There is no doubt that I Timothy chapter 2 is among the most controversial passages of Paul’s writings.  In this chapter it appears as if Paul calls men to pray and women to shut up.  Although it’s only 15 verses, it is packed with controversy from beginning to end.  Now, for our purposes tonight, we will just be looking at verses 9-14 as it relates to women.

Before we get started, what is your view of women’s role in the church?

Why do you feel the way you do?

What should women be able to do and not able to do?

            (Teach class, preach, pray, serve communion, baptize people, …)

Well, before we read our text this evening, allow me to open with a word of prayer.  Let’s Pray!

In I Timothy 2:9-14 it says, “1”

What do you think about that passage?

As we begin to take a look at this passage, we first need to understand the culture of the time.  Does anyone know what it was like for women in Paul’s day?

Well, when Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, women were seen as second class citizens.  Women’s behavior was extremely limited in ancient times.
- Unmarried women were not allowed to leave the home of their father.
- Married women were not allowed to leave the home of their husband.
- They were normally restricted to roles of little or no authority.
- They could not testify in court.
- They could not appear in public venues.
- They were not allowed to talk to strangers.
- They had to be doubly veiled when they did leave their homes.

So, the culture that these women were growing up in during the time that this passage was written limited them to what they could and could not do.  Now, there are a few things in this passage that should help us to understand the role of women in the church?

First, Inward Beauty Is More Important Than Outward Appearances:

Why do you think Paul mentioned this in this passage?

Well, women show their holy attitudes by their modest outward appearance.  Their attire should match their inward character.  Anything you do that detracts from who you are as a Christian should be avoided.  This goes for men and women, they need to dress appropriately.

It’s possible that these women thought that by looking great on the outside they would be respected.  Paul is saying, “modesty and inward character are much more important than outward appearance.”  Again, this can apply equally to men as well.
It’s also quite possible that the manner of dress employed by the Ephesian women were associated with temple prostitutes.  We need to make sure that our dress does not imply something about our character, because people often judge a book by its cover.  So we all need to be more focused on inward beauty rather than outward appearances.

Secondly, Women Remain Silent In Verse 11:

When Paul says that women are to be silent, what does he mean?

Well, the point here is not that women as a group should shut up and sit down.  It’s that there were several types of women who needed to learn before they began to speak.  These included Jewish and Greek women who had been under the hand of a harsh culture towards women.  They sometimes flaunted their new found freedom in Christ and disrupted services.  Others were former temple prostitutes who were young in their knowledge of good doctrine and needed to learn more before they began to speak.

Paul saying that women should “learn” was actually a good thing.  In that culture women were not allowed to study or discuss issues with men.  So, women were to remain silent.

Thirdly, Women Should Learn In Silence And In Full Submission:

What is that whole submission thing all about?

Well, the Greek word for silence here is “settled ness, calmness, undisturbed, implying voluntary restraint.”  Quietness would be a better way to translate that idea.  Submission here does not imply that women shouldn’t have a mind or an opinion, but that a woman who was grasping for authority was not right.

When Paul gave these instructions to Timothy, he gave 3 principles regarding women’s ministry in the church.  First, he says that they are to learn in submission.  In I Corinthians 11:3 Paul says, “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”  That verse teaches that women are to be in submission to men in the sense that they are not to assume the role of leadership in the church, which belongs to qualified men.

Second, he says they are not to teach men.  Paul says, “And I do not permit a woman to teach.”

Is this a universal command, or is it okay in certain circumstances?

Well, the word “Permit” means to “let, or allow.”  It is to let someone do something.  It means to allow someone to do what he wants.  Paul is implying that some women at Ephesus had the desire to lead the church.  There have always been women who seek leadership roles.  

Now, this prohibition of a woman to be a teacher, does not include the teaching of classes of women, girls, or children in a Sunday School, for instance, but does prohibit the woman from being a pastor, or a doctrine teacher in a school.  It does not seem that this passage is talking about women teaching a mixed class of adults either.

And finally, they are not to take authority over men.  The words “Have authority” or “usurp authority” occurs only here in the New Testament.  A commentary writer says that this is not a correct translation of the Greek word.  It should read, “to exercise dominion over.”  George Knight in his book “New Testament Studies” concluded that the common meaning of this verse is referring to “having authority over.”  So, women should not have authority over men.

Now, before we close this evening, does anyone have anything that they would like to add on the subject of women’s role in the church?

Well, if there is nothing else, I will go ahead and close us in a word of prayer, and then we will sing our closing song.

Let’s Pray!