Can't you just imagine Paul sitting there in his prison cell, penning his final words to Timothy as he awaits his execution...his martyrdom? He had undergone such a radical life change on that Damascus Road when the Bright Light stole his sight. He had no idea that this one event would be the catalyst for a testimony that would touch the lives of believers for hundreds of generations. Even as he sat and wrote these words to Timothy, he had no way of knowing that they would one day be read by you and me nearly two thousand years later. What he knew was this: His heart beat for one purpose alone...Jesus. The good news of his death and resurrection woke him up in the morning and put him to sleep at night. His heart beat to preach the gospel. People who shared his passion were few and far between as persecution increased and the number of Christ-followers decreased. This is why Timothy was so special to him. Their hearts beat in unison. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Preach the word. His final piece of advice to Timothy was simple. He had already told Timothy about all the false teachers. They took bits and pieces of the truth and twisted them and added to them until no one knew what was true and what was false any more. Paul explained to Timothy that these false teachers were encouraged by the people who were out to accumulate teachers for themselves who suited their own passions. The people had itchy ears and they hunted for teachers to satisfy them, paying no attention to whether or not what they taught was true. Teachers of Truth were few and far between in those days, but Paul knew for certain that Timothy was one. So as he wrote these final words, he didn't fear. He knew that that the treasure of the Gospel was in good hands with Timothy.
His next words paint the most beautiful picture of the Christian life...
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:6
In the days of the Old Testament, burnt offerings would be offered to the Lord and they would often be accompanied by drink offerings. These sacrifices were such a precious thing because that's how the people were made right with God. Since Jesus had not yet come, someone had to pay the price. The price was the sacrifice laid upon the altar. So when Paul says that he is poured out as a drink offering, we can picture him willingly emptying himself of himself and offering himself to the Father.
"...Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1
Paul could pour himself out, empty himself completely, stare death in the face without even flinching, all because of his confidence in Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. The One who poured Himself out as an offering had gone on to prepare a place for Paul and Paul knew he was about to get to go there. As he handed the reins of his ministry over to Timothy, he had complete confidence that the gospel would continue to spread. He had done his job. He had fulfilled his calling.
I love that he adds a few personal notes at the end of his letter. It would be so easy to see Paul as some sort of elevated, saintly, unknowable, unreachable type of guy. But at the end of 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy that he needs his coat before winter and that Alexander is a mean old guy and that he wants him to bring his books and parchments. Just regular old Paul. He gets cold in the winter. People are mean to him. He likes to read, especially Scripture. Not much difference between Paul and you or me.
"The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." 2 Timothy 4:22
That little three letter word there - "YOU" - That word is plural. Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, but I think he knew Timothy wouldn't be the only one who would read it. I don't think he had any way of knowing just how many people would read it over the years, but as he was "carried along by the Spirit" in his writing, he was prompted to use the plural form of the word "you" at the end of his letter. Because although he had no way of knowing that you and I would read it, God certainly knew. So when Paul wrote "Grace be with y'all" (can I put that Texas twang there?), it was God's way of reminding us of the most precious promise of them all - that Grace Himself would be with us all.
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Three little BIG words
I didn't get to teach on 2 Timothy 2. I have had sick kids for what feels like 110 years and somehow we had been able to avoid anyone being too sick to come to church on a Wednesday night...until last week. So my sweet friend Megan led the discussion and I hear it went smashingly well. I'm not sure what the group talked about specifically or what they walked away from the session with. But as I reviewed 2 Timothy 2 in preparation to write the study on 2 Timothy 3, three little BIG words jumped off the page at me.
Check out 2 Timothy 2:8-9.
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!"
Can you guess what the three little BIG words are there? You don't have to read far to get to them. In fact, you don't have to read past the first three words! Remember Jesus Christ. Oh, Paul, there you go again, pointing us back to Jesus. It seems he never gets past that, does he? He never moves past Jesus. He says the name of Christ Jesus three times just in the first sentence! I'm sensing that Jesus must be really important to Paul...you see it too?
Now I know your brains have been on Spring Break. And I know many of you have had the same stinking illnesses in your house that we've had in ours. But think back with me over the past few months...Remember who is writing (Paul), who he's writing to (Timothy), why he's writing (his last words to Timothy as he prepares for death!) and what's happening at the time (Paul's in prison and Timothy is leading the church in Ephesus and teaching against false teachers). Not only that, but the church is being persecuted; many are already falling away and turning back to false gods. People are confused. They don't know who to believe or why they should believe it. Honestly, it sounds a lot like what's going on today.
So why are Paul's words, Remember Jesus Christ, so important here? Because in the midst of the chaos, JESUS. When everything is falling apart, JESUS. When you don't know who to believe or where to turn, JESUS.
So often we rush past Jesus, don't we? We like to read books and blogs and devotionals and articles about all the topics...marriage, family, finances, church life, missions, women's issues, men's issues, parenting, healthy living...the list goes on and on. We want REAL stuff. Stuff we can hold and see and sink our teeth into, right? Something we can go home and apply right away, checking off some proverbial box on an imaginary list in our heads. When some preacher starts preaching about Jesus, we kind of start to go off into a little daze, assuming that all the Jesus stuff really applies to someone else. After all, we've already accepted Christ- invited him into our hearts, gotten baptized, joined the church. Surely the Jesus stuff doesn't still apply to us. We've moved on from all that, right? We've moved past that stuff.
Oh friend, how foolish we are. (And please notice I'm saying WE, not YOU. All of this has been lived out by yours-truly here before I ever poured it out through these keys.) I've had the same pastor for ten years now, which I realize is not very long compared to some people. But I'm likely to have the same pastor for the rest of my life because I happen to be married to him. It used to drive me nuts when he would share the gospel at the end of every single sermon. I'd look around the room and think, "Come on, babe, we're all saved here. We all know this stuff already and we could really just skip this part." Seriously, I thought that for many years. (Did you know that's what your pastor's wife thinks as she sits perched prettily on the second row?) Well, not any more. I have seen something that has totally changed my whole way of thinking about Jesus.
We NEVER get past the Gospel. NEVER ever EVER never. Just NEVER. If you think that you have gotten past the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you haven't even gotten to it yet. The good news of what Jesus did for us on the cross and in the tomb and on the earth and in heaven (the Gospel) is what this life we live is all about. Oh, we've done a mighty fine job of making ourselves believe that it's about marriage and family and finances and church life and missions and women's issues and men's issues and parenting and healthy living. We have pasted so many pretty faces on so many magazine covers and gone to so many church services and listened to so many sermons where people tell us all the things we want to hear. Things that sound so good that we might even say "Amen" and nod our heads approvingly. But here's the truth.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Your marriage? Centered on Jesus.
Your family? To honor Jesus.
Your finances? Not yours. Jesus's.
Your church life? The body of Christ. (Jesus)
Missions? To make Jesus famous.
Women's Issues? To share Jesus.
Men's Issues? To honor Jesus.
Parenting? To point them to Jesus.
Healthy Living? To glorify Jesus.
If the sermons you're listening to don't point to Jesus every single time, stop listening to them. If your pastor doesn't share the Gospel in every sermon, ask him why! If the books you're reading are focused on YOUR best life now, throw them in the trash. If the blogs you subscribe to claim Christ but are more about bettering yourself, succeeding in life or getting ahead somehow, click the little x in the top corner.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Those three little words are so BIG. Paul wanted Timothy to remember. And God wants us to remember, which is why he included it in his love letter to us. Tell yourself every day. Tell yourself the story of what Jesus did for you every single day until you understand that you can never get past that. It is absolutely everything.
And then the precious promise comes. If we will remember Jesus Christ, even though we suffer, even though we are bound with chains, no matter what happens, the word of God is not bound! In the middle of that trial you're facing - Jesus. In the storm? In the struggle? In the valley? Jesus. And there may come a day soon that we are faced with actual suffering for the Gospel. How sweet it will be in the face of persecution, to remember Jesus Christ.
Check out 2 Timothy 2:8-9.
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!"
Can you guess what the three little BIG words are there? You don't have to read far to get to them. In fact, you don't have to read past the first three words! Remember Jesus Christ. Oh, Paul, there you go again, pointing us back to Jesus. It seems he never gets past that, does he? He never moves past Jesus. He says the name of Christ Jesus three times just in the first sentence! I'm sensing that Jesus must be really important to Paul...you see it too?
Now I know your brains have been on Spring Break. And I know many of you have had the same stinking illnesses in your house that we've had in ours. But think back with me over the past few months...Remember who is writing (Paul), who he's writing to (Timothy), why he's writing (his last words to Timothy as he prepares for death!) and what's happening at the time (Paul's in prison and Timothy is leading the church in Ephesus and teaching against false teachers). Not only that, but the church is being persecuted; many are already falling away and turning back to false gods. People are confused. They don't know who to believe or why they should believe it. Honestly, it sounds a lot like what's going on today.
So why are Paul's words, Remember Jesus Christ, so important here? Because in the midst of the chaos, JESUS. When everything is falling apart, JESUS. When you don't know who to believe or where to turn, JESUS.
So often we rush past Jesus, don't we? We like to read books and blogs and devotionals and articles about all the topics...marriage, family, finances, church life, missions, women's issues, men's issues, parenting, healthy living...the list goes on and on. We want REAL stuff. Stuff we can hold and see and sink our teeth into, right? Something we can go home and apply right away, checking off some proverbial box on an imaginary list in our heads. When some preacher starts preaching about Jesus, we kind of start to go off into a little daze, assuming that all the Jesus stuff really applies to someone else. After all, we've already accepted Christ- invited him into our hearts, gotten baptized, joined the church. Surely the Jesus stuff doesn't still apply to us. We've moved on from all that, right? We've moved past that stuff.
Oh friend, how foolish we are. (And please notice I'm saying WE, not YOU. All of this has been lived out by yours-truly here before I ever poured it out through these keys.) I've had the same pastor for ten years now, which I realize is not very long compared to some people. But I'm likely to have the same pastor for the rest of my life because I happen to be married to him. It used to drive me nuts when he would share the gospel at the end of every single sermon. I'd look around the room and think, "Come on, babe, we're all saved here. We all know this stuff already and we could really just skip this part." Seriously, I thought that for many years. (Did you know that's what your pastor's wife thinks as she sits perched prettily on the second row?) Well, not any more. I have seen something that has totally changed my whole way of thinking about Jesus.
We NEVER get past the Gospel. NEVER ever EVER never. Just NEVER. If you think that you have gotten past the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you haven't even gotten to it yet. The good news of what Jesus did for us on the cross and in the tomb and on the earth and in heaven (the Gospel) is what this life we live is all about. Oh, we've done a mighty fine job of making ourselves believe that it's about marriage and family and finances and church life and missions and women's issues and men's issues and parenting and healthy living. We have pasted so many pretty faces on so many magazine covers and gone to so many church services and listened to so many sermons where people tell us all the things we want to hear. Things that sound so good that we might even say "Amen" and nod our heads approvingly. But here's the truth.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Your marriage? Centered on Jesus.
Your family? To honor Jesus.
Your finances? Not yours. Jesus's.
Your church life? The body of Christ. (Jesus)
Missions? To make Jesus famous.
Women's Issues? To share Jesus.
Men's Issues? To honor Jesus.
Parenting? To point them to Jesus.
Healthy Living? To glorify Jesus.
If the sermons you're listening to don't point to Jesus every single time, stop listening to them. If your pastor doesn't share the Gospel in every sermon, ask him why! If the books you're reading are focused on YOUR best life now, throw them in the trash. If the blogs you subscribe to claim Christ but are more about bettering yourself, succeeding in life or getting ahead somehow, click the little x in the top corner.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Those three little words are so BIG. Paul wanted Timothy to remember. And God wants us to remember, which is why he included it in his love letter to us. Tell yourself every day. Tell yourself the story of what Jesus did for you every single day until you understand that you can never get past that. It is absolutely everything.
And then the precious promise comes. If we will remember Jesus Christ, even though we suffer, even though we are bound with chains, no matter what happens, the word of God is not bound! In the middle of that trial you're facing - Jesus. In the storm? In the struggle? In the valley? Jesus. And there may come a day soon that we are faced with actual suffering for the Gospel. How sweet it will be in the face of persecution, to remember Jesus Christ.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Know Your Place!
TRUE OR FALSE: Paul was a Jew.
TRUE OR FALSE: Paul was a Roman citizen.
If you answered TRUE to both of these, you are smarter than me! God has a way of keeping us humble and he certainly doesn't want us to start thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to. So on Wednesday night when I taught our group of ladies that Paul was NOT a Jew, God was quick to correct me through them! Scripture points to the fact that Paul was a Jew (Acts 22:3) and a Roman citizen (Acts 22:29). And one of our ladies emphasized to us that because God took a man who was both a Jew and a Roman citizen to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, both Jews and Gentiles were able to understand his message more clearly. He could relate to both sides of the aisle in this circumstance. God's plan is so far-reaching, even when we don't understand it.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love studying the Bible with these women on Wednesday nights? If you ever have the opportunity to join us, I encourage you to come! You will be so blessed and challenged!
If you haven't read last week's blog over 1 Timothy 1, now would be a good time to back up and read it. But to put it in a nutshell for you, Paul wrote the letter, 1 Timothy, after he left Timothy in Ephesus and continued on his missionary journey. Paul wanted him to correct the people that were teaching false doctrine. Not only were some teachers teaching idol worship and pagan rituals, but many were teaching that following the Old Testament law was still a requirement for salvation. Jews and Gentiles alike were confused by the false teachers. Paul's message was that Christ came to the world to save sinners and that he was the foremost. Having been a persecutor of Christians before his salvation experience, he had become an example of God's power and patience.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 is a call to depend upon God by praying for others. Paul's message was that Timothy should be praying fervently for the spread of the gospel. Paul wanted the good news to spread to the Gentiles. He knew that prayer was the fuel for his journey and he wanted Timothy to know that too. In the same way, those of us who follow Christ today should also be praying diligently that the gospel would spread to all nations.
Paul also encouraged Timothy to pray for authorities in government. Paul knew that when a government operates well, it is a significant ally to the gospel. Governmental leaders and policies have a direct bearing on our freedom to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (not for our own comfort and enjoyment, but for God's glory!) Proverbs 21:1 says "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases". Living a holy, godly life is pleasing to God. God wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the ruth. But does God save everyone? No, he doesn't. God's plan is for the evangelization of all nations and peoples, but he will never force someone into a relationship with him. He has given us the freedom to choose whether or not to follow him. Sovereign will vs free will is one of the great mysteries of the Bible. God certainly has a plan for us, but he will never force himself on us.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 is a call to depend upon God by confessing who Christ is. If we want to see the spread of the gospel in our lifetimes, we must first gain a solid understanding of who Jesus really is and why he came. Verse 5 says there is ONE God and ONE Mediator between God and man: Jesus. Some people discard truth for sincerity in the name of tolerance, believing that there is a god, but he can be found many different ways. (John 1:1, 14) Jesus is not one among many. He is the one and only!
Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all men. Are you ready for a Greek lesson? Here ya go: The Greek word, antilytron, meaning loosing or freeing, was often used in reference to buying a slave’s freedom. Do you know who the slaves are in this analogy? YOU. ME. WE are the slaves, Jesus is the ransom! Jesus was the substitute spotless lamb that replaced all of the sacrifices offered in the OT. And not only was he the perfect sacrifice, he came at the perfect time. Galatians 4:4 says “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
1 Timothy 2:7 is a call to depend upon God by remembering who we are. Paul told Timothy of his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. God radically changed his life by knocking him to the ground, taking away his sight and telling him exactly where to go. In Acts 26:17-18, Paul tells of his encounter with God and his specific calling to take the gospel to the Gentiles. His message to Timothy was this: Have confidence in your calling. Paul knew people would challenge the message of the Gospel – Jesus being the sole means to salvation and that salvation was for all people, Jews as well as Gentiles. He knew that Timothy would need to be confident in knowing that he was called to spread the gospel there in Ephesus. We need to have confidence in our calling as well if we want God to use us in the spread of the Gospel message.
This chapter takes a turn at verse 8. Paul was very concerned about keeping order in the church. The rest of the chapter is a call to order in the church. 1 Timothy 2:8 details some important instructions for men. The Greek word here for "men" is aner (ah-nair), which referred specifically to males, not the general term used for mankind. Paul said that men everywhere should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. Keep in mind that lifting the hands emphasizes holiness, not physical posture. As usual, God was more concerned with the heart than he was with outside appearances. If anger and quarreling exist between men in the church, there is a spirit of disunity, which prevents the spread of the gospel.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 was a call to order with instructions for women. Paul told Timothy to instruct the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety. Braided hair, gold, pearls and costly attire were disrupting and interfering with worship in Ephesus. Many wealthy women were flaunting their attire and jewelry before the poor. Men were being distracted by the visual stimuli. Rather than letting their beauty come from the outside, women were to adorn themselves in good works, which is proper for women who profess godliness. Paul wanted the women to know that good works won't save you, but they do call attention to God and promote worship.
The last area Paul addressed in his call to order was spiritual leadership. This topic can get a little touchy - I want to present to you several ways of interpreting this passage. Pray through it, research it, ask God to give you eyes to see and understand the truth here in this passage.
Paul tells Timothy that women are to learn in quietness and full submission. Quietness here means peaceableness. Women are to be peaceable. It seems that some of the women in the church at Ephesus were causing quite a stir. Full submission means that women should be willing to surrender questions of spiritual authority to men. Paul also writes that women may not teach or have authority over a man. They must remain silent. Some believe this was purely cultural and there is no application for today. I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and that there are NO errors in it. There is always application today! We have to look at the context here. This is specifically about spiritual leadership in the church, not in other situations. It doesn't mean that women can't be CEOs or president of the United States. Paul was writing specifically about women in the church. (There are other places in Scripture that address women and men in the home. This is about the church!) 1 Thessalonians 4:11, another of Paul's letters says to women, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” This is the kind of “silence” Paul was requiring of women in the church. Women are to rest in the sovereign teaching and will of God.
Verse 13 addresses the order in creation that shows the role structure God intends. Adam was formed first, then Eve. This shows a hierarchy from the very start, even before sin entered the picture. One of our ladies put it this way: If a woman and a man are standing in the rain, the man holds the umbrella over the woman. That doesn't mean the man is better or the woman is less, but the man is the leader that can be God's instrument to shield and protect the woman! The difference between life before and after the fall is that these structures and positions of authority changed from joyful harmony to festering conflict.
Eve was deceived by the serpent in the garden. Adam’s sin was intentional. He took the fruit from Eve. It is highly possible that this reference to Eve’s deception is a link in understanding Paul’s concerns—women in the Ephesian church were usurping the authority of the church leaders. Perhaps they were also being carried along by the deceptions of the false teachers.
Are you ready for verse 15? This verse can get a little bit confusing. I was rocking right along in my study of 1 Timothy 2 until I came to this verse and it STUMPED me for a while. "Yet she will be saved through childbearing- if they continue with faith and love and holiness, with self-control." Let me make one thing very clear. This does not refer to earning justification and salvation through childbearing.
One possible explanation: The unity in the church at Ephesus would increase by women embracing the submissive role that God has given them, which is exemplified in bearing and nurturing children. Remember, women in the church at Ephesus had started to focus on their attire, had become loud and a bit "catty" with each other and were distracting the men from worship. Paul may have been saying here that if the women would focus on their children, which is their primary calling in this life (remember the first command in the garden to "Be fruitful and multiply?"), then unity in the church would increase and through their obedience to their calling they would be working out their salvation (Phil 2:12).
Another possible explanation: “Saved” is used in the sense of progressively coming to experience all the aspects of salvation. As we embrace our God-given roles as men and women, we will be working out our salvation. (Phil 2:12) Paul didn't mean that childbearing would be a salvation experience, but that it would be a part of growing in the faith as they experienced their purpose of childbearing.
Another possible explanation (and my personal favorite!): The "she" in this verse might refer specifically to Eve. "She" would find salvation in childbearing because salvation himself would come from her lineage...JESUS.
Agree? Disagree? It's ok. Our Bible study time is a great time to talk, share, discuss and learn.
TRUE OR FALSE: Paul was a Roman citizen.
If you answered TRUE to both of these, you are smarter than me! God has a way of keeping us humble and he certainly doesn't want us to start thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to. So on Wednesday night when I taught our group of ladies that Paul was NOT a Jew, God was quick to correct me through them! Scripture points to the fact that Paul was a Jew (Acts 22:3) and a Roman citizen (Acts 22:29). And one of our ladies emphasized to us that because God took a man who was both a Jew and a Roman citizen to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, both Jews and Gentiles were able to understand his message more clearly. He could relate to both sides of the aisle in this circumstance. God's plan is so far-reaching, even when we don't understand it.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love studying the Bible with these women on Wednesday nights? If you ever have the opportunity to join us, I encourage you to come! You will be so blessed and challenged!
If you haven't read last week's blog over 1 Timothy 1, now would be a good time to back up and read it. But to put it in a nutshell for you, Paul wrote the letter, 1 Timothy, after he left Timothy in Ephesus and continued on his missionary journey. Paul wanted him to correct the people that were teaching false doctrine. Not only were some teachers teaching idol worship and pagan rituals, but many were teaching that following the Old Testament law was still a requirement for salvation. Jews and Gentiles alike were confused by the false teachers. Paul's message was that Christ came to the world to save sinners and that he was the foremost. Having been a persecutor of Christians before his salvation experience, he had become an example of God's power and patience.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 is a call to depend upon God by praying for others. Paul's message was that Timothy should be praying fervently for the spread of the gospel. Paul wanted the good news to spread to the Gentiles. He knew that prayer was the fuel for his journey and he wanted Timothy to know that too. In the same way, those of us who follow Christ today should also be praying diligently that the gospel would spread to all nations.
Paul also encouraged Timothy to pray for authorities in government. Paul knew that when a government operates well, it is a significant ally to the gospel. Governmental leaders and policies have a direct bearing on our freedom to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (not for our own comfort and enjoyment, but for God's glory!) Proverbs 21:1 says "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases". Living a holy, godly life is pleasing to God. God wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the ruth. But does God save everyone? No, he doesn't. God's plan is for the evangelization of all nations and peoples, but he will never force someone into a relationship with him. He has given us the freedom to choose whether or not to follow him. Sovereign will vs free will is one of the great mysteries of the Bible. God certainly has a plan for us, but he will never force himself on us.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 is a call to depend upon God by confessing who Christ is. If we want to see the spread of the gospel in our lifetimes, we must first gain a solid understanding of who Jesus really is and why he came. Verse 5 says there is ONE God and ONE Mediator between God and man: Jesus. Some people discard truth for sincerity in the name of tolerance, believing that there is a god, but he can be found many different ways. (John 1:1, 14) Jesus is not one among many. He is the one and only!
Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all men. Are you ready for a Greek lesson? Here ya go: The Greek word, antilytron, meaning loosing or freeing, was often used in reference to buying a slave’s freedom. Do you know who the slaves are in this analogy? YOU. ME. WE are the slaves, Jesus is the ransom! Jesus was the substitute spotless lamb that replaced all of the sacrifices offered in the OT. And not only was he the perfect sacrifice, he came at the perfect time. Galatians 4:4 says “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
1 Timothy 2:7 is a call to depend upon God by remembering who we are. Paul told Timothy of his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. God radically changed his life by knocking him to the ground, taking away his sight and telling him exactly where to go. In Acts 26:17-18, Paul tells of his encounter with God and his specific calling to take the gospel to the Gentiles. His message to Timothy was this: Have confidence in your calling. Paul knew people would challenge the message of the Gospel – Jesus being the sole means to salvation and that salvation was for all people, Jews as well as Gentiles. He knew that Timothy would need to be confident in knowing that he was called to spread the gospel there in Ephesus. We need to have confidence in our calling as well if we want God to use us in the spread of the Gospel message.
This chapter takes a turn at verse 8. Paul was very concerned about keeping order in the church. The rest of the chapter is a call to order in the church. 1 Timothy 2:8 details some important instructions for men. The Greek word here for "men" is aner (ah-nair), which referred specifically to males, not the general term used for mankind. Paul said that men everywhere should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. Keep in mind that lifting the hands emphasizes holiness, not physical posture. As usual, God was more concerned with the heart than he was with outside appearances. If anger and quarreling exist between men in the church, there is a spirit of disunity, which prevents the spread of the gospel.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 was a call to order with instructions for women. Paul told Timothy to instruct the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety. Braided hair, gold, pearls and costly attire were disrupting and interfering with worship in Ephesus. Many wealthy women were flaunting their attire and jewelry before the poor. Men were being distracted by the visual stimuli. Rather than letting their beauty come from the outside, women were to adorn themselves in good works, which is proper for women who profess godliness. Paul wanted the women to know that good works won't save you, but they do call attention to God and promote worship.
The last area Paul addressed in his call to order was spiritual leadership. This topic can get a little touchy - I want to present to you several ways of interpreting this passage. Pray through it, research it, ask God to give you eyes to see and understand the truth here in this passage.
Paul tells Timothy that women are to learn in quietness and full submission. Quietness here means peaceableness. Women are to be peaceable. It seems that some of the women in the church at Ephesus were causing quite a stir. Full submission means that women should be willing to surrender questions of spiritual authority to men. Paul also writes that women may not teach or have authority over a man. They must remain silent. Some believe this was purely cultural and there is no application for today. I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and that there are NO errors in it. There is always application today! We have to look at the context here. This is specifically about spiritual leadership in the church, not in other situations. It doesn't mean that women can't be CEOs or president of the United States. Paul was writing specifically about women in the church. (There are other places in Scripture that address women and men in the home. This is about the church!) 1 Thessalonians 4:11, another of Paul's letters says to women, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” This is the kind of “silence” Paul was requiring of women in the church. Women are to rest in the sovereign teaching and will of God.
Verse 13 addresses the order in creation that shows the role structure God intends. Adam was formed first, then Eve. This shows a hierarchy from the very start, even before sin entered the picture. One of our ladies put it this way: If a woman and a man are standing in the rain, the man holds the umbrella over the woman. That doesn't mean the man is better or the woman is less, but the man is the leader that can be God's instrument to shield and protect the woman! The difference between life before and after the fall is that these structures and positions of authority changed from joyful harmony to festering conflict.
Eve was deceived by the serpent in the garden. Adam’s sin was intentional. He took the fruit from Eve. It is highly possible that this reference to Eve’s deception is a link in understanding Paul’s concerns—women in the Ephesian church were usurping the authority of the church leaders. Perhaps they were also being carried along by the deceptions of the false teachers.
Are you ready for verse 15? This verse can get a little bit confusing. I was rocking right along in my study of 1 Timothy 2 until I came to this verse and it STUMPED me for a while. "Yet she will be saved through childbearing- if they continue with faith and love and holiness, with self-control." Let me make one thing very clear. This does not refer to earning justification and salvation through childbearing.
One possible explanation: The unity in the church at Ephesus would increase by women embracing the submissive role that God has given them, which is exemplified in bearing and nurturing children. Remember, women in the church at Ephesus had started to focus on their attire, had become loud and a bit "catty" with each other and were distracting the men from worship. Paul may have been saying here that if the women would focus on their children, which is their primary calling in this life (remember the first command in the garden to "Be fruitful and multiply?"), then unity in the church would increase and through their obedience to their calling they would be working out their salvation (Phil 2:12).
Another possible explanation: “Saved” is used in the sense of progressively coming to experience all the aspects of salvation. As we embrace our God-given roles as men and women, we will be working out our salvation. (Phil 2:12) Paul didn't mean that childbearing would be a salvation experience, but that it would be a part of growing in the faith as they experienced their purpose of childbearing.
Another possible explanation (and my personal favorite!): The "she" in this verse might refer specifically to Eve. "She" would find salvation in childbearing because salvation himself would come from her lineage...JESUS.
Agree? Disagree? It's ok. Our Bible study time is a great time to talk, share, discuss and learn.
To Sum It Up:
God
desires order, peace, and holiness in our lives, in our worship, and in our
relationships within the church and our communities. This reflects the order,
constancy, and righteous character of God. When we live this way, God is
revealed and people will embrace him as Savior.[1]
In other words, order in the church is important. It's important for men to take their place and have confidence in the calling of God on their lives. It's equally important for women to take their place and have confidence in the calling of God on their lives. When everyone is focusing on fulfilling the roles to which God has called them, His purpose can be fulfilled in spreading the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike. When we know who God is, who Jesus is and who we are, and we are faithful to fill the roles he has for us, all will hear the good news of his salvation.
[1]
Larson, K. (2000). I & II
Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, pp. 167–172).
Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
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