1 Timothy 2:8-15 (ESV)
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
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I suppose I can't just skip this passage, can I?
Obviously, much has been made of these verses. Many traditions still do not allow women to teach men. Me? I was taught to preach by a woman. (Those of you who have heard me preach can decide for yourselves if the Kingdom of God is better for that or not.)
So I certainly give thanks for women teachers and celebrate the wisdom and knowledge they bring to the church. So how do I understand these verses?
In verses 8-10, I think Paul is trying to help us see the distractions in our lives. Whether we are male or female, we need to be more focused on God than we are on ourselves, and our lives should not impede the prayer and worship of others. For the men, maybe their quarrels are distractions. If they come with anger before the Lord, their hearts aren't in the right place. For the women, if they're more concerned about their appearance than their spiritual life, that's not healthy. If they believe their worth derives from how they look rather than their identity as children of God, that's not right. If anything is turning our focus from God, we need to put that away.
As for the second half of this passage, I read it along with an understanding that this was written in a different culture, 2,000 years ago. Paul was focused on how the church would fit in with that modern society, and I think Paul's concern was that the church not be so socially revolutionary that it (a) turn away potential believers and (b) attract too much attention from the Roman empire.
Was Paul writing something that was intended to be taken as black-and-white truth for every culture in every time? Personally, I don't think so. Jesus included women in his life and ministry in varied ways, never seeming to judge them based on gender. I don't believe the early church ignored this aspect of Jesus' leadership, but I do believe that Paul tried to be sensitive to that culture at the time. This is my own limited interpretation, but it's what I believe.
As for Paul's statement that women shall be saved by childbearing? I believe this refers to the fact that the Messiah was born of a woman. We were all delivered from sin by the birth of a child. Paul is reaching back and referring to the first sin in the Garden of Eden, and he's reminding us that deliverance follows sin, thanks be to God!
Also, I've included Eugene Peterson's The Message paraphrase below, because I find that helpful with passages like this one.
Blessings
1 Timothy 2:8-15 (MSG)
8-10 Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.
11-15 I don’t let women take over and tell the men what to do. They should study to be quiet and obedient along with everyone else. Adam was made first, then Eve; woman was deceived first—our pioneer in sin!—with Adam right on her heels. On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve. But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness, gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this.
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
***********************
I suppose I can't just skip this passage, can I?
Obviously, much has been made of these verses. Many traditions still do not allow women to teach men. Me? I was taught to preach by a woman. (Those of you who have heard me preach can decide for yourselves if the Kingdom of God is better for that or not.)
So I certainly give thanks for women teachers and celebrate the wisdom and knowledge they bring to the church. So how do I understand these verses?
In verses 8-10, I think Paul is trying to help us see the distractions in our lives. Whether we are male or female, we need to be more focused on God than we are on ourselves, and our lives should not impede the prayer and worship of others. For the men, maybe their quarrels are distractions. If they come with anger before the Lord, their hearts aren't in the right place. For the women, if they're more concerned about their appearance than their spiritual life, that's not healthy. If they believe their worth derives from how they look rather than their identity as children of God, that's not right. If anything is turning our focus from God, we need to put that away.
As for the second half of this passage, I read it along with an understanding that this was written in a different culture, 2,000 years ago. Paul was focused on how the church would fit in with that modern society, and I think Paul's concern was that the church not be so socially revolutionary that it (a) turn away potential believers and (b) attract too much attention from the Roman empire.
Was Paul writing something that was intended to be taken as black-and-white truth for every culture in every time? Personally, I don't think so. Jesus included women in his life and ministry in varied ways, never seeming to judge them based on gender. I don't believe the early church ignored this aspect of Jesus' leadership, but I do believe that Paul tried to be sensitive to that culture at the time. This is my own limited interpretation, but it's what I believe.
As for Paul's statement that women shall be saved by childbearing? I believe this refers to the fact that the Messiah was born of a woman. We were all delivered from sin by the birth of a child. Paul is reaching back and referring to the first sin in the Garden of Eden, and he's reminding us that deliverance follows sin, thanks be to God!
Also, I've included Eugene Peterson's The Message paraphrase below, because I find that helpful with passages like this one.
Blessings
1 Timothy 2:8-15 (MSG)
8-10 Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.
11-15 I don’t let women take over and tell the men what to do. They should study to be quiet and obedient along with everyone else. Adam was made first, then Eve; woman was deceived first—our pioneer in sin!—with Adam right on her heels. On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve. But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness, gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this.