“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” 1 Timothy 2:11-15
“The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call Shalom. We call it peace but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights.” Cornelius Plantinga, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be (1995)
We Are A Family: Because we recognize that God has ordained the institution of the nuclear family and called us into the greater familial community of the body of Christ, we celebrate and strive to build strong families within individual homes and across the generations within our church. Scripture: 1 Cor. 12:12-31, Eph. 4:11-16, Deut. 6:6-7.
“But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:16-18
1. The Problem in 1 Timothy
In Ephesus, there were false teachers who gave themselves to meaningless discussions and advocated for abstinence in the area of marriage and food (1 Timothy 4:3). They ignored the gracious mercy and goodness of the Creator God who gave us all things for our enjoyment. The downgrading of marriage inevitably led to confusion in the church and the home regarding maleness and femaleness and a disparagement of the wonder and goodness of children.
2. The Distortions
“To the woman he said, ‘I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.’” Genesis 3:16
MEN
Home: A Domination or Passivity
Church: Love of Power or Abdication of Spiritual Responsibility
WOMEN
Home: Usurpation or Servility
Church: Resist Limits and Neglect Calling
See the Danvers Statement (1987)
The satanic version of leadership: steals, takes, diminishes, demands, destroys.
The godly version of leadership: builds, equips, strengthens, serves, and feels the burden of responsibility.
The divine calling to leadership for men means they are to take primary responsibility for Christ-like servant-leadership in the home and in the church which involves protection, provision and pace-setting.
3. The Overview
Boundaries (vv.11-12)
• Rationale (vv.13-13)
• Avoiding the satanic deception (v.15)
“We have argued in 1 Timothy 2:15 that Paul here expresses concern that women be kept safe in being deceived by Satan, and that he therefore encourages women to embrace and pursue their God-ordained calling centered around the family and the home.” Andreas J. Köstenberger
QUESTIONS:
1. What distortions (in the home and in the church) regarding leadership of men and the response of women have been distorted because of the Fall?
2. Why is it vitally important to give a clear message regarding women and men, especially in our context today?
3. How was the gift of the physical which includes food, marriage and children, denigrated by the false teachers in Ephesus (1 Tim 4:3-following)?
4. How do we show a love of the goodness of the Creator God who has spoken?
5. Differentiate between those who responded to the terrorism of 9-11 and those who responded in the Uvalde shooting on 5-14-22.
6. What is “authority of command” versus “authority of counsel”?