1 Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 8

• Now Paul treads into extreme practicality at this point even detailing the position of folks’ hands while praying and I want to point out one thing as we progress…Paul began chapter 2 by saying, “Therefore I exhort,” or “Therefore I instruct,” and yet as we venture deeper into the details, he opens this portion of this instruction to Timothy with, “I desire.”
• This is a peculiar pivot because this speaks of one’s own personal will and so listen, the following verses are entirely controversial and interpreted many different ways…here’s my take. We’re seeing Paul’s will here in terms of what he desires to see and to have done. Inspired by God? Absolutely! Paul is led by the Holy Spirit! Rigid doctrine? Look, we have got to survey the entirety of scripture, to rightly answer that question!

1 Timothy Chapter 2 Verses 9 – 10

• There is preference here and there is doctrine. Here’s the doctrine. Women should be ashamed of immodesty. And for that matter so should men. We have lost that as a culture. We have lost that even as a church…but know this…we are not our own, 1 Corinthians 6:19…we’ve been bought with a precious price, therefore don’t become a slave to what others want from you, 1 Corinthians 7:23. Glorify God in your appearance.

• And yet can we not have braided hair and costly clothing and gold or pearls? Is that what Paul is saying? Here’s the preference part…today, braided hair means nothing! In that time, braided hair meant you are a floosy! HA! In that time gold and pearls meant YOU could be bought with a price…today, folks let their chain hang low professing Jesus! HA! The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16, “The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart…” Where’s your heart in what you wear? Is it to honor God and to profess Him? That’s the question….
• There’s nothing wrong with a woman looking nice. There is a lot wrong with a woman, or man for that matter, dressing in such a way to intend to provoke the flesh. And know this…revealing clothes aren’t needed to be hot or for beauty because a woman walking with the Lord, sweet and attentive, has a glow…a glorious surpassing beauty about her. More beautiful than any yogurt (HA) pants, man…let me tell you…

1 Timothy Chapter 2 Verses 11 – 15

• Ok I know all the women just highlighted and underlined right then, right? “My new favorite verse! Yes!” HA! Here’s the thing though, this is Paul sharing with Timothy what he knows to be the prescription for peace and progression of the faith, then and there! Remember, in this section of scripture, we must put in a little work to separate Paul’s will, which is completely inspired yet just not rigid doctrine, with clear doctrine. And how do we do that? Leveraging the whole of God’s Word!

• Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. What’s the problem with that? So what if your flesh doesn’t like it! What is intrinsically wrong with that!? Nothing, if you’re honest. I believe Paul could have said the same thing about the men…he just didn’t have to! HA! Because this is something of respect towards one who is teaching…and we have scripture upon scripture regarding submission to those who are in a position of authority…good doctrine there…for men and women..
• And then verse 12…Paul doesn’t say that women can’t teach, he simply ties teaching with authority. Look at this statement in the Greek. These two things are linked and this statement is best read, “I do not allow the women to teach in so much as to assume authority over the men.” Women teach! We have examples of women ministry leaders in the Bible including Timothy’s own mom and grandmother and in the Book of Titus, Paul instructs the older women to teach the younger women.
• Yet here’s the doctrine. God has established order in leadership in the church. Next chapter…if a man desires the position of bishop, or overseer, or pastor…husband of one wife…can women teach and lead ministry? Yes. Should a woman be the head teacher and senior leader in the ministry? No. Women please highlight that scripture. HA! I know nobody on earth wants to hear something they can’t do…we hate it, and for a woman, this is probably the hardest…it’s what got Eve…
• The serpent said eating this thing will make you like God…make you the authority…and that got her and as a consequence God said to Eve, “You have awakened something in your heart that is going to cause you a problem…” (drugs, immorality, etc.) Genesis 3:16…but kids at the end of the day, if God gives an order regarding order…we must submit…
• Now, for this church, we will have women involved in every type of everything…except, pastoral leadership. Because 1 Corinthians 11, Ephesians 5, 1 Timothy 2…God has ordained the leadership role to be a male role. Can a woman teach for me on a Wednesday night or Sunday morning? YES. Because they are under pastoral authority…and on my authority, I am asking you to receive from them…would folks leave the church…maybe…but I am careful to separate preference from precept…and this is where I land.

• Paul closes with giving the high calling that is on a woman…hey men, you can’t bear children…see there’s a “you can’t” statement for you…does that offend you? NO WAY! HA! You see, these things God has set in place…its simply perspective that brings about contempt or compliment…

• Paul says women will be “saved” in child-bearing and we know that he is not talking about salvation but rather in terms of firing on all cylinders…in raising the children a mother is filled. Men can’t do it. We can’t have them and we can’t give them what you can…have with little ones what you can…and so God has given you women something a man can’t have…the filling and feeling of having and raising a little one…

• It’s the same in ministry by the way…hatching new converts to Christ and then watching them grow and strengthen, it’s so sweet…so filling and that is the purpose of this chapter to son Timothy…so that the work of the ministry might flourish and as many as possible will be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth…