1 Timóteo 2
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Timóteo 2
Cole - As Paul begins to tell Timothy how to conduct oneself in the local church (1Ti 3:15), he puts prayer as the first priority (1Ti 2:1, “First of all”). But Paul is not just talking about the need for prayer in general. He is talking about the need for prayer as it relates to the salvation of the lost. He repeats some words and ideas in 1Ti 2:1–8 that show what he is driving at: “all men” (1Ti 2:1); “all” (1Ti 2:2); “God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved” (1Ti 2:3, 4); “mediator ... between God and men” (1Ti 2:5); “a ransom for all, the testimony” (1Ti 2:6); “preacher and ... teacher of the Gentiles” (1Ti 2:7). Paul is talking about men—people—and not just about a certain few, but about all men. And he is talking about the Savior. His concern is that all would be saved. What he is telling us is that. Prayer that all people may be reached with the gospel should pervade the life of the church. Does such prayer pervade our church? Does such prayer pervade your life? Does such prayer pervade my life?...The point of all these (FOUR DIFFERENT) words (FOR PRAYER) is that we have different needs at different times. But at all times we need God and, therefore, we need to pray. (The Priority of Prayer) THOUGHT - To stimulate/motivate you to pray for all men that they might be saved from eternally perishing take a few moments and prayerfully, reverentially play and watch this powerful video based on Fanny Crosby's hymn Rescue the Perishing. It may just change the focus of your prayers! I have found that when I pray for the perishing, God often opens doors of opportunity (cf Redeem the time/opportunity), to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a perishing soul. Sadly, I speak with many who say they "know about Jesus," but they still think they have to be good enough to get to heaven. My great fear when I speak with them is they may be those who one day will stand before Jesus as He describes in Mt 7:21-23+. Save them Lord. Amen! “Some want to live within the sound Of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop Within a yard of hell.” - C T Studd Hiebert says: The apostle employs four words to indicate the different elements in the public prayers offered in the church. "Supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings." These four words indicate the different elements which are to enter into the public prayers of the church. (1) "Supplications" is a general word meaning a request or a petition and was used of petitions addressed both to men and God. Coming from a verb meaning "to lack," it signifies prayer which springs from a sense of need. A conscious sense of need is essential to all effective praying. (2) "Prayers" is distinctly a religious term in that it was used only of prayer to God. Although unrestricted as to its contents, it carries the thought of reverence in prayer. In public prayer irreverence in manner or content is inexcusable. Heartfelt reverence in public prayer is often sadly lacking. (3) "Intercessions," occurring only here and in 4:5 in the New Testament, suggests the thought of confidence in prayer. It does not have the limitation of being for others, as implied in our English term. It was used for a petition of any kind to a superior. It speaks of personal and confiding intercourse with God on the part of one qualified to approach Him. A life lived in fellowship with God gives confidence in prayer. (4) The three previous words indicate the character of the praying while the word "thanksgivings" points out the spirit in which our prayers are to be offered. It is the spirit of gratitude for blessings already received and those yet to be received. It is the complement of all true prayer. (Borrow First Timothy- Everyman's Bible Commentary - excellent resource) David Lewis - On Behalf of Another 1 TIMOTHY 2:1 (from At the Master's Feet) It is a very great privilege to be permitted to pray for our fellow men. Prayer in each man’s case must necessarily begin with personal petitions, for until the man is himself accepted with God, he cannot act as an intercessor for others; and herein lies part of the excellence of intercessory prayer, for it is to the man who exercises it aright a mark of inward grace and a token for good from the Lord. You may be sure that your King loves you when he will permit you to speak a word to him on behalf of your friend. He who in answer to his intercession has seen others blessed and saved may take it as a pledge of divine love and rejoice in the condescending grace of God. Such prayer rises higher than any petition for ourselves, for only he who is in favor with the Lord can venture upon pleading for others. Intercessory prayer is an act of communion with Christ, for Jesus pleads for the sons of men. It is a part of his priestly office to make intercession for his people. He has ascended up on high to this end and exercises this office continually within the veil. When we pray for our fellow sinners, we are in sympathy with our divine Savior, who made intercession for the transgressors. Meditation Rock 1 Timothy 2:1-3 - James Scudder (from Living Water Devotionals) In Fredericksburg, Virginia, near some of our country's most treasured monuments and home itself to several historical homes, there stands a lesser-known, but important monument. Its near the grave of Mary Washington, mother of the first president on a rocky plateau jutting out from a small foothill. It's Meditation Rock, where George Washington's mother prayed daily for her son and for the welfare of the young nation he was called to lead. By now, green moss and lichen have covered the rock. Very few tourists put this landmark on their itinerary. There are no museums or churches commemorating the sight. Yet, this tiny locale in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was the place where some of America's most meaningful discussions took place—between the mother of our first President and the Creator of the Universe. George Washington owes much of his success to the deep faith of his mother, as do many others who have impacted our nation. Oft-neglected, mothers are the backbone of society, quietly raising the next CEOs, congressmen, presidents, and pastors. My mother has gone on to be with the Lord, but I'll never forget her tireless efforts during my childhood. I can say with great pride that I had one of the worlds' greatest mothers. Stop for a moment today and consider your mother. Tell her how much you appreciate her, even if it costs you a long-distance phone call or a night out at a nice restaurant. Make her feel special. Women like Washington's mother, my mother, and many other mothers around the world have contributed greatly to society with their unheralded efforts. Praise God for all of them. Prayer—secret, fervent, believing prayer—lies at the root of all personal godliness.William Carey Peter Kennedy - Out of Sight and in Your Prayers (from Generation to Generation) "I urge, then, first of all that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."—1 Timothy 2:1-4 In 1876, the Scottish missionary Mary Slessor was sent to a part of West Africa where no colonial power was in control. She ministered in an area where witchcraft and barbarous customs of human sacrifice were common. Her life was in constant danger and she was once asked what prayer meant to her. "My life is one long, daily, hourly record of answered prayer for physical health" for guidance given marvelously, for errors and dangers averted, for enmity to the gospel subdued, for food provided at the exact hour needed, for everything that goes to make up life and my poor service. I can testify with a full and often wonder-stricken awe that I believe God answers prayer. I know God answers prayer. If you are ever inclined to pray for a missionary, do it at once, wherever you are. Perhaps she may be in great peril at the moment. Once I had to deal with a crowd of warlike men in the compound, and I got the strength to face them because I felt that someone was praying for me just then." In our fast-paced world we often take the attitude, out of sight, out of mind. But the Lord wants you to remember not only those who are in your immediate lives, but also the leaders of your government, missionaries abroad, and leaders in your church. In your prayers today remember at least one person who is far away. "Remember that God is our only trust. To Him, I commend you... My son, neglect not the duty of secret prayer."—Mary Washington in a parting letter to her son, George Washington William Barclay also does an excellent job in distinguishing these 4 WORDS and bringing out Paul's emphasis in the passage: In this passage, four different words for prayer are grouped together. It is true that they are not to be sharply distinguished; nevertheless, when we examine each of them in turn, they have something to tell us of the way of prayer. (i) The first is the word deesis, which we have translated request. Deesis is not exclusively a religious word; it can be used of a request made either to a fellow man or to God. But the fundamental idea of deesis is a sense of need. No one will make a request unless a sense of need has already wakened a desire to make that request. Prayer begins with a sense of need. It begins with the conviction that we cannot deal with life ourselves. It begins with a sense of our own inadequacy. It begins in a sense of human weakness. That sense of human weakness is the basis of all human approach to God. "Let not conscience make you linger, Nor of fitness fondly dream; All the fitness he requireth Is to feel your need of Him." Prayer begins with the realization of the helplessness of manhood. (ii) The second is the word proseuche, which we have translated prayer. The basic difference between deesis and proseche is that deesis may be addressed either to man or God, but proseche is never used of anything else but approach to God. There are certain needs which only God can satisfy. There are certain needs that can only be brought to Him. There is a strength which He alone can give; a forgiveness which He alone can grant; a certainty which He alone can bestow. It may well be that our weakness haunts us because we so often take our needs to the wrong place. (iii) The third word is enteuxis, which we have translated petition. Of the three words this is the most interesting word. It is a word with a most interesting history. It is the noun from the verb entugchanein. Originally, the verb entugchanein meant simply to meet or to fall in with a person; then, it went on to mean to hold intimate conversation with a person; then it acquired a special and technical meaning; it meant to enter into a king's presence and to submit a petition to him. Enteuxis acquired the technical meaning of a petition offered to a governor or a king. That tells us much about prayer. It tells us that the way to God stands open to us; that there is given to us this priceless gift of intimate talk with God; that we have the right to bring our petitions to one who is a king. The Christian is the man who has the right to take his needs into the royal presence of God. The author's lecture notes incorporate quoted, paraphrased and summarized material from a variety of sources, all of which have been appropriately credited to the best of our ability. Quotations particularly reside within the realm of fair use. It is the nature of lecture notes to contain references that may prove difficult to accurately attribute. Any use of material without proper citation is unintentional. "Thou art coming to a King; Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much." (Play Come My Soul) It is impossible to ask too great a boon from the King. (iv) The fourth word is the word eucharistia, which we have translated thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is an integral part of prayer. Prayer does not mean only asking God for things; prayer also means thanking God for things. For too many of us prayer is an exercise in complaint, when it should be an exercise in thanksgiving. Epictetus, who was not a Christian but a Stoic philosopher, used to say: "What can I, who am a little old lame man, do, except give praise to God?" We have the right to bring our needs and our desires and our requests to God; but we have also the duty of bringing our thanksgivings continually to Him. (1 Timothy 2 Commentary) Urge (exhort,, implore) (3870)(parakaleo from para = side of, alongside, beside + kaleo = call) means literally to call one alongside, to call someone to oneself, to call for, to summon. Parakaleo can include the idea of giving help or aid but the primary sense in the NT is to urge someone to take some action, especially some ethical course of action. Sometimes the word means convey the idea of comfort, sometimes of exhortation but always at the root there is the idea of enabling a person to meet some difficult situation with confidence and with gallantry. Entreaties (1162)(deesis from deomai - to want, lack, be without something) is aroused by a sense of need and thus refers to urgent requests or supplications to meet a need and is exclusively addressed to God. "Sensing our lack and God’s sufficiency, our impotence and God’s omnipotence, should move us to pray." (Cole) Deesis prayers arise from one's sense of need (which reflects a humble heart) and in knowing what is lacking. This individual's plea is in turn made to God to supply for the need. Deesis in the New Testament always carries the idea of genuine entreaty and supplication before God. Deesis is used of the God-Man Jesus when He "offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death and He was heard because of His piety." (Heb 5:7+). Prayers (4335) proseuche from pros = toward or immediately before + euchomai = to pray or vow) is the more general word for prayer and is used only of prayer to God. The prefix pros would convey the sense of being immediately before Him and hence the ideas of adoration, devotion, and worship. The basic idea is to bring something, and in prayer this pertains to bringing up prayer requests. In early Greek culture an offering was brought with a prayer that it be accepted. Later the idea was changed slightly, so that the thing brought to God was a prayer. In later Greek, prayers appealed to God for His presence. Petitions (1783)(enteuxis from entugchano = to meet, encounter, chance upon, by implication to confer with or meet with (hence to have conversation - used of Spirit Ro 8:27, Jesus stands between us and God! - Ro 8:34) and by extension to entreat) means petitions, especially supplications. Enteuxis "pictures someone who can go into the presence of the king and talk freely with him on your behalf." (Cole) "The verb form (entugchano) indicates freedom of access, confidence and holy intimacy in approach to God." (Vine) Only used 2x - 1Ti 2:1, 1Ti 4:5 (no uses in Lxx). BDAG says it is "a formal request put to a high official or official body." The root verb entugchano conveys an additional nuance meaning "to interpolate with familiarity and freedom of access, to interrupt another in speaking, to come to God with boldness." (Zodhiates) Gilbrant - Enteuxis was used as a noun in Plato and meant “meeting” or “encounter.” In Aristotle’s work Rhetoric and in 2 Maccabees 4:8 it means “interview.” In the papyri and inscriptions, as well as in early Christian writings, the word refers to “official petitions” and to general and specific kinds of prayers. The noun form does not occur in the canonical portions of the Septuagint. Josephus used it for the “claims” of Cleopatra (cf. Bauernfeind, “enteuxis,” Kittel, 8:244). Enteuxis occurs only twice in the New Testament (1 Timothy 2:1; 4:5). In 1 Timothy 2:1 Paul stacked up three synonyms for prayer without a connector between them and included “thanksgiving” with them. Bauernfeind believes it is best to see no significant distinction between these words for prayer (ibid.). The structure of the passage helps us to understand how this word is to be understood. Verses 1-7 speak of Paul’s exhortation for men to pray for rulers. Verse 8 recaps and provides a transition for the next section regarding the conduct of women. In this verse Paul used one of the three words for prayer in verse 1 and simply said that men are to pray in every place. 1Ti 4:5 says that enteuxis, along with the Word of God, sanctifies food. Food is to be received with thanksgiving by those who have faith and who know the truth. Furthermore, “thanksgiving” occurs here with enteuxis two times: verses 3 and 4. Enteuxis also is found alongside “thanksgiving” in 2:1. In 4:1ff., then, the prayer that sanctifies food is the prayer that is said over the meal when it is eaten. Enteuxis refers to this prayer of consecration and thanksgiving. (Complete Biblical Library) Thanksgivings (2169) eucharistia from eú = well, + charizomai = to grant, give freely; English = Eucharist as related to Lord's Supper) is the expression of thanks or gratitude for favor and mercy shown. Thankfulness from one conscious of benefit received. Thanksgiving expresses what ought never to be absent from any of our devotions. We should always be ready to express our grateful acknowledgement of past mercies as distinguished form the earnest seeking of future mercies. It is notable that one the chief traits of unregenerate men is the absence of gratitude to God. Made (4160) poieo primarily translated with the idea of to DO (to bring to pass, to carry out, to bring about, to accomplish), to MAKE (to construct or fashion something out of existing material) to PERFORM. DANNY AKIN - OUTLINE OF 1 Timothy 2:1-8 The Prayer Life Of A Man Of God I. Be Dedicated As A Warrior Of Prayer. 1 Ti 2:1-4 1. Pray For All In General. 1 Ti 2:1, 3-4 2. Pray For Authorities In Particular. 1 Ti 2:2 II. Be Devoted To The Mediator Of Prayer. 1 Ti 2:5-7 1. Jesus Is The Only Way To God. 1 Ti 2:5-6 2. Jesus Is The Unique Witness To God. 1 Ti 2:6-7 III. Be Disciplined As A Teacher Of Prayer. 1 Ti 2:7-8 1. Teach People To Pray With Honesty. 1 Ti 2:7 2. Teach People To Pray Without Hindrance. 1 Ti 2:8 3. Teach People To Pray In Holiness. 1 Ti 2:8 4. Teach People To Pray Without Hatred. 1 Ti 2:8 5. Teach People To Pray With Hope. 1 Ti 2:8 ILLUSTRATION OF ANEMIC PRAYER - John Stott writes "Some years ago I attended public worship in a certain church. The pastor was absent on holiday, and a lay elder led the pastoral prayer. He prayed that the pastor might enjoy a good vacation (which was fine), and that two lady members of the congregation might be healed (which was also fine; we should pray for the sick). But that was all. The intercession can hardly have lasted thirty seconds. I came away saddened, sensing that this church worshipped a little village god of their own devising. There was no recognition of the needs of the world, and no attempt to embrace the world in prayer." (See The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus) THOUGHT - In 38 years of walking with Jesus and being involved with prayer in multiple settings, the prayer that always seems to be the most common is prayer physical illness. Of course that is not wrong, but if you study Paul's prayers, you notice that he virtually never prays for physical needs, but almost always for spiritual needs. We are called to imitate Paul and that includes imitating him in prayer (1Cor 11:1+). It behooves us to study and pray the Pauline prayers for ourselves, our family, our church, our missionaries, our nation. See Col 1:9-14+, Eph 1:15-20+, Eph 3:14-20+, 1Th 5:23-25+, Phil 1:9-11+, 2Th 2:16-17+, 2Th 3:5+, 2Th 3:16+. You can never go wrong by praying God's Word back to Him. One prayer I frequently pray (and ask users of the website to pray) for all who visit preceptaustin.org is that each person might "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (I have just prayed that for you today) (2Pe 3:18+) When we pray Scripture, we can be assured we are praying in God's will and then we can have confidence He will answer, for John writes "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. ." (1Jn 5:14-15+) Joe Stowell - PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE —1 Timothy 2:1–2 Sometimes, to hear Christians talk, you’d think that it is the government’s responsibility to advance righteousness and to be the steward, upholder, promoter, and protector of biblical truth and values. Actually, as American Christians we have lived in an unusual season of history. We’ve had a government that, although led for the most part by people who were not authentically Christian, was built on the fundamental tenets of a biblical heritage. But that has now changed. In fact, it is helpful to remember that most Christians through the ages have lived under hostile, oppressive, pagan systems. Quite frankly, Christians have often done their best in those environments. God never assigned government the task of upholding scriptural truth. Scripture assigns government the responsibilities of safety, stability, peace, and justice (Romans 13:1–5; 1 Timothy 2:2). We give the wrong impression of the biblical mandate for government when we feel betrayed because it is no longer an advocate for truth and righteousness. The advancement and proclamation of godly values is assigned to our lives, our homes, and our churches. We don’t have the luxury of hoping that government will help us in the process. Early Christians, during times of ruthless political regimes, took the responsibility to uphold their faith under great cultural pressure. They, not their governments, were the light of the world. It was to these Christians that Paul delineated our responsibilities toward government. We are to honor those in authority over us, pray for them, and pay our taxes. Thankfully, Scripture doesn’t say that we have to vote for them; but since they are ultimately placed in authority by God, we are commanded to give them due respect (Romans 13:1–7). This biblical perspective recognizes God’s sovereign oversight, realigns our attitudes, and releases us to get on with the business of being the torchbearers that He intended us to be. Pray today for those in authority over you. Make it a habit—and write to them and let them know. J Oswald Sanders - Praying for Rulers 1 Timothy 2:2 I urge . . . that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Christians have civic and national as well as spiritual responsibilities, and, among other ways, we are to discharge these responsibilities in prayer. We should pray for those who hold civic office and national or international offices on all levels. Are we discharging our responsibilities in this area? Is it any wonder that the voice of the church is so muted and her influence so minimal in the affairs of the world when she neglects this primary and divinely ordained method of influencing national and world affairs? If prayer cannot influence the course of world events, Paul’s exhortation is pointless. Scripture teaches that the church and the Christian owe a duty to the state beyond mere payment of taxes and obedience to laws. It matters not whether rulers are good or bad; we are under obligation to pray for them as they exercise their offices. It is instructive to note that the ruler in Rome when Paul penned this letter to Timothy was the infamous Nero. Rulers may be persecutors or dictators, but Christians are not to stop praying for them. In general, the early Christians did not evade or ignore their divinely imposed civic and national responsibilities. One of the early Fathers, Tertullian, gives us a glimpse into their practice: “We pray for ourselves, for the state of the world, for the peace of all things, and for the postponement of the end.” Public officials have heavy burdens to bear, and they wield far-reaching influence. Their decisions affect the church, the city, and the nation. We must realize that the deeds of wicked people and corrupt officials can be held in check by our prayers. In the midst of toppling thrones, Daniel maintained his serenity because he knew there was a sovereign God in heaven to whom he could pray. For him, that canceled every adverse factor. He could defy the decree of the ruler of Babylon, for he knew that “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:17). (PP) ILLUSTRATION OF PRIORITY FOR A PASTOR - One thing that most pastors struggle with is the little word priority, which means that which is given special attention over other things. And so here in chapter 2 Paul begins his exhortation to pastor Timothy to make prayer a priority! Here is a quote from a little book by Richard DeHaan entitled Men sent from God - Arriving in the church office at 8 o'clock in the morning, [the pastor] had intended to spend at least two hours in preparation for his Sunday sermon, a noonday talk at a local service club, and five radio talks during the coming week. However, he was reminded by his secretary that he had agreed to write an article for the church bulletin, scheduled to go to press at noon. He was also obligated to make three phone calls, one of them to the Chairman of the Church Finance Committee. After finishing with these duties, only 30 minutes were left for the preparation of his messages, since at 10 o'clock he was to meet with the Program Committee of the Ministerial Association. Just as he began to study again he received word that the mother of the President of one of the Women's Societies in the church had passed away, and his presence was wanted at their home at once. This, of course, caused him to miss his meeting with the Ministerial; but he was able to attend the 12:30 luncheon of the Women's Auxiliary. Following this he spoke at a study class. At 2 p.m. he officiated at a wedding ceremony. At 3 o'clock he began his visiting in the city hospitals, and finished just in time to make the Men's Supper, where he gave the invocation. The supper lasted until 7:30 allowing the pastor to get away just in time to attend a meeting of the Every Member Canvas Committee. He was on hand simply to make suggestions and to boost the Committee morale. Having done that, his day of service was finally ended and he arrived home exhausted at 9:30 that evening. (Quoted by Pastor Chuck Swindoll - See Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus) Clearly the pastor described by DeHaan was standing in the need of prayer (play)! Prayer He who has charge of planets Is mindful still of me; Though I am weak and sinful, " He heeds my faintest plea. From scenes of radiant splendor He notes one crimson drop Of my heart's lonely bleeding; The choiring angels stop And gaze, all lost in wonder. As He, the undefiled, Stoops low in love to succour His sinful, suffering child. --Martha Snell Nicholson HOW ARE YOU KEEPING YOUR APPOINTMENTS WITH GOD? The president emeritus of World Vision International says, "God is as important as the Rotary Club. We must not treat our appointments with Him with less respect. Write your appointment with God on your calendar. Treat the relationship as you would the partner in a good marriage. Make yourself accountable to a small group of other Christians." Engstrom lists three strategies that have worked in his life. 1) "I deliberately place myself daily before God to allow Him to use me as He wills. 2) I isolate a known point of spiritual weakness and work with the help of the Holy Spirit to correct and strengthen this area of my life. 3) I ask God at a specific time daily to reveal His strategy and will for me that day." C. H. Spurgeon said years ago: You have no place in which to pour your troubles except into the ear of God. If you tell them to your friends, you but put your troubles out for a moment, and they will return again. Roll your burden onto the Lord, through prayer, and you have rolled it into a great deep out of which it will never by any possibility rise. Cast your trouble where you cast your sins; you have cast your sins into the depths of the sea, there cast your troubles also. Never keep a trouble half an hour before you tell it to God in prayer. As soon as the trouble comes, quick, the first thing, tell it to your Father in prayer. William Carey, the great missionary, said: Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God. Pray in accordance with the promise of God. Claim the promises by faith. The Kneeling Christian by an unknown Christian (borrow) Do we realize that there is nothing the devil dreads so much as prayer? His great concern is to keep us from praying. He loves to see us "up to our eyes" in work-- provided we do not pray. He does not fear because we are eager and earnest Bible students--provided we are little in prayer. Someone has wisely said, "Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." All this is so familiar to us--but do we really pray? If not, then failure must dog our footsteps, whatever signs of apparent success there may be. Let's Live - Christ in Everyday Life by C. C. Mitchell (borrow) Yes, Christian, God is still in the prayer answering business. Quietly, irresistibly, unassumingly God answers prayer. Often it is answered in such seemingly natural fashion that you do not realize that an actual prayer miracle is taking place. Paul said, "Be instant in prayer," James said, "You have not because you ask not." Jesus said, "If you ask . . . I will do." Now people, it either works or it doesn't. The Bible is either telling the truth or it isn't. I challenge you to put God's Word to a simple test and find out for yourself. When a problem arises, when something needs to be done, pray! Instead of doing, ask! Instead of organizing a committee, agonize! I am persuaded that if we had more agonizing and less organizing among the saints, more would be accomplished for God's glory. I know that the human thing to do as situations arise is act, but God says ask, and He will act. I know it doesn't make sense humanly speaking, but God has a way of making good sense out of nonsense. Try it! I'm positive that you will be amazed and pleased. Prayer is where the action is!
1 Timóteo 2
Cole - GOD’S PLAN INVOLVES THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL SO THAT ALL MAY BE SAVED. That, I take it, is Paul’s train of thought between 1 Ti 2:2 and 1Ti 2:3-4. We should pray that those in authority would govern so that we might enjoy a tranquil and quiet life. But the purpose for such a life is not that we might be comfortable and happy, but so that we can grow in “godliness and dignity” with a view toward the maximum spread of the gospel. Both words, “godliness and dignity,” point to the outward manifestation of Christian virtues. Paul is concerned here with the testimony of God’s people. Under persecution, some professing Christians cave in. In times of peace, there is more opportunity for their good deeds to be seen. So the idea is that we should pray for political peace so that we can live in observable godliness so that lost people will be saved. ILLUSTRATION OF POWER OF PRAYER - In fact, prayer brought down the Berlin Wall. In May 1989 at Leipzig, in the historic Nicolai Kirche (St. Nicholas Church) where the Reformation had been introduced exactly 450 years earlier, a small group began to meet in one of the church’s rooms to read the Sermon on the Mount and pray for peace. The group expanded and moved to a larger room and finally began to meet in the church’s nave, which began to fill up. Alarmed, the Communist authorities sent officials to attend. They threatened the gatherers and temporarily jailed some. On prayer nights they blocked the city’s nearest Autobahn off-ramp. Then on October 9, 1989, some 2,000 individuals crowded in to pray for peace, and another 10,000 gathered outside. And soon the Berlin Wall came down. Coincidence? No. This was the kind response of a caring, all-powerful God to the prayers of his people. Think what would happen to the witness and power of the church if a great mass of Christians began to pray for everyone with unified passion and focus! Mighty walls of unbelief would fall, and personal witness would penetrate strongholds with incredible power. Lifesaving stations would rescue the perishing. (See R Kent
1 Timóteo 2
Cole - I can’t answer the theological conundrum, “If God desires that all be saved, why doesn’t He save all?” The Bible is clear that God has sovereignly foreordained some to eternal life, while passing by others. Scripture often sets together in the same context the seeming contradiction that God is sovereign and yet men are responsible to repent and believe (Rom. 9:15-18; 10:13). Jesus, who was going up to Jerusalem to die for our sins according to the predetermined plan of God (Acts 2:23; Luke 13:33), lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!” (Luke 13:34; see Luke 10:22 for contrast). In our text, Paul’s concern was to counter the Jew who said that God wishes to destroy sinners and the spiritually proud who said that salvation is only for the elite, by saying, “No! God desires to save all men.” I once heard a man who has a deep burden for the lost tell of how he was praying for the conversion of his neighbor, a man named Ray. Every morning this man would pray fervently for Ray’s salvation. On many mornings, he said he would have to wipe the tears from the pages of his Bible as he pled with God for Ray to come to Christ. Then one morning he got the frightening thought, “What if Ray isn’t one of the elect?” So he said he prayed, “Lord, if Ray isn’t on the list, then You put him there! Make up a new list, if you have to, but bring Ray to know You!” Eventually, Ray did trust in the Savior. Maybe his theology wasn’t precisely correct. But don’t get hung up on the theology and miss the obvious application of verse 4: Is my heart in tune with God’s heart? Do I desire the salvation of all people? Does my prayer life for the people I know who are without Christ reflect God’s pleasure to save all people? Donald Guthrie points out that "The statement who wants all men to be saved became a centre of controversy between the Calvinists and the Arminians of the seventeenth century, owing to the implied universalism of the words.....These words fairly represent the magnanimity of the divine benevolence. The words all men must be linked with the ‘all’ of verse 1. Intercession for all men could be justified only on the ground of God’s willingness to save all (cf. Jeremias).....The phrase knowledge of the truth is reminiscent of John and is not found in Paul outside the Pastorals. It should be understood as the whole revelation of God in Christ, to know which must be the climax of Christian salvation." (BORROW The Pastoral Epistles) Related Resources: Why do I need to be saved? | GotQuestions.org How can I be saved? | GotQuestions.org What does it mean that we are saved and being saved at the same time? | GotQuestions.org See Three Tenses of Salvation Does it matter if I can’t remember precisely when I was saved? | GotQuestions.org Desires (2309) thelo refers to exercising of one's will with the underlying sense of to be willing, to desire, to want or to wish. W E Vine says thelo "chiefly indicates the impulse of the will rather than the tendency (boulomai). The different shades of meaning must be determined by the teaching of the Scriptures generally or by the context." Saved (healed, made well or whole) (4982) sozo has the basic meaning of rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect, keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole. Sozo is sometimes used of physical deliverance from danger of perishing (see Mt 8:25; Mt 14:30; Lk 23:35; Acts 27:20, 27:31), physical healing from sickness (Mt 9:21, 22; Mk 5:23, Acts 4:9), and deliverance from demonic possession (Lk 8:36). More often sozo refers to salvation in a spiritual sense to rescue or preserve from eternal death, from judgment, sin, bring salvation, bring to salvation (active sense = Mt 18:11; Lk 7:50; Jn 12:47; Ro 11:14; 1 Cor 1:21; 7:16; Titus 3:5; Hb 7:25; Jas 4:12; 5:20; 1 Pet 3:21 or passive sense = be rescued or saved, attain salvation = Mt 24:13; Mk 10:26; Lk 13:23; 18:26; Jn 3:17; Jn 5:34; Acts 11:14; 15:1, 11; Ro 8:24; 11:26; 1 Cor. 3:15; 5:5; Eph 2:5, 8; 1 Ti 2:4). Jesus' very Name speaks of His primary purpose to save men from their sin - "She (Mary) will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save (sozo) His people from their sins." (Mt 1:21+) In Mt 1:21 sozo is equated with deliverance from sins (guilt and power of) with Jesus' Name being a transliteration of Joshua meaning "Jehovah is salvation". Sozo - 101v - bring...safely(1), cured(1), ensure salvation(1), get(1), get well(2), made...well(6), made well(5), preserved(1), recover(1), restore(1), save(36), saved(50), saves(1), saving(1). Matt. 1:21; Matt. 8:25; Matt. 9:21; Matt. 9:22; Matt. 10:22; Matt. 14:30; Matt. 16:25; Matt. 18:11; Matt. 19:25; Matt. 24:13; Matt. 24:22; Matt. 27:40; Matt. 27:42; Matt. 27:49; Mk. 3:4; Mk. 5:23; Mk. 5:28; Mk. 5:34; Mk. 6:56; Mk. 8:35; Mk. 10:26; Mk. 10:52; Mk. 13:13; Mk. 13:20; Mk. 15:30; Mk. 15:31; Mk. 16:16; Lk. 6:9; Lk. 7:50; Lk. 8:12; Lk. 8:36; Lk. 8:48; Lk. 8:50; Lk. 9:24; Lk. 9:56; Lk. 13:23; Lk. 17:19; Lk. 18:26; Lk. 18:42; Lk. 19:10; Lk. 23:35; Lk. 23:37; Lk. 23:39; Jn. 3:17; Jn. 5:34; Jn. 10:9; Jn. 11:12; Jn. 12:27; Jn. 12:47; Acts 2:21; Acts 2:40; Acts 2:47; Acts 4:9; Acts 4:12; Acts 11:14; Acts 14:9; Acts 15:1; Acts 15:11; Acts 16:30; Acts 16:31; Acts 27:20; Acts 27:31; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 5:10; Rom. 8:24; Rom. 9:27; Rom. 10:9; Rom. 10:13; Rom. 11:14; Rom. 11:26; 1 Co. 1:18; 1 Co. 1:21; 1 Co. 3:15; 1 Co. 5:5; 1 Co. 7:16; 1 Co. 9:22; 1 Co. 10:33; 1 Co. 15:2; 2 Co. 2:15; Eph. 2:5; Eph. 2:8; 1 Thess. 2:16; 2 Thess. 2:10; 1 Tim. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:4; 1 Tim. 2:15; 1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Tim. 4:18; Tit. 3:5; Heb. 5:7; Heb. 7:25; Jas. 1:21; Jas. 2:14; Jas. 4:12; Jas. 5:15; Jas. 5:20; 1 Pet. 3:21; 1 Pet. 4:18; Jude 1:5; Jude 1:23 Knowledge (1922) epignosis from verb epiginosko from epí = upon + ginosko = to know) is a strengthened or intensified form of "gnosis" and conveys the thought of a knowledge which is fuller, larger and more thorough. It also conveys the idea of a more intimate and personal relationship than the simple term gnosis.Vine says the verb form epiginosko suggests generally a directive, a more special, recognition of the object known than ginosko. Epígnosis refers to exact, complete, thorough, accurate, experiential knowledge, not just abstract, intellectual, head knowledge of God or even facts about Him. This is especially relevant to genuine salvation which calls for "experiential knowledge" not just "intellectual knowledge!" Epignosis, is repeated four times in the Pastoral Epistles (1Ti 2:4, 2Ti 2:25, 3:7; Titus 1:1), and is contrasted with the false knowledge or so called "knowledge" of the heretical teachers (1Ti 6:20; Titus 1:16) Epignosis - 20v - Rom. 1:28; Rom. 3:20; Rom. 10:2; Eph. 1:17; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 1:9; Col. 1:9; Col. 1:10; Col. 2:2; Col. 3:10; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25; 2 Tim. 3:7; Titus 1:1; Philemon 1:6; Heb. 10:26; 2 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:8; 2 Pet. 2:20 Truth (225)(aletheia from a = indicates following word has the opposite meaning ~ without + lanthano = to be hidden or concealed, to escape notice, cp our English "latent" from Latin = to lie hidden) has the literal sense of that which contains nothing hidden. Aletheia is that which is not concealed and thus that which conforms to fact or reality. Aletheia is that which that is seen or expressed as it really is. Truth then is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which professes to set forth or describe the reality. To say it another way, words spoken or written are true when they correspond with objective reality. Persons and things are true when they correspond with their profession (which we describe with words like integrity, sincerity, non-hypocritical, etc). In other words, "what you see is what you get". Hence a truth is a declaration which has corresponding reality, or a reality which is correctly set forth. Since God is Himself the great reality, that which correctly sets forth His nature is pre-eminently the Truth of Creation (Natural Revelation) and the Truth of Scripture (Special Revelation). Thus it is not surprising that rebellious, sinful men actively hold down or suppress the Truth of Creation (and the glorious Creator) (Ro 1:18+) and even exchange the truth, the clearly manifested (and objective) reality (Creation) for the lie (Ro 1:25+). Aletheia in Pastoral Epistles - 1 Tim. 2:4; 1 Tim. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Tim. 4:3; 1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Tim. 2:18; 2 Tim. 2:25; 2 Tim. 3:7; 2 Tim. 3:8; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:1; Titus 1:14 ILLUSTRATION - One day Hudson Taylor was traveling on a Chinese junk from Shanghai to Ningpo. He had been witnessing to a man called Peter who was resisting the message, but was under deep conviction. In the course of events, Peter fell overboard. Taylor panicked when he saw that no one made any effort to save the man. Instinctively, he sprang to the mast, let down the sail, and jumped overboard in hopes of finding his friend. A fishing boat was close by, so Taylor tried to solicit their help. But they wouldn’t stop their fishing to look for this drowning man unless Taylor agreed to pay them. Not only that, but to Taylor’s consternation, they wanted to barter for every penny he had. Finally, after he agreed to pay them a sizeable sum, they agreed to help. In less than a minute after dragging with the fishing net, they found Peter. But it was too late; Peter was dead. They had been too busy fishing to worry about a drowning man. What a tragic story! How callused and self-centered those Chinese fishermen must have been to realize that a man was drowning nearby and yet to be more concerned about their own financial gain than about saving his life. But before I condemn those fishermen, I need to take the log out of my own eye. How concerned am I with people around me who are perishing without Jesus Christ? Do I care more about my own comfort and financial gain than I do about people dying without the Savior? Do I go on about my business day after day, week after week, without any burden for those who need to know Christ as Savior? (Steven Cole - The Priority of Prayer) 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, BGT εἷς γὰρ θεός, εἷς καὶ μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς,
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Cole - GOD’S PLAN DESIGNATES MEN AS TAKING THE LEADERSHIP IN PRAYER. God wants “men” (the Greek word in 2:8 means “males,” men in contrast to women) to take the leadership in the prayer life of the church. In 1 Corinthians 11:13 Paul indicates that women may pray in public as long as they are obviously in submission to men (“heads covered”). But both there and here he makes it plain that men are to take the leadership in the church, including this matter of prayer. The same applies to the home: Men, you need to take the initiative in prayer! Lifting up holy (hósios) hands, without wrath (orge) and dissension (dialogismos) - Holy hands implies a holy man and as "Steven Cole says "This refers to practical holiness, being separate from sin and evil behavior. It does not mean being separate from sinners, because the Lord Jesus was the friend of sinners. But the devout man does not carouse with sinners in their sin. Rather, he seeks to lead them to repentance. The devout man takes God and the Word of God seriously. He doesn’t take the things of God as a joke. He lives in obedience to God’s Word." Holy hands are further descriptively defined as hands that are not hypocritical, that can be lifted up without any taint of wrath or dissension. Wrath is discussed below. In regard to dissension, we must remember that this is "cardiac condition" for Jesus declared "out of the heart of men (anthropos) proceed the evil (kakos) thoughts (dialogismos)." (Mt 7:21+). THOUGHT - Given the fact that holy hands call for a holy heart, all men who seek to be holy men should pray David's searching request "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." (Ps 139:23-24) Amen! Note the three criteria for effective prayer - (1) Holy Hands. This must not be taken literally, of course. The meaning behind this phrase is “holy living.” “A conscience without offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16). (2) The Absence of Wrath. Having a forgiving spirit, loving one another. (3) The Absence of Doubting. Having no unbelief. Strong in faith. “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7). Remind me, O Lord, to come to Your throne with a clean heart, a forgiving spirit, and a strong faith. Amen. (from According to Your Word - Stephen Olford) Adam Clarke on wrath and dissension - Having no vindictive feeling against any person; harboring no unforgiving spirit, while they are imploring pardon for their own offences.”
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Cole - The proper attitude of Christian women: not assertive, but submissive to male church leadership (1Ti 2:11-15). Keep in mind here that I’m just your friendly reporter. I didn’t make up the script; I just report and explain it. Like it or not, the Bible is not politically correct, in tune with our modern sensibilities. Also, there are many truths in the Bible that are seemingly contradictory or paradoxical. You have to hold both sides in tension, not going off the deep end either way. As we saw last week, God is sovereign in saving whom He chooses, but He commands us to pray for the salvation of all. When it comes to the roles of men and women, the Bible is clear that both male and female reflect the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Men are not superior over women nor women over men. In Christ, men and women are equal (Gal. 3:28), but at the same time, they are to fulfill different roles. Often in Scripture, the male/female relationship is a picture of the divine/human relationship. Thus in Eph. 5:21-25, after instructing all Christians to be subject to one another in the fear of Christ, Paul stipulates that in marriage, wives must be subject to their husbands because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also is the head of the church. And husbands must love their wives just as Christ sacrificially loved the church. In this way we reflect the image of God, in which the Son is equal to the Father and yet voluntarily submits to Him; and the Father loves the Son. We also reflect the relationship of Christ to His church, in which He accepts us as His brothers and sisters, and yet we submit to Him. Paul teaches (both in our text and in 1 Cor. 11:3-16 that there is also to be a gender-based hierarchy in the context of equality in the local church. While it would be wrong to emphasize the hierarchy and neglect equality, it is equally wrong to emphasize equality and throw out any form of hierarchy. While “evangelical feminists” try to explain the hierarchy as a cultural thing (thus not binding for today), every time Paul mentions the subject, he appeals to the Old Testament, not to some cultural factor, for support. So it is a serious error, in my judgment, to take a verse like Galatians 3:28 (“neither male nor female” in Christ) and make it the governing verse by radically reinterpreting the plain sense of other texts, such as 1 Timothy 2:11-15. We need to affirm both aspects of the truth. In our text, Paul spells out the realm (1Ti 2:11-12); the reasons (1Ti 2:13-14); and the reward for submission (1Ti 2:15). A. The realm of submission involves activities where a woman would exercise authority over a man (1Ti 2:11-12). Paul is speaking here about the church, not the home (al-though, as mentioned, women are to be subject to their husbands in the home). It is significant that Paul directs the women to learn. In the Jewish culture, they were not able to go to school to learn the Torah. But Paul wants women to learn as long as their attitude is marked by two qualities: “quietness” and “submissiveness.” The word translated “quietly” doesn’t mean absolute silence, but rather to have inner tranquility or peace (see 1Ti 2:2). Women are not to be agitated, assertive rebel-rousers in the church. “Submissiveness” is a military word, meaning under in rank. A lieutenant and a sergeant are equal in personhood, but different in rank. Even so, women are to put themselves in rank under men in church leadership. Paul adds the words, “in entire” (submissiveness) to show that it is more than mere outward obedience; the attitude of respect is included. The implied object of their submission is church leaders (elders) who teach sound doctrine. The word translated “exercise authority” is used only here in the New Testament and has the nuance of usurping authority or being domineering. Apparently some of the Ephesian women had taken a seminar on assertiveness training and were applying it by teaching even the men in the worship assembly. Paul is prohibiting this since, as he shows (1Ti 2:13-14), it violates God’s pattern of authority and submission as pictured in creation and the fall. QUESTION - Do women have to remain silent in church? WATCH VIDEO ANSWER - First Corinthians 14:33–35 states, “As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church” (ESV). In 1 Timothy 2:11–12, there is a similar instruction: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. . . . She must be quiet.” At first glance, these passages seem to issue a universal command that women are never allowed to speak in the church, for any reason. In both cases, a closer examination of the context is necessary. The whole of 1 Timothy 2:11–14, quoted only partially above, is this: “A woman a should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” Note that Paul specifies the subjects of teaching and assuming authority. A woman is to “be quiet” in that she does not teach men in the church, and she shows her submission to authority by learning. In other words, this is not an absolute command for women to remain silent at all times in all services. There are also some contextual considerations in the 1 Corinthians 14 passage. Earlier in the same epistle, Paul mentions situations where women are allowed to pray and prophesy in public: “But every woman who prays or prophesies…” (1 Corinthians 11:5). Commentators suggest various ways of reconciling 1 Corinthians 11 (women pray and prophesy) with 1 Corinthians 14 (women are silent): • Chapter 11 gives the rule for a smaller group of believers; chapter 14 gives the rule for the entire assembly. • Chapter 11 focuses on dress (head coverings) as a symbol of submission without regard to the propriety of a woman praying or prophesying—the subject of prophesying being addressed later, in chapter 14. • Chapter 11 acknowledges that, in the Corinthian church, women prayed and prophesied, but Paul reserves his condemnation of women prophesying for chapter 14. Taking a closer look at 1 Corinthians 14, we see the overall concern is orderly assemblies. The church of Corinth was noted for the disorder rampant in that assembly (verse 33). It seems that everyone in the church service was participating whenever and however they desired. Those with the gift of tongues were speaking simultaneously, and no one was concerned with interpreting what was being said. Those with a supposed revelation from God were shouting out randomly, even if what was said could not be heard above the din, and apparently no one was evaluating what was being offered as prophecy. The meetings in Corinth were characterized by chaos, and no one was being edified or instructed (see verses 5, 12, and 19). To remedy this, Paul instructs a number of groups to “be quiet” at certain times and under certain conditions: • Verses 27–28a, Those who would speak in a tongue must “keep silent” if someone else is speaking or if there is no one to interpret what is said. • Verses 29–31a, A prophet must “be silent” if someone else has the floor. • Verses 34–35, Women should “keep silent” to show proper submission. 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 appears in a very specific context. Most of 1 Corinthians chapter 14 is a discussion of tongues and prophesy. The immediate context of verses 33-35 is the evaluation of tongues and prophesy. Women are to be silent in that context. In 1 Timothy 2:11-12, women are prohibited from teaching and exercising authority over men. In 1 Corinthians 14:33-35, women are prohibited from participating in the authoritative evaluation of any revelation given in tongues or prophecy. Doing so would involve exercising authority over men. There are many roles women can fill in the church. The only roles women cannot fill in the church are ones that involve teaching or exercising authority over men. The evaluation of new revelation given through the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy would involve exercising authority over men. Therefore, when tongues and prophecy are being evaluated, women are to remain silent. Interpreted in its context, 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 is not a command for women to be silent at all times in the church. Rather, it is a command, in agreement with 1 Timothy 2:11-12, that women are not to exercise authority over men in the church. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What roles can women fill in ministry? ANSWER - Women in ministry is an issue upon which Bible-believing Christians can and do disagree. The point of separation centers on the passages of Scripture that forbid women to speak in church or "assume authority over a man" (1 Timothy 2:12; cf. 1 Corinthians 14:34). The disagreement is whether or not those passages were relevant only to the era in which they were penned. Some contend that, since there is neither “Jew nor Greek . . . male nor female . . . but you are all one in Christ” (Galatians 3:28), women are free to pursue any field of ministry open to men. Others hold that 1 Timothy 2:12 still applies today, since the basis for the command is not cultural but universal, being rooted in the order of creation (1 Timothy 2:13-14). 1 Peter 5:1-4 details the qualifications for an elder. Presbuteros is the Greek word used sixty-six times in the New Testament to indicate “seasoned male overseer.” It is the masculine form of the word. The feminine form, presbutera, is never used in reference to elders or shepherds. Based on the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, the role of an elder is interchangeable with the bishop/pastor/overseer (Titus 1:6-9; 1 Peter 5:1-3). And since, according to 1 Timothy 2:12, a woman should not “teach or exercise authority over a man,” it seems clear that the position of elders and pastors—who must be equipped to teach, lead the congregation, and oversee their spiritual growth (1 Timothy 3:2)—should be reserved for men only. However, elder/bishop/pastor appears to be the only office reserved for men. Women have always played a significant role in the growth of the church, even being among the few who witnessed the crucifixion of Christ when most of the disciples had run away (Matthew 27:55; John 19:25). The apostle Paul held women in high regard, and in many of his letters to the churches he greeted specific women by name (Romans 16:6, 12; Colossians 4:15; Philippians 4:2-3; Philemon 1:2). Paul addresses these women as "co-workers," and they clearly served the Lord to the benefit of the whole church (Philippians 4:3; Colossians 4:15). Offices were created in the early church to fit the needs of the body. Although many modern churches interchange the positions of elder and deacon, they were not the same office. Deacons were appointed to serve in a physical capacity as the need arose (Acts 6:2-3). There is no clear prohibition against women serving in this way. In fact, Romans 16:1 may indicate that a woman named Phoebe was a respected deaconess in the church at Cenchrea. There is no scriptural precedent that forbids women from also serving as worship leaders, youth ministers, or children’s directors. The only restriction is that they do not assume a role of spiritual authority over adult men. Since the concern in Scripture appears to be the issue of spiritual authority rather than function, any role that does not bestow such spiritual authority over adult men is permissible. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Does a wife have to submit to her husband? ANSWER - Submission is an important issue in relation to marriage. Here is the plain biblical command: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:22–24). Even before sin entered the world, there was still the principle of the headship of the husband (1 Timothy 2:13). Adam was created first, and Eve was created to be a "helper" for Adam (Genesis 2:18–20). God has established several types of authority in the world: governments to enforce justice in society and provide protection; pastors to lead and feed the sheep of God; husbands to love and nurture their wives; and fathers to admonish their children. In each case, submission is required: citizen to government, flock to shepherd, wife to husband, child to father. The Greek word translated “submit,” hupotasso, is the continuing form of the verb. This means that submitting to God, the government, a pastor, or a husband is not a one-time act. It is a continual attitude, which becomes a pattern of behavior. First, of course, we are responsible to submit to God, which is the only way we can truly obey Him (James 1:21; 4:7). And each Christian should live in humble, ready submission to others (Ephesians 5:21). In regards to submission within the family unit, 1 Corinthians 11:2–3, says that the husband is to submit to Christ (as Christ did to God the Father) and the wife is to submit to her husband. There is much misunderstanding in our world today about the roles of husband and wife within a marriage. Even when the biblical roles are properly understood, many choose to reject them in favor of a supposed “emancipation” of women, with the result that the family unit is torn apart. It’s no surprise that the world rejects God’s design, but God’s people should be joyfully celebrating that design. Submit is not a bad word. Submission is not a reflection of inferiority or lesser worth. Christ constantly submitted Himself to the will of the Father (Luke 22:42; John 5:30), without giving up an iota of His worth. To counter the world’s misinformation concerning a wife’s submission to her husband, we should carefully note the following in Ephesians 5:22–24:1) A wife is to submit to one man (her husband), not to every man. The rule to submit does not extend to a woman’s place in society at large. 2) A wife is to willingly submit to her husband in personal obedience to the Lord Jesus. She submits to her husband because she loves Jesus. 3) The example of a wife’s submission is that of the church to Christ. 4) There is nothing said of the wife’s abilities, talents, or worth; the fact that she submits to her own husband does not imply that she is inferior or less worthy in any way. Also notice that there are no qualifiers to the command to submit, except “in everything.” So, the husband does not have to pass an aptitude test or an intelligence test before his wife submits. It may be a fact that she is better qualified than he to lead in many ways, but she chooses to follow the Lord’s instruction by submitting to her husband’s leadership. In so doing, a godly wife can even win her unbelieving husband to the Lord “without words” simply by her holy behavior (1 Peter 3:1). Submission should be a natural response to loving leadership. When a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25—33), then submission is a natural response from a wife to her husband. But, regardless of the husband’s love or lack thereof, the wife is commanded to submit “as to the Lord” (verse 22). This means that her obedience to God—her acceptance of His plan—will result in her submission to her husband. The “as to the Lord” comparison also reminds the wife that there is a higher authority to whom she is responsible. Thus, she is under no obligation to disobey civil law or God’s law in the name of “submission” to her husband. She submits in things that are right and lawful and God-honoring. Of course, she does not “submit” to abuse—that is not right or lawful or God-honoring. To try to use the principle of “submission” to justify abuse is to twist Scripture and promote evil. The submission of the wife to the husband in Ephesians 5 does not allow the husband to be selfish or domineering. His command is to love (verse 25), and he is responsible before God to fulfill that command. The husband must exercise his authority wisely, graciously, and in the fear of the God to whom he must give an account. When a wife is loved by her husband as the church is loved by Christ, submission is not difficult. Ephesians 5:24 says, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” In a marriage, submission is a position of giving honor and respect to the husband (see Ephesians 5:33) and completing what he is lacking in. It is God’s wise plan for how the family should function. Commentator Matthew
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Cole comments "I realize that Paul opens a host of questions which he leaves unanswered. Can women teach men in a home Bible study (re-member, the early church met in homes)? What about Sunday School classes? What about the role of women in “para-church” ministries? Can they be in leadership positions over men? What about a woman teaching as long as she is in submission to male elders? What about a woman teaching through writing books or teaching a man individually (as Priscilla and Aquila did with Apollos [Acts 18:26])? What about all the noteworthy exceptions in Scripture (Deborah, Huldah, Junia, etc.)? What about the many godly and effective women missionaries down through church history? I can’t begin to answer all those questions! But I can give several principles that apply to the church. First, the office of elder is limited to men (1Ti 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9 assume male elders, and in every N.T. instance elders are men; also, Jesus chose men as apostles with authority over the church). This means that the office of teaching elder (1 Tim. 5:17) is restricted to men. The Greek word for “teach” is used almost 100 times in the New Testament, and in only three instances does it refer to teaching individuals (Roy Zuck, cited by Ann L. Bowman, “Monograph” from the International School of Theology, “Ann Bowman's article - Women in Ministry: An Exegetical Study of 1 Timothy 2:11–15 p. 4, footnote 21). So Paul probably had in mind situations where women taught the entire church. Is Paul giving one prohibition (a woman should not teach men in a domineering way) or two (a woman should not teach men nor should she do anything else to exercise authority over men)? The Greek grammar indicates that Paul intends two distinct and yet closely related commands (Bowman, p. 5, footnote 31): A woman should not teach men, nor should she do anything else to exercise authority over men. So does Paul mean that a godly woman can never teach men? Then how do we explain God’s manifest blessing on women missionaries who have evangelized, planted the church, and taught whole cultures of men and women? We need to be careful not to put God in our doctrinal boxes. He is notorious for doing as He pleases. The many noteworthy exceptional women in Scripture tell us to be careful here. But the exceptions as well as the plain teaching of passages such as our text show us that the exceptions are just that. The norm should be men in leadership and teaching positions in the church. If God raises up a gifted woman, we ought to recognize her ministry. But even so, she will have an attitude of submission to male leadership. And, she will focus on teaching women. I think Elisabeth Elliot is a modern example of such a gifted woman. (Conduct of Women in the Church) Allow (give permission)(2010) epitrepo from epi = upon + trepo = to turn) means to turn to, entrust, hence to permit. In Mark 5:13, John 19:38, and Acts 21:39 it carries the sense of release from restraint in order to have freedom of choice. For example, in Mark 5:13 Legion gained freedom from being sent away, and instead was permitted to enter a herd of swine (see Mark 5:8-13). Gilbrant - Epitrepō differs from aphiemi which is occasionally translated “allow” or “permit” in that aphiēmi lacks the sense of release from restraint. For example, in Matthew 7:4, “Allow me to remove the speck . . . ,” aphiēmi suggests a request that would meet no resistance. Epitrepō, on the other hand, carries the sense of release from a restraining activity to freedom or permission to engage in a preferred activity. Paul’s request in Acts 21:39 to preach the gospel in the face of a restraining order best illustrates this nuance In classical Greek epitrepō means “to allow or grant permission.” In the Septuagint (Genesis 39:6) Joseph is said to have certain responsibilities “entrusted” or “committed” to his care (see also Job 32:14). The Septuagint adds the meaning of “commission with duty or responsibility.” It is related to the primary meaning in that one is “permitted” to assume certain responsibilities. (Complete Biblical Library) Teach (1321) didasko from dáo= know or teach; English = didactic; see study of related noun didaskalia and the adjective didaktikos) means to provide instruction or information in a formal or informal setting. In the 97 NT uses of didasko the meaning is virtually always to teach or instruct, although the purpose and content of the teaching must be determined from the context. Didasko means to teach a student in such a way that the will of the student becomes conformed to the teaching taught. So the teacher teaches in such a way that as the student is taught, he/she now changes his/her mind saying in essence ''I won't do it this way, but I will do it this way because I've learned this doctrine or this teaching.'' Doctrine determines direction of our behavior--conformed to world or to God? (cf Ro 12:1+) Teaching that Scripture finds significant is not that which gives information alone but which produces (Spirit enabled) transformation (2 Cor 3:18+), making disciples (learners) who seek to live supernaturally (enabled by the Spirit - Eph 5:18+) in loving obedience to the will of our Father Who art in Heaven. Authority (831)(authenteo from autos = self + entuo or entuno = prepare or equip) is one who acts on his own authority and comes to mean to have control mean have total authority, to domineer or to lord it over. To act on one’s own authority, to exercise authority, to have mastery, to be an autocrat, to be dominating Gilbrant - The self factor in the meaning is very strong, being enforced not only in autos but also by the nature of the verb entuno. Writers of classical Greek used authenteō to describe murders plotted against one’s own (self) family members for one’s own (self) benefit.
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Cole - The reasons for submission are the order of creation and the order of the fall (1Ti 2:13-14). It is compelling that every time Paul cites reasons for gender-based distinctions in the church, he goes to the Old Testament. This means that we can’t dismiss this as a cultural matter that doesn’t apply to our day. God could have created Adam and Eve simultaneously, but He did not. He first created Adam and later created Eve to be a helper for Adam, not vice versa. Paul explains (1Co 11:9+): “For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.” Thus while being equal with Adam as an image-bearer of God, Eve was yet to be subject to Adam so that their relationship reflected the image of God and His relationship to His creation. So Paul is saying (1Ti 2:13) that the order in creation should be reflected in the church. (Conduct of Women in the Church) Related Resources: Who was Eve in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Why weren’t Adam and Eve created at the same time (Genesis 2)? | GotQuestions.org Is the Adam and Eve story to be understood literally? | GotQuestions.org If God knew that Adam and Eve would sin, why did He create them? | GotQuestions.org Created (4111)(plasso) means to form, to mold, as what an artisan does, God of course being the Supreme Artist in making Eve (1Ti 2:13)! To form a soft substance as a potter does clay (Ro 9:20, the only other NT use). Plasma is a derivative of plasso and means something molded. In the Septuagint plasso is used of God's creative ability in Ge 2:7, 8, 15, 19+. BDAG adds this nuance - to direct personal character or cultural formation. In Liddell-Scott used figuratively to mold and form by education and/or training; having formed himself in face, i.e. composed his countenance, metaph. to make up, fabricate, forge, Gilbrant - In classical Greek the verb plassō is used of the creative activity of gods and especially of men. It includes both material products (e.g., an idol) and ideas. When used in connection with divine creation, it is dualistic: a chief god makes souls, but lesser gods shape (plassō) bodies. The Septuagint and the New Testament lack this dualism. In the former, plassō is used frequently for the sovereign creative activity of Yahweh. Most familiar is Genesis 2:7: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.” Note also, for example, Isaiah 43:1: “ . . . the Lord . . . he who created (poieō [4020]) you, O Jacob, he who formed (plassō) you, O Israel” (NIV). Plassō is used twice in the New Testament. In Romans 9:20 Paul quoted Isaiah 29:16: “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ” (NIV). The common potter/clay imagery in these passages emphasizes divine sovereignty (as in Isaiah 45:8-10; Jeremiah 18:6). This verb is also used in 1 Timothy 2:13 where woman is urged to be submissive to man because Eve was “formed” after Adam. Note that she was not inferior flesh. Both were “formed”; both were God’s work. Submission is based on order. (Complete Biblical Library) Plasso in the Septuagint - Gen. 2:7; Gen. 2:8; Gen. 2:15; Gen. 2:19; Exod. 32:4; 1 Ki. 12:33; 2 Ki. 19:25; Job 10:8; Job 10:9; Job 34:15; Job 38:14; Ps. 33:15; Ps. 74:17; Ps. 90:2; Ps. 94:9; Ps. 94:20; Ps. 95:5; Ps. 104:26; Ps. 119:73; Ps. 139:4; Ps. 139:16; Prov. 24:12; Isa. 27:11; Isa. 29:16; Isa. 43:1; Isa. 43:7; Isa. 44:2; Isa. 44:9; Isa. 44:10; Isa. 44:21; Isa. 44:24; Isa. 49:5; Isa. 53:11; Jer. 1:5; Jer. 10:16; Jer. 18:11; Jer. 19:1; Jer. 33:2; Jer. 51:19; Hab. 1:12; Hab. 2:18; Zech. 12:1; 1 Timothy 2:14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. BGT 1 Timothy 2:14 καὶ Ἀδὰμ οὐκ ἠπατήθη, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἐξαπατηθεῖσα ἐν παραβάσει γέγονεν· KJV 1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. NET 1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, because she was fully deceived, fell into transgression. CSB 1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. ESV 1 Timothy 2:14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. NIV 1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. NLT 1 Timothy 2:14 And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result. NRS 1 Timothy 2:14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. RSV 1 Timothy 2:14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. YLT 1 Timothy 2:14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman, having been deceived, into transgression came, NKJ 1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. NJB 1 Timothy 2:14 and it was not Adam who was led astray but the woman who was led astray and fell into sin. NAB 1 Timothy 2:14 Further, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. ASV 1 Timothy 2:14 and Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression: MIT 1 Timothy 2:14 Moreover, Adam was not the one deceived; but the woman, being deluded, asserted herself in transgression. DBY 1 Timothy 2:14 and Adam was not deceived; but the woman, having been deceived, was in transgression. GWN 1 Timothy 2:14 Besides that, Adam was not deceived. It was the woman who was deceived and sinned. BBE 1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not taken by deceit, but the woman, being tricked, became a wrongdoer. Ge 3:6,12 2Co 11:3 Dr Wayne Grudem's analysis of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (see below) Ann Bowman's article - Women in Ministry: An Exegetical Study of 1 Timothy 2:11–15 (26 page article) 1 Timothy 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 3:6; 12+ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (3:12) The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” 2 Corinthians 11:3+ But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived (exapatao) Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. EVE'S DECEPTION And it was not Adam who was deceived (apatao), but the woman being deceived (exapatao), fell into transgression - Eve was deceived but Adam disobeyed a direct command from God when Eve offered him the forbidden fruit. Adam had no excuse. Eve did know something about this command through her husband Adam who was her God-assigned leader and protector (Ge 2:15-17).As noted below (exapatao) the preposition ek strengthens the meaning of the verb apatao, conveying the idea that the one being deceived is deceived completely and utterly! Exapatao is in the passive voice, corresponding to the deception coming from an outside source (i.e., the devil). Fell into transgression - Fell is the verb ginomai which means to come into existence, in this context into existence as a sinner, where the perfect tense describes past completed act (ate the forbidden fruit) and ongoing effect or abiding state. Transgression is parabasis which means literally to step on one side and thus a stepping across a line, and always implies a breach of God's word, in this case do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil "for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die." (Ge 2:17+). Parabasis refers to the act of a person stepping beyond a fixed limit into forbidden territory, exactly what Eve did! And men don't forget that Paul did not absolve Adam from responsibility in the entry of sin into the world is evident from Romans 5:12+, where Eve is not even mentioned (Why is Adam blamed for the fall of humanity when Eve sinned first?)! Donald Guthrie - Another reason why woman must not teach man is now added. Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman. Whereas Eve was deceived or beguiled, Adam sinned with his eyes open. As Bengel says, ‘The serpent deceived the woman; the woman did not deceive the man, but persuaded him’ (Gen. 3:17). Logically this should make Adam more culpable, but Paul is concerned here primarily with the inadvisability of women teachers. Is it possible that since Eve is here specifically in mind, the point being made is that she misled Adam because she was not fully acquainted with the nature of the prohibited tree and was not therefore in a position to instruct Adam? If this view were tenable, it would suggest that Paul’s prohibition of women teaching was conditioned by the background of the basic lack of education of women in the contemporary world. This would explain the emphasis on learning rather than teaching in verses 11 and 12. Such a suggestion has its appeal, although its interpretation of the Genesis passage is somewhat forced. Nevertheless, the question of women teachers cannot be divorced from the first-century disparity between men and women in the matter of education.(BORROW The Pastoral Epistles) John
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Cole notes that after noting the order of creation (Adam, then Eve), "he adds the order of the fall (1Ti 2:14). Paul isn’t implying that Adam was less guilty than Eve, nor is he putting all the blame on Eve. Both were culpable (Ro 5:12). Nor is Paul implying that women are constitutionally more prone to deception than men. The Bible is clear that we all are easily deceived by sin and false doctrine. What Paul is getting at is that in the fall, the God-ordained roles were reversed. Satan didn’t approach Adam, but rather Eve, so that he could upset the reflection of God’s image in the original couple by enticing the woman to act independently of her husband’s and God’s authority. She didn’t need to remain under her husband or God; she could attain god-like existence by acting on her own. So Paul is saying here that this role reversal that brought such awful consequences on the human race should not be repeated in the church. The responsibility for teaching and leadership in the church falls on qualified men (1Ti 3:1-7). (Conduct of Women in the Church) Believer's Study Bible - The woman's susceptibility to deception is better explained by her secondhand knowledge of God's limitation than by any suggestion that her intellectual faculties were inferior to the man's. Quite the contrary, both man and woman are made in the image of God and in essence stand before Him on equal footing (cf. Gen. 1:27; 5:2; Matt. 19:4; Gal. 3:28; 1 Pet. 3:7). (Believer's Study Bible) Henry
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Cole asks in light of what Paul has just stated in 1Ti 2:14 "How then can women serve in the church? If they can’t assume leadership and teaching roles over men, what can they do? Paul goes on to show that a woman’s normal sphere of ministry is in the home. If she serves in her God-appointed sphere, she will receive her reward. The reward for submission is salvation from the curse (1Ti 2:15). Many commentators call 1Ti 2:15 one of the most difficult verses in the New Testament to interpret. As can be expected, many different interpretations have been suggested, each hinging on different lexical and grammatical variables. I can’t go into great detail, but here are a few: (1) Women will be kept safe (physically; the Greek word for “preserved” is “saved”) through childbirth in spite of the curse of the fall. The problem with this view is that it isn’t true: many godly women have died in childbirth. (2) Women will be saved (spiritually) through the Childbirth, namely, the birth of Christ, the seed of the woman, who brought salvation to the human race. The problem with this view is, if this were Paul’s meaning, “he could hardly have chosen a more obscure or ambiguous way of saying it” (Donald Guthrie, BORROW The pastoral epistles, p. 78). (3) Women will be preserved from insignificance and find fulfillment by bearing children. This imposes an unusual meaning on the word “saved.” (4) Women will be saved from the corruption of this sinful world by assuming their proper role at home. This is closer to the truth, but it doesn’t grant the normal meaning to the word “saved.” (5) Women will be saved spiritually (with an emphasis on the future aspect of salvation) if their lives show the fruit of saving faith, namely, submission to God’s order as evidenced by taking their proper role as godly mothers. This is the best view, since the word “saved” in the Pastoral Epistles always refers to spiritual salvation. This doesn’t mean that a woman earns salvation by bearing children. Rather, it looks at the future aspect of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ. But genuine saving faith always results in a life of good works and in the development of godly character. The hope of future salvation should motivate us to a life of good deeds now, in spite of the hardships. Paul mentions child bearing to tie in the earlier reference to the fall. In spite of Eve’s sin and the curse (increased pain in childbirth), women who hope in God and His salvation will submit to their role in the home. An evidence of their salvation is their continuance in faith, love, sanctity (holiness), and self-restraint (the same word as “discreetly” in 1Ti 2:9, meaning control over one’s passions). Thus Paul comes full circle to say that the conduct of women in the church should be marked by godliness and submission. (Conduct of Women in the Church) Pastor Cole concludes this difficult section with these words...I’ve spent most of the message explaining a difficult text—difficult exegetically, but also difficult culturally, because it runs against the grain of our modern world. I want to conclude by applying these verses to three areas: (1) Check your attitude toward Scripture: Defiant or compliant? Because of our rebellion against God, we all have a tendency to shrug off the parts of His Word that we don’t like. If you only submit to the parts of the Bible you like, then you’re just using the Bible to reinforce your sinful desires. Even Satan quoted the Bible with Jesus to support his temptation! The test of whether you are under the lordship of Jesus Christ is when the Bible confronts your preferences. Yes, we need to determine what the Bible means be-fore we apply it. But it’s easy to shrug off difficult truth by saying, “I don’t agree with that interpretation,” when really we don’t want to submit to God. Be careful! (2) Check your attitude toward the opposite sex: Competitive or cooperative? There should be no war between the sexes in the church. Men should esteem and affirm godly women for their ministries. Women should respect and submit to godly elders in their leadership. Elders are not to lord it over the flock, but to be examples of godliness. The times when elders need to use their authority are rare. If we all submit to God and serve in our God-given roles, there will be cooperation. And, as our text shows, Christian men and women should relate to one another in purity, not in sensuality. (3) Check your attitude toward the home: A burden or a blessing? Children should never be viewed by Christian women as a hindrance to their fulfillment through a career. Children are one of God’s greatest blessings. The responsibility of shaping their character through godly example in the home is more important than any career, male or female, because the whole fabric of society depends on it. If we seek self-fulfillment, even if through a teaching or leadership ministry, we will come up empty. If we deny self and serve in the roles God’s Word ordains, He will bless us beyond measure. Well, that’s the forecast, folks! If you don’t like it, remember, I don’t make up the weather; I just report it! (Conduct of Women in the Church) Ryrie on preserved through the bearing of children - This may mean (1) brought safely through childbirth, (2) saved through the birth of a Child (Jesus the Savior), or (3) that a woman's greatest achievement is found in her devotion to her divinely ordained role: to help her husband, to bear children, and to follow a faithful, chaste way of life. (Ryrie Study Bible) A T Robertson on through the bearing of children- This translation makes it refer to the birth of the Saviour as glorifying womanhood. That is true, but it is not clear that Paul does not have mostly in mind that child-bearing, not public teaching, is the peculiar function of woman with a glory and dignity all its own. "She will be saved" (sōthēsetai) in this function, not by means of it. Henry Morris on preserved through the bearing of children - In the original, there is a definite article here: "the childbearing." It is probable that a very specific birth is in view, not childbearing in general. If so, and in light of the context, it seems that Paul is referring to the great protevangelic promise of Genesis 3:15: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." It is in the very next verse (Genesis 3:16) that God told Eve henceforth, "in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Because of being "in the transgression," Eve and her daughters would bring forth children, begotten of the husband's seed, in sorrow (a word implying labor and suffering), but there would be one particular birth one day, uniquely born of her seed, rather than of her husband's seed, and He (the virgin-born God/man) would finally inflict a mortal wound on the old Serpent. It was by this "childbearing" that "she shall be saved." In a secondary sense, every birth is a type of that special birth, in its reminder and promise that salvation is preceded by suffering, and that the joy of life follows travail and possible death (or at least willingness to die). As Jesus said: "A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world" (John 16:21). if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. This is a THIRD CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE which means potential contingent action. The contingency is the believing women’s continuance in faith, love, sanctity, and self-restraint. Morris on continue in faith - The childbearing would bring salvation to women, but on condition that they continue in "faith and charity and holiness with sobriety" (that is, soberness of mind and demeanor). This cannot, of course, contradict the doctrine of salvation by grace. However, such salvation is received through faith and its reality demonstrated by charity (Christian love), holiness and soberness in the true Christian woman. Believer's Study Bible - With Gen. 3:16 and its link between Eve's sin and the pain of childbearing still in mind, Paul provides a note of comfort. Before the Fall, God issued the command for reproduction of future generations (Gen. 1:28), but the pain in childbearing developed as a result of sin, which brought with it suffering and the distortion of the Edenic Paradise. The godly behavior of a woman will be rewarded by her awesome contribution in joining with the Creator God in the process of producing the next generation. Through a willingness to bring life into the world and nurture that life physically and spiritually, a woman is obedient to the redemptive plan of God. (Believer's Study Bible) Dr Wayne Grudem From Systematic Theology The single passage in Scripture that addresses this question most directly is 1 Timothy 2:11–15: Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. Here Paul is speaking about the church when it is assembled (see vv. 8–9). In such a setting, Paul says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man” (v. 12). These are the functions that are carried out by the elders of the church, and especially by what we know as a pastor in contemporary church situations.59 It is specifically these functions unique to elders that Paul prohibits for women in the church.60 a. The Meaning of Verse 13. Paul’s first reason is the order of creation: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” Paul does not use some local situation in Ephesus for a reason, such as saying, “For women aren’t as well educated there in Ephesus,” or “For you have some disruptive women teaching false doctrine there in Ephesus.” No, he points back to the original time of creation, before there was any sin in the world, and sees that there was a purpose of God indicated in the order of creation: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” Paul simply assumes that his readers will understand that when God created Adam first and then gave commands to him alone (Gen. 2:7, 15–17) and then later created Eve (Gen. 2:22), God was giving a leadership role to Adam. People in the ancient world, where the first-born son had a leadership role in the family, would have understood this. But we do not need to assume that Paul was endorsing the entire system of “primogeniture,” at least not in all its details. It is enough simply to say that people who were familiar with that system would have had no trouble understanding Paul’s reasoning: the first-born male in any family is assumed to be the leader in that family in his generation, and Adam was the first-born in his generation, so he was the leader. When Paul bases his argument on the order of creation of Adam and Eve, it indicates that his command about women not teaching or having authority in the assembled congregation transcends cultures and societies. It applies to men and women as they were created by God at the beginning, and it is not due to any distortion brought on by sin or the fall. It applies, then, to all churches for all time, and it is a means by which the beauty of manhood and womanhood as God created them to be can be manifested in the life of the church. b. The Meaning of Verse 14. As his second reason why Paul does not “permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man,” he says, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor” (1 Tim. 2:14). We should not understand this to mean that Paul was punishing women for something that Eve did. The New Testament authors do not try to perpetuate the punishments of the curse in Genesis 3 but work to bring redemption and alleviate the punishments that came as a result of the fall. The goal of the gospel is redemption, not punishment. There are two main interpretations of 1 Timothy 2:14. The first interpretation says that verse 14 refers to a role reversal in the fall. The idea is that Eve took the initiative and decided to eat the forbidden fruit on her own, but in doing this she took a leadership role that belonged to Adam. The second major interpretation, and the one that I think best fits the wording of the verse, is that Paul is saying something about the nature of men and women as God created them. This is by far the most common viewpoint in the history of interpretation of this passage. While some authors have wrongly understood this text to be teaching the intellectual inferiority of women, that misunderstanding is certainly not necessary to the passage, nor am I aware of any modern author who holds that view today. Rather, this interpretation says that while God made men and women (in general) with equal intellectual abilities, there are still differences in preferences and inclinations, and those differences are consistent or “congruent” with God’s purposes in entrusting leadership in the church to men. Paul is saying, therefore, that women should not teach or have authority over men in the congregation of God’s people for two reasons: (1) God gave Adam a leadership role when he created him first and Eve second (v. 13), and (2) God gave men, in general, a disposition that is better suited to teaching and governing in the church, a disposition that inclines more to rational, logical analysis of doctrine and a desire to protect the doctrinal purity of the church, and God gave women, in general, a disposition that inclines more toward a relational, nurturing emphasis that places a higher value on unity and community in the church (v. 14). Both emphases are needed, of course, and both men and women have some measure of both tendencies. But Paul understands the kinder, gentler, more relational nature of women (in general) as something that made Eve less inclined to oppose the deceptive serpent and more inclined to accept his words as something helpful and true. c. The Meaning of Verse 15. Paul’s concluding sentence in this section is, “Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (1 Tim. 2:15). The general force of the sentence is clear, although people differ about the details. Paul has just finished saying that “the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” In this final comment his purpose is to assure readers that Eve’s sin was not the final word regarding women! Though Eve sinned, salvation is now possible through Christ. The phrase “through childbearing” is probably best understood as an example of being obedient to God’s calling on one’s life. Women are not to teach or govern the church, but God has given them a special responsibility, the awesome responsibility of bearing and raising children. Paul understands that not all women will be able to have children (for the Old Testament and life experience both testify to that fact), and he also gives a long section on widows in 1 Timothy 5:3–16, so he knows there are many women in the church at Ephesus who do not have husbands. But Paul is speaking of “childbearing” as a representative example of how a woman should be obedient to God’s calling on her life and fulfill the role or roles God has called her to do, whether that includes bearing and raising of children, or showing “hospitality” (1 Tim. 5:10), or caring for the afflicted (5:10), or managing their households (5:14), or ministering through “supplications and prayers” (5:5), or training younger women (Titus 2:4–5), or any mixture of these or other callings. Paul takes “childbearing” as one obvious and representative example of a woman’s distinctive role and calling from God. What does it mean then to say that “she will be saved through childbearing”? It surely does not mean that a woman is justified or forgiven of her sins because of childbearing or fulfilling other tasks to which God calls her, for Paul clearly teaches that salvation in this sense is a “gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one would boast” (Eph. 2:8–9) and it comes “through faith” (Eph. 2:8). But Paul can use salvation and related terms in another sense, to refer to the Christian life from initial conversion until our death, a life in which we live in increasing obedience to God and see more and more good works as a consequence and as an evidence of the change that God has brought about in our lives. So Paul means that a woman will be “saved”—she will continue to work out the results of her salvation—“through childbearing,” that is, through obedience to God in the various tasks and roles that he calls her to rather than attempting to teach or govern the church, which is a role God has not called women to. d. However, the Bible Encourages Other Kinds of Teaching and Speaking by Women. (1) Acts 18:26: Explaining the Bible in informal settings.61 In discussing 1 Timothy 2:12, it is important to read it in the light of other passages that view some kinds of teaching by women in a positive way. For example, we read in Acts 18:26 concerning Apollos: “He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26). The word translated “explained” (Greek ektithēmi) is plural and it indicates both Aquila and Priscilla were involved in explaining the way of God more fully to Apollos. This incident is viewed with approval in the book of Acts, for there is no indication that anything was wrong with this conduct as it fits the ongoing narrative of the spread of the gospel to many gentile cities. Therefore, this passage gives warrant for women and men to talk together about the meaning of biblical passages and to “teach” one another in such settings. A parallel example in modern church life would be a home Bible study where both men and women contribute to the discussion of the meaning and application of Scripture. In such discussions, everyone is able to “teach” everyone else in some sense, for such discussions of the meaning of the Word of God are not the authoritative teaching that would be done by a pastor or elder to an assembled congregation, as in 1 Timothy 2. Another modern parallel to the private conversation between Priscilla and Aquila and Apollos would be the writing of books on the Bible and theology by women. When I read a Bible commentary written by a woman, for example, it is as if the author were talking privately to me, explaining her interpretation of the Bible, much as Priscilla talked to Apollos in Acts 18:26. Reading a book by a woman author is much like having a private conversation with a woman author. The woman author does not have teaching authority over an assembled congregation or a group of men. (2) 1 Corinthians 11:4–5: Praying and prophesying in the assembled congregation. Another example of an activity in the church that Scripture approves is praying aloud before the assembled congregation, because Paul says, “Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as if her head were shaven” (1 Cor. 11:4–5). Paul implies that it would be normal and natural in the church at Corinth for women to pray and to prophesy aloud. If it were wrong for women to pray or prophesy in the church service, Paul would not have said they should have their heads covered when they do so! This passage also implies that giving prophecies aloud in the assembled congregation is appropriate for women. As I explain more fully in chapter 53, giving a prophecy is simply reporting something that God has spontaneously brought to mind.62 Prophecy is always listed as a separate gift from teaching in the New Testament, and prophecy is always to be subject to the teaching and governing authority of the elders and is to be tested for its conformity to Scripture (see 1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20–21). In churches that believe this gift is still valid for today, giving prophecies is another appropriate activity for women. (3) Titus 2:3–5: Women teaching women. Paul encourages another kind of teaching activity by women when he says, “Older women … are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:3–5). All kinds of Bible teaching ministries from women to other women are encouraged by this passage. Organizations such as Bible Study Fellowship have outstanding ministries in training women in the knowledge of the Word of God, and in the United States at least, some excellent women Bible teachers will speak to conferences of several thousand at one time. These are valuable ministries that should be encouraged. They are not the kind of teaching or having authority over men that Paul prohibits in 1 Timothy 2. (4) John 4:28–30 and Matthew 28:5–10: Evangelism. Evangelism of all kinds is another activity not restricted to men alone but open to men and women alike. For example, the woman at the well in Samaria went and told her village about Jesus: So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him. (John 4:28–30) In addition, the women at the tomb became the first eyewitnesses of the resurrection, and Jesus sent them to tell his disciples about the resurrection (Matt. 28:5–10). These passages suggest that it would be appropriate for women to do evangelism in any setting, whether privately or in large groups. In speaking to non-Christians, they are not having the kind of teaching or governing authority over the church that Paul prohibits in 1 Timothy 2 because the unbelievers who hear the gospel message are not a congregation of assembled believers. The history of missions has many stories of courageous women who went by themselves to proclaim the gospel to unreached people. For example, Wycliffe Bible translator Joanne Shetler tells a beautiful story of her work with the Balango people in the Philippines, and her interaction with a man in the village (her “daddy”) who had adopted her into his family and who was reading pages of the New Testament for her as she produced it: I continued translating in Timothy with my daddy. And we came to a verse where Paul says to Timothy, “I don’t allow women to teach men.” My daddy didn’t bat an eyelash. But that afternoon, after we’d finished work, he said to me, “Now what is that we’re going to study on Sunday?” I thought he was just curious. I didn’t know what was on his mind since fathers don’t report to their children. So I told him. Sunday morning came, and before I could stand up to start, he stood up and said, “My daughter here knows more about this than I do, but we found in the Bible that women aren’t supposed to teach men. So I guess I have to be the one!” And that was the end of my career, and the beginning of their teaching.63 It was a beautiful picture of a key turning point in the transition from an informal group of new Christians to an established congregation with indigenous male leadership naturally taking charge. Situations similar to this have probably occurred hundreds of times throughout the history of the church, and no doubt God gives much grace as new Christians seek to be faithful to his Word, even when it might be difficult to say exactly what point a transition should occur without being present in the actual situation. The important point is that the transition does occur, and male leadership is established in the church. (5) Other kinds of speaking in the assembled church. Churches should encourage women in several other kinds of speaking in church, such as giving a personal testimony of God’s work in a woman’s own life or in the lives of others, reading Scripture, singing a solo or singing in a group, acting as part of a dramatic presentation—whatever goes on in the assembled church other than what is explicitly prohibited by Scripture (Bible teaching and governing over the congregation of God’s people). e. Objections related to 1 Timothy 2:12 Several objections have been brought against the view that 1 Timothy 2:12 prohibits women from teaching the assembled church or governing the church as an elder.64 (1) Objection: Paul says this only because women were teaching false doctrine in Ephesus. It has been argued that this passage applies only to the specific situation that Paul is addressing, probably one where women were teaching heretical doctrine within the church at Ephesus. But this objection is not persuasive, since there is no clear statement in 1 Timothy that says that women were actually teaching false doctrines (1 Tim. 5:13 talks about women who are gossiping, but does not mention false doctrine). In addition, the only false teachers named in Ephesus are men, not women (see 1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 2:17–18; also note that Paul tells the elders at Ephesus “from among your own selves will arise men [plural of Greek anēr, “man”] speaking twisted things,” Acts 20:30). Moreover, Paul does not simply tell certain women who are teaching false doctrine to be silent, but he says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.” And finally, the reason Paul gives for this prohibition is not the one proposed in this objection, but a far different one: the situation of Adam and Eve before the fall, and before there was any sin in the world (see v. 13), and the way in which a reversal in male and female roles occurred at the time of the fall (see v. 14). These reasons are not limited to one situation in the church at Ephesus, but have application to manhood and womanhood generally. (2) Objection: Paul says this because the women in Ephesus weren’t well educated. Another objection is to say that Paul gave this prohibition because women were not well educated in the first century and therefore were not qualified for teaching or governing roles in the church. But Paul does not give lack of education as a reason for saying that women cannot “teach or … exercise authority over a man” but rather points back to creation (vv. 13–14). It is precarious to base an argument on a reason Paul did not give instead of the reason he did give. In addition, this objection misunderstands the actual facts of the ancient church and the ancient world. Formal training in Scripture was not required for church leadership in the New Testament church because several of the apostles did not have formal biblical training (see Acts 4:13). On the other hand, the skills of basic literacy and therefore the ability to read and study Scripture were available to men and women alike (note Acts 18:26; Rom. 16:1; 1 Tim. 2:11; Titus 2:3–4). There were many well-educated women in the ancient world and particularly in a cultural center such as Ephesus.65 In Women and Men in Ministry: A Complementary Perspective,66 Clinton Arnold and Robert Saucy report further evidence of the significant educational achievements of women in ancient Ephesus: In a very important recent study, Paul Trebilco has accumulated and presented the inscriptional evidence attesting to the role of women in civic positions in western Asia Minor.…67 It is frequently assumed in some of the literature that women in Ephesus (and in Asia Minor and the entire Roman world, for that matter) lacked education and the opportunity for an education. This has been drastically overstated.… There is now inscriptional evidence that women served in some of the cities in a position that would be a close functional equivalent of our “superintendent of schools,” that is, in the capacity of a gymnasiarch (gymnasiarchos). The “gymnasium” was the center for education in a Greek city.… The “gymnasiarch” had oversight of the intellectual training of the citizens and for the general management of the facility. Inscriptions dating from the first to the third centuries attest to fifty women who served as gymnasiarchs in twenty-three cities of Asia Minor and the coastal islands. This suggests that women not only had access to education, but also that in many places they were leading the educational system.68 Finally, Paul was writing to Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3), which was the home church of Priscilla and Aquila (see Acts 18:18–19, 21). It was in this very church at Ephesus that Priscilla knew Scripture well enough to help instruct Apollos in AD 51 (Acts 18:26). Then she had probably learned from Paul himself for another three years while he stayed at Ephesus teaching “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27; cf. v. 31; also 1 Cor. 16:19). In fact, Paul himself had lived in Priscilla and Aquila’s home during his time at Ephesus (Acts 18:2–3)! No doubt many other women in Ephesus had followed her example and also had learned from Paul. Although they later went to Rome, we find Aquila and Priscilla back in Ephesus at the end of Paul’s life (2 Tim. 4:19), about AD 67. Therefore, it is likely that they were in Ephesus in AD 65, about the time Paul wrote 1 Timothy (about fourteen years after Priscilla had helped instruct Apollos). Yet Paul does not allow even well-educated Priscilla or any other well-educated women at Ephesus to teach men in the public assembly of the church. The reason was not lack of education, but the order of creation which God established between men and women. (3) Objection: This verse does not prohibit women from having authority but from “domineering” or misusing authority. Those who make this objection claim that Paul did not intend to say that a woman should not “exercise authority over a man” (understanding “exercise authority” as a valued, positive function in the church), but rather his meaning was that a woman should not “domineer” or “misuse authority” over a man (understanding the Greek verb authenteō to refer to a harmful, destructive abuse of authority). (A related objection claims other meanings for the verb authenteō, such as, “I do not permit a woman to murder a man,” or “instigate violence against a man.”) Elsewhere I have analyzed in some detail such claims for a negative meaning for authenteō,69 with the conclusion that they simply lack any support from valid evidence from ancient Greek literature. The substantial evidence that we have regarding the meaning of this word is that it has a positive meaning that is appropriately rendered in English by “exercise authority” to “have authority.” In addition, this objection does not make sense in the context of 1 Timothy 2. If this verb meant that Paul was prohibiting teaching “in a domineering way,” then why did he not prohibit men as well as women from doing this? (4) Objection: This verse only says that a woman should not “assume authority” (NIV 2011) over a man. In 1 Timothy 2:12 the 2011 edition of the NIV Bible adopted a novel translation that gave the egalitarian side of this issue everything they have wanted for years in a Bible translation. It reads, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man.” If churches adopt this translation, the debate over women’s roles in the church will be over, because women pastors and elders can just say, “I’m not assuming authority on my own initiative; it was given to me by the other pastors and elders.” Therefore, any woman could be a pastor or elder so long as she does not take it upon herself to “assume authority.”70 The problem with this translation is the lack of valid evidence from the ancient world that authenteō could ever take a negative or pejorative meaning with the sense of “wrongly take authority upon oneself,” which is the sense that many readers will give it. The same or similar objections that I raised in the previous section to the meaning “domineer,” or other pejorative meanings, also apply here. This meaning is contrary to the substantial evidence in the book by Köstenberger and Schreiner (Women in the Church, 3rd ed.),71 and it fails to explain why Paul would only prohibit women from wrongly assuming authority rather than prohibiting both men and women from doing this. (5) Objection: This verse only prohibits a wife from having authority over her husband in the church. Because the Greek word that is translated as “woman” (Greek gunē) can also mean “wife,” depending on the context, some have argued that 1 Timothy 2:12 actually means “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over her husband.” However, this objection is not convincing, because when we look at passages where gunē means “wife,” there are always decisive clues that require that meaning in those other contexts, and in every case it is clear that those contexts are discussing marriage. Here are some examples: Romans 7:2: “A married (hupandros) woman” 1 Corinthians 7:2: “Each man should have his own (heautou) wife and each woman her own (idion) husband” 1 Corinthians 7:12: “If any brother has (echei) a wife” (and the entire context of 1 Cor. 7 is a discussion about marriage) 1 Corinthians 7:39: “A wife is bound to her (autēs) husband as long as he lives” Ephesians 5:22: “Wives submit to your own (idiois) husbands” By contrast, 1 Timothy 2:11–15 has no such indicators in the words or the context to show that Paul is speaking about marriage. Paul does not say, “to teach or have authority over her own husband,” which he could have done. In addition, it is unlikely that Paul would give strict instructions about family life in the middle of the context devoted to a discussion of officers for the entire church (chapters 1–3). And it is highly unlikely that Paul would only require married men to refrain from “anger or quarreling” (1 Tim. 2:8) or only require married women to dress “in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control” (v. 9), which means that in this very context the word gunē clearly means “woman,” not “wife.” (6) Objection: This is a temporary command because Paul uses a present tense verb. People who support this objection claim that we should understand 1 Timothy 2:12 to mean, “I am not now permitting a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man” (this view assumes it was a temporary command for this situation only). But this argument simply misunderstands how Paul often uses present tense verbs to give instructions that apply permanently to all Christians. There are numerous examples, such as Romans 12:1, “I appeal (parakalō, present indicative) to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,” or 1 Timothy 2:1, “I urge (parakalō, present indicative) that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.” (This does not mean, “I temporarily urge that you pray.”) These and many similar verses give instructions that apply to all Christians just as much today as they did when Paul wrote them. The process that is advocated in this objection would lead to the nullification of many New Testament instructions for Christians. (7) Objection: This verse only prohibits one activity (“authoritative teaching,” as an elder), not two activities (teaching or having authority). Therefore a woman can preach sermons to a church as long as she is not an elder. Craig Blomberg has argued that “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man” (1 Tim. 2:12) means that “the only thing Paul is prohibiting women from doing in that verse is occupying the office of overseer or elder.”72 He argues this because teaching and having authority over the church are the two responsibilities unique to the office of elder, and because Philip Payne has demonstrated that the conjunction oude (“nor”) that connects the two key verbs in verse 12 regularly joins together expressions that in some sense are mutually defining. In formal terminology this is called a “hendiadys” (from Greek words that mean “one through two”). In other words, Paul is not forbidding two separate actions here; rather the two verbs together define one specific function or role.73 Blomberg attempts to demonstrate that Paul “regularly” used two verbs joined by the conjunction oude to describe one function by listing ten other examples in 1 Timothy 2. But when we actually look up these ten examples, not one of them uses this conjunction (Gk. oude)!74 If Paul had written, “I do not permit a woman to teach and to exercise authority over a man,” it would provide the parallel that Blomberg is searching for. But that is exactly what Paul did not write. Blomberg’s explanation is not faithful to the meaning of the words in the text. (8) Objection: A woman can teach and have authority over men if she does so under the authority of the pastor or if the elders give her permission. This objection may sound appealing at first because it recognizes the leadership role of pastor and male elders. But when we consider the objection more carefully, it is establishing a dangerous precedent. In essence, it is saying that the (male) pastor and (male) elders have the ability to give a woman permission to disobey a direct command of Scripture. The question here is, what does the Bible say? It does not merely say, “Preserve some kind of male authority in the congregation.” It does not say, “A woman may not teach men unless she is under the authority of the elders.” Rather, it says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man” (1 Tim. 2:12). Can a pastor or the elders of a church give a woman permission to disobey this statement of Scripture? Certainly not! Can a woman do what the Bible says not to do and excuse it by saying “I’m under the authority of the elders”? Would we say that the elders of a church could tell people “under their authority” that they have permission to disobey other passages of Scripture? Such a process would enable pastors to nullify many of the teachings of the New Testament. (9) Objection: Paul was moving in a “trajectory” toward full equality of roles for women. This objection claims that if we study the ancient cultural setting in which the Bible was written, we will find that the apostle Paul had a much higher view of the value of women than the culture in which he lived. Paul’s writings and teachings lead to an improvement in the status of women compared to their status in the non-Christian culture. Today we can follow the trajectory that moves from (a) the low status of women in ancient culture to (b) the improved status of women in Paul’s writings, and when we follow the direction in which Paul was moving, we can today promote (c) the full equality of women and men, with all church offices open to women as well as men. This was the goal that Paul was moving toward, but he didn’t reach that goal during his lifetime. Those who make this objection sometimes note a similar argument about slavery: we can trace a trajectory moving from (a) the low status of slaves in the ancient world to (b) an improvement in the status of slaves in the writings of Paul and then to (c) advocating the complete abolition of slavery today. The problem with this objection is that it effectively nullifies the teachings of the New Testament as a moral standard for Christians to follow today. In place of the writings of the New Testament, it means that Christians would be subject to the multiple conflicting estimates of numerous scholarly “experts” telling us their best guesses about exactly where a trajectory would lead. This means that the teachings of the New Testament are no longer our final authority. Our authority would now become our ideas of the direction the New Testament was heading but never quite reached. This view abandons the crucial Reformation doctrine of sola Scriptura, or “the Bible alone,” as our ultimate authority for doctrine and life. Furthermore, the Christian leaders who opposed slavery in Britain and the United States in the 1800s did not use this kind of trajectory argument but assumed the abiding moral authority of what is taught in the Bible itself, and they argued against slavery on that basis. And they won the argument.75 (10) Most of these alternative views of 1 Timothy 2:12 have arisen since 1966. As far as I can determine, most of the previous eight objections to saying that 1 Timothy 2:12 prohibits women from teaching or having authority over men today have arisen, in the published academic literature, since 1966.76 This does not automatically mean that these objections are incorrect, but it does cast some doubt on them. If any of these interpretations are correct, why did no one think of them for so many centuries? And why did they arise soon after secular feminism gained widespread influence in society in the 1960s? For footnotes click Systematic Theology - beginning on page 822 pdf