PAUL’S LOGIC FOR REQUIRING WOMEN TO BE SILENT IN THE EPHESIAN HOUSE CHURCHES.
(I Tim. 2:13-15)
OVERVIEW OF I TIMOTHY 1:1-20 to 2:15
1:1-2 – Overview of Christian Faith based on names for God and the blessings He bestows on His people.
1:3-4a False teaching in Ephesus and how humanistic philosophy effects us today.
1:4b-6 – The goal of the command is love. (Loving God, fellow Christians, the non-Christian world)
1:7-8 – The law is good if used properly. (The law’s deterrent, punitive and educative purposes)
1:8-11 – “Whatever else …” The Gospel Ethic. (Law-Philia University)
1:11 – Our Relationship with “The Blessed God.” (Causing God pain or joy)
1:12-16 Why Paul considered himself the worst of sinners.
1:12-16 Conversion of the apostle Paul.
1:12-16 Paul’s call to ministry.
1:17 Paul’s doxology of praise for his conversion.
1:18-20 How to avoid shipwrecking our faith.
2:1-3 The Christian is to pray for all men.
2:4,6 Comparison of Calvinism & Armenianism.
2:5-6 The man, Christ Jesus, the only mediator.
2:1-7 The vision, the message, the means.
2:8-15 Treatment of women in the ancient world, the early church and the Bible.
2:8-15 Three key hermeneutic principles to follow when studying the Bible.
2:8 Praying Men with Peaceful Hearts
2:9-10 A First-Century Christian Woman’s Dress and Deeds
2:11-12 Does Submission Demand Silence?
2:13-15 Paul’s Logic for Requiring Women to Be Silent in The Ephesian House Churches.
PAUL’S LOGIC FOR REQUIRING WOMEN TO BE SILENT IN THE EPHESIAN HOUSE CHURCHES.
13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety (I Tim. 2:13-15).
INTRODUCTION:
1. The major problem in the Ephesian house churches was false teaching “Even from among your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:31) … “…[Timothy] stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer …” (I Tim. 1:3).
2. Men were the initiators, proponents and main propagators of false teaching and so Paul excommunicated them, “Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme” (I Tim. 1:20).
3. Some women, experiencing the freedom of worship in the new Christian Synagogue [house churches], in a fellowship that gave them more honor and liberty than they experienced in the Jewish Synagogues or Greco-Roman culture, were being manipulated into being the mouthpieces of the false teachers and were “… going about from house [church] to house [church] … saying things they ought not to [say]” (I Tim. 5:13).
4. To stop the spread of false teaching among the Ephesian house churches Paul required the Christian women to be silent, learn in quietness, not to teach the men and to submit to male leadership. “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (I Tim. 2:11-12).
THREE ARGUMENTS PAUL USES TO SUPPORT HIS LOGIC FOR A WOMAN’S SILENCE IN THE HOUSE CHURCHES.
I. ADAM WAS FORMED FIRST.
“For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (I Tim. 1:13).
QUESTION: Why would Paul use this argument? We decry children if they support their requests by, “I was here first.”
A. Jacob lied and claimed to be the firstborn in order to get Isaac’s blessing (Gen. 27:19).
B. Laban forced Jacob to work another seven years for Rachel because it was not proper to give the younger in marriage before the firstborn (Gen 29:26).
C. Israel is called God’s firstborn (Ex. 4:22).
D. The Israelites were told to sanctify their firstborn for God (Ex.13:2).
E. They were to give their “first fruits” to God (Ex. 22:29).
F. Jesus was the firstborn son of Mary (Mt. 1:25).
G. Jesus is called the firstborn of every creature (Col. 1:15).
H. Jesus is called the firstborn from the dead (Col. 1:18) that in allthings he might be pre-eminent.
I. We are called “the church of the firstborn” (Heb. 12:23).
The firstborn son in patriarchal society was regarded as special (Gen 49:3; Exod 13:2). He became the head of the family upon his father’s death, having received his father’s blessing (Gen 27) and a double portion of the inheritance (Deut 21:17).
After the Passover event in Egypt, every firstborn male belonged to God. This implied priestly duties, an obligation later transferred to the Levites (Num 8:14-19).
Of special significance is the divine claim that Israel was God’s firstborn (Exod 4:22-23). This signified Israel’s favored status among the nations to be in covenant relationship with God. But it also meant Israel had a priestly function to perform as God’s saving light to Gentile peoples.
(Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology)
In God’s economy, from the time of creation, the firstborn was given pre-eminence. This pre-eminence also followed through in determining the leadership in God’s new community, the church.
II. EVE WAS DECEIVED BY SATAN IN EDEN
14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
A. The Bible is plain that sin entered the world through Adam.
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin …” (Rom. 5:12).
“… by breaking a command, as did Adam …” (Rom. 5:14).
“For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners … “ (Rom. 5:19).
B. QUESTION: Who is more guilty, a person who has been deceived or someone who sins willfully?
C. QUESTION: Were Eve’s eyes opened, was she aware of her sin and disobedience before Adam ate of the fruit?
“She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened…” (Gen 3:6-7).
D. QUESTION: Are women more easily deceived then men, at least in matters of religion?
“By examining manuscript census returns for the latter half of the nineteenth century Bainbridge (1982) found that approximately two-thirds of the Shakers were female. Data on religious movements included in the 1926 census of religious bodies show that 75 percent of Christian Scientists were women, as were more than 60 percent of Theosophists, Swedenborgians, and Spritualists (Stark and Bainbridge 1985).” (The Rise of Christianity, Rodney Stark, pg. 100).
Shakers were started in the 1770s by Ann Lee: In England critics of their zealous worship practices–they shook and trembled to rid themselves of evil–referred to them as “Shaking Quakers” and then simply as Shakers. They believed that Ann Lee embodied the Christ spirit in a woman and called her “Mother Ann.” Swedborgians were started in the 1750s by Emanuel Swedberg, teach that Christ is not God, judgment day has already happened. Christian Scientists: Mary Baker Eddy in the 1860s, sickness is a mind thing etc. Theosophy: The majestic Wisdom-Religion of the archaic ages and is as old as thinking man, a modern version of Gnosticism.
What percentage of new-agers are women? Palm-readers?
D. Paul felt the Ephesian women were being deceived by the false male teachers and may have thought they were more susceptible to deception than men.
“ … some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars ….” (I Tim. 4:1-2).
E. The Devil is still focusing on deceiving the people of God.
Paul wrote, “Just as Eve was deceived by the serpents cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (I Cor. 11:3).
Jesus spoke of “false Christs and false prophets will appear … to deceive even the elect if it were possible” (Mt. 24:24).
In Timothy we read of “evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (II Tim. 3:13).
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14).
The Apostle John called him, “…satan, who leads the whole world astray” (Rev. 12:9).
E. QUESTION: How can we avoid being deceived?
1. Does the main teaching of Scripture support us? (The hermeneutic principle of harmony)
If I started teaching that Eve did not become a sinner until Adam ate of the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6-7) I would fall into this trap.
Make it an absolute rule that women must be totally silent in church.
2. Are we in line with historic Christianity?
Use the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed to check our doctrine.
3. Do we consider objective truth superior to our personal guidance?
ILLUSTRATION: Subjective guidance: A wife said that her husband was oppressed by three evil spirits with names: Spirit of Occultic Islam, Spirit of Legalism, Spirit of Mocking … all confirmed by her “spirit-filled” friends.
Guidance from God to go to court for a “legal separation” others to divorce their husbands.
4. What do our spiritual peers, people we trust, say?
Our weakness is that when we get off track we go to / gather around us people that agree with us and reinforce our wrong interpretation of Scripture.
III. WOMEN SHOULD FOCUS ON PERSONAL GODLINESS
15But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety (I Tim. 2:15)
“ … he [Paul] expresses himself in a way that has been troubling for generations of Christians, because it seems to contradictory to his own theology, on the one hand, and somewhat demeaning to women, on the other” (Gordon Fee, pg. 74).
A. Five interpretations of I Tim. 2:15
1. Women will come safely through childbirth (JBP)
2. Women will be saved through motherhood (NEB)
3. Women will be saved through the birth of the Child (Stott)
4. Women lead the race out of godlessness by bearing righteous seed (John MacArthur).
5. Women will be saved / evidence salvation by being a model godly woman (Gordon Fee).
“More likely what Paul intends is that woman’s salvation, from the transgressions brought about by similar deception and ultimately for eternal life, is to be found in her being a model, godly woman, known for her good works (v. 10; cf. 5:11). And her good deeds, according to 5:11 and 14, include marriage, bearing children (the verb form of this noun), and keeping a good home. The reason for his saying that she will be saved is that it follows directly out of his having said “the woman come to be in transgression.” But Paul could never leave the matter there, as though salvation itself were attained by this “good deed,” so he immediately qualifies, “Provided of course that she is already a truly Christian,” that is, a woman who continues in faith, love and holiness. ….” (Gordon Fee, pg. 76).
B. To be saved she must focus on being a truly Christian woman.
QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRULY CHRISTIAN WOMAN LOOK LIKE?
“Persistence in these four [five] basic qualities will give evidence of a work of grace in their hearts.” (John Stott, pg. 87).
We tend to separate faith from good-works, Paul considered them cause and effect; e.g. switch/light; turn faucet/water; click/send.
We treat putting grace and work together as an oxymoron.
Oxymoron: Two words which conflict with each other, two words which do not agree with each other. A combination of contradictory and incongruous words. Examples: Living Dead, Artificial Reality, Rap Music, Cruel Kindness or “A Severe Mercy.”
Working Grace, Grace Work, Free Earnings, Free Wages.
1. She must exhibit good-works starting with the bringing up of her family.
“But women will be saved through childbearing ….”
“So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander” (I Tim. 5:14).
“…well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children” (I Tim. 5:10).
12 …continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Phil. 2:12-13).
2. She must continue in “Faith.”
Twenty references to “faith” and “believing” in I & II Timothy
“God’s work – which is by faith…” (I Tim. 1:4); “a sincere faith” (I Tim. 1:5); “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 1:14); “ … an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life” (I Tim. 1:16); “ … shipwrecked their faith” (I Tim. 1:19); “ … believing masters … those who benefit from their service are believers …” (I Tim. 6:2).
3. She must continue in Love
Francis Schaeffer wrote a book titled “The Mark of a Christian.”
1Jo 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not [his] brother abideth in death.
1Jo 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.
1Jo 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
1Jo 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1Jo 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jo 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
I John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jo 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1Jo 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jo 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
4. Continue to live in holiness.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Mt. 5:8).
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14).
5. Continue to live in propriety
“I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety ….” (I Tim. 2:9).
SO WHAT????
A. Through creation God has evidently intended for male leadership in the home and the church.
B. Satan is the great deceiver and all of us are targets of deception. Healthy spiritual people will be aware of this and avoid the devil’s snares.
C. Our salvation is not dependent on good works. We are saved by faith. But good works are inseparable from salvation. A life of faith which includes love and holiness of life, are the best proof of our salvation. We should focus on continuing in good works.