God’s protection and men’s stewardship.

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 2:15 But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

Application: I love the fact that You Lord place statements in Your Word that require us to be honest with it and spend time considering it’s meaning. This verse has really caused issues over the years, simply because sloppy handling of the Word. The word for preserved is σώζω sṓzō – and is used throughout the New Testament, many times referring to eternal salvation. Due to careless hermeneutics, some have come to believe that women can be eternally saved through giving birth to a child. This of course is totally opposite of the teaching in all of the Scriptures on the topic of salvation. The Word is clear that we are saved by grace, without any works on our part. Christ did all the work. The other idea that has come is that women will continue to exist simply because some of the children born will be females. That’s true, but it does not fit the context of this scripture. That is the key to understanding this. 

Women are physically weaker for the most part then men. They are also less aggressive. So, of the two humans we have in the world, males can dominate and conquer easier. Now add to that that God has ordained that women in families are to be submitted to their own husbands. Add to all of that, woman fell into sin first and part of her judgment was an even greater submission to her husband. In a society where the strongest survives, women could easily end up being nothing more than sexual slaves and treated as trash. Sadly, this does happen in many parts of the world today, but the Word of God has done much to change that when it enters a society. Here in this Scripture we see how God has countered that natural law in society by making women the key to the survival of all humanity! Men know they need to keep women safe so they can continue their line. Men also are tied to their mothers in a special way from You Lord and that elevates womanhood to most. One of the clear marks of a society that is being impacted by the gospel is how the value and treatment of women in that society changes. The Scriptures make it clear that only in role and position women are different than men, in essence they are both creations of our Lord. So even in a society that does not honor You Lord, women are better protected in a tough world due to child bearing which makes them valuable to society. How much more should that be true in the world of believers? These women are not only our mothers and lovers; they are our sisters and joint heirs in eternity. So even though in position in the Body of Christ they are not to be the shepherd of the local Body, You make it clear that women are essential to us and we should never forget that! Forgive us when we do Lord!  

Meditation Questions: what is your view on the difference between men and women? Is there any difference in worth? If so, why? If not, why? If God built in protection for the weaker sex in humans, how should not affect how men treat women?  Does protecting and providing for women make them inferior in any way to men? If so, why? If not, why? What does that say? What does the word stewardship mean to you? Are men stewards of women in our society? What does your answer say about what you believe?

Reaping what someone else sowed?

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 2:9-15 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, ¹⁰ but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 

¹¹A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. ¹² But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ¹³ For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ¹⁵ But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

Application: We have seen that God has certain responsibilities for His children in the Body of Christ. Paul gives one of those responsibilities here. Men are to be the shepherd leaders in the local Body. Not dictators or bullies, as we know from Christ’s example, the real leader is a servant. We already saw that the first part of the reasoning of this from Scripture is that Paul points out that man was created first, then woman. Giving man the headship role in position. One thing that is clear no matter our own biases on this issue, we cannot honestly try and claim some cultural reason for this, Paul goes all the way back to the garden, so this is pre-culture! The second factor in the reasoning makes a lot of sense if we keep it in the context of the garden. Eve was deceived, and fell into transgression. Some try to say this means women are not able to rightly discern the Word but are easily deceived. It is clear these folks have not met the women I have that have studied theology. My own daughter has a theology degree and was above all the young men her Hebrew class. She kills me in that language! No, it is clear that it has everything to do with the garden. 

Remember, Eve was not deceived concerning the right and wrong of the tree, she corrected the serpent about what they were commanded they could and could not do. Eve was deceived that God met business about dying. After her sin, she was given a twofold judgment: increased pain in childbirth, and to be in submission to her husband while having a real desire for her husband. There is debate over what this means, some say it means Eve would desire to rule over her husband – I don’t find that the best understanding because I think this a human drive, not just a female drive. Everyone wants to be boss; even my 1-year-old grandson wants to rule me. I believe this desire is for the woman to please her husband and that’s why it is a judgment. It is hard enough to submit to someone, but consider how difficult it is to submit to a jerk, that you love and want to please, despite his “jerkiness”! How many men stay with wives that are drunkards, physically abusive or sexually unfaithful? Why are so many women willing to remain in that situation? I believe it is because God gave them a natural desire to really try and please their husband. So, although, I firmly believe men were to be the headship of the family from the creation, I believe that headship became more intense after the fall. In the Body of Christ men continue in that position of headship. Ladies, do not think you got the worst of it – because man did not fall into sin, but willfully chose to be with woman over God, not only is work now sweat, but everyone that is ever born dies because of us. That was the judgment on man – death spreads to all!

Meditation Questions: Do you ever feel it is unfair that God holds us responsible for what Adam and Eve did in the garden? What do you do with that feeling? Do you believe in Adam and Eve, the garden and Original Sin? If so, why? If not, why? Does it make a difference? If you had been in the garden what do you think you would have done? What does that show you? Whether or not we agree with the role that has been placed on us due to the fall, how should we live?

Is everyone equal in everything?

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 2:9-15 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, ¹⁰ but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.¹¹ A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. ¹² But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ¹³ For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ¹⁵ But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

Application: Paul’s explanation for the position of responsibility in this text has caused a lot of discussion over the centuries. I will not pretend to have the answer nor offer to send it to you by tape if you send me $12.95! :) It is good for us to consider certain issues here though and see if we can sense the mind of the Lord on this issue. He is not a chauvinist and holds women in the same esteem he holds men. All created in His image, all sinners and all can be saved by grace through faith!  First, let’s remember that all through the Scriptures we see the importance of women in God’s work. Jesus during His ministry was supported by women and they were some of His most faithful followers. In the early church they played key roles:

Romans 16:1,6,12 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 12  Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

Acts 18:24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26  He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

There are two issues: First, Paul states that Adam was created first. This was God’s choice, and in His wisdom He created man, and then created woman from man to be a “helper” to him. Think position, not essence. Woman had the purpose of completing man and working alongside him to accomplish what God desired man to do. This gave man the lead position and God holds him accountable to that. So in the Body of Christ the men are expected to be the spiritual leaders and shepherds. The women are to help them do that, which includes submitting to their leadership – as long as it does not go contrary to the Word of God. A husband or a Pastor can never compel a woman to disobey God, which includes offending her conscience. This can be a difficult task, as all submission is whether men or women. The real question is who are we trying to please? Men? Ourselves? Or God? If our submission is produced by a love to please God, that changes it’s nature. To seek His approval and His approval alone is truly liberating in this world of images and reputations. 

Meditation Questions: Can you be content not being the one in control? Do you dislike the idea of positions and roles in life? Why? Why not? What does that show you about yourself? When you are required to submit to something that you don’t like, what do you feel? What does that say? When you’re the one in charge, what do you feel when someone does not submit to your leadership? What can we do to make it easier to submit to us?