1 Timothy 2 - The Role of Men and Women in the Church!
Instructions on Worship
2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
Paul urges them not to just pray for him and other churches, but also those in authority in the secular world. In our day it would like praying for President Trump, and all of our national, state and local government leaders. This is an excellent example of Luther's two kingdom doctrine.
The church is the head of the spiritual kingdom, and its primary role is the proclaim forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name. The church has authority over the members of the church. Church members need to submit to their leaders. The New Testament model of church governance is the elders and deacons model. Elder is the same word for bishops, and deacon is the same work for servant. Pastors are also given authority as shepherds over the flock.
Paul exhorts the Ephesians to be model citizens, which reflect who they are Jesus' disciples. Then, Paul gives one of the most important verses in the New Testament.
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
This verse shows God's heart for lost people. The church I attended in suburban Chicago, Willow Creek, focused on evangelism and reaching unchurched people. Their motto and the DNA of the church was,
"Lost people matter to God, so they should matter to us"
Another good phrase is, "The church is the only organization that exists for those outside its four walls."
Of course, the church needs to build up its members and disciple them to be the type of people Jesus would be if he were them, but many churches focus too much on the needs of its member. It can create a consumer mentality, where the church meets the needs of members and the members keep the church afloat financially.
As we reflect the heart of the Father, we should do whatever it takes to make the gospel relevant to those who visit our church. We need to be intentional, especially on Sunday mornings, to welcome our guests so they might come to know Jesus!
8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
Paul gives instructions for men and women and their respective roles in the church. There are two points of view in regard to what Paul will teach here. One is "egalitarian" point of view. The other point of view is "complementarian". Here is a very "broad" summary of the two views.
Egalitarian View: Men and women have equal worth and are intended to have equal and interchangeable roles in the home, church, and society.
Complementarian View: Men and women are equal in worth and dignity but have distinct, complementary roles ordained by design (e.g., men as leaders/providers and women as helpers/nurturers)
Key biblical passages central to the debate between egalitarians and complementarians involve the creation narrative, specific New Testament instructions on roles within the church and marriage, and broader principles of equality in Christ. The differing interpretations often stem from whether a passage is viewed as a universal, timeless command or as counsel for a specific cultural context.
Conservative commentators and churches favor a complementarian position, arguing that this teaching is timeless and the bible is clear on these matters. Liberal commentators and churches argue Paul's teaching was prescriptive only for that time in history, which was typified by a patriarchal system.
I would say I my views would reflect a hybrid model. I believe in complete equality of men and women based on Galatians 3:28,
"In Christ there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, slave or free, but all are one in Christ Jesus."
But I believe there are still genetic differences between men and women they should influence the roles of men and women in the church. I.e. I believe there should men's ministries and women's ministries that are limited to those genders. I think men should be accountable to men and women to women when talking about personal matters related to the discipleship to Christ. I.e. If a man is struggling with lust it is more appropriate to share that with brothers in Christ. And visa versa.
I do believe women can be leaders in the church. The primary biblical text supporting this would be in Acts, where women like Lydia started the church that met in her home. There were also "prophetesses" like Anna, who spoke the Word of God to both men and women. The first witness of the "resurrected Jesus" was a women, Mary. The women who went to the empty tomb were the first preachers of the gospel that Jesus Christ was risen to the apostles like Peter, James, and John.
I think spiritual giftedness is more important than gender when it comes to building up the body of Christ. I have been blessed and built up in my own faith by women gifted in teaching and preaching.
Remember if you believe in a strict interpretation, which would dictate a women never teaching an audience of men, a woman should never be allowed to teach at a Christian conference where men are attending.
Paul relies heavily on the Genesis creation story to make his case for the role of women. I.e. the woman came from the rib of man. The woman tempted and deceived Adam into original sin. But God blames Adam and the fall of humanity on him. In Ephesians Paul instructs men and women to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21
You can see this issue is not black and white and different scriptures support different points of view as we live out our roles as men and women in the body of Christ.
In the end since in Christ we are equal, I am more focused on accomplishing the Great Commission Jesus gave us then the roles of men and women. Jesus didn't focus on gender, and the Holy Spirit gave gifts to all of Christ's followers.
As we serve the Lord, focus on sharing the gospel with lost people who matter to God, and love each other as Christ loved the church the issue of gender becomes less and less important. After all it has already created enough distraction and division in the church, let's move on!
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