1 Tim 2:8- 15
Tonight we are going talk about the role of men and their responsibility and the role of women in regards to the family of God the church.
Vrs 8 on the heals of the preceding verses about prayer we see here Paul telling the men, by design you are to be worshippers of God, praising Him and not fighting with one another.
Vrs 9 In Ephesus these styles may have been associated with what prostitutes were wearing.
Good advice to give any women don’t dress like a prostitute.
Modesty= the idea here is not trying to attract attention to yourself for the way you look.
Vrs 10 what a women should focus in on is her character. This does not mean that more spiritual women are out of style. I think it is wise for men and women alike to keep up with current styles to some degree to be a witness to the world we live in. (Hudson Taylor)
By what Paul teaches later in 1 Timothy we can conclude that some of the false teaching that was going on was aimed at young single women. Don’t get married, dress seductively, don’t listen to men
Vrs 11 “learn” Paul’s charge to them was pay close attention to the Scriptures and the truth they hold for your life. These false teachers are just trying to malign the cause of the GOSPEL and get you off track.
Vrs 12 Teach or have authority Two Resposibilities
Teach – setting doctrine (what the church believes based upon Biblical truth)
Authority – Guarding, upholding and making decisions based on Biblical truth in the local fellowship.
Authority…what is meant here? What we will eventually see (1 Timothy 3) is God’s desire is for Godly men to rise up and take care of the spiritual health and wellbeing of the church.
Ill Police Officer
Elder/overseer has the job, responsibility and authority to keep the church spiritually on track, correct/rebuke people when they are sin, make sure no false teaching is creeping in
Three positions
1. Egalitarian- no distinction
2. Hierarchical –men are in charge
3. Complimentarian- men and women are equal and have different roles that compliment one another. Women can do everything men can do except elder/overseer
-OT Priests were men
-Apostles were men (Jesus could have chosen women and would have if that was intention, Jesus did not bow to the culture)
-Overseers in NT church were men.
Vrs 13 roots it not in culture but in creation. Genesis 2:18, 21-23
One preacher said it like this “The rightful place of a women is by her mans side no out in front or left behind”
Helper God is a helper an ever-present help
Different roles within the trinity.
Does this mean men in general have a degree of authority over women in general? No
This means within a husband and wife’s relationship the man’s responsibility is spiritual support and love of his wife.
Within the church (family of God) Godly men are to spiritually love and support the people in the church.
When this system breaks down…
Vrs 14 “Eve deceived”
Satan takes the Scriptures and uses it against them, like He did to Jesus
Does not mean women are more gullible, it illustrates the result of Adam dropping the ball in spiritual support of his wife and Eve being out on her own without the love and support of her husband. In essence Paul is saying look what happens when we buck the system that God set up.
(I am a little brother, “go try that”)
The result of the system set up by God…
Vrs 15 “Saved in childbearing” The timeless role of women… this shows this passage is trans-cultural, no matter what time or culture you live in the role of women will always contain giving birth.
Is there something that you would deem more important then bringing children into the world? Here is what society says… get that over with so you can really make a difference.
It seems to be then that Paul is arguing that no matter what society around you says, there is a specific call and role on men as well, lead in their households and in the household of God (the church)
This is Paul speaking about the important and special role that women have in every culture and society.
The temptation for some is that because of this the Bible/God and Christians are chauvinistic because the role of women is different.
Let me point out truth from the Bible about how the opposite is actually true.
-Timothy would fully understand the importance of the role of women because of his mother and grandmother brought him up in the faith
-Aquilla and Priscilla- husband and wife team teach Apollos Acts 18
-Phoebe – a servant Romans 16
-The first spectators of the resurrection were women, who in the Jewish culture a testimony of a women would not be regarded.
-Most importantly Jesus’ high regard for women, His ministry to them His empowerment of them, tells us the God of the universe has does not put anyone down due to gender. GOSPEL
There is an attack today as there was in that day on the role of men and women and in essence what happens when we say there is no distinction women actually are in a far worse position.
The Bible should set the culture.
Here is why…men have a responsibility to provide for, guide and lovingly serve their families, like Adam they miss the mark.
Not only do they miss the mark they gladly welcome their wives to take on their role as well. So now you have the wife/mother who can’t in good conscience not fulfill her role as a mother so she takes that role of the husband/father as well.
In essence the man is saying you have your heavy load here take mine too. (you want to bogart off my punishment, more power to ya). I get to do nothing and you get to do everything then I can spend the money on the toys I want.
So in an effort to be liberated women everywhere become enslaved to bear heavy burdens of providing for and raising the family while the husband becomes one of the kids who eventually becomes outshined by in many cases the daughter who becomes the “mommy” when mommy is not home.
Then some would say to this NO NO NO men treat women badly so we have to be independent of men. I would say to that biblically speaking that Jesus does not stand on the side of those men and Christianity and biblical teaching holds women in the highest regard.
This is exactly the reason I teach M4J once a month because we want men to rise up and lovingly serve their wives and children (and if they don’t have them yet, we want them to fully indoctrinated so when they do it goes well)
The first lesson at M4J over a year ago was this Complimentarian view, and guess what.. the feedback I got was from a few different places. “Now I know what I am supposed to do for my family” not …”I am in charge or listen to me” And some women say my husband is a different man.
When men step it up and become the “keepers of the gate” so to speak in the church. It encourages other men to also step it up. Then everyone benefits.
The Bottom line is this. Church leadership in regards to governing authorities is a role that is entrusted to qualified male leadership and Godly women should stand by their side and support the GOSPEL work.
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