THE PASTORAL EPISTLES: GOD'S DIRECTIVES FOR HIS UNDERSHEPHERDS

I. 1 Timothy: Basic Local Church Ministry

E. God's Role For Women In The Church

(1 Timothy 2:9-15)

I. Introduction

A. In view of reports of great needs and problems in various churches, much of which has been produced by Church leaders themselves, we view the Pastoral Epistles, handbooks on local pastoral ministry.

B. 1 Timothy 2:9-15 addresses the proper role of women in the Church, a topic of great importance in light of the impact of the feminist movement on even Christians today. We view this passage for insight and application:

II. God's Role For Women In The Church, 1 Timothy 2:9-15.

A. Paul explained in 1 Timothy 3:14-15 that in the whole section of 1 Timothy 2:1-3:16, he was directing Timothy on the proper roles and functions that he and others in the congregational meetings were to have.

B. Thus, since Paul had addressed the roles of adult male men (aner) in the church in 1 Timothy 2:8, urging they function in an honorable way, lifting up holy hands in prayer without anger or arguing, he turned to the role of women in the church, directing that they similarly function in righteousness and honor, 1 Timothy 2:9a.

C. However, the feminine gender of the woman called for a feminine form of righteousness and honor in Church meetings that differed from the masculine behavior of men, what is described in 1 Timothy 2:9b-15:

1. Righteousness in a godly woman that contrasted with the unrighteousness of ungodly women called for modesty and chastity versus the sinful feminine tendency to allure men sexually, 1 Timothy 2:9b-10a:

a. Godly Christian women were to have the "outward deportment as it expresses itself in clothing" (katastole, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 420) of being respectable (kosmios, Ibid., p. 446), modest (aidos, Ibid., p. 21) and chaste (sophrosune, Ibid., p. 809); 1 Timothy 2:9b.

b. Such women were not to function as ungodly women of Paul's era who braided their hair and donned gold, pearls or costly garments to allure men sexually to lust after them, 1 Timothy 2:9c.

c. Rather, godly women in the Church were to dress with proper attire in accord with their profession of godliness that did not appeal to sexual lust in men, and with that attire to add good works, 1 Timothy 2:10.

2. Righteousness in a godly woman also called for her to submit to the oversight of men, 1 Timothy 2:11-12:

a. Paul added that women in Church meetings were to learn quietly with all submissiveness, implying that they were to listen to adult male leaders lead in worship and minister the Word of God, 1 Timothy 2:11.

b. Also, Paul wrote that he did not permit a woman to teach or to "have authority" (authenteo, Ibid., p. 120) over a man in the church, "but rather" (alla, Ibid., p. 37-38; U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 722) to be in the "silence" of submission in Church meetings (Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 350); v. 12.

3. Some evangelicals argue that Paul was reflecting his ancient Middle Eastern heritage where women had to be submissive versus the alleged role of women today who allegedly can lead men, but Paul's reasons for the submission of women to men in the Church argue just the opposite (as follows), 1 Timothy 2:13-14:

a. Paul appealed to God's creative order in Genesis, claiming that since Adam was created before Eve, a woman was to be subject to a man due to that creative order, 1 Timothy 2:13.

b. Furthermore, Genesis 2:21-23 records that when God made the woman from the man's rib, He brought her to him akin to how He had brought the animals to Adam to see what he would name them in Genesis 2:19. Naming an entity indicated lordship over that entity in Semitic culture (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Gen. 1:10), so God's bringing Eve to Adam that he might name her as God had brought the animals to Adam that he might name them as their lord indicated God wanted Adam to be Eve's head!

c. Also, in 1 Timothy 2:14, Paul taught that Adam was not deceived, but his wife Eve was deceived when she did not properly follow his lead and accordingly fell prey to Satan's wiles. Eve was supposed to have followed her husband Adam's lead, not act independently of him and thus be deceived and transgress!

d. In the end, a woman would be saved from the sin of usurping the leadership role of men in the Church if her focus was on bearing children, continuing in faith and love with holiness and self-control, v. 15 ESV.

Lesson: God's role for women in the Church, based on the creative order, was to dress and act with chastity, doing good works in submission to men, their focus being that of homemakers with faith, love, holiness and self-control.

Application: May we realize that God's creative order is the basis of the correct roles of men and women in the Church, that we then heed those roles opposite the worldly abuses of those roles that occur in the secular world.