Women's conduct in the church
Life as the church - Book of 1 Timothy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:17:58
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Instructions
Instructions
God gives plenty of instructions in scripture. 1Timothy is chuck full of them on how to conduct ourselves as the church (key verse: 1Tim3:14-15).
14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
(Insert: Instructions picture here)
(expand on each of these below, briefly)
Instructions on Jesus is our hope
Instructions on doctrine, for doctrine matters
Instructions on the Faith, fighting, contending for it
Last week instructions on Men and prayer
Today instructions for women
Regarding adornment (1Tim2:9-10)
Regarding submission (1Tim2:11-15)
A quick review of last week on the instructions to men. It was instructions regarding prayer, assembly prayer (1Tim2:1-8)
Priority of prayer
Variety of prayer
Purpose of prayer
Attitude in prayer
finished with
8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
(Transition) And that leads us to our passage this morning.
9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.
11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
15 But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.
Women’s instructions on adornment
Women’s instructions on adornment
Life and conduct in the church does not look like the world, we are being transformed into the image of Christ. Woman are a vital part of the church, just as men. Paul has instructions for them.
Many may think that these instructions were cultural “only for women in Ephesus.” Others think they are antiquated “only for then.” But when we look at the instructions and the purpose behind them they are applicable today just as they were then.
Instruction 1: Likewise, or in like manner (v.9; ref: 1Tim2:8)
Just as the men, “all men everywhere” were to pray this now likewise is for “all women everywhere.” Since it says in like manner this cannot be cultural for just in Ephesus.
Like manner also qualifies this as being church, public assembly is the setting, this does not cover private, personal outside of church life (assembly).
Instruction 2: Adorn in modest dress, or properly clothing (v.9)
Modest means orderly, well-arranged, decent (Vines bible dictionary)
This is a contrast between the artificial glamour the world and the true beauty of a godly life (Bible exposition commentary)
Instruction 3: In modesty, discreetly, not with braided hair, gold, pearls, costly garments (v.9; 1Pt3:3-6; Gen12:14-15)
Paul is not forbidding braided hair, or jewelry or costly garments but they need to be in moderation, in propriety, or sobriety (KJV).
True beauty is further described
3 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
It has been said that a woman who depends on the externals will soon run out of ammunition. They may attract attention, but may miss out on lasting affection.
Ephesus was a large commercial city, a wealthy city. In that day dress mattered people wanted to outdo one another, what you wore spoke of the class you were. As a Christian it is the inner quality that matters. Paul emphasized, urged balance and propriety on the modesty and godly behavior.
I mean look at what was said about Sarai.
14 It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
Sarai’s beauty could not be hidden. It displayed the meek, quiet spirit that Peter reference
5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
It was not just the outer beauty, but her godly conduct.
Instruction 4: Rather by means of good works of those confessing godliness (v.10; 1Pt3:3-4; ref: Act9:36, 39)
Godliness by far has a greater value than costly clothes and jewelry and braided hair. Again, there is nothing wrong with those things when not trying to attract attention to yourself for the purpose of the assembly is to draw attention to God, not self. Paul is not saying that good works are a substitute to clothing, well, because, clothing is needed
(insert Calvary chapel Oceanside illustration)
Hey just for fun godliness, well, that is another word that Paul uses often in the pastoral epistles, especially in Timothy. These are not on your outline but let me give you a few so you can come to a godly understanding of godliness
2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
We had that verse last week
10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.
this is from our passage today
7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,
So now, you can bring in where we started about doctrine matters because doctrine is part of what conforms us to godliness.
1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
Godliness because of the faith of those chosen by God, how? Through the gospel which comes from the knowledge of the truth and brings about godliness.
“Glamour can be partially applied on the outside, but godliness must come from within” Warren Wiersbe
Godly women have always played an important part in the ministry of the church. For they are one with the men in the church
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Some good godly examples that are noteworthy.
Noteworthy women in the ministry and in the church:
Women who ministered to Jesus in his ministry (Lk8:1-3)
Women at the crucifixion and at the resurrection (Jn19:25-26, 20: Lk24:1)
Women announced the resurrection (Lk24:10)
And many more Dorcas, Lydia, Priscilla, women of Berea and Thessalonica, Phoebe who even carried the Roman epistle.
(Transition) now we are ready to move on to further instructions for women in the assembly, conduct in the assembly.
Women’s instructions on submission
Women’s instructions on submission
God is not the God of confusion (1Cor14:33); and all things to be one in orderly way (1Cor14:40). This section brings on some heat today in our culture, it is actually counter-culture.
11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
Instruction: Quietly receive instruction (v.11)
Some versions says, silence, quietness all the more silent
Since we all have the same freedom, it seems a problem at the time, is that some women were exercising the equality of freedom in Christ and it was disrupting the orderly fashion of the assembly. You can see that this was not just a Ephesian problem Paul addressed similar issue with Corinth (1Cor14:34) about things that can disrupt the assembly.
Instruction: With entire submissiveness (v.11; 1Cor14:34)
Woman are to submit to the orderly conduct of the assembly and not usurp the authority or the direction of the scripture.
Women if had questions were to ask their own husbands
34 The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.
Instruction: Not to have authority over a man (v.12; 1Cor14:34-37)
IBID says “And if they should meet with anything, under the ministry of the word, they did not understand, or they had an objection to, they were not to speak in public, but ask their own husbands at home.
34 The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. 35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.
36 Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? 37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.
This was not meant to say women are to open their mouth, this is talking about the assembly not a bible class, for that is not the subject at hand, the assembly is.
Women are permitted to teach, other women, older women to younger women (Tit2:3-4) oh you can’t leave out Eunice and Lois who taught Timothy at home (2Tim1:5, 3:15). In fact you can see women involved in instruction outside of the assembly in private (Act18:24-28) which is Priscilla and Aquila teaching Apollos, more accurately. But a woman is not toe assume authority in the church or take the place of a man.
(Transition) Again keeping in mind the subject is women’s conduct in the public assembly. Paul will now go on and gives some reasons, arguments as to why.
Argument for submissiveness 1: Adam and Eve (vv.13-14; Gen2:7-23, 3:1; 1Cor11:8-9; Eph5:22-23)
13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
Priority does not equate to superiority, man is not superior to women, they were both created in the image of God. God given authority was to Adam.
It was the woman who was deceived. The man, well Adam knew well and good God’s order and he chose to disobey it, he was not deceived; he sinned (Gen3:17). That does not mean that men cannot be deceived for they can, or that women are more gullible than men, heck Abram listened to Sarai instead of God (Gen16)
8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.
again not discounting women and their role at all, without women there would be no Savior (Gal4:4; Lk1:34-35)
The submissions of a woman to her own husband has always been a part of God’s plan, God’s order (Eph5:22-23)
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
(Transition) that brings us to our last verse for this morning, a practical application
15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
This is one of those verses that Peter may have meant about difficult to understand in 2Pt3, for there are a wide variety of thoughts on this verse. May I offer this thought for you.
Context: what is the context, what is Paul addressing in our passage?
Paul has been addressing women’s conduct in the church, in the assembly.
William Boles a commentator for College Press in summary says this.
The majority view holds that Christian women are not saved through teaching and asserting authority, but by attention to their traditional role, ‘Childbearing.’ . . . women need not behave like men but rather fulfill their divinely appointed role. Consider these verses
11 But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married,
Paul believes a woman’s role is to get married
14 Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;
(Insert Woman’s role in the church picture here)
Paul believes a woman’s role is to bear children (in general we know all women do not bear children and it is not a sin not to).
A woman’s salvation (continued salvation) is proven when they fulfill the God given role grated by God. Not in usurping the God given role of men in the assembly. Part of the fulfilling is the faith, love, holiness with propriety as noted in the verse.
Women play a vital part in the church, they are not subservient to men in any fashion, they have different roles than men. They are just as important. Remember we have and serve the God of order and we chose to follow God’s direction.
First and foremost to be a women, or even a man of the church and that is what was addressed in this chapter you need to be in the church first
(invitation slide- In Christ) There is a hole, something missing outside of Christ (expand) (Song) (prayer) (Exit)