases is no their effect and not on the items. The emphases is on the qualigying?? word

"very costly, which means extravagant.

It is not wrong to wear Gold or have your hair done nice. It is not wrong to wear pearls.

Paul knows the reader will understand that he does not mean hair styles, jewelry, and clothing as

such but rather immodesty and indiscretion.

RAY STEADMAN WRITES.

Years ago I saw a women come into our congregation who was really a sight. (It is one thing

to call a woman a vision, but quite another things to call her a sight-and she was a sight!) She

had on one of those revealing gownless evening straps: her face was heavily painted and her

hair was done in the very latest coiffure. It was obvious that her heart at that time was

committed to keeping up with the latest styles. At least it appeared that way, but actually she

proved to be hungry of heart, wanting something more. She came to Christ, and it was interesting to watch how, without a word from anyone, her whole behavior and dress changed, as it reflected what was going on in her heart.

On the other hand, some women have taken this word of Paul so literally that they have gone to the other extreme. They come to church frumpy and dowdy, in their duelist dress, without their hair hardly made up at all or pulled straight back in a bun, with no lipstick or makeup on, and imagine that they are thus being pleasing to God. But actually, all they are doing is trying to attract attention too. They want to be known as "SPIRITUAL WOMEN," so they dress that way. But that is just as much a violation of this principle as any flashy dress would be.

It is not what happens on the outside that God is impressed with, rather, it is with the inward.

Sometimes you cannot change the outward very much.

J (I heard Phillis Diller say that she spent 3 hours in a beauty shop-and that was just for the estimate!)

JIf a barn needs painting paint it. Most Barns need a little paint.

I haven't seen barn yet that didn't look better with a little bit of paint.

Those sell Mary Kay, or Jaffer, or Avon, there is a special offering plate in the back to but an

extra offering in because of that last statement.

Wife: Did you see that hat Mrs. Jones wore to church?

Husband: No!

Wife: Did you see the new dress Mrs. Smith had on?

Husband: No!

Wife: A lot of good it does you to go to church!

The reason women live longer than men is because paint is a great preservative.

Here the apostle is stressing the fact that a woman's impact, spiritually, in a congregation will arise out of the fact that her dress conveys that she is not seeking attention or trying to be sexy, but rather that her life of good deeds is making her respected by that congregation and having great influence among them.

To Put it another way. If you wear VICTORY'S SECRETS do it at home for your husband but

not at church.

But on the other hand don't come to church in a Potato sack, or like an explosion in a mattress factory.

Come dressed fit to enter the presence of the King of kings.

Look as nice as you can.

Over the last few years the error has been on the side of casual.

We don't come to church dressed to met the King!

I am not going to fall into the trap that some pastors did.

A number of years ago when the mini-mini skirts were popular one large church had ushers passing out towels to the young ladies to put on their laps who had on mini skirts.

My argument was this too shall pass and it did.

One either the fashion will change or the Holy Spirit will convict them.

(B) ADORNMENT IN CHARACTER; SELF-SACRIFICE v10

How is true beauty revealed?

The contrast here is between the artificial glamour of the world and the true beauty of a godly life.

Paul did not forbid the use of jewelry or lovely clothes, but rather the excessive use of them as

substitutes for the true beauty of "A MEEK AND QUIET SPIRIT (I Peter 3:1-6)

A woman who depends only on externals will soon run out of ammunition?

She may attract attention, but she will not win lasting affection.

True beauty is not found in what a woman puts on, but rather in what she gives out from a contented

spirit. Beauty is found in the home of a women who invites the poor and the strangers to her table;

in the ears that comfort the brokenhearted; in the eyes that weep as they share the pain of the

wounded; in the hands that wash the feet of the saints; in the lips that comfort the afflicted.

Rebeccah in the Old Testament is a wonderful example here. Issac sent his servant to find a wife for him, and when he came close to Labean's home, Rebeccah came out to water her father's animals.

Genesis says of her: "and the girl was exceedingly beautiful in appearance, a virgin, and no man had known her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar, and came put...rang quickly and water his camels as well.." (Gen. 24:16ff) Rebeccah's purity and service captivated the servant, and he knew he had found his master's bride.

There is, of course, a place for sensual dance, and dress, for sensual beauty; it is in the home with

your husband. The Song of Songs deals with this. 8:10

I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers;

Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.

The bide is saying, "When I protected my body, when I covered my breasts and made my life a wall, so no one could see, then when the man looked at me he saw that I had peace in my spirit." This is what made this woman beautiful and attractive, unlike the women who dresses seductively and offers herself for sale.

Where does true beauty lie?

The apostle says that women are not to draw attention to themselves in their mode of dress, either by the expense of it or the lack of it.

Beauty is to be found in a contented spirit that adorns itself in purity and displays itself in quiet self-sacrifice.

Next, Paul moves from true contentment for a women, expressed through her beauty, to her authority.

III. THE REALM OF AUTHORITY 2:11-14

(A) THE CONTEXT OF DISRUPTION.

We should be careful to not to look at this passage alone, otherwise it would seem that Paul is saying women are not to speak at all in the church.

Another New Testament passage, I Cor. 14 also seems to be saying this, so it might appear that women do not have a speaking role in the church.

The problem with this interpretation, however, is that in I Cor. 11:5, we discover that women were praying and prophesying in the church in Corinth, and there Paul gives directives to women on how to pray and prophesy.

What the Apostle is actually referring to here in 1 Timothy is the practice of disruption in the church in Ephesus.

I Cor. 14 is a helpful passage to learn what went on in the early church when they gathered for

worship.READ I COR. 14:26FF)

. The Temple of Aphridies, men would go to the temple. Women were the priestess, who practiced prostitution, The way to determine if one was filled by the gods was, she was speaking in tongues. So when the men left the temple and came down the street and heard singing in the house church, they went inside and if they saw a women speaking in tongues.

They assumed that the women were possessed by the gods and practicing prostitution like at the

temple. So Paul tells the women to be quiet.

. In the meeting in the church in Corinth, many who had the gift of prophecy (both men and

women) would give a revelation, and then the prophets would pass judgment on what was said. The problem was the women were entering into this practice and passing judgment on their husbands' revelations with the result that the husbands's Headship in the home was publicly dishonored. Thus there was tension in the homes in Cornith because some wives were publicly rebuking their husband's teaching.

This was what was happening in Ephesus also. The cult of Artemis had bred an angry spirit of

feminism in response to the mistreatment of women, so women were challenging the teaching of

men, sometimes even their own husbands. This is why Paul wants women to have a quiet spirit. And this, of course, is what he wrote earlier in this chapter to men; They too, were to lead a "quiet" life.

Paul is instructing men and women how to worship together.

When we worship, nothing should be said or done which would cause damage to the Headship of

the home. Women should not dishonor their husbands in the context of worship in other words.

(B) THE COMMAND FOR SUBMISSION 2:11

Next, notice the apostle's command for submission:

The command is a present imperative which could be translated "LET A WOMAN CONTINUE TO LEARN.."

In other words, women were to be free to learn in every environment that was open to men.

This was quite unlike the practice in the SYNAGOGUE, where men and women were separated.

Many Rabbis refused to teach women, they considered it casting pearls before swine.

But Jesus radically broke this pattern. Man and women are equal spiritually and should be free to learn together.

In the gospels, we see that women very often asked the best questions of our Lord. The conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus didn't go very far theologically. Nicodemus couldn't get beyond the new birth that Jesus talked about.

Compare this exchange, however, with the conversation the Lord had with the Samaritan women.

She had no theological training, yet she was tough with the questions she asked.

J BRAIN SURGERY

The little girl reported at home what she had learned at Sunday school concerning the creation of Adam and Eve:

"The teacher told us how God made the first man and the first woman. He made the man first. But the man was very lonely with nobody to talk to him. So God put the man to sleep. And while the man was asleep, God took out his brains and made a woman of them."

HERE IS THE AREA OF GREAT CONTROVERSY:

What part can a women play in a church service, in its leading, its speaking, and its teaching?

According to this translation, women should be "SILENT" in church. That word occurs twice in this

passage: that a women should "LEARN IN SILENCE" (v11) and she is to "KEEP SILENT" (v12).

** There are churches where this was taken so literally that women were actually prohibited from even saying hello to anybody in the auditorium; they could not even open their mouths, literally, when they entered into the church.

But that is obviously a very extreme and wrong translation.

The reason I say that is because the same word that is translated "SILENT" occurs also in adjectival form in verse 2 of this chapters. There we read that we are to pray for "Kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and PEACEABLE life."

The word "PEACEABLE" is the same word which is translated "SILENT" here. But surely verse 2 does not mean that we may lead lives of absolute silence. It clearly means that we are to live an

undisturbed life, i.e. without a great deal of hassling, etc, but a "PEACEABLE" life.. That is a good translation for this word, which if carried over here to this section we are studying changes the thought entirely.

I have know two women who were pastors wives. These women would speak up and interrupt

their husbands during the church service and correct them. They hassled their husbands and hassled the church.

Another way of looking at this passage. There were weak-willed women (I Tim 5:3-16; 2 Tim 3:5-9) who had been influenced by the TEACHERS mentioned in chapter 1. They were speaking

up right during the service, repeating the false teachings about myths, and genealogies, and food

laws and marriage.

Paul is saying to such women to learn at home from their fathers or husbands; they were not to

disrupt the worship service.

Pastor told of wedding rehearsal where the bride was so nervous she could not remember exactly where to look she keep looking at the floor. The Pastor told her first look at the Isle, then at the alter and then at the groom.

The wedding day came and many people in the congregation saw this radiant smiling bride walking down the Isle and with each step they heard her say "Isle, alter Him" Isle alter him" Isle alter him.". 2 Thess 3:12 the apostle uses the same word again. He says of certain persons who were busybodies,

'NOW SUCH PERSONS WE COMMAND AND EXHORT IN THE LORD JESUS

CHRIST TO DO THIS WORK IN QUIETNESS

There is the same word which is translated "QUIETNESS SILENT" here. Paul is not telling people to work silently but to be peaceful about it, to not make a big to-do about it, to work privately,without a lot of public notice.

So Paul is saying, "Let a woman learn in a "PEACEFUL" way; she is to keep herself 'PEACEFUL' and be "PEACEABLE

This issue Paul is dealing with is her ATTITUDE

1. Just as he was dealing with the attitudes of men.

Women are not to have an attitude of argumentative aggressiveness, assertiveness, or stubborn

insistence on having their own view recognized. Rather, their attitude is to be one of reasonableness, patience, and a willingness to listen to others.

Paul says in Titus 2:3-4 the older women are to teach the younger women. Timothy was taught at

home by his mother and grandmother (2 Tim 1:5; 3:15)

But in their teaching ministry, they must not "lord it over" men.

there is nothing wrong with a godly woman instructing a man in private (Acts 18:24-28) but she must not assume authority in t he church and try to take the place of a man.

Dr. Henerita Meriers was one of the greatest Bible teachers of the 30,40,50.

Thousands of men's lives were changed under her ministry. Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Richard

Halverson, and dozens of others were touch by this remarkable women.

But she never usurped the authority over a man.

(C) THE REASON FOR SUBMISSION 2:13,14

The apostle refers to the order of creation in his correction of this boisterous, arrogant spirit that

was prevalent in Ephesus.

The first is an argument from Creation: Adam was formed first and then Eve

We must keep in mind that priority does not mean superiority.

Man and women were both created by God and in God's image.

The issue there is priority; man was created first.

To me the issue is not authority, not privileges, but responsibility.

God holds the men responsible.

The second argument has to do with man's fall into sin.

Satan decided the woman into sinning (Gen. 3:1ff 2 Cor. 11:3) the man sinned with his eyes wide open.

Because Adam ejected the God-given order, he listened to his wife, disobeyed God, and brought sin and death into the world. The submission of wives to their own husband is a part of the original Creation.

Gen. 3:15 YET YOUR DESIRE SHALL BE FOR YOUR HUSBAND AND HE SHALL RULE OVER YOU.

But because of the fall the women will almost always try to take over the leadership of the home and the church instead of looking to her husband or other men no matter how bad a job we do.

I don not think Paul suggested that women are more gullible than men and thus more easily

deceived; for experience proves that both men and women are deceived by Satan.

As a pastor I have benefited greatly from the encouragement and counsel of godly women; but I

have tried not to let them usurp authority in the church. In fact, the goldy women I have known have no desire to "run" things in the church, but want to help however they can.

III. HER UNPARALLELED PRIVILEGE: GIVING BIRTH 2:15

This is another difficult verse to explain.

Thousands of godly women have not been "kept safe through childbirth."

This does not mean that we men will not be saved and you women who have given birth will be saved. Either Spiritual, or Physical.

There have been a number of interpretation of this verse.

1. The use of the definite article with "CHILDBIRTH" suggests that the reference is to the birth of Christ, through whom salvation has come to the world.

2. Is similar from Gen. 3:15. The seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head and bring salvation to mankind.

3. Vine suggests a very practial real view.

"By means of begetting children and so fulfilling the design appointed for her through acceptance of mother-hood...she would be saved from becoming a prey to the social evils of the time and would take her part in the maintence of the testimony of the local church."

This fits good with the context.

Another way of saying it. By having children you will not have to worry about having time to have beautiful hair does, or expensive clothes, or gold jewelry. Or looking like you just walked out of Vogue magazine.

Having children saves you from those temptations.

1. You spend your time keeping kids clean and dressed instead of your fancy dress.

2. You spend your braiding the kids hair so they look nice, you don't have time for yours.

3. You spend your money on kids not gold and pearls.

I think the best interpretation, having children will save you from the time, and money you would spend on yourself, you will be spending it on your children.

A HELPFUL VIEW

Paul teaches here that although a woman precipitated the Fall and women bear that responsibility, yet they may be preserved from that stigma through childbearing. The rescue, the delivery, the freeing of women from the stigma of having led the race into sin happens when they bring up a righteous seed.

What a perfect counter! Women are far from being second class citizens because they have the

primary responsibility for rearing godly children. Mothers spend far more time with their children than do their fathers, and thus have the greater influence. Fathers cannot know the intimate relationship with their children that their mother establishes from pregnancy, birth, infancy, and early childhood.

Paul's point is that while a woman may have led the race into sin,

WOMEN HAVE THEPRIVILEGE OF LEADING THE RACE OUT OF SIN TO GODLINESS.

That does not mean that God wants all women to bear children; some He doesn't even want married (1 Cor. 7:25-40). Paul speaks in general terms. The pain associated with childbirth was the punishment for the woman's sin(Gen. 3:16), but the joy and privilege of child rearing delivers women from the stigma of that sin.

For women to reverse the blight that has befallen them in the Fall and fulfill their calling they need

to raise a godly seed. To do that, they must continue in faith and love, where their salvation really

rests. And they must continue in sanctity (Holiness) with selfrestraint (The same word translated

"DISCREETLY" in verse 9). It is the very appearance, demeanor, and behavior demanded of

believing women in the church that becomes their deliverance from any inferior status, as they livegodly and raise godly children.