1 Timothy 2:8–3:1 - The Order of Things

I want to begin with a socially and culturally provocative statement: men and women are very different. It’s true! But seriously – men and women obviously have various different God-determined traits and characteristics.

Of course, in so many ways, we're the same. For example, both men and women are sinners in need of Christ. Neither gender is more sinful than the other. Corruption has touched every part of our being, and we break God’s law in so many of the same ways.

But the effects of sin also come to bear on our particular traits and characteristics, so that in some ways the corruption manifests itself differently in men and women. Those differences are on display all the time, and they were on display in the central gathering of the church in Ephesus – the public worship service in the covenant community.

Worship on the Lord’s Day is the primary event God uses in His heart-changing work.

This is why, as Acts 2 in the NT says, the believers, “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers,” “The breaking of bread” was more than simply sharing meals together. In public worship, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper, as Christ Himself had instituted and commanded during His earthly ministry.

Also, in Acts 20, Luke writes, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.” The Lord’s Supper was celebrated, and the Word was preached.

In city after city, the apostles established these worship services. Churches were founded like the one in Ephesus, where Paul left Timothy to lead. Timothy’s role in Ephesus was like the role Paul gave to Titus on the island of Crete. In Titus 1, Paul tells Titus, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order.”

That could be translated as “set in order what was absent or lacking.” Paul immediately states what was lacking and needed. He writes, “and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” Paul was concerned with God’s intended order of things in His church.

Now, as we work our way through these next verses, keep in mind Paul’s concern about this order in the church and in public worship. Issues arose related to the behavior and roles of men and women. God’s design for manhood and womanhood are in view.

Christ redeems men for godly, biblical manhood and women for godly, biblical womanhood. Those who are saved and being sanctified by Christ should reflect this. That is what God intends for His people in Christ. We must embrace this to abide in Christ and grow in His grace and knowledge. That’s why God commands this in His Word. So let’s look closer.

In the previous section, Paul commanded all kinds of prayer for all kinds of people. This was an instruction for public worship. All believers – men, women, and children – should practice prayer. But the context of this chapter reveals that the congregational assembly is in view.

Now Paul says, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray.” In “every place the church gathers for worship…the men should pray.” Everyone will be praying private, silent prayers, but before the congregation, it is men only who are instructed to lead.

Why only men? In Galatians 3, Paul says, “there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Yes, in Christ, men and women are absolutely equal in value, dignity, and in their inheritance of every spiritual blessing in Christ. But “equal” doesn’t mean “same in every way.” “Equal” doesn’t mean “called by God in all the same ways and all the same roles”

This was the case in the Old covenant community, and so it was in the New covenant community. As it was in the synagogues, so it must be in the churches, that the calling and responsibility for leadership was assigned only to men. All God’s people gather, but men lead. As we’ll see shortly, this order is rooted in creation and the home.

But notice that a certain kind of male leadership was necessary. See the rest of the verse, “the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” Why might the men be quarreling or getting angry? About positions and authority, of course. Men must lead the church, but they should not be competing for prominence through power or position. Humility must characterize the men who lead God’s church. They should model godly, biblical manhood.

Now, what’s the significance of “lifting holy hands?” This same language is used in the book of Job – having “clean hands” before God. And in Psalm 24, King David sang, “Who shall ascend the hill of Yahweh? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” When a man comes before the congregation to lead God’s people, he must be holy, which is only possible because of God’s grace. And in thankful response to that grace, the man should seek faith to obey God’s law.

The men who lead God’s people to His throne of grace must never lose sight of the appropriate posture of the heart in worship as well as how Christ made it possible for sinners to approach the holy God. After all, His Word says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Now look at verse [9]. Paul writes, “likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel.” The men should adorn themselves with humility. In a like manner, the women should as well. But something different is emphasized. See the next phrase “with modesty and self-control.” Their style of dress should reflect prudence and sober-mindedness.

Of course, worship is not a yardwork or cleaning day at church. No one expects women to dress for that type of occasion. But neither is worship a beauty pageant or a debutante ball. Paul says that very elaborate hair, makeup and clothing is out of place. That’s the principle of these instructions.

Paul writes, “not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire. The wording translated “braided hair” actually refers to many different hairstyles. These were very embellished first century stylings that took a long, long time to create and signified wealth or prestige or might be used to achieve maximum attractiveness. Think of the Met Gala, or the Oscars, or a formal event or a country club cotillion. This kind of appearance may fit other public settings, but not worship.

For worship, women should adorn themselves – see verse 10 – “with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” A certain kind of fashion may be appropriate at a gala or a formal, but the fashion for worship is faith and righteousness displayed through modesty and reverence. Godly, biblical womanhood.

For a congregation to be sound and healthy, to effectively proclaim Christ, these instructions must be followed, because in public worship, God intends for behavior to reflect biblical manhood and womanhood.

Men shouldn’t be preoccupied with being powerful, and women shouldn’t be preoccupied with being pretty. The men shouldn’t be power-tripping; the women shouldn’t be preening.

Notice again that Paul used the word “likewise” to begin verse 9. Both genders are prone to pridefulness, but in different ways. Both tend to be consumed with their appearance, but in different ways. Both sets of instructions address sinful efforts for prominence – one gender leveraging authority, the other leveraging beauty. And in both cases, they caught up not in the glories of Christ, but in self-glory.

Scripture repeatedly states what is “becoming” or “unbecoming” for God’s people. Christ redeemed us for godly behavior as men and women in the church. To go against these commands is not godly – it’s worldly.

Next, Paul moves to the subject of teaching and learning in worship. The preaching of the Word; the public reading of the Word. Look at verse [11]. Paul writes, “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.” Paul uses similar language in Ephesians 5 when discussing marriage.He says wives submit to your husbands as the church submits to Christ.

Of course, husbands are commanded to love, nourish and cherish their wives, to give themselves for their wives as Christ did for His church to sanctify her. But there is an authority dynamic here. There’s an order. However, I do want to point out that was notable at that time to encourage women to learn and approve their right to learn.

Now, Paul speaks differently about authority in 1 Corinthians 7 when discussing physical intimacy in the marital relationship. He writes, “the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” But that’s a different setting – the marriage bed. Again, the setting Paul has in mind in 1 Timothy 2 is public worship, and the positions of authority are ordained for men only.

Notice verse 12, he says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.” In other words, women are not allowed “to deliver a teaching discourse” that includes men or “to govern or exercise dominion” over men in the church.

Obviously, then, men are to teach and exercise authority in worship and the church.See the rest of the verse. “Rather, she is to remain quiet.” Of course, men who are not leading will be quietly learning also, but Paul’s command speaks to the posture of women in God’s order.

Now, these next verses are essential, because whether this command is given in the first century or the 21st century, precedent is helpful! What’s the reason? The precedent for this order of authority is rooted in creation and the first home. Paul goes to the book of Genesis, to the beginning of things.

Paul recognized – as Christ did – that God made all things in the space of six literal days and that Adam and Eve were real, historical persons. Here at this church, we believe this as well, as we teach no other view. We do believe that humankind began with these two people, created by God. And there was an order in which they were created, see verse 13, “For Adam was formed first, then Eve.”

As a potter shapes clay, so the triune God “formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” This was the first man. He was the first father of humankind.

But “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Eve, the first woman and first mother of humankind, was literally “one who helps.” Adam existed without her, but things were not yet “good” for him. Yet, with the addition of the woman completed creation so that it was “very good.” That order is God's order of authority in marriage and the church.

In Ephesians 5, Paul writes, “the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is
the head of the church.” The husband is not better than the wife, he is not of more value than the wife, but in their roles as man and woman in home and church, he is prominent as chief,and very great are his responsibilities to the wife.

He is to lead her well, to protect her, care for her, love her, support her, defend her, strengthen her, nourish her toward spiritual maturity, and be tender with her. The man is to be Christlike, for his role is Christlike. Though he is the head, he must not be harsh.
Though she submits to him, he must always be serving her according to God’s order.

Now look at verse 14. “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” Paul points out the order in which Adam and Eve sinned. The serpent deceived Eve. She transgressed God’s covenant first.

However, God made the covenant of works with Adam. In Romans, Paul explains that it was Adam’s transgression through which sin came into the world. Sin and death came in and reigned because one man sinned. Adam was the head of his marriage to Eve; he was the head of mankind. The order of leadership and authority in the church reflects that of the marriage.

Imagine if, when the serpent came to Eve to tempt her, Adam had stepped in. Men must step up to their God-ordained role as head in the home and church. Adam did not. He acquiesced to his wife. Dr. Bill Barcley has a helpful insight here. Barcley observes, “How does this fact support Paul’s case that a woman is not to teach or have authority over a man? Precisely in this, that the serpent slid around the structure of authority that God had instituted for the first family.” Barcley goes on to note that “Genesis 3:6 seems to indicate that Adam was present during the temptation. But he did nothing to intervene to stop it.”

Now, I want to add that these verses are sometimes wrongly interpreted as being a command unique to Ephesus and not to be applied in all the churches. But listen to this statement made by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14. He writes, “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.” “The Law” refers to the law of Moses, specifically to Genesis. The command for authority is rooted in the created order, even before the Fall into sin.

Now look at verse [15]. Though Eve sinned first, “Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” “She” is Eve. God was no less gracious to Eve than he was to Adam. Both looked to the Redeemer who would descend from them. But Eve would give birth, and from her, eventually, Christ would come into the world.

But notice the word “they?” This shifts from Eve to women in general. Now clearly, Paul is not promoting works-based salvation. We know that for sure. So let’s think through this. Generally speaking, it is women who give birth. It is the female gender only. That is their unique role in the created order. Of course, that is not what saves them from their sin. Faith in Christ – demonstrated through progressive sanctification – is necessary.
So what does this mean?

Paul’s reference to childbirth is shorthand for the uniqueness of biblical womanhood. Again, the reference to childbirth is shorthand for the uniqueness of biblical womanhood. It speaks to the exclusive role of women, with their distinct traits and characteristics. Women have a unique vital role in the home, marriage, and church, just as men do. Their uniqueness is to be treasured and championed in the home and church.

But to keep the interpretation in context, I added verse 1 of chapter 3, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” This connects with Paul’s instructions to Titus in Titus 1 that I read to you earlier. Titus was to appoint elders. Timothy had the same responsibility.

These were to be qualified men who would exercise oversight and authority. Paul uses the titles of “elder” and “overseer” interchangeably. In Acts 20, Paul addresses the elders of the Ephesians church as “overseers.” Naturally then, elder or overseer is an office to be held exclusively by men in the church.

In public worship, God intends for roles to reflect biblical manhood and womanhood. Installing women as pastors or elders is contrary to God’s order of things. It’s not a philosophical difference. It’s a theological error. Dr. Barcley states this helpfully. He points out that egalitarianism in church roles is evangelical feminism. In the home and church men and women are equal in Christ but we have different roles.

But you may think “What difference does it make?” Well, apparently the differences matter to God because He created them. He established them, and in His Word He clarifies that there must be mutual love, respect, and honor. And we can’t fulfill our God-ordained roles as men and women in the home and church if we obey society’s attempts to erase all of our differences.

Christ redeems us – He brings us into spiritual union with Himself – to produce obedience that glorifies God and blesses us. Rightly ordered life in the home and church is one way Christ has overcome the world.

Have you trusted in the power of Christ as the only effective way to overcome sin? Have you believed on Him alone to satisfy God’s wrath against sin which you deserve? Receive Jesus today by grace through faith. No achievement on your part is required. Only believe. Believe, and turn from your sins to walk in His ways for they are the best ways to live.

Paul's instructions in 1 Timothy 2 are not intended to elevate men or diminish women. The goal is that men and women saved by Christ will enjoy the blessed order of things. In this way, the redemption Christ has accomplished will be displayed.

Sin has distorted God’s good design for humanity, but through His own person and work, Jesus Christ our Lord is restoring His people. And when His church gathers for worship, God’s grace and power are on display as the behavior and roles of men and women reflect that redeemed order.

Let’s bow in prayer.