1 Timothy 2
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness--with good works. 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.
2:1-7 As the second chapter picks up, Paul moves from teachings about false teachers and false doctrines to prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. According to MacArthur, here are some ideas of what Paul's explanation about prayer might have been. Prayer is the idea of needing something, an act of worship, and getting involved in while understanding other people's needs. You can see that prayer centers around worshipping God (which should be our first priority). Then, it also centers around others, and many times we forget that aspect of prayer by always praying for ourselves. But Paul does not exclude prayers about ourself. Those help strengthen our relationship with God. But Paul also mentions thanksgiving and encourages us to thank God as well. (See my post about praising and asking).
Paul specifically encourages us to pray for our leaders. He couples this with the idea of praying for all men (not excluding anyone). It does not matter if you do not like the leaders around you, and it does not matter if you like everyone in your life. Paul still encourages us to pray for them. This removes the urge to riot or rebel or cause disputes between one another. When we see everyone as equals and pray for them, we are less likely to get into major arguments with those people. Prayer can help mend hurt and broken relationships. Paul also goes into another look at the Gospel, speaking on Christ died for all men. If Christ cared enough to give His life for them, then who are we to disregard those hurting people and refuse to pray for their salvation? Paul stresses the need to have a heart willing to pray for all men.
2:8-15 He then moves into a discussion that normally centers around men and women's roles in the church. But there is more to this passage than those roles. First off, Paul continues with his discussion on prayer, speaking on how men should pray, again without quarreling. He then moves on to how we are to act in church. He mentions many ways that women can draw attention to themselves (jewelry and clothing), but this can apply to men as well. Paul does not want the focus to be on us in worship and in church. It is about what is on the inside rather than the outside. If we are drawing attention to ourselves rather than God, then are our hearts truly pointed toward Him in worship? Our lifestyle must match the life that we claim to live.
As for a woman's leadership in the church, Paul consistently discourages women from being pastors of the church. This is seen through all of his teachings and all his encounters with women. He does appoint women to other teaching roles. Many New Testament women had minor leadership roles in the church. But the reason that Paul did not permit women to be the sole leader of the church is because they would neglect family responsibilities. The woman was the main leader in the home during the day. She was a wife and mother, and with high priority leadership roles in the church, these other roles in her life would suffer. It is interesting to note that this discussion comes off of a discussion about false teachings. One commentator suggested that some churches might have allowed women to lead them and this was, in a way, a false doctrine or practice that the church had acquired.
Finally, do not think that Paul is picking on women. I believe that this passage applies to both genders. One of the main points we should draw from this passage is the importance of giving all the attention to God. We should be pointing to Him and not to ourselves. Again I ask, does our lifestyle match the life that we claim to live?
Matt
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