Book of 1 Timothy - Ch. 2, Vs. 9-15 (04/28/2002)

We're gonna be in 1st Timothy chapter 2 for a moment I told you I might finish this up even though brother

Otis has moved on. Let's have a word of prayer and we'll get started Father we thank you for the scriptures that you gave us this morning for revealing to us

Some of your nature that we can see and comprehend in this lifetime before we get to see you as you are

As we with the Lord Jesus someday face -to -face even now you give us some revelation

Thank you that you've told us you're a good God and Lord Sometimes our minds think about things we don't know enough about to think about We contemplate what it might be like if you weren't a good

God and that's even impossible for us to think about But we can only praise you that you are good we praise you for your goodness for your loving -kindness and your mercy and your forgiveness upon your children

Be with us during the study this afternoon and we ask it in Jesus name. Amen Okay, let's see

Make sure I got my notes in the right order here. I want to go back over last week last times

But let's do read 1st Timothy chapter 2 And I want to start with verse 9 and I realize

I left out a verse last time So follow along with me in light matter also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefacedness and sobriety

Not with broided hair or gold or pearls or costly array But which becometh women professing godliness with good works

Let the women learn in silence with all subjection But I allow not a woman to teach

Nor usurp authority over the man but to learn in silence for Adam was first formed in Eve And Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression and then brother

Otis covered verse 15 So I'll stop there And pick some of this back up last time we went into 1st

Corinthians chapter 11 starting with about verse 17 and we

Kind of looked at this parallel passage on the role of women in the church We pointed out from that passage that there was a very strict

Definition for what it meant when it said for the women to be silent in the church 1st

Corinthians 11 18 very clearly gives several aspects to the definition of or the limits of this injunction and It says first of all when ye come together in the church there are other places where it says when you all come together into one place and So forth so we pointed out that it is talking about the congregational assembly

These verses that deal with the woman being silent in the church and that as far as I can tell from scripture

That injunction is held to that specific definition Might give an example of Aquila and Priscilla For example, we know that the

Bible teaches that they instructed them. I believe it was Apollo's wasn't it? Sometimes I get him in Barnabas Apollo's though Apollo's was a mighty speaker.

He could speak for the Lord and preach the Word of God in a powerful way and As they observed him doing this they also observed that doctrinally he was a bit weak so the

Bible says they took him aside and instructed him upon doctrine and My view of that my interpretation of that knowing the

Jewish law like I have studied it and the Jewish Practices they would not have allowed

Priscilla to take part in that on the premises. No way she would instruct a man what they did was they took him aside into their home and Aquila began to teach him doctrine just like we study on Sunday morning

Services for so many for so long. We began to study first. We started with the Word of God and the character of God I'm sure they then moved into salvation justification sanctification

Glorification all the aspects that they knew about God's Word And they began to take him through and teach him probably what we would call systematic theology they taught him he had some truth, but he had not yet put it together into a system and They taught that to him and it probably took months.

It takes us months Taking an hour or an hour and a half a day once a week

It probably took them months to go through that and it was done in the home So it does not fall under the category of being in the assembly where we all come together

Therefore that proves in itself. So as not to contradict the verse that says that the women remain silent in the church

It could not Let's put it this way if it were forbidden for Priscilla to take part in the discipleship of Apollos If that were forbidden

Then the scripture couldn't be there Well, the scripture is there. So I believe Aquila was the main teacher, but I believe

Priscilla just didn't sit there like this You know She contributed if the

Lord put a thought in her mind About the doctrinal issue that the men were discussing She said well,

I've found this to be true in my life and scripture says this and there was nothing wrong with that It was happening in their home.

It was happening under the leadership of the husband No doubt But she had a part in it because she knew the word as well and she knew it better than Apollos did

However, that was not teaching done in the assembly it was discipleship and it was done in the home and that's where the difference is, so I Believe if you go to each of these passages and you rightly divide the word of truth is very

Exhorted to do there will be no contradiction and it all fits together perfectly

So we can see then from this passage in 1st Corinthians 11 that is dealing with the times when we all come together in the assembly

We went over several of the reasons why God gave us for that is that he does not want confusion in the assembly

He does not want division in the assembly and so forth when we come into our passage

First Timothy where it says that the women are not allowed to teach or have authority over the man

It gives the reason for both in verses 13 and 14 Verse 13 says for Adam was first formed in Eve and that's why the woman cannot have authority over the man

She did not come into the world first You go in and you study Genesis and other scriptures in the

Bible You'll find out that God himself says that the woman was for the man not the man for the woman

God created the woman for the man And she does not to have the authority over the man and then she is not to teach the man

The reason for that is given in verse 14 Adam was not deceived but the woman was and we kind of read right through those verses this morning in the message

That is the reason that God gives for these rules It is set up in such a way since we know that the church is called the pillar of the truth

God has set it up in such a way that the women cannot be determinative of the doctrines of the church they can take part in discipleship, but they cannot be the ones who step up to the pulpit and Set the doctrinal tone of the church.

It is not possible I went to a church once where they argued that that should be the case and they said well the women know the scripture better Than the men do in this church

So they're more qualified And my friend Gary Plumlee Who then left the church after that because he would not go to a church where the women ran the church

But he did stand up and make this statement. He said no They are totally disqualified by God and he quoted those verses

And then he joined a different church. He started driving of course Canada to go to the Bible Church over here in Crossing across the tracks from us at that point, but These passages are clear and we covered them pretty fully last time, but there was one that I left out look at verse 9

In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel a lot of people especially in the independent

Baptist movement have I Think on purpose refused to look at the Greek word behind this word modest because they really like the

English word better Because it allows them to rule over the women with a stronger rule in fact in most of these churches you can see the men and wear blue jeans and cutoffs and Anything they want to wear

But the women have to wear dresses down to their ankle and the tops have to come up to here and have to dress that way

Everywhere they go, even if they're playing sports riding a horse, whatever doesn't matter because they take this

Verse and they take this word modest to mean what it means in the English language

Whereas if you go to the Greek language and you read this word modest Literally what it's saying is that the women when they come to church should be careful not to try to make a fashion statement

That the word modest in the Greek here does not mean modest in the sense of covering up Although we know other scriptures would bear, you know would back that up of being modest that way

We know that we all men and women should be modest in our in our dress But that's not what this verse is teaching.

This verse is teaching to be very careful ladies not to be a part of the latest fad I never forget

Charlotte. I went to a quote fundamental independent Baptist Church once very strong in their Standards and all the women wore dresses what was interesting though to me

The problem was in trying to define this modesty in the case it meant they couldn't wear pants and Yet they were wearing the latest fad and they looked worldly.

I mean Charlotte and I were kind of shocked We said the women here look lascivious. I Mean they look they all from the pastor's wife.

They dress like the pastor's wife, but they they all look lascivious and reason was because they were very faddish and Right up with the latest

Fashions and they want to make a point that everyone knew that and this verse is an injunction against that And that's what it's saying when it talks about the jewelry and all this.

It's not it's not necessarily Saying that you can't have your hair fixed when you see this part about Braided or broided hair what it means is you're not supposed to come to church making a fashion statement

So that the eyes and the focus are upon you rather than upon the Lord So it's to me.

It's very straightforward Teaching there Now what I'd like to do is to continue with this concept of the role of women in the church using this passage in first Timothy chapter 2 verses 10 through 15 as a

Launching pad. I want to look at just a couple of issues about it With the rest of our time today

Turn with me if you would to first Peter chapter 3 verse 1 I first want to speak to you this afternoon about the attitude of a woman that pleases

God Or the attitude which pleases God when he sees this particular attitude in a woman

First Peter chapter 3 verse 1 likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands

That if any obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the lifestyle of the wife

While there while they behold your chaste lifestyle conversation lifestyle coupled with fear

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of the plated hair and of wearing of gold and of putting on of apparel

But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible

Even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price

So there is an attitude That pleases God greatly in specifically women and that is if they have a meet and quiet spirit now

This goes into some of the dress But notice what it does is it says this is not what ought to be apparent when people look at you

What ought to be apparent is that they see the hidden man of the heart, which is Jesus Jesus Christ they see

Christ in you that would go for the men as well But specifically this passage is written to the women

Second thing is the biblical position of women. Let's discuss that a little bit

Turn to Galatians chapter 3 verse 28. I Think this is very important and this is where a lot of people misunderstand

What the Bible teaches and a lot of women who hear a preacher say things are quote certain scriptures

And they may even believe that that particular pastor is a male chauvinist Who knows and they always think that what they're teaching is that the men are better than the women the men are more

Spiritual than the women the men are closer to God than the women of whatever But that can easily be straightened out if we go to the scriptures in Galatians chapter 3 verse 28

It says there is neither Jew nor Greek There is neither bond nor free

There is neither male nor female That ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if you be

Christ, then are you Abraham seed and heirs according to the promise? so the first thing that the

Bible teaches concerning male and female it also is through Greek and Jew and a slave and a non -slave is

That spiritually if we are born again, we are one We are equal on a spiritual plane as God's children and as Abraham seed and as heirs

According to the promise the man is not greater is not a greater heir He will not inherit a greater inheritance than the woman

The man is not Abraham seed and the woman just gets to come along She is part of Abraham seed too if she is a woman of faith and The man is cannot say that.

Well, I belong to Christ and you belong to me Because both belong to Christ So we see that this lays out.

The first point is that in spirit male and female are one Now if you turn with me to Genesis chapter 3 and also

Ephesians chapter 5 The second point that the Bible makes is that it is true that in spirit male and female are one

But it is also true that in order or in authority The woman is in subjection to the man and to the

Lord in authority So you have to ask the question.

Is that contradictory? Well if it is then the Bible contradicts itself Because it teaches both are true and really if you think it through it's not contradictory because it's just like If you took two

Christian men, for example who? Worked for the fire department They're both saved.

They're both equally Loved by the father. They're both children They both have an inheritance and all of that one of them may have to be the captain and the other is a brand new fireman

Well with regard to being in spirit They are equal before God but with regard to authority one must submit to the other because God set up order in this world and he set up authority so there would be order and no division and protection for everyone and So it has to do with God's order.

So in spirit male and female are one Spiritually as far as God's order on this earth the female is subject to the authority of the husband and We see this in Genesis chapter 3 verse 16 and to the woman he said

I will great greatly multiply thy sorrow and I conception in Sorrow thou shalt bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee

Couldn't be plainer But that doesn't say for one moment that he's more spiritual than thee

Or that he is loved by God more than thee or that he has a greater inheritance in heaven than thee

It simply means that on the face of this earth in order to have order and for it to be good

Like God wants it to be good It cannot be where you have two

Chiefs and no Indians. You can't have everyone leading That doesn't work in any organization and it certainly doesn't work in the home

So therefore if there has to be a leader God picks the man the reason God picks the man twofold he created the man first and Then he created the woman for the man

And secondly, the man was not deceived the woman was so the man makes a better leader and so This is what the

Bible teaches. It also verifies it in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 22 over in the New Testament It says wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the

Lord You will be pleasing the Lord if you submit to your husbands

For the husband is the head of the wife Even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the

Savior of the body Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything it says

It doesn't mean for one moment that you're not equal with him spiritually It does not take away from that truth

So we have first of all in spirit male and female are one in order The female is subject to the authority of the husband secondly

She is subject to the authority of the church and the male Leadership of the church turn with me if you would the first Timothy.

Oh, you don't have to work. It's our passage We're studying but chapter 2 verse 11 Let the women learn in silence with all subjection

They're not to teach the men Because of her nature she's more easily deceived They are not to usurp authority over the man because her role as subservient and as the help meat of the man

And she was given for the man So all of these things are taught here in verses 12 13 and 14 give the reasons

So she is to remain silent when the whole church comes together to assembly to avoid confusion many scriptures

Indicate These reasons to avoid confusion to avoid disorder to avoid division

God does not want women debating with men in the church or setting the tone for church doctrine doctrinal positions they are commanded to be in obedience quote as Under the law the scripture says so the

Lord takes it back and says now not everything's the same With respect to the way it was before the cross and after the cross as far as the

Old Testament Saints and the New Testament saints, but he said this one thing is the same It's as it was under the law that the women are to be in subjection to the men male

Leadership in the church as it was in the temple before that So it actually takes it back and compares it to the law.

This is found in 1st Corinthians chapter 14 Verses 33 and following and it gives some of the reasons it says for God is not the author of confusion

So apparently if the women rise up and have leadership positions and the assembly and began to speak out and so forth

It causes confusion, but he is the author of peace as in all the churches of the

Saints Let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak

But they are commanded to be under obedience that has to do with subjection as do their position not with their spirituality but with their position of subjection and it says they are not

Permitted to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as also sayeth the law

So it says the Old Testament was the same and it's going to be that same way in the church

And if they will learn anything let them ask their husbands at home for it is a shame for a woman to speak in church now

Paul goes on in verse 36 of 1st Corinthians 14 and brings in his Apostolic authority and he says this is not me saying this it's

God saying it now it's wonderful that he made that clear because I've had women tell me that Paul was a chauvinist and That it was

Paul who said these things and it had to do with the society of his day It's not what God wants today.

All of that is false God does not take it back to the society of the Roman Empire he took it back to the society in the

Garden of Eden and gave the reasons that are based all the way back to the creation and to the fall has nothing to do with society and also

He brings in his apostolic authority verse 36 He says what came the

Word of God out from you or came it out unto you only He's saying now did God use you to pin part of the scripture and he's implying he used me for that not you and Paul is saying so you should listen to me

And he says if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge That the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the

Lord Now this is verse 37 and it's verse 34 right above it That says let your women keep silence in the churches

So how in the world modern woman and the church comes up and says this is Societal or it has to do with Paul's society and we know

Paul was a chauvinist and yet that's what liberal theology teaches today And so they therefore excuse all the verses and they'll have women preachers women behind the pulpit

I saw an article in the Dallas Morning News Maybe less than a month ago where they were so happy because not only the pastor was a woman

But the associate pastor was a woman. It was the first church in the In that group that where that had taken place

And I was so sad when I read that because they've ignored every scripture that the Bible teaches about a woman being an authority

Placing the men and subjection under their authority. It cannot work. It will not work. It's doomed to fail

Because God has disqualified both of them And it just won't work.

He brings his apostolic authority and the fact that God wrote this through his hand in verse 37

Hebrews 13 17 says obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves therefore you couldn't have a woman being a pastor because that verse proves that they have the rule over you and then they would have

To rule over all the men in the congregation That would then contradict The scriptures that so plainly teach in 1st

Timothy chapter 2 that I allow not the woman to have authority over the man So these scriptures are not confusing.

They're very plain. It's just the modern church refuses to believe them Then again, they don't really believe

God wrote the Bible. So they refuse to believe a lot of things now another thought that I had

When the Lord led me to this I believe is I did a little study of Mary and Some of the women in the

New Testament. We don't have time for all that this afternoon I'm just about through but I I would like to mention some of the attributes of Mary who would be a good example of the role of women

In Luke chapter 1 Verse 26 and following when

Gabriel comes and speaks To Mary The angel came in unto her and said hail now that are highly favored

The Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among women This reveals that women are blessed by God Counted as blessed by God As much as men are and they have a purpose and Some even have more exalted purposes than other people other women

This particularly said that Mary was highly favored blessed more blessed among all the women

She had a very high role to play. She had a very high purpose in God's plan for her life

And a lot of the women that want to teach that the scriptures about women in authority are wrong or that they can't be true

Believe that if they are true Then it means that the woman is totally useless and has no purpose or role in the church at all

Well, that is a logical fallacy. It's a common one that's used in debates Where people will limit you to two choices when really there are many choices and they'll say now

Either this is true, or this is true. And since we know this is not true. This must be true

That's a logical fallacy because the fact is this over here might be true and you didn't include it in the in the possibilities

So they'll say now if it's true that women are not to teach men or have authority then it's also true that they're useless

They're good for nothing and God doesn't even use them in the church Well, we can see that's a logical fallacy

Because the fact is God says no there's another choice over here The fact is they are to be in submission to their husbands they are to be in submission to the men of that lead the church just like the men are in submission to the men that lead the church and Yet they can have a purpose as high as the purpose that Mary herself had

Imagine that purpose and and we as we look at her life. We see some of the attributes that please

God so much God had built her to be this person wasn't an accident

But we can see the attributes that she had It went on in verse 29 said when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind

What manner of salutation this should be? I love that. I love the way that's worded I can see her mind is cranking what manner of salutation is this?

And the angel said to her fear not Mary for thou has found favor with God. Apparently women can have favor with God apparently women can have high favor with God the men don't hold all of that and Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth the

Son and shall call his name Jesus He shall be great It shall be called the

Son of the Highest the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David Etc.

Etc. Then said Mary unto the angel. How shall this be seeing? I know not a man And the angel answered and said to her the

Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the

Son of God and behold the cousin Thy cousin Elizabeth. She hath also conceived a son in her old age and this is the sixth month with her

Whom was called barren for with God nothing shall be impossible and look at her response and Mary said behold the handmaid of the

Lord Be it unto me according to thy word and the angel departed from her

Mary had a spirit of humility even in this aspect. She said well,

I don't understand all this I can't see how all this can happen Nevertheless, I'm your handmaid be it unto me as the

Lord wants a handmaid is a slave a handmaid is a servant and She says

I am the handmaid of the Lord what a beautiful attitude of all of us could learn that this is very difficult for Americans period because we've never had to serve a

King or anything like that, but we certainly never been slaves and yet She had this attitude of the handmaid of the

Lord be it unto me according to thy word and then the angel Departed from her. So we see a spirit of humility a spirit of servitude a spirit of submission

The handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word Then in Luke chapter 1 verse 45 it says and blessed is she that believed

But there shall be a performance of those things which were told her of the Lord. That's a great definition of belief faith

Is that what God says he will do he will do there is a performance of it Do you believe that but it proves that she was a woman of faith

Defined as a person who believed and that there would be a performance of those things that God told her

That is a perfect definition of faith She was a woman of strong faith

She was a woman of humility and servitude submission But a woman of strong faith that believed that God would do exactly what he said he would do

Next thing we see it says and Mary said my soul doth magnify the Lord. So she was a magnifier of God this

Greek word magnify means to declare one to be great an Increaser so because of her life in her own testimony in the words that she said she

Magnified God in the sense that she made God out to be great and she increased knowledge of his presence with her life

So certainly that is a marvelous role of a woman in the church

Women can be blessed of God women Should have a spirit of humility servitude and submission, but women can be great in faith and greatly

Magnify the Lord with their lives verse 47. It says in my spirit hath rejoiced in God my

Savior She was a rejoicing Christian She rejoiced in her Savior She was happy that this news had come to her which to us could picture the good news the gospel

And all of our ladies in our church certainly should be rejoicing in their salvation Rejoicing that they have the

Savior and that he's called us out of darkness into his marvelous light verse 48 for he

Hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaid or behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed

She was humble and yet she was blessed by God both at the same time.

That's remarkable For he that is mighty hath done to me great things and holy is his name She recognized

God's mighty hand his sovereign hand in her life And that he had made her to be exactly what he wanted her to be

She didn't feel a need to strive to be a preacher when God had said no, that's one thing you can't be

She had no need to do that. She was totally happy within the sovereign will of God for her life and His mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation

She had a healthy fear of God and recognized his mercy on her life verse 51 and he showed strength with his arm

He had scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts He had put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them that of low degree

It filled the hungry with good things and the rich had he sent away empty He had helped his servant

Israel in remembrance of his mercy as He spake to their fathers to Abraham to his seed forever

You know what that shows me about Mary She was doctrinally sound and well instructed in the word a

Lot of people didn't know these stories back in those days But they didn't have a written Bible at least not everybody got to hold it and see it and study it

They had to memorize the things that they were taught Through their life as they were taught the things of God and she remembered them she could quote them word -for -word

She had a sound doctrinal base and had been well instructed So I thought those things would be a blessing for us to look at this one woman in the church

And we get some time we will look at other women that are listed and even named in the

Bible as Servants in the church and see what their roles were. Let's have a word of prayer together father

We thank you for the time you give us to come together and study. We thank you for your word that guides us directly

Straight down the right path doctrinally and keeps us straight and sound May you always keep us within the word and with the true honest interpretation of the scriptures

And father may your Holy Spirit be the one who teaches us after all We thank you for the

Lord Jesus Christ and all that he has done All that he is doing but the fact that we shall see him one day and be like he is

And father help us to go out from this place to be Servants to have the Spirit Mary had as she called herself a handmaid of the