Your Gospel Work of Praying & LEARNING
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We are studying the Pastoral Letter. Let’s see if you can remember the context - when? where? why? Critical to keep this in mind, not just mining for doctrinal facts, or present applications, need to understand what these words meant then. The church was in trouble, becoming just an ember, fan into flame and Paul didn’t have time strength, part of the delegating to Timothy with this letter.
Seen in 1:4-5 fundamental false teachers leading people to live lives really confused about law and gospel, and Paul trying to restore them to Overwhelming grace - calls this the stewardship of the gospel that is by faith. So critically important so don’t lose the forest, by looking to intensely at one tree. This was the case in part I of this sermon on public worship - where forest is prayer for salvation for all, for kings and those in authority. If we start with how pray with hands, role of men and women in praying - miss real point. This alone is what explains that as Paul gives these prayer instruction for you and me together, he breaks out with God’s desire,
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
in the administration of grace, not eternal decree - church given treasure for all peoples God’s desire is what salvation - In wonder is that our desire too? One mediator, man in full fellowship with God and also in full fellowship , communion with the human plight including your neighbour and mine, our prime minister -
Well if our desire matches God’s if, real stewardship of gospel that gets law of God, forgiveness, and grace of God - right, its like we understand prayer is like gas on the fire in our weekly worship, house of prayer, calling on the Name of the Lord for the nations. That is the interesting thing about the phrase in v.8 that is so easy to miss
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
That in every place calling on God’s name through Jesus Christ in effective prayer for salvation for kingdom expansion, is a key to understanding what is supposed to go on in our worship services. It is actually an OT prophesy that is supposed to be coming true here now, and in every place true worship in the power of the Holy Spirit through living Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator is going on. Look at
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
This combination of prayer, burning of incense, and declaring God’s great name among the GOYIM the Gentiles, those outside the temple, would serve as a prophetic signal. Like when a ship or boat goes,down, lost in the woods, send up big bright red flare. God’s is making an outward turn to the nations and sending judgment on corrupt temple worship. Paul is saying our prayer, our praises like incense and our proclamation of the gospel of jesus through the Word, that is our mission and should be happening every where, very place. Look at how he uses that key phrase elsewhere:
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
But if real prayer in our worship , real access and communion and talking with god, and interceding with jesus for salvation of others, wellbeing of our community, a primary work , the second great work on this primary level is what? Official proclamation of Jesus Gospel. Go making disciples by what apostolic teaching to all nations, all the ways and truths of Jesus
A. With Prayer, Gospel Proclamation Must be our Primary Work in Worship
This is why Paul broke out saying, I was appointed a PREACHER, and an APOSTLE ( I am telling the truth, I am not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. v. 7 Do you think he was excited about that - are we - no point talking about role of men and women, or the manner in whcih we receive the official proclamation preached in worship - bringing jesus to the world - unless this is the second great work that must happen in our worship gathering together on the Lord’s Day.
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.
Now of course, there is a speaking the gospel to each other, counseling each with God’s Word, in a private capacity. Of course there is even in worship, a speaking that goes on - as the congregation prays out loud, sings, gives thanksgiving reports. But when this word TEACH is used in the pastoral epistles the content is God’s Word the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, and the Apostolic Teaching of how Christ fulfils that in this new age of the gospel to the nations. This is the offical proclamation, not of opnions and new ideas but a message entrusted by Christ to those dispatached as amabassors with the Kings message. That’s what real preaching is. And it is how slavation is brought to people -w ehterh growing upin covenant family or those outside coming in. Listen to how Jesus put it:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
And if we got that right, we can move on to the first details, first tree to be examined, not the main thing, but realted to it, it isin’t the juicy controverseial topc of roles of men and womne in the church yet. But more fundamental that. Look at it:
You need tos ense this first that when we gather in worship its not my voice, we are hearing, heeding, but the Lord Jesus Christ. it is not my voice we are quieting our selves
for - but the Living Lord Jesus as He speaks throug HIs Spirit and the His Word. He is the Teacher and we are the learners!
And if we got that right, we can move on to the first details, first tree to be examined, not the main thing, but related to it, it isn’t the juicy controversial topic of roles of men and women in the church yet. But more fundamental that. Look at it:
B. LEARN Gospel-Proclamation Continually Quietly & with all Submission
But wait a minute doesn’t it say that’s how women are to? Doesn’t that mean women must be subjugated to men and not speak at all?
Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.
What do you mean all of us are learn quietly and with all submission. Well let’s start with that last word. Submission. Can be a dirty word in our culture. means to coordinate yourself under along side , to put yourself for another’s purpose. But who is it these women are to submit to. It doesn’t say does it. Sure in the home Paul in speaks of male headship but leadership done Christ way of service and love, in the home a particular wife is to submit to a husbands initiative and leadership. Not all women submit to all men. As equal in dignity, and both wiling to serve, a leading that husbands job and a respectful following in that godly leadership - household working as a team.
But here we don’t have that, and it is certainly not all women submit to all men in the church. We will have to understand how some women in Ephesus refusing to submit, but it wasn’t to all men, refusing to submit to simple clear proclamation of the gospel by the ordained elder/pastor. that didn’t weigh big in their mind, and the opposite of quiet isn’t loud boisterous, quiet here is a word for undisturbed, in agreement. It meant to hold ones peace. not to writhe under.. Doens’t mean absolute silence. It means to rest in the Soveriegn teaching and will of God.
Here it is instructive to look at how the word is used for men and women in a worship service , presumably even ruling elders in Corinth:
What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
There is speaking, men and women, as also makes clear that is not the official preaching in their more informal service.
But listen to what he says, if no one there to interpret:
But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.
And Paul is saying here that when unbelievers come into your worship - when prayer like that calling on the Name of the Lord, - God really present and when they hear the proclamation, official clear one standing up. Look at it:
But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
Now is not the time to explain how the extra-ordinary gifts of speaking in tongues, and of extraordinary prophesy has been fulfilled in the apostolic age, but notice the clear single voice official proclamation of Gods’ teaching - is to be heeded with quietness and we are to fully submit to it, as if God himself is speaking.
This is the very first imperative command, learn quietly and with full submission in the whole letter. And it is positive, and in fact down played in Judaism for women - I am going to synagogue and you can come if you want. In the temple of course only allowed in the women’s court. Not taught to read Torah , certainly some Classical culture looked down on women as inferior, not equal worth. But Christianity learners together male and female, equal in signify and receive salvation.
Mena nd women ch is launched what are they doing together in prayer and what other activity. Look at it: Daily in the temple courts - that kind of learning~
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
This evening we are to ask ourselves whether we all want to learn like that when we come to worship Such reverence for the gospel proclaimed. Such bending to its authority that we submit to God’s word.
And that brings us to our third point, the
And that brings us to our third point, the
C. Roles of Teacher and Learners in Respect to Gender
Learning is the mirror image of teaching in the New Testament. All are called to learn, and indeed all disciples learn in order to also teach. But in the worship service, Paul starts with emphatic to teach and pairs it with companion or to have authority.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
That connecting word means they are a pair. Some want to say, only local cultural situation in Ephesus , women running cult of Artemis, feminist - some militant - over exaggerate the evidence. Preachers like Bruxy Cavey, The Meeting House, point out that the word have authority, not normal word that Paul would use, only once in the bible and in secular use can mean be domineering, load the rifles, we’re taking over, but that is only 1 of 8. And the pairing of two words in Greek means they must either both be positive or both negative. The teaching Paul’s referring to here isn’t the teaching of false doctrines, but like Paul a teacher of the gospel, and Paul is saying, teaching and having authority necessary and good.
but in the church as in the home those are roles that qualified men, men who if married proven to be able to teach and lead in their homes - not domineering abusive, but Christ like - they are to fulfill those two roles of official gospel proclamation in worship and exercising authority in the church family.
D. Why Radical Equality of Persons & Difference & Hierarchy in Roles
IN these Pastoral letters this authoritative, public, doctrinal instruction in God’s word - he will give not to men in general, but to qualified elders and teaching elders. Like
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
He will call all of us to know God’s word enough to teach teach other, he will call on older women to teach younger women in Titus. But why this official preaching and this task overseeing just to men? Is that necessarily oppressive chauvinistic and woman hating? And what task, what role, beyond the general call for all of us to learn God’s word and live it out, is particularly given to woman in Christ’s kingdom and church, until he comes again?
Here I want you to listen to someone actually in favour of women’s ordination, but listen to what he says of this passage: “If human life can be only male or female, never both and never neither, then if God is to give humans life at all in must be as male and female.” Thomas Oden.
Neither Paul nor Genesis portray Eve as less in value and dignity than Adam. Equally image bearers of God. Not lesser in being. But equal doesn’t mean the same. God in creating two and only two sexes, beautiful complementarity for human life to flourish. It is not about individual rights and roles and sameness - not about individual
Our culture perhaps like the false teachers were promoting says , male and female isn’t how God created the world, the roles God assigns for human life to flourish, whether in home or in the church are wrong. Roman Catholic school board just gave in - adopted the LGBTQ definitions and categories of human life. I am not talking about whether brokenness in and struggle isn our sexuality is there, whether we need to make space for those who struggle, acknowledge all of us have brokenness sin this area. But the categories of life - not God-given for complementing and working together as family, church family, - but self defined and for individual personal happiness however I define it!
And Paul says, no. Not just for Ephesus at that time with some local problem. But he says No, from the dawn of creation until the Lord comes again. Two reasons:
For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
The roder of creation teaches that Adam is created first and differently. He is the one taken from the earth, and he is the one given the task first to have dominoin ofver the earth for the LORD. Then Eve is created second, equally in God’s image, but how is she created from the rib of Adam. NOt head, not foot, but bueatiful complemenatry - But Paul elsewhere shows not only from , but for Adam too - companionship together, but also helpmate in task shared together. Paul says in the home and in the church - their is a task given to men in leading and teaching that matches this order and a complemntary task of women in supporting that ledership and task. Paul hesitates not at all to call women co-workers in the gospel, Psriscilla and Aquilla , but not this partiuclar task of leading.
But Paul also gives a second reason that stems from this. Its about how the Fall happened. Its is not as the Greeks and sometimes RC theology has put it that women was more gullible, that dangerous and even evil and certainly lesser, maybe even less human. If anything Eve is more curious than Adam. And Adam if you read it carefully, comes off looking worse than Eve, he is standing right there, he was the one who got the direct command, and like a dead-beat husband - says nothing, does nothing, and just follows Eve in the deception. And very interesting the head of creation Adam, the head of the first family Adam, God goes to him not Eve after it falls, though Adam is like why talking to me it is her fault. No yours - through you Adam as the rep you fall with Eve and the whole human race with You Adam.
Do you understand how the Fall happened, not ultimately the weakness of Eve, but the failure of Eve to follow God’s order in human life with male and female working together, and the failure of Adam to man up and offer the leadership he was tasked with. Probably busy with his phone or getting his golf clubs in order. There is a way in which not hierarchy of importance or worth, but literally holy-rules, boundaries, and order in terms of our jobs as husband and wife, that is to be reflected in the leadership of the church family too. All are in this hierarchy - people under authority - Christ, government, mother and father,
The order of creation was reversed and the fall happened! And look at the deception which caused it all: you don’t have to listen to God, you can decide what’s right individually on your own, without teaching of God’s word, without leadership of those God’s put in to your life, and without the leadership of God’s Word itself. Instead Eve’s sin involved overthrowing Gods order and then Eve teaching her husband.
This isn’t about whether women have gifts and intellect for ministry, often in NA history more than men in the church. Read the gospel work and this is why Paul broke out saying, I was appointed a PREACHER, and an APOSTLE ( I am telling the truth, I am not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. v. 7 Do you think he was excited about that - are we - no point talking about role of men and women, or the manner in which we receive the official proclamation preached in worship - bringing jesus to the world - unless this is the second great work that must happen in our worship gathering together on the Lord’s Day. together Pau empowers women to do along side wonderfully .
Look at
I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
But this is about whether we believe God’s order in creation, is given to us a good gift, not for individuals first but for the whole church family, the whole of us first. Godly men, not women called to teach in worship and called to oversee, exercise authority in Christ like manner to lead us here.
We can look at what 200 years in North America in which the church has been both feminized and democratized, what that has done to the prayer life of the church and the gospel proclamation of the church. We can practically look at what has happened to church’s led by mostly women and what happens to the next generation of families and and of men in those churches. But that's not the point. The point is will we follow God’s design.
The false teachers in Ephesus said no, and the church was falling apart. The flase teachers in Ephesus also seem to think because we got Christ, the calling to marriage, to have children, gone. No point to that. And Paul is not just saying, We are to follow God’s creation order, yes after the fall part of the curse, tension in this order. But Christ comes to restore it, to bring slavation in the middle of it.
And that is where we see Paul not only upholding prayer and preaching as tihngs we must be engaged in week to week, but also that when the church follwing God’s roder gets busy - God will brings us joy in salvation as we labour together inthe gospel.
Paul and Genesis celebrate Eve as the Mother of the Living. Adam coudn’t be or do that. not sa89ing less intellgient, less skilled in ministry, but household approach - yes teaching in other contests, yes, leading in other ctonests … But listen to why he says men should teach in offical gospel proclamation and lead in household of church.
And that is Paul’s concluding point in
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
One of the harder verse of the Bible to interpret, but with the context firmly in our mind, i hope you can see that this no t talking about a woman’s individual salvation (there is no way our efforts, good works, or childbearing could earn salvation). This saving is referring to something else. And notice it says she will be saved through childbearing. Who is that? Woman in church. Actually singular because still talking about Eve, the Mother of the Living. God gives the curses for the fall, in reverse order and the way they usurped authority - Satan crawl on dust, Eve pain in child bearing, Adam sweat of brow. But Genesis records how God turn the curse of pain in child bearing into the Greatest blessing -
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
As Eve with Adam bring forth children - blessing to world, Eve’s offspring ultimately -the Satan crusher. Paul isn’t saying, women’s job is bear foot a pregnant in the kitchen, not saying barren women can’t be saved, not saying all women must marry or n worth. But he is saying, in the church, just like Eve brought forth the child who is salvation. So too following God’s order in the home and in the church - praying and learning with God’s people , serving together -as God's Word by God;s pastors and elders -given, real calling for the woman who is married and does have children, as they press on in faith, love, holiness, self-control - together in a church functioning God’s way- there will be joy of seeing little ones raised up here in the image of Christ and in the way of salvation.
What is true of Eve in her role, will be true of every Christian mother answering the call of God, regardless of what jobs she fulfills, regardless of what service she gives in the local church, when this order is followed, when we have worship that reflects this plan for prayer and authoritative gospel proclamation, - we will also have families - in a society of self-seekers. We will have families to the glory of God.
Its is coming to our schools, it will come to our churches it will seek to slide into our relationships at home - this lie that male and female are not God given ways of imaging God and as if specific roles are not given for the functioning of family and church the way God intends. This lie like in Ephesus by these false teachers - that marriage is not to be pursued as a calling, nor biblical manhood and womanhood.
Creation
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Sure there is much fallenness about the way we have been male and female in the past, sure after the industrial revolution our homes have become less biblical But the gospel is to transform that and it is transform how we together male and female do church here, and how we do that in the home. Paul says this is necessary for the gospel to bring salvation payer and proclamation, and in two week we'll see why we need men doing a noble task among us here - how elders and deacons are to are to serve and how we are to grow as we are led by them!
Fall
And listen to the glorious rsult if accept gendered sex God’ assigned fora real purpose, complement - saved throug the Childrbith, … women cointue in faith and love and holiness with slef-control - strong women and strong menworking together - order …