1 Timothy

There was probably one section of 1 Timothy that grabbed your attention, especially if you are a woman. Verses 2:9-15 dictate instructions for orderly worship, specifically as it relates to the role of women in the church. The initial verses deal with women needing to dress appropriately and to derive their beauty not from outward appearance but from their actions. No problem there. Verses 11-15 get more dicey as Paul restricts the role of women in the church in that they should not "teach men or have authority over them". This is an outgrowth of the hierarchy within the family that God established with men as heads of household. This does not negate the ministry of women but limits the authority of women. We have already established that women were integral partners in the early church...Lydia hosted a house church, Phoebe was a deaconess, many women were considered prophetesses, and Jesus had a loyal following of women. The status they were afforded in the early church was unprecedented at that time. Still, they had a role very distinct from that of the man, including certain limitations. this does not make women less valuable within the church body. They simply have different responsibilities. Similarly, only women bear children, but this does not make them more important in the home nor diminish the value of fathers. They simply have a different role from men. Paul's instruction that women remain silent in worship is curious because in another of his books (1 Corinthians) he outlines the process by which women should pray and prophesy in the church. So he can't have meant that they should be literally mute. The meaning must have been centered on having a submissive (quiet) demeanor, not attracting attention to themselves. Conservative and liberal theologians differ on their opinion as to whether or not these verses were culturally and historically specific or mandates for all time.

As for the statement that women would be saved through childbearing, I read that this is the single most debated text in the Bible! So why don"t I take a stab at it, eh? The overriding theme of all of Paul's writings is a clear message that works do not save, so it is impossible to think that he literally meant that women would be saved by the mere act of giving birth. The strongest possibility for interpretting this odd statement, is that Paul meant that women who accepted their role in the home were pointing themselves toward salvation as opposed to women who rebelled against their God-given role. The statement is qualified by the phrase "assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty". Thus it is clear that salvation comes from a right heart. Accepting God's design for the hierarchy of men and women put women closer to that right heart.

Tomorrow's reading: 1 Tim. 3:1-6:10