Instruction to Men and Women

First Timothy chapter 2 verse 8 is where we will start. We'll read through the rest of

1 Timothy 2:8

chapter 2 tonight, Lord willing. We've got us a doozy of a text tonight. Yeah. First

1 Timothy 2:8

Timothy chapter 2 verse 8. Lay it on the street. First Timothy chapter 2 verse 8. Let's

1 Timothy 2:8

pray and then we'll jump in. Father God we come to you tonight and we thank you

for your word and this is one of those passages dear Lord it's it's kind of

tough to understand and dear Lord even among Christians there are a variety of

different interpretations of this but dear Lord I pray that you would help us

tonight to understand it as best we can that I would preach and teach in a way

that brings glory and honor to you that when we leave dear Lord that there's

some understanding we have of something God and that we need your Holy Spirit to

to help us tonight so I pray God that you be with us your word is good and if

there's anything we don't understand it's not because your word is not good

dear Lord it it's probably because we just may not be understanding or not

reading but God I pray that you give us the right understanding and that you

help us to do right by your word and I ask these things in Jesus name amen

amen so Paul had been given Timothy some instruction on some things that were

going on in Ephesus some things that needed to be addressed now when we first

started this I referred to Timothy as a young pastor but that's that's probably

not a that's not really a good accurate description of what Timothy was the role

that we see of pastor and our churches today is not really a role that we see

necessarily in that same way in Scripture what we see in Scripture is we

see that there are elders of churches it appears as though that there's kind of a

group of these men of these elders that are over these people not so much one

pastor as we see in churches today and and even though part of what Timothy's

role was is very similar perhaps to what we see as a pastor and pastoral ministry

are are teaching these people and presenting this message and trying to

correct them and get them on the right track I don't think it's accurate to say

that that Timothy was a pastor so so when I said that I don't I don't think I

gave the best the best explanation of what exactly Timothy was and so part of

what Timothy did was pastor like but but he was more of a representative of Paul

may be a better way to describe Timothy Paul obviously knew Timothy and he

worked alongside Paul and Paul had sent Timothy for this work pastoral in some

way and evangelistic in some way to deal with these issues and so what we've seen

so far is that there was some bad teaching that was taking place in

Ephesus there were some some things that were being said and done there were some

arguing that was taking place we saw that here at the beginning of chapter 2

people arguing about things that weren't really important and so Paul begins to

tell Timothy okay here are some things you're gonna encounter here are some

things you are going to address now presumably these things that Paul is

telling Timothy about are things that are happening in Ephesus that that is to

say that he's not necessarily giving just general commands here's the

commands of God to God's people but rather he's dealing with some specific

situations that are going on there it's important for us to consider that as we

read this passage and you'll see why here as we get into it first Timothy

1 Timothy 2:8

chapter 2 verse 8 therefore I want the man in every place to pray lifting up

holy hands without anger or argument now this is a pretty simple instruction the

idea of praying and and and kind of instruction that we've already seen in

first Timothy of how to pray and what our prayer life should look like Paul's

given Timothy this instruction hey there needs to be some order there needs to be

a certain way that things are done people don't need to be arguing with one

another and in church services and in times where they gather together but the

men need to come together and they need to pray and they need to lift up holy

hands they need to be seeking God they need to be working together to try to

draw close to God and understand the truth of God's Word and so this is a

pretty easy instruction for Timothy to give the people it's pretty easy one to

understand hey you need to come together you need to love each other you need to

pray together and you don't need to you don't need to be angry and be arguing

about things so some instruction for the men in every place there verse 9 also

the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing with decency and good

sense not with elaborate hairstyles gold pearls are expensive apparel but with

good works as is proper for women who affirm that they worship God okay it's

pretty simple instruction here nothing nothing crazy here you come together if

you're a man of God or a woman of God as is pointed out here you need to dress

accordingly you don't you don't want to dress in ways that that's

inappropriate you don't want your dress to be so that that that you come so

people can see what you wear and that's the case sometimes we sometimes like to

be seen for what we wear now I don't think we have that problem in this

church but perhaps that's been the case in churches that you've heard of or

known of that people really dress well and they wear a big hat and they sit

up front or they come in late so everybody will see how well they're

dressed and they'll think about man look at them and well look at her she's got a

big hat and then the next one comes and she's got to have a bigger hat well look

at her she's got a bigger hat all of that however though is often just to get

people's attention it's not really for I want to dress up and look my best for

the Lord it's that people are really putting on a show that's simply what it

is it's being a hypocrite the idea of a hypocrite is someone who wears a mask

someone who who disguises themselves that's not really who they are they want

to look apart and so maybe that's what was going on here is that some of these

women were dressing excessively they were drawing attention to themselves

they were putting too much emphasis on worldly things men can be guilty of this

too by the way but here in this particular passage Paul is dealing with

women it's still good instruction for us today we want to dress appropriately and

accordingly we don't want to wear things that are inappropriate that that show

too much skin we don't want to do things that are extravagant to draw attention to

ourselves we want to we want to be mindful when we come together that we're

coming to worship the Lord now it appears as though to me and there's

certainly difference of opinion here but it appears as though that this probably

was something that was going on again not necessarily a general command

however in general this is a good command but perhaps he knew of a

situation that was going on here now we see similar type of language when Paul

writes his letter to the Corinthians and 1st Corinthians chapter 14 he's dealing

and that chapter and the surrounding verses with disorder that's in the

church and he deals with a lot of things that are going on in the church about

people speaking in tongues and and everybody just kind of speaking out it

appears and he says hey there's a certain way that things need to be done

and he addresses some issues one of the same issues that we see here again he's

probably addressing something that was going on in the Corinthian Church what

was the problem the problem was the church service was not being done in an

orderly and peaceful fashion it was chaotic and he says look you're not

gonna be able to reach people for the Lord if there's chaos if people come into

your church and people are jumping around and speaking in tongues and acting

crazy and and doing all this stuff he says you're not gonna be able to reach

people you need to be able to have your church services in an orderly fashion

they need to be conducted and so here are some things Paul said in 1st

Corinthians 14 that you need to address and some things that you need to change

I believe that Paul is giving similar instruction here to the Church of

Ephesus hey Timothy these are some things you're going to encounter this is

your instruction on how to deal with those things and so really no problem up

to this point but then we get to the next verse this is the one that's a

doozy verse 11 a woman should learn in silence with full submission I do not

allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man instead she is to

be silent now Paul gives this same instruction in 1st Corinthians chapter

14 that in church a woman is to be silent what are we to make of that well

there are a variety of opinions on what Christians are to make of that now I

don't know what every denomination holds perhaps there are some denominations

that won't let women speak at all I would not be shocked if that was the

case if they would not allow women to speak in any way perhaps some would hold

to the view that when it's time for a church service that women should not

speak in any way not give an announcement not say a prayer not not do

anything in the church service that it's only men who should speak when the

church service is is in session that women are to be completely silent at all

times now I don't think that Paul is calling for complete silence here it's

often said in this passage or in 1st Corinthians chapter 14 that Paul is

saying that women cannot pray in church however in 1st Corinthians chapter 11

verse 5 Paul says when women pray and prophesy this is how they need to do it

so that would seem to eliminate that Paul is saying that women can't have any

part when they're gathered together he specifically says when they pray and

when they prophesy there needs to be a certain way in which it needs to be

done and so I don't believe that Paul is eliminating women from praying or

having any kind of participation in church I think that women do I think

that this is my interpretation there are many people who would differ from this I

think that what Paul is saying here is he's dealing with a situation perhaps

where women were not being being silent in church or they were causing a problem

let's say maybe they were asking questions in the middle of the service

which is why he gives this specific command that women should ask their

husbands they shouldn't be disturbing the church service if there's a question

that needs to be asked or something that's going on and that's why he gives

this specific instruction however you will find in Christian denominations that

there is much difference of opinion there are there are many churches that

would say women cannot pray in church women cannot serve as deacons however we

see Paul's command in 1st Corinthians chapter 11 about women praying we also

see in the scripture that there are women who are deacons we see that in the

New Testament and so it's hard to say for me at least that women cannot serve

as deacons now we've kind of become accustomed to saying that because we

typically in a Southern Baptist Church do not see women who serve as deacons

however we do see women who serve as deacons in the New Testament and so

women can certainly serve in ministry and do serve in ministry in a variety of

ways however one of the biggest one of the biggest conflicts and this is this

is happening right now this has been big in the Southern Baptist Convention for

the last year is are women allowed to preach now there are certainly lots of

difference of opinion on this some of you may have been familiar with just a

few months ago at the last Southern Baptist Convention that that there's a

church in California Saddleback Church Rick Warren you may have heard of heard

of him he's wrote some books he's pretty pretty popular he's the pastor of that

church and they have they have ordained several women pastors I think three in

the last few years and if I'm not mistaken I wasn't following it too close

but I believe that the Southern Baptist Convention kicked them out of the

Southern Baptist Convention because they ordained women pastors now among churches

there are there is certainly disagreement there now you'll have to

research this on your own time and look at the scriptures and look at the

arguments for both sides there are both sides that use scriptures and use

arguments to defend why some think that women should be pastors and why others

think that women should not be pastors now I certainly believe that women are

are gifted are called to minister should serve in church should pray in church can

even be deacons I think we see that all throughout scripture but I am not

convinced by scripture that it is clear that women can be pastors now I know

that there are some in this church that might disagree with me and there are

certainly many Christians around the world that would disagree with that

statement but it seems clear that the office of pastor our overseer if we

should call it that that's the better term for in scripture our elder is one

that's reserved for men and Paul is making that point here when he talks

about women being silent in the church he gives a he gives a reason why he

gives a reason in this instance okay they should be silent they should ask

their husband I think probably maybe because there were some problems being

had but he gives he gives a qualification here he says look there's a certain

order in which which God has instituted things and which God has put things into

place and he calls that order into question in the next verse he says in

verse 13 for Adam was created first then Eve and Adam was not deceived but the

woman was deceived and transgress but she will be saved through childbearing

if she continues in faith love and holiness with good judgment now to sum

that up it's a lot to think about there more than we'll talk about tonight but

what we see a couple of times and Paul's writing is he is he says look

there's a certain order in which God has established things there is God he is at

the top and then there is Jesus and then there's the church we see that

relationship when we see the relationship between Jesus and the

church we see this idea that Jesus is what he's the head of the church we are

to be submissive to him when we see that idea of marriage as unpopular as it is

in our culture it is established that God has said that the man is to be the

head of the household he created Adam first and then Eve that's what we see

Paul talking about here that God has created an order of authority that there

are some positions that God has says look men are to be the authority in this

position in the household and I believe that God has stated that men are to be

in those authority positions in the church and that's what we see here in

this past verse that we read because he says a woman is not to teach or have

authority over a man okay so if someone is an elder and overseer or a pastor

term we would use today they're in a position of leadership they're in a

position of authority over the people and here Paul says look women can't hold

to this now one objection to that would be yeah but but Paul was dealing with

cultural problems at that time and at that time women couldn't serve as

overseers elders because they weren't educated but that's not the reason why

Paul gives here he doesn't say women can't have authority over men because

they're not as accepted in this society and they're not as educated as men in

this society that's not the reason he gives he says I don't give women the

the permission to preach or teach or have authority over a man and why does

he say he said because there's a certain order that Adam came first and then Eve

that God has made an order and God's order is the way that things should work

in marriage and in the church and I believe that structure is what we must

go by as Christians again I realize that there's disagreement there we live by

our own convictions we read God's Word and we do what we feel is right but I

believe that that the structure that I think we see in scripture that God has

established things in this certain order from our relationship with Christ to our

relationships as husbands and wives that this is the way that it is to be

established that this is the way that we receive blessing and I believe that our

culture is hurting because our culture has said God's way is insufficient our

culture has said no men don't need to be the head of the household men are

this patriarchal society it's it's it's men are taking advantage of women and

holding women back and and women you need you are just as good as men and you

can do things as good as men and you don't need men in your life you can have

a career and you can make lots of money and you don't need to worry about a

family you go out and worry about yourself you don't need me and that's

what our culture says but I believe that that leads to lots of difficulties in

our in our culture because I believe and I'm just you correct me if I'm wrong

but I think deep down inside that women probably long and have this desire for

children to have a family and to raise those children and to nurture those

children I think those things are are built into women I think women have

those feelings and have those desires and when you're younger you may not

realize it but I think women begin to realize it as they get older but too

many times our society has has put women in such a position that they have denied

the structure that God has said and they get to a point where they miss that

opportunity to have children they miss that opportunity to have a husband and

then realize that it's too late and women too many times live in a culture

in which they get the degree and they get the job and they get the money only

to find that wait a minute what the world has promised us and told us is

going to be such a good thing is not such a good thing and why is that well

I believe it's because that we've gone from what God has told us to do I

believe that a marriage that is built on the man being at the head of the

household and taking care of the wife and the wife heaven forbid a wife has to

raise a family and raise the children and see that those children are taken

care of our world would say that that's foolish but I believe that that's

beautiful in God's Word I believe that women who probably raise children and

see their children grow and are able to take care of their children and to be

able to take a stay at home with their children I believe that makes happier

women I believe men who are able to work and provide for their wives and

provide for their children and know that they're doing what God calls them to do

I believe that makes for happier men and I believe that makes for happier

families and that's the structure of authority that God has set for us that

there is an authority figure that there is a head of household it's not saying

that women are less than men it's not saying that men are better than women

it's not saying that women can't preach because they're not as good as men there

are probably some women who could preach better than some men who are preaching

but the bottom line is is I do not believe that that's what God's Word

calls us to bottom line it's not about who can do it better it's about this is

the way in which God has set this up for us and the way that we are to live as

brothers and sisters in Christ as husbands and wives as people who are in

the church that there is a certain structure that there is certain roles

that God has called us to in a marriage there is a certain role that God has

called a man to in marriage there's a certain role that God has called the

woman to but too many times we want to just kind of mesh those roles together

and you cannot do it there are things that women can do that men cannot do and

things that men can do that women cannot do and it is the responsibility of the

man to be the leader and to be the head of the household and I believe it's a

blessing to him it's the responsibility of the woman to be there to support her

husband to take care of those things that God has put into her path and we

see that here we see this idea of childbearing I would suspect for a mother

I'm just guessing y'all and correct me when I'm wrong but I would suspect for a

mother that gives birth to a child there's a lot of joy that comes from

that but our world would tell you just the opposite but the things that God

says are beautiful that are that are a blessing for a woman that women are

saved by these things I'm not sure exactly what he means there when he says

saved by these things I don't think he's talking about salvation there but but

there's some goodness that comes from this idea that there's a man who is the

head of the household who is the authority and that there is a woman who

is submissive to that authority there's something beautiful about that and we see

it I think we see it and our marriages and I think we see that in our churches

as well I think God says look here are the roles in the church there are

certain things that I have called men to do women serve in a variety of ways in

the New Testament and in the Old Testament in great ways God uses women

and women are capable and women are smart enough and women are able to do a

lot of things however I don't believe that women are called to be elders and

overseers and pastors of churches I don't think that that's the role that

God has established for women and for men I believe that God has established

roles some for men and some for women and I believe that we need to strive to

do our best to follow the Word of God now this is a it's a big scripture so

it's a heavy scripture for a Wednesday night nonetheless we got to it so we

got to talk about it so we want to pray to God we want to seek these words we

want to try to understand them as best we can so that we can be obedient to God

and we have to realize too that whatever our determination is and where we fall

on this topic of women pastors or women's role in the church that we are

going to encounter other brothers and sisters in Christ that are probably

going to have a different opinion for us but we can only live by the Word of God

and we can only be obedient to the Word of God and that's what we strive to do

and we strive to follow our authority the head of our life who is Jesus Christ

who gave all for us and we as the bride of Christ should submit to Jesus Christ

to live for him and to follow his authority because that is what God is

instituted for us that is the way that God has laid this out for us and for us

to do anything other than than what God has called us to I think leads to

disappointment but when we follow the structures that God has established for

us I believe it leads to great joy in our life let's pray Father God we come

to you we thank you for this passage even though it's kind of heavy and I

pray that you help us to make heads or tails of it to understand what's right

dear Lord I pray for I pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that

we struggle with this dear Lord there are lots of churches and lots of lots

of things going on in our in our culture that that are cultural driven dear Lord

not just this this topic but plenty of other topics God that are causing splits

and churches and all these things dear Lord but we want to understand your word

as best we can I pray that you would help us to do that and to be blessed by

it dear Lord I pray that we would look to Jesus Christ the head of this church

dear Lord the head of us as the bride of Christ that we would be obedient to him

I pray that we would we would do our best to seek the roles that you call us to

serve in as men and women I pray God that as men we would be better husbands

that we would be better fathers dear Lord that we would be better providers to

do all we can for our wives dear Lord I pray for the women that they would be

better wives and better mothers that they would do all they can to support

their husbands dear Lord that that we would just step into the roles that

you've called us to and the responsibilities that you've called us to

dear Lord to embrace those things God you you call us to different things

because there are different things that we need to do and God is men and women

only we can do the things that we can do so dear Lord I pray that you just would

bless us and help us to seek you and to be blessed by you and not to be swayed

by the culture and the ways of the world never to compromise your word based on

what our culture says but do the best to understand your word and live by your

word and I ask these things in Jesus name amen