Introduction:
A. In Psalm 119:103, David wrote: How sweet your word is to my taste - sweeter than honey in my mouth.
1. The Word of God is sweet indeed, and nourishing too, but scooping a hand full of honey from a bee’s nest can be dangerous and painful.
2. And whenever a preacher dips his hand into the sticky topic of the women’s role in the church, he takes the chance of stirring up a bee’s nest of controversy.
3. I hope and pray that we can receive the nourishment that God intends for us to receive from today’s section of 1 Timothy 2 without undue conflict or misunderstanding.
B. Unfortunately, many people approach the relationship between men and women as a battle of the sexes, but that was not God’s intention when He created us male and female.
1. God created us to be two distinct parts that compliment and complete each other.
2. If we could do an openminded, unbiased, comprehensive study of Scripture concerning God’s intentions for men and women, then we would be able to conclude that God created men and women with equal value, but with different roles.
a. But it is hard for us to be openminded and unbiased because of our own personal desires and the effect of our communities and the culture around us.
3. I believe the truth of God’s Word reveals the following about the roles of men and women: One thing the Bible reveals is that God has created both men and women in His image.
a. The Bible says: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:27).
b. Men and women are equally valued in God’s sight, because both reflect God’s image.
4. Another thing the Bible makes clear is that all who are in Christ are equal in value and spiritual benefits.
a. The Bible says: 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:26-28)
b. Paul’s point here is that one’s gender or race or societal status does not restrict them from oneness in Christ.
c. A person’s gender or race doesn’t exclude them from salvation nor from spiritual benefits.
5. Another thing the Bible reveals is that God highly values women and that they have always played an important role in what God accomplishes in the world.
a. Eve, was the first wife and mother of the human race (Gen. 2:18-24, 3:16, 4:1-2).
b. Deborah, was a judge in Israel (Judges 4:1-9).
c. Ruth, was a noble person and her son was the grandfather of King David (Ruth 4:13-22).
d. It was Esther whom God used to save God’s people from Haman’s evil plan (Esther).
e. Consider the impact of the mothers of Moses and Samuel, and Mary, the mother of Jesus.
f. Consider all the women who helped Jesus and the disciples (Mark 15:41).
g. Consider all the women who were at Jesus’ cross & tomb (John 19:25; Luke 24:9-10).
h. The first person to witness the resurrected Jesus was Mary Magdalene (Luke 20:10-18).
i. Think of the many women whom were commended in Scripture for their service and support of the church, and the many women who had churches meeting at their homes.
j. From all these examples, we can clearly see that God values women and that they have always played an important role in what God accomplishes in the world.
6. A final thing the Bible makes clear, is that as a compliment to the important and distinctive role of women, God has always assigned the role of primary spiritual leadership to men.
a. This is called the principle of male spiritual leadership and it is God’s plan for humankind.
b. The very order of the creation of male and female suggests important truths about male spiritual leadership. (Gen. 2)
1. God could have created both the man and the woman simultaneously, or He could have created the woman before the man.
2. The fact that God chose neither of those options, but instead created the man before the woman carries special significance.
3. The difference in sequence and source in creation of male and female suggests a functional difference in status between two equals.
4. Adam’s status as “first-created” suggests similar implications as with his “firstborn” successors – that is, that responsibility for family leadership fell upon Adam; family headship was on his shoulders.
c. In the Patriarchal Age of the Old Testament, men were always the spiritual leaders of families and offered the sacrifices to God – Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob led their families.
d. In the Mosaic Age, only men were priests and, thus, only men led temple worship.
e. In the Christian Age, male spiritual leadership continues to be the command and practice.
1. Jesus chose 12 men to be the apostles.
2. In all accounts of public proclamation in the early church, only men do the preaching.
3. Only men are to be elders, deacons and evangelists (1 Tim. 3:1-15; 2:12; Titus 1:5-9).
f So, God has assigned the leadership role in the church to men, just as He has in marriage.
1. Ephesians 5:22-23 says: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church…”
g. In the church and in the home, God calls men to spiritual leadership and headship, but not dictatorship.
1. And tragically this is where many men have failed to live up to God’s ideal.
2. A nagging frustration of godly women is that there are far too many men who hold positions of spiritual responsibility without being either spiritual or responsible!
C. As you know all too well, these basic biblical principles are overtly and militantly rejected by our culture.
1. Our culture labels as sexist any attempt to differentiate between the roles of men and women.
2. Prevailing culture promotes a doctrine of sameness, where men and women are the same, and in which women should be allowed to exercise the exact authority as men and hold any position they can hold.
3. Any perspective that even suggests gender-based role distinctions is viewed with suspicion and hostility.
D. But ultimately, what matters is not what prevailing culture thinks, or what you or I think, but what matters is what God thinks.
1. Do we want what we want, or do we want what God wants?
2. That’s why it is so important for us to allow the Bible to say what it says about this subject, whether we like it or not.
3. So, what does the Bible teach about the roles of men and women in the church?
4. In all honesty, I can’t provide an exhaustive answer to that question in one sermon, but today we will examine one of the most important texts for this topic.
5. One of the reasons that I preach expository sermon series through biblical books is to force us to deal with certain texts and topics that we might otherwise avoid, either because they are too difficult or controversial, or because we enjoy easier, lighter, or more popular topics.
6. Here is a list of some of the other important texts on the role of women for your own personal study: Genesis 1-3; 1 Corinthians 11:1-16; 14:34-36; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:21-33; Colossians 3:18-19; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-7.
E. Before we delve into the passage we will study today, let me make a few observations about women in today’s world.
1. First, in the world arena, women have become more liberated than restrained.
a. This is not a bad thing overall.
b. Many doors once closed to women have been opened.
c. Women can be doctors, lawyers, CEOs, Supreme Court justices, and presidents.
d. Today’s woman has many more choices open to her than her counterpart of 50 years ago, 100 years ago, or 1000 years ago.
2. Second, regarding home life, women have become more assaulted than supported.
a. Sadly, the extremely significant work of creating a caring, nurturing, life-enriching environment for the family, as well as the vital task of shaping children’s lives, has been devalued in our society.
b. The title “homemaker” produces smirks and put-downs for many today.
c. Dorothy Patterson observes that women “have been brainwashed to believe that the absence of a titled, payroll occupation enslaves a woman to failure, boredom, and imprisonment within the confines of home” - But as you know, that is not true.
3. Third, as a result of these changing cultural trends and attitudes, women in the church are sometimes more confused than informed.
a. I am amazed at how many churches, colleges and seminaries have abandoned the biblical truths about the role of women that they have held for centuries.
b. Some Christian groups are telling women you can do anything in the church, while other groups are telling them they cannot, and women are left frustrated, and confused.
c. That’s why we need to listen to the only absolutely reliable voice of truth - the Word of God itself.
F. With all this preliminary discussion now covered, let’s dive into our passage.
1. As always, the context of a passage gives us our bearings.
2. Keep in mind that this letter deals with conduct in the church, not society at large.
a. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul said that he wrote this letter to Timothy so that he might know how people are to conduct themselves in God’s household, the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
3. In chapter 2, Paul has been addressing prayer, telling Timothy to pray for all men (vs. 1), because God desires “all men” to be saved (vs. 4).
4. As I pointed out last week, the Greek word for “men” is anthropos, the generic term for all of humanity, and Paul used that term in the early verses of chapter 2.
5. But in verse 8, Paul switched terms when he said that he wanted all men (aner) everywhere to life up holy hands in prayer.
a. The word he used in verse 8 specifically denotes the male gender.
b. So, starting with verse 8, Paul began to assign certain activities to the different sexes.
c. First, the men are to lift up holy hands in prayer without anger or disputing.
d. Paul wasn’t trying to discouraging women from praying in general, rather he was urging the men to take the lead in prayer in the church.
6. Having given instruction to men, Paul then gave instruction for women in verse 9 and following.
G. Paul wrote: 9 Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel, 10 but with good works, as is proper for women who profess to worship God. 11 A woman is to learn quietly with full submission. 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to remain quiet. (1 Tim. 2:9-12)
1. So, what is expected from the women? Paul said: First, women are to wear proper dress.
a. Someone might ask, “is that the extent of God’s concern for women?”
b. I would respond that this passage is diminished in its depth if one thinks of it primarily as an instruction to men on the posture of prayer (lift up holy hands) or an instruction to women on the adornment of the body (women are to dress in modest clothing).
c. The real contrast here is between the artificial glamour of the world and the true beauty of a godly life.
d. Ephesus was a wealthy commercial city, and some women there competed against each other for attention and popularity.
e. In that day expensive hairdos arrayed with costly jewelry were an accepted way to get to the top socially.
f. So, what is Paul’s point? Very clearly Paul says that women should adorn themselves in modest adornment.
g. He isn’t discouraging tasteful makeup, attractive jewelry, and nicely-arranged fashions.
h. His concern is that glitter and gaudiness not replace godliness - especially in worship!
i. The godly women is not trying to turn worship into a fashion show - she is there to worship God, she is not there to gather attention to herself from other women or from men, and she certainly does not want to be a hindrance to men (by dressing provocatively) or to the poor (because they can’t afford expensive clothes or hairdos).
j. So, the first instruction to her is to wear appropriate attire and to focus on good deeds, because character, not clothes, makes the woman.
3. Second, women are to learn in quietness and full submission.
a. Now, before we accuse Paul of sexism or down-right meanness, let’s get the full meaning from his words.
b. To begin with, Judaism discouraged women from learning at all (until the 20th century, Jewish women were discouraged form learning the Talmud and other Jewish texts).
c. So, Paul’s instructions on how women should learn represent a shift from exclusiveness in Judaism to inclusiveness in Christianity.
d. With that in mind, what does it mean for a woman to learn “quietly” and in “submission”?
e. Vine offers this helpful comment: “The injunction is not directed towards a surrender of mind and conscience, or the abandonment of the duty of private judgment; but that a woman should not attempt to usurp the authority of men in public.”
f. This verse is certainly no gag rule for women to observe the moment they enter the church building.
g. Rather, in the preaching service, women should focus on listening instead of preaching, of receiving instruction rather than giving it.
h. There is no reason to draw from this passage a prohibition against women singing in the service, teaching Sunday school, or performing a variety of other ministries.
4. Third, women are to refrain from teaching or exercising authority over men.
a. There is no doubt from this passage, that the role of the authoritative delivery of the Word and the authoritative leading of men is restricted to men.
b. Paul gave similar instructions to the Corinthians when he wrote: “the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but are to submit themselves…” (1 Cor. 14:34)
c. Women certainly are permitted and commanded to teach younger women (Tit 2:3-4), and children (Paul urged Timothy to remember the good instruction he received as a child from his mother and Grandmother.), but they are not to teach or have authority over men.
d. There is no example of a woman in the NT in the role of preacher, or elder.
e. The word “silent” is exactly the same phrase that is rendered “in quietness” in v. 11.
f. Quietness is an important Christian virtue for men and women, and Paul was especially opposed to confusion in the public services of the church – God is a God of order.
H. But why must the women remain silent and why are they not permitted to teach or have authority over men?
1. Upon what reasons did Paul base these distinctions?
a. Was he arbitrarily handing out these assignments to men and women?
b. Did he have a hidden agenda against women?
c. The next two verses provide the basis for his instruction: 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.
2. Paul’s first reason for the distinctive roles for men and women was established by the Creation.
a. Note that Paul did not appeal to culture or custom for male spiritual leadership, rather he appealed to creation – the very beginning of God’s creation of humankind.
b. The roles Paul spelled out here are a product of God’s fundamental design, where Adam was formed first, then Eve.
c. There is more involved here than mere chronological priority as I mentioned earlier in this sermon.
d. Paul saw the priority in time as indicative of the leadership given to the male, and to which the woman is the helper suitable for him.
e. Does this mean that men are inherently better or more spiritual than women? Absolutely not.
f. But in God’s sovereign wisdom, He made the human pair in such a manner that it is right for men to lead and women to follow.
g. To those who would say, but that’s not fair, I would also point to the fact that there were 12 tribes in Israel, but by God’s command only one tribe was allowed to serve at the temple.
h. The men of 11 tribes of Israel were not allowed to serve as priests, simply because God had a sovereign right to make that choice.
i. In the same way, God made the choice to create man first and to give him the position of leadership.
3. Paul’s second reason for the distinctive roles for men and women was confirmed by the Fall.
a. When we think about the Fall, we usually think of it in connection with Adam.
b. Adam bears responsibility for the Fall since he was the head of the human race.
c. But we have to keep in mind that he didn’t fall first - Eve did.
d. When Eve got out from under the protection of Adam’s leadership and attempted to deal independently with the enemy, she was deceived - this reinforces the truth that women were designed with the need for the leadership and protection of men.
e. The Fall was the result not only of disobeying God’s command, but also of violating the divinely appointed role of the sexes.
f. Eve acted independently and assumed the role of leadership.
g. Adam violated his role by abdicating his leadership position and following Eve’s lead.
h. It’s important to note that women are not more defective than men, we need each other and are simply vulnerable in different ways – we are designed and created differently.
4. Paul affirmed the leadership of men because it is established by the creation and confirmed by the Fall.
a. It had nothing to do with the culture of the time and so it was not a temporary instruction.
b. The reason for God’s command was not culture, but the very creation and fall of humans.
I. So far, Paul’s instruction to women sounds like a string of negatives: “don’t wear certain things, be quiet, don’t teach, don’t exercise authority,” therefore, Paul chose to end with something positive about the role of women.
1. In what realm of responsibility did Paul see women shining the brightest?
2. In verse 15, Paul wrote: But she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with good sense.
a. The NIV translates the verse: But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
3. What does Paul mean that women are saved through childbearing?
a. We know that the salvation that Paul was talking about could not be eternal salvation, because we know that everyone is saved by grace through faith, not by works. (Eph. 2)
b. So, the kind of salvation, Paul was talking about must be a different kind of salvation.
4. Theologians have come up with many explanations for what Paul meant, but the best interpretation seems to be that women are “saved” from wearing the label of “the one who was deceived” by performing the role God ordained for them in the first place - motherhood.
5. A woman led the human race into sin in the past, yet going forward, women will benefit humankind by replenishing it and leading children to godliness through their influence.
6. A mother’s or mother-figure’s godliness and virtue can have a profound impact on the life of children.
7. The teaching and rearing of children gives a woman dignity, and her contribution is invaluable.
8. However, she must continue in faith, love, and holiness, for only a godly mother-figure can rear godly children.
9. Even though some women never have children of their own, and some never marry, as a general rule, being a “mother” to children is one the greatest contributions a woman can make to the human race.
10. And motherhood is a role that only women can play.
11. Thank God for all the godly, spiritual women of our congregation, who fulfill their important, distinctive role in our church family! You help to make us complete, healthy, and strong!
Conclusions:
A. As I bring this sermon to a close, let me give a final word to men, to women, and to everyone.
B. First a word to men, these role distinctions are to be gently respected, not exaggerated, expanded or exploited.
1. This passage doesn’t give men the license to dominate women in the church or in their homes.
2. Men are to be servant leaders, who lovingly lead as Christ loved and led the church.
3. Men should recognize and rely upon the wonderful spring of insight, wisdom, strength, sensitivity and creativity of women – women are so gifted and have so much to offer.
C. Next a word to the women, your positive response to this instruction will help the church maintain is distinctiveness.
1. The church does not take its direction from the world.
2. God wants Christian men and women to live in a way that reflects His character, His holiness, His Word and His Will - regardless of what the world says and does.
3. So godly women should embrace and flourish in their God-given, distinctive role.
D. Finally, a word to everyone, it’s God’s right to decide the best way for humans to flourish inside and outside the church.
1. Those who take their cues from the world will struggle to accept or to appreciate this teaching.
2. If we have a problem with what Paul wrote here in 1 Timothy about women in the church, then the issue is not with Paul, but with the Holy Spirit who guided what Paul wrote.
3. We must keep in mind that God is the designer, creator and sustainer of all things, and therefore it is God’s right to decide the best way for humans to flourish inside and outside the church.
4. If there is no God, or if the Bible is not His word, then we are on our own, and therefore, your opinion is as good as mine.
5. Listening to the opinions of the world leads to further confusion and conflict.
6. Listening to the Lord leads to order and peace.
7. I choose to trust the Lord and to receive His order and peace, how about you?
Resources:
• 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, Commentary by David Roper, Truth For Today Commentary
• “The Distinctive Role of Women” Sermon by David Owens
• Charles Swindoll’s Radio Program Study Guide on 1 Timothy
