The woman’s role in salvation is to create life and reflect God’s love
This letter is full of instruction in how Christ’s Body is to function. Throughout the New Testament Scripture God speaks to HIS Body…HE tells US how we are to live and relate to HIM.
This letter is full of God establishing ‘Cultural Norms’ for Christian Communities. Through His proven servants [Paul & Timothy] God instructs US…God created this Scripture to instruct the Body of Christ. In our text today we see the establishment of behaviors and standards for Christ’s Body. This reflects the values of the Nation of Israel and the teaching of Christ Jesus. Today we have instruction on roles men and women are to play in worship. God created 2 genders to play 2 different roles in the gatherings of the church. These roles, when played properly, relationally connect the Body to the Head [Christ]. These roles, when played properly, show men and women how BE God honoring.
God made women to feel, think and act in particular ‘God Given’ ways. God made men to feel, think and act in particular ways, again ‘God Given Ways’. We are going to look at Genesis today to help US see these ‘God-Given Roles’. This in not new stuff for God’s people, the Torah is very gender specific. Gender Roles emanate from the created order in Scripture [not norms of the time]
Complimentarism:
God designed men & women to play ‘complimentary’ roles, not the same roles. When we play our roles properly, we properly relate to God as HE intended. In this passage, the context is the Body of Christ gathering for worship. We will see how men and women are to BE in these gatherings…[not just act but BE]
1 Timothy 2:8-15 [NLT]
8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.
- Scripture creates a standard: The role of men in worship
- Worship gatherings were in various places…
- No matter where they gather, God’s best for men is a focus on Prayer & Action
- ‘Holy Hands’ result from a good conscience (1:5 & 1:19)
- Lifted hands is a sign of submission [prayer is a surrendered act]
- Right standing with God and humans eliminates anger and controversy
- Men’s role in gatherings of Christ’s Body: prayerfully accountability for sin
- Men are accountable for the sin of humanity [Romans 5:12-17]
9 And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.
- Scripture creates a standard: For Women in places of worship [Body gathering]
- Modesty is the role Godly women are to play in the gathering of the Body
- Paying a minimal amount of attention to their appearance
- Attire that is ‘Decent’ = Occasion Appropriate [and overall modest]
- Over done Hair / Costly Jewelry / Expensive Clothes = Not for Jesus’ Church
- Women are to play the role of not creating distraction from God’s revelation
10 For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
- Scripture creates a standard: for Women who ‘claim’ to be devoted to God
- Devotion to God is to be understood as a surrendered life to Christ Jesus
- For such Women are called to focus on what they do… not how they look
- Ultimately the attitude and behavior is to focus on God and what HE is doing
11 Women should learn quietly and submissively. 12 I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.
- Scripture creates a standard: for women who ‘claim’ devotion to God
- Context of learning that is that of a worship gathering dealing with Scripture
- Again the role of women is to not distract from God speaking to HIS people
- God is speaking through Paul [this is not Paul’s idea, it is GOD’S]
- God’s roles for men and women are different…starting with creation
13 For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result.
- The Scripture references creation to validate the teaching of different roles
- God created men to lead in the relationship of humanity with God
- Because He made men first, they are meant to be the conduit of revelation
- It was not Adam who was deceived because Eve tried to play his role
- Eve was deceived because she wanted to be the conduit of revelation
- The Scripture is connecting the different roles in the church with creation
- It is not about equality in sameness, it is about different roles of equal value
Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
~ Genesis 2:15-17
The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for the man there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” ~ Genesis 2:20-23 NLT
15 But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.
- Womenkind will play a role in salvation by giving birth
- This is not about specific women being saved but the role of women in general
- They are to reflect God’s love and holiness though their faith & modesty
Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” ~ Genesis 3:16 NLT
SUMMARY & APPLICATION 4 MEN
In worship settings, men play the role of being the conduit of revelation from God
The prayer life of men should be matched with deeds [work of the hands]
Creation Order establishes this role, men sin by abandoning their role [passivity]
The Man’s role in salvation is to pass along God’s love free of anger and controversy
SUMMARY & APPLICATION 4 WOMEN
In worship settings women are to play the role of keeping the focus on God
Rather than a focus on their appearance, they are to focus on kingdom work
Creation Order establishes this role, women sin by taking over the role of men