Thursday, March 8, 2012

First Timothy 2:9-15 Women in Worship


From the New International Version of the Bible, First Timothy 2:9-15:
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man; she must be silent. 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. But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
Commentary

Paul's focus for the rest of the chapter is the role of women in the worship of the church. Many have suggested that these recommendations to Timothy from the apostle Paul are historically conditioned or that they only applied to the Ephesian church. Others have maintained that these regulations are normative and were applied by Paul to all the churches and were intended for use in all times. Whatever the case, his words here are certainly controversial, especially in our era where women enjoy all the same freedoms as men. Let's look closer at what he is saying.

First, he imparts a dress code; women are to dress modestly. Their good deeds are to be their beauty. Expensive clothes and jewelry and excessive attention to personal appearance are a distractions.

Next, Women should learn in full submission to their male counterparts. They should not be permitted to teach or have authority over men in the congregation. They must be silent. Paul's reasons for this come from the book of Genesis. Because of the order of humanity's creation and the fact that Eve was deceived, women as a whole should not be in positions of authority over men within God's church. Then Paul offers his most enigmatic statement yet in verse 15. He says that women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith and love and holiness.

We must keep in mind that these are instructions for proper worship inside the church. We must also keep in mind that in Paul's day, women were not educated as men were. They would even sit in different places from the men in the worship service of the church. Hence Paul probably thought it best if the women would save their questions for their husbands after church. And the women of that day would certainly not have been equipped to teach. There is also the fact that Paul says this is what he does not allow. It's possible that this is his own opinion rather than the inspired rule of God. Things now are historically different from what they were then. Women are educated. Many would make fine teachers. Many Christian women I know have far more knowledge of God's Word then do some men in the church.

The authority issue is another matter. The model is that Christ is the head of the church and husbands are the head of their wives and children. Someone had to have the last word and God gave that to men for good or ill. This does not mean that things cannot be discussed in the family setting, but the last word on any issue in a Christian family must come from the man. It may be a compromise or it may in fact be the woman's point of view that wins the day, but it must be at the man's agreement. This is also a very good place to note that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Christ's love is a sacrificial love and likewise, so should be the love of a husband for his wife.  

Questions

  1. Wow. Imagine reading this scripture at a NOW convention. Seriously though. What do you think? Is this bit of instruction from Paul historically conditioned? Does it apply to the Ephesian church only or are these regulations universal, timeless and inspired by God for use everywhere in all times?
  2. Let's take inventory. How many of the women out there are wearing jewelry? What did you pay for your last hairdo? Just wondering (;>)))
  3. Why in days past have men and women traditionally dressed up for church?
  4. OK. Only men can respond to the next question. If any women reading here wish to respond, they will have to go through their husband....So when Paul said women should remain silent in church, was this only for Timothy's church in Ephesus or was he laying down a universal and timeless principle for the church to follow?
  5. Why is Eve's deception by the serpent worse than Adam's deliberate rebellion and complete refusal to take responsibility? (I have no good answer for this)
  6. Can you explain verse 15?