Text: 1 Tim 2:11-15, Title: The Scariest Sermon I’ve Ever Preached, Date/Place: WHBC, 4/8/18, AM
A. Opening illustration: I’ve preached on gay marriage before a referendum was voted upon. I have preached on hell and eternal punishment. I’ve preached on false salvation. I have preached on God’s design for suffering after many “preventable” events. I have preached on church discipline. I’ve preached on election/predestination. I’ve preached on modesty. This sermon today, I have wrestled with for weeks. I have discussed it with everyone I know. I have read everything I have to read.
B. Background to passage: Paul has begun to give Timothy his list of issues that he needs to fix at Ephesus. False teachers had confused and led astray many. Therefore, this text and all the rest of the book, really all the text of the bible is set forth to advance the kingdom, to further the gospel, and to glorify Christ. So, if you are here today and you have never embraced Christ as your treasure, look to the cross first. Be born again first. Let the gospel transform you first. Jesus loves you first. He desires repentance and followership first. Believe. This text again deals with women and their role in the church. I wish that I could cover the breadth of the angles regarding women in ministry, but there is not time. However, I will try to include most texts and truths relevant to this subject matter. Two reminders: 1) this is the next text in the book, 2) I do not take any preaching of the Word lightly. As much as I want you to check behind me and learn it for yourself, I do not have the liberty to stand before you and in an authoritative sermon and get it wrong. The only authority I have comes from this pure and unadulterated Word. I have labored to get it right. Hard texts in the bible exist for a reason.
C. Main thought: Women in ministry, then and now.
A. How and Why We Read the Text (v. 11-15)
1. We must read the text at face value.
i. There is no reason explicitly stated to take the text and look at it figuratively. The latter part of the text deals with real people in a real situation. This also goes to show that the instruction here was based on creation, not upon context. The link back to creation as a basis for these and other similar teaching is also noted in 1 Cor 11 where prayer and prophesy by women are dealt with. In fact, it is noted that when Eve usurped the headship role, sin entered into the picture.
ii. We do not take other texts of the NT and explain how they only applied to that situation, but not to ours. We must take context into consideration. The women of Ephesus were specifically named as being led astray. They were known to be aggressive with their new-found freedom in Christ, and seek prominence in the church, flaunting themselves to excess. The city’s patron deity was female, and they may have exerted more authority because of this reality. However, we must tread lightly regarding reading too much into the instruction as a back context. Don’t argue from silence.
iii. Paul gives us his normal practice, not as a suggestion for Timothy. God preserved it for us all to read. Paul is an apostle; thus, he is speaking with a God-delegated authority.
2. 1 Cor 3:13
3. Illustration: The respectable Greek woman led a very confined life. She lived in her own quarters into which no one but her husband came. She did not even appear at meals. She never at any time appeared on the street alone; she never went to any public assembly. (The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], 67)
4. Oneness in Christ did not obliterate the distinctions between Jews and Gentiles. Nor did it remove the functional differences between slaves and masters (cf. 1 Cor. 7:20–24). Why, then, should we assume it did so between men and women?
B. How We Interpret and Apply the Text (v. 11-15)
1. The difficulty in application of this text is that church in the first century was much different. They did not have Sunday Schools, Vacation Bible Schools, or online bible studies from Francis Chan on Right Now Media. They probably met in homes, in small buildings, sometimes underground, in small numbers (75 max), and with much less organizational structure.
2. So, let’s define some words that might be helpful for interpretation. “Submissiveness” means to line up under” in the sense of proper order, willingly. This is the same word used for children and parents, wives and husbands, as well as the church and its leaders. “Allow” always means to permit a person to do what they want to do. This may indicate that in many first century churches (another reason to apply this to all churches at all times) had women who were attempting to become pastors, but Paul did not allow them to do so. “Teach” in the form here means “to be a teacher.” 3) It should be interpreted clearly as being pastors, but also as other official, church sanctioned doctrinal teachers. Paul does not allow a woman to teach and have authority over men because of the created order designed by God.
3. 1) This goes to role distinctions. The bible teaches that in the home, in the church, and in society there are certain relationships set up for various people and entities. So, 2) many areas of submission exist. Fathers are to lead families as husbands and fathers with wives and children submitting in a godly fashion. In the church, the body as a whole submits to Christ, the congregation submits to its leaders, and men and women have different role distinctions on at least two points. In society, employees submit to their bosses, and citizens submit to their government. Of course, all of these are within the bounds of legal, moral, and ethical constraints. God designed and assigned people different roles because of his wisdom and his creation.
4. Argumentation
5. Illustration:
6. The text is not saying that women cannot speak in corporate worship services. Verse 12 illuminates verse 11 by linking the two concepts that equal silence. Women are supposed to maintain silence as it relates to being a pastor-teacher, elder, evangelist in public worship. In 4) all leadership positions, we want individuals who are willing to first submit to the Word as their final authority, regardless of their level of comfort. 5) Women must stop believing the lie that significance comes through pastoral leadership. Jesus said the least shall be the greatest, and he came to serve, so should we.
C. What I Am and Am Not Saying
1. Women are somehow inferior to men
2. Women’s ability to teach is being called into question – Beth Moore, Pricilla Shirer, Ann Graham Lotz
3. Women cannot be in any leadership positions in the church
4. Women cannot have extremely important roles in advancing the kingdom.
5. Women cannot be gifted with any of the spiritual gifts, including teaching
6. Expressing those gifts in practical areas of ministry: visiting and comforting, counseling (personal, marital, as well as help to the ministerial staff, you would not believe how many women of whom I sought counsel from regarding this sermon). They can be involved and lead outreach ministry, educational programs, mission projects and other ministries. They are to be included in strategy and planning as their gifts are applied. They have a responsibility to teach other women, and this should be taken far beyond a Sunday School Class.
A. Closing illustration: Quote from page 363 of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
The Old Testament affirmed that women have a spiritual status equal to that of men. The Mosaic law was given to all Israel, women as well as men (Deut. 1:1). Both were to teach it to their children (Deut. 6:4–7; Prov. 6:20). The protection of the law applied equally to women (cf. Ex. 21:28–32). Women had inheritance rights (Num. 36:1–12). Men and women alike participated in the Jewish religious feasts (cf. Ex. 12:3; Deut. 16:9–15). The single greatest spiritual vow, the Nazarite vow, was open to both men and women (Num. 6:2). Women were involved in spiritual service (Ex. 38:8; Neh. 7:67). Nor did God hesitate to deal directly with women (Gen. 3:13: 16:7–13; Judg. 13:3).
There are no women pastor-teachers, evangelists, or elders in the New Testament. None of the authors of the New Testament were women. The New Testament nowhere records a sermon or teaching of a woman. While the daughters of Philip are said to have prophesied (Acts 21:9), neither the occasion nor the message is defined. There is no reason to assume they had an on-going preaching ministry, or that they taught during the public worship. They, like Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:46ff.), or Anna (Luke 2:36–39), delivered some message of truth elsewhere. As noted in chapter 6 of this volume, a comparison of 1 Corinthians 11:5 and 14:34 indicates women are permitted to pray and speak the Word, but Paul here makes clear that such allowance is not in the assembly of the church.
