Note: This sermon has been edited for readability.

Transcription

1 Disciple: A Study of 1 st Timothy Men and Women 1 Timothy 2:8-15 Darrin Patrick June 23, 2013 Note: This sermon has been edited for readability Copyright The Journey This summer, we are taking time to go verse by verse through the book of I Timothy. Sometimes when you teach the Bible, you encounter texts that you wouldn't deal with normally. This is, by the way, why most churches, I believe, do not go verse by verse through the Bible because you have to preach on difficult topics, deal with difficult grammar in the Scripture, have to study a lot. So, a lot of pastors just punt, right, just punt. They don't deal with it. We're in one of those text today. We need to put our text into context. The Book of I Timothy was written by the apostle Paul to his mentee, his disciple, Timothy. Paul gives really two reasons why he is writing this book. One is that he would encourage Timothy to correct false doctrine and to confront false teachers. He actually names them in chapter 1. That's one reason Paul wrote this book. Another reason is he wanted the church to know how to behave. He wanted to set straight the kind of behavior, the kind of order to establish the authority from which the church should submit to. We see that in chapter 3 verse 15. Paul says I want you to know how to behave in the household of God which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth. He's literally giving us instructions about how the church should function. All the Scripture is applicable to our lives in one way or another and that it points to God and tells us about God. It shows us how to live in light of who God is. All Scripture is important and profitable but specific verses in books are especially pertinent to us in the 21st century. I think this is one of those books. I actually think this passage is one of those passages that really helps guide us. You know, as we get into this I just need to say, this is going to be more teachy than preachy because we're dealing with very difficult subject matter and very confusing words. This is going to be straight Bible study, homey. I mean, this is going to be like straight up Bible study. The hope and prayer is that we're able to walk through these text together. I want to acknowledge a source that really helps me. I've read a ton on this subject. Men and women in the church and I've read a ton of men who have written on it. The first woman that I've ever read that really dealt with these texts, I think in a profound way is a woman named Page 1 of 12

2 Claire Smith. She's an Aussie so I had fun reading the book in an Australian accent. She was a young woman, young adult woman, who came to Christ and really had a big problem with the Bible and it's view of women. Through studying Scripture, through the Holy Spirit's influence, she was able to come to an understanding of the text, the difficult text in the Bible. I commend to you God's Good Design. It really helps me if you say, "Darrin, how did you study for this?" I've read a ton of books over the years. This book helped me more than anything. It's easy to read especially for those of you who are trying to be Biblical and deal with this thing head on. Before we get in to the controversy, I love how Paul starts our text. Basically, what he says is can I get a brother to pray. Can I get the men to worship? Can I get the men in the church engaged? The Bible is extremely hard on men. It shows how men fail. It shows how men fail to be the kind of men that they're supposed to be. Then, it gives all these Biblical commands. Remember, I Timothy is written to Timothy. Timothy is the pastor at this place called Ephesus. There's a book in the New Testament called Ephesians. Ephesians really is hard on men specifically in chapter 5 because the Book of Ephesians says the husband is the head of the wife. Women get really offended at that verse and guys really get excited and actually neither should happen because we understand what the head is. The head means you're responsible, you're accountable. The head means, in context there Ephesians 5:22 through 33, husband, you're supposed to act like Jesus. Jesus didn't expect you to sacrifice first, He did. Jesus didn't expect you to come to understanding of your owning forgiveness. No, He forgave first. Jesus didn't expect to be served. He served first. Jesus doesn't condemn your character, He works to change your character. Husbands, you're the head, meaning you act like Jesus. You forgive first. You sacrifice most. You take the posture of the servant. You take responsibility for things that aren't your fault. That's what Jesus did. That's what you do for your wife. Husband, you're the head. God is hard on husbands. The reasons why God is hard on husbands and as we're going to see, He's hard on male elders as we get into chapter 3, it's because husbands and elders have a unique authority from God. We've traced this theme of authority throughout the letter. Really, it goes throughout the whole Bible. Paul is talking about authority. In chapter 1, he establishes his own authority as an apostle. One who is sent from God. One who saw the resurrected Christ. Just opposing that to the false teachers who were trying to assume and assert their authority and they didn't have any. We saw this last week in chapter 2 with Paul talking about prayer and how we have an authority above us, that we are to submit to and pray. We can't get our own will done. We have to submit to the will of the God of the universe, the King of all Kings, the One who has authority. Page 2 of 12

3 He acknowledges that government has been put on us as an authority. He's working this theme of authority throughout the text and here we come to the specific instructions for the church and he's talking authority and also remind ourselves what authority is, okay? Authorities are the people that God puts over us to teach, to correct and protect us. That's what authority is. That's parents, right? That's government and, as we're going to see, that's the church. AUTHORITY REQUIRES ORDER AND ROLE CLARITY There's a reality with authority that you have to understand. There are things that go with authority that make it work, if you will. When these things aren't there, authority is either abused or it is not submitted to properly. What are you talking about there? When authority exists, order is necessary. Role clarity is imperative. Let me say it again: When authority exists, and it does everywhere, order is necessary and role clarity is imperative. We're going to see that through our text. We see it in government and our constitution saw this. The founding fathers got this, right? There needs to be checks and balances. The President has a certain role. The Congress, a certain role. The Senate, a certain role. The People, a certain role. There are, literally, clarified roles all throughout our political system. That's just the way government works. Now, you go to Third World countries, you go to socialistic countries, these things don't exist. I really think the founders had it right. Do I think there are government currently represents when I say currently, maybe I would even include the last 100 years Do I believe that that fully represents what the founders had in mind, I'm not so sure. I think in the original intent, they got this, that order's necessary and role clarification is absolutely imperative. It's that way in the home, which is why we see this constant refrain in Scripture about God and we're going to see it today, that God's desire in the home. This is why Paul has been very specific in the church about the roles of men and women. I think C.S. Lewis can help us at this point. Lewis gives the example of God's different roles for men and women illustrated in his mind in a dance, a slow dance. When you're slow dancing, I'm not talking about line dancing. Line dancing is not dancing. Line dancing is one of the worst things white people have ever done in the world. Not line dancing, slow dancing. When you're slow dancing, someone has to lead. You can't have two leaders. One has to lead, one has to follow. You have an initiator and you have a responder but both are equally valued and both are equally important. When authority exists, order is necessary and role clarification is imperative. Page 3 of 12

4 What the Bible does is it talks about the home and the order of the home and then it magnifies it and says, "The way the home is, that's the way I want my Church to be." The way the order in the home, the role clarification in the home has to be in the Church which is why Paul addresses men and women. Paul s Challenge to Men In verse 8, Paul says, "I desire that in every place the men should pray, can I get a brother to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or quarreling." This doesn't seem controversial or hard- hitting but it absolutely is because the two things guys are really good at is anger and arguing. That's because many of us can be described with another A. We're good at anger. We're good at arguing. We're not good at expressive worship in church. We're good at expressive worship at ball games. We're good at expressive worship at concerts but we're not good at it in church. Paul says, "Listen, I want you to learn to express your heart to God symbolized in the raising of hands. I want you to raise your hands to God and I want you to raise your fist to each other. I want you to be as passionate about corporate worship as you are about your arguments." He is challenging men. Why? Because what men do, right? We're good at this guys. We push down our emotions. We just play it cool. We're just cool and everything, poker face and we don't really let anybody see what's going on. He's saying, "Listen, you want to have a better relationship with your wife? You want to get a wife? You want to be a better employee? Boss? Learn how to worship. Learn how to give your heart, your emotions to God." Paul s Challenge to Women Then, it gets to women in the church. Verse 9. Likewise, also, the women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel with modesty and self- control, not with braided hair in gold or pearls or costly attire. Now, this is a controversial verse in and of itself. Does this mean you can't get your hair done, ladies, and wear jewelry and nice clothes? I don't think that's what it's talking about although I think there's some words for men and women too here on issues of modesty and dress. I think there's a reality that for a lot of girls, you're taught this way, a lot of make up less clothes equals more attention. Sometimes you bring that into the church but Paul is speaking, I think, to a reality that women should not draw attention by their externals but by their internals. Not what is arranged on the outside, this is the principle. We can get into is it a mini skirt? All those debates, I don't know that the Bible gives us warrant there. I think that in each community and culture, there's differences there. If it's a good thing for ladies to ask your male friends, "Hey, is this inappropriate? Am I drawing attention to myself in a way? Can you look at me and not think bad thoughts?" That's a really good practice for ladies. Page 4 of 12

5 Let's not get caught up on the thing that Paul tells us not to get caught up on, right? He's saying don't focus on external. Don't draw attention to your look but to your walk. That's what he's saying. The great thing about God is God loves us right where we are. We don't have to pretend to be farther along than we really are. All Christians pretend to be farther along than they really are. We just do. It's just true. What Paul is saying is, men, don't push it down but express it to God. Don't act like everything's okay. Don't push it down. Women, don't dress it up and act like everything's okay spiritually. Don't pretend to be farther along than you really are by your external posture. Don't use external to cover up spiritual. That make sense? Don't use anything external to cover up the spiritual deficiencies in your life. Come to worship ready to be fully open to God, focus on God not on maintaining a cold face, a stone face. Focus on God not worrying about your dress. Focus on God and let God reveal. The men were distracted from God because of internal angst. The women, in this context, were distracted from God because of outward adornment. The church was distracted from God because of false teaching, specifically about gender roles. Paul knows something that, unfortunately, most pastors don't. That is if you don't get the gender role thing right in the church, you have mass confusion, because the culture is massively confused about these issues. So, Paul's hitting it head on. Here's what you have to understand. Early in the chapter, we actually talked about this last week, look at verse 4. Talking about Jesus, He desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. All people. Verse 5. There's one God and there's one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. That word, people, and that word, men, is the generic word for men and women, like mankind, if you will. Paul's talking about this idea that God literally is saving men and women. That this passage, this Gospel, this thing called Christianity has arms wide open for men and women. As we're going to get into it, this passage seems to be limiting and excluding women when in all actuality, in context, is actually freeing them because it's saying you are so valuable that God wants to use you and save you as a part of the greatest rescue mission on the face of the earth. The greatest plan ever thought of, the plan for the redemption and the restoration of the world. Once again, Paul is showing us a principle here. That principle is equal but different. Equal but different. This is men and women. We're equal but we're different. Page 5 of 12

6 1 TIMOTHY 2:11-15 Christianity and Women Let's just jump in. Literally, we're going word by word through verses 11 through 15. The first thing Paul says is let a woman learn or let women learn. You have to understand this is radical, I mean radical because in that day, women had zero rights, zero rights. There was a little prayer book called Siddur. It was a Jewish prayer book that people would use devotionally. Let me read to you one of the prayers that was encouraged by this book for people, men obviously, to pray every day. Here's what it says: Blessed are you King of the universe for not having made me a Gentile, a slave or a woman. That's a real deal, okay? What you have to understand [is] that women were, unless they were married and somehow protected by their husbands, they had no rights. Singleness was just not an option. One of the reasons Christianity was so radical was that it encouraged people in their singleness. No religion had ever done that. Women who are single had zero rights and usually became a slave because that's the only way they can take care of themselves. One of the other resources that I read was this lady named Sarah Ruden who was a feminist, I'm sorry, is a feminist but she's writing this book helping people try to understand who Paul was because Paul was written off as the chauvinist and she doesn't agree. She doesn't believe the Bible is true, holds its authority like we do. Here's what she says and I think it's fascinating. She says, "The female slave on a farm could have the worst of a cow's and an ox's life. She might have started out as an exposed baby." When the babies were born, a lot of times they would only keep the males and they would just set the females out. This is where Christians would adopt these babies later on. This was Roman culture. "She may have started out as an exposed baby, picked up by a slave dealer to be raised like an animal for the most profitable purposes. He would sell her for labor as soon as she could do the simplest tasks," so toddler age, "if she were healthy but not pretty enough to be a prostitute." If you're a girl and you're homely, you get to be a slave. If you're pretty, you get to be a prostitute. That's your future. That's your plan for your life. Christianity came and said no. Actually the early followers of Jesus, the ones who financially supported his ministry, [were] women. Actually at the resurrection, the first people to actually witness it among the first people, [were] women, whose testimony would not have even stood up in court. How did you got into the world? Through the womb of a woman. Christianity was radical in its inclusion of women. I want women to learn. I want women to be educated. Was radical in the 20th Century. Here. How much more radical was it in the 1st Century? I want a woman to learn. But then it says I want a woman to learn quietly with all submissiveness... quietly with all submissiveness. We'll talk about quietly in a second. Page 6 of 12

7 Submission is a willingness to accept the leadership and responsibility of another. There is the voluntary acceptance of someone's leadership and responsibility over your life. I want you to listen to Claire Smith. That's the book I recommended to you. Here's what she says. She says, "Paul is not saying that all women are to submit to all men all the time. Paul is saying that women are to be submissive in church when the teaching is happening to what is being taught and those men who are teaching it." So, submit to your boss and to your boyfriend and to any guy... No. This is specific instance in corporate worship and the posture outside of corporate worship. Submit to the teaching and to the teacher. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness and then, very controversial text, I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man. Let's do a little grammar here so that you can see what Paul is doing. There's two commands and two prohibitions in this text. There is a command that says learn and do in all submissiveness. Then, there's two prohibitions. They go together structurally according to the language of the Bible's written in Greek. Two Commands, Two Prohibitions The commands are those. The prohibitions are teach and exercise authority over a man. Learn, don't teach. Be submissive, don't exercise authority. It's significant that Paul does not say women are not to teach at all. Why do you say that, Darrin? Because the Bible says so. Paul says so. Titus too, he says, I want the women to teach younger women. One of the bad things that's happened to women, and this could be true of men too, ladies, you were not taught by Godly women in your life. You weren't taught. You weren't instructed. So, you had to set sail into this world on your own. You weren't taught how to do finances. You weren't taught how to do relationships. You weren't taught how to eat healthy. You weren't taught these things. You weren't taught how to deal with workplace dynamics. You weren't taught. You weren't taught how to be a mom. You weren't taught. You were neglected in teaching. Paul says I want women to be taught. That's one of the beautiful things of the local churches. We have older ladies. Doesn't matter how old you are in this church. Why? Because there's somebody a little older that can teach and it's awesome. Paul says I want that to happen. One of the leaders of the early church was this lady named Priscilla and her husband was named Aquila. It doesn't say Aquila and Priscilla in the Bible. Order's important in the Bible especially with names. It says Aquila and Priscilla. Aquila had a gift to teaching. One of the hot, young, cool, hip, hotshot pastor, his name was Apollos, he understood a little bit of the Gospel but he's a little off. Who was sent to guide him and teach him? Aquila. Page 7 of 12

8 In context, Paul is not saying women shouldn't teach. He says there is a teaching that should be happening but there is a kind of teaching that women should not do. We'll see this more next week but it is related to preaching. What we would call preaching and what we would call preaching with elder authority. That is what Paul is saying women shouldn't do. Rather than preaching and exercising the authority, like in elder, women are to remain quiet. That's why it says let a woman learn quietly. You see, quiet is bookended in our text. Let a woman learn quietly and then at the bottom it says she is to remain quiet in the verse 12. Paul is doing something structurally in these verses. They're like bookends. Quietness means not speaking in a way, on context, that compromises authority. Quietness is the opposite of authority over men in context. The point is not when a woman says anything or not but whether she is submissive and supportive of the authority of the male elders that are called to oversee the church. That's what it means to be quiet. Let's just recap. Women are given two instructions. One about something they are to do. To learn. They are to learn with a posture of quietness and submission. Then, they're given another instructions about what not to do. They're not to teach in a way that is exercising authority over men. The two reasons that Paul gives, this is the deal, you totally miss this if you don't understand Paul's reasoning. God does not command things in an arbitrary manner. The reason this teaching is maligned is because pastors get up and they teach this without helping people understand why it's being taught. Paul's a good teacher. He's not going to let us get away with that if we'll just read the Bible. The Divine Order The reasons Paul gives, actually there's two reasons, go back to Adam and Eve. They go back to the original creation and the order of creation. He goes right back to Genesis because that is where God's desire for men and women was first declared and then destroyed. Look in verse 13. I Timothy 2:13. For Adam was formed first then Eve and Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Let's break this down. It says Adam, verse 13, was formed first, then Eve. We know through the Genesis account and the clear teaching of the Bible that constantly, by the way, refers back to that Genesis account. God is always coming back to Adam and Eve because Adam and Eve were the best of all human beings. They were the prototype. They were the blueprint for what? God's desire is for men and women. Adam and Eve were equal. They're made from the same stuff. They're equal but they're different. Adam was the first born. He was first. Eve was, then, second. The Bible in the Book of Genesis says Eve was Adam's helper. Before we get all offended about the word helper, you need to understand that that same word, helper, is used to describe God in the Psalms. Don't think inferiority. Helper... Adam is Page 8 of 12

9 the first born and then Eve helps him. Adam is the initiator, Eve is the responder. She is responsible for her own spiritual life before God but Adam is accountable for the marriage. This is what it means to be the head of your home. You see this in the Book of Genesis because Satan enters the world. We'll see that in just a second. God comes to both Adam and Eve to talk to them? No. Genesis 3:9 says God came to the man. You're accountable. Guys, if you are married or thinking about getting married, this ought to give you great fear in a holy way. You're going to stand before God and give account for how you have treated your wife. How you have led your family. That is throughout the Bible. It started all the way in Genesis. Adam, what's going on in your marriage, man? You're accountable. The first reason we see in verse 15 that Paul gives his instruction to women is because it is the way things are supposed to be. The way God actually originally created men and women. There's an order to it. When authority exists, order is imperative, role clarification is necessary. You got to have it. The second reason though, this is why Paul gives his instructions, is because of what happened when sin entered the world which is why verse 14 is important to look at. Verse 14 says Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived. The Genesis account is very clear. Adam and Eve both sinned but Genesis 3 shows us they sinned differently. Adam's sin was more of that of omission. He omitted to do the right thing. He was given responsibility and faced accountability to lovingly lead his wife. Instead, he passively allowed his wife to dialogue with Satan. Instead of stepping in and say that's a lie. I'm going to protect my wife. I'm going to teach and correct. No. I'm going to let Satan talk to my wife. Men have been doing it ever since. That's why most marriages are miserable and most wives don't trust their husbands because their passive when they should be active. We got it from Adam. Adam was accountable for the spiritual direction in his marriage and he failed to step up. His sin was that of omission. Eve's sin, on the other hand, was a sin of commission. Instead of believing God's word, she was deceived by the serpent and then she ate the fruit and then led her husband into sin. The Bible talks about Adam's sin as one of passivity and Eve's sin as one of rebellion. Both are equally awful but the woman was deceived. There's this book I read. It's been in the last couple of years. I think it's been in a little over a year that I read it. It probably has been the most helpful book because what it says is... It's called the Superior Wife Syndrome... what it says is that... it's written by a feminist, not a Christian but essentially she's been working with women and studying culture and she says, "Men are more passive now than ever before and the main reason is because women are so competent." She says this radical thing especially for a feminist. Anybody could say this but especially her. She doesn't blame the men. She blames overly ambitious women. Her remedy is for women to step back, assume more traditional women's roles and allow their husbands to assume more traditional men's roles if, she says, women are to be happy. Radical... radical. Page 9 of 12

10 She's not saying women shouldn't work and guys shouldn't change diapers. Read the book. It is fascinating. I think what her argument is, as I understand it, is exactly the argument that Paul has made. It's the same argument. It's the same thing. Male Leadership, Female Submission Paul's saying I want to re- establish male leadership, female submission appropriately. I want to re- establish these roles that God first established in the pattern of the home and in the church. The disruption of the pattern in the fall should not be repeated. This starts making sense of one of the hardest verses in the New Testament. Look in verse 15. Verse 15. Yet she will be saved through child bearing. He's switching here from Eve to all women, by the way. If they continue in faith, love and holiness with self- control. What? Women are only saved if they have children? Women can only be Christians if they have children? Women are only spiritual if they have children? That's how this verse gets interpreted by right- wing nut job pastors. No. No. That's not what he's saying. One of the basic principles of understanding Scriptures, you compare Scripture with Scripture. That's not what he's saying but this helps us understand. If you understand this verse, it helps us with the rest of the text. Claire Smith again. She says Paul's not talking about child birth being a means of salvation but about Christian women being spiritually preserved or saved from the temptations in faith of Eve and the dangers of false teaching if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self- control. Childbearing is one of the good works which Godly women are to adorn themselves. It's just in a woman to want to have a baby and, as a Christian, the best way to extend your legacy and the best disciple you're ever going to have are your kids. Now the false teachers were saying, "Hey, marriage? That's not really a good idea," chapter 4. "You know what, having children? Not such a good idea," chapter 5. Childbearing is, I think in this text, is for the hand, really, for the responsibilities that are peculiar to a woman. Childbearing remains the main difference in the responsibilities of men and women. Does it not? It's a distinct, feminine responsibility. It's true in the beginning, it's true in New Testament times and it's true now. Viewed that way, I Timothy 2:15 assures Christian women that their faith will be kept safe if they embrace the particular God- given female responsibilities. That they do not have to reject their femininity as God made them in order to be spiritual, in order to be free as the false teachers were saying. Page 10 of 12

11 Paul is saying instead of leaving your roles and assuming male responsibility, preaching with elder authority, thinking as Eve did that this will make you more enlightened, more spiritual, more free. Christian women, please I beg you, avoid Eve's error and you will avoid her fate. Here's what Eve's sin got her. Disconnected from God. Disconnected from her husband. You don't want that, Paul is saying. Friends, I understand there are some unique situations and circumstances. This passage is highly debatable but here's what's clear to me. That is this principle of authority and submission. We don't like those words. We don't like people being in authority over us and we certainly don't like the idea of us having to submit, to place ourselves underneath the leadership and responsibility of another. We don't like it. It's part of being a sinner. I don't like it. You don't like it. But these principles remain. You're not going to understand the Bible. You're not going to worship well. You're not going to have a prevailing redemptive community called the local church that makes an impact in the city if we don't get this. Your marriage isn't going to go well. This is why basic Christianity, which is why this teaching is so attacked. It's a tragedy that pastors back off of this. I understand it. I get it. It's controversial but it is essential. Paul says, "I'm writing this letter to you so you know how to behave in the church." We got to understand authority. Here's what John Piper says authority is. I think it's beautiful. He says this refers to the calling, authority does, of spiritually gifted men to take primary responsibilities as elders, we'll see this next week, for Christ- like servant leadership and teaching in the church. Submission is this refers to the divine calling of the rest of the church, both men and women to honor and affirm the leadership of the elders to be equipped by it, their leadership, for the hundreds and hundreds of various ministries available to men and women who are not elders in the service of the church and Christ. Friends, when we come to a difficult Bible passage like this we have a choice. Do we submit to God's Word or are we going to make God's Word submit to our culture? Do we try to find the mind of God or do we just say, you know what, that God wouldn't say that and be like that. We're going to let God be the One who's made us in His image or are we going to try to make Him into our image. Here's the opportunity we have. Will we be the men and women that brings out the best in our world, our spouses, our friends, our neighbors, our workers and our church? Will we embrace Biblical masculinity? Will we embrace Biblical femininity? Will we acknowledge the authority that God has sent? Will we confess and admit and support the fact that God is smarter than us? Will we become students? Will we instead just reject things? Will we hit an intellectual honesty, pursue teaching in books to help us understand? That's our opportunity. I pray you'll take it. Let's pray. Lord, help us. Thank You that Your commands are clear. Forgive us for making them cloudy. Forgive us for taking Your Word and twisting it to fit our culture. Offend us, God, so that Page 11 of 12

12 You can gain access to our whole hearts. I pray for every man and every woman that we would speak to You, that we would study well and that we would do that with our brothers and sisters at The Journey. In Jesus' name. Amen. Page 12 of 12