Wednesday, September 9 –
It is Wednesday, and our reading continues in
Paul’s letter to Timothy. Today we read
1 Timothy 2:1 – 3:15. Read the Scripture
first, and then, please, come back and we’ll walk through it a bit more.
We read a longer section than usual, but you’ll notice that the theme is the
same throughout the passage. Paul
summarizes the theme of his writings here, at the end of the reading –
“Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so
that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct
themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the
pillar and foundation of the truth” (3:14-15).
Paul gives Timothy instructions, beginning in 2:1, about the work of the
Ministry, and the various things, or people involved in it. In order, he speaks to Timothy about the
Church’s life with prayer and worship, men and women’s etiquette, and
qualifications for leaders. While much
of this is descriptive of the early church’s life and the customs of their day,
it’s hard for us to know how much of this is prescriptive – that is where we
need to look at the principles that each of these instructions carries.
First, Paul speaks about the first things
first – worship and prayer, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions,
prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people” ( 2:1). “First
of all” represents a priority. Above all
other things Timothy needed to do, prayer was the highest priority. Martin Luther repeatedly said he had so much
to do that he needed to spend more time in prayer to get it all done. It might sound strange, but Paul tells
Timothy to pray for the Emperor and other authorities. This is descriptive as Paul knew the ability
for Christians to be left alone, without persecution, depended upon the Roman
rulers in the provinces and cities. Yet
the principle is important. We pray as
the Church that the Gospel may go forward to “all” who would be able to hear
(vs. 4, 6). The Message of Christ Jesus is the focus of our prayer –
“This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be
saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and
one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave
himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the
proper time” (2:3-6).
We pray to God because he initiated everything in terms of reaching the nations
– the “all people.” Paul reminds Timothy
that this is his calling – “I was appointed a preacher and an apostle – a
teacher of the Gentiles…” (2:7). At
the end of the day, it’s our prayers that matter the most.
Next, Paul addresses the issue of men’s and
women’s decorum in the church (2:8-15).
There are some descriptive statements that relate to the culture in
Ephesus, so we need to walk through this carefully and understand how to apply
this to ourselves today. This passage
has created much controversy concerning the role of men and women in the church.
In our modern western world, the words that speak of women’s dress, their need
for quiet submissiveness, and the restriction on teaching men strike most as
unteachable in today’s setting. When
Paul wrote this to Timothy, the city of Ephesus’ religious environment was
dominated by a cult of priestesses of the goddess Diana, in the Temple of
Artemis. These female priestesses practiced
a so-called “religious prostitution.”
Dressed in seductive clothing, there were – by estimate – a thousand
priestesses who plied their trade in and around Ephesus. Paul’s comments about modesty in dress, and
avoiding the braided hair, gold, pearls, costly attire all reflect on the
sexual dress that marked the pagan women.
He does not want the women of the church to be mistaken for these pagan
women.
Paul’s instructions concerning their quiet
submissiveness and not teaching men also make sense in the cultural
setting. We would be wise to think and
not outright dismiss the principle in these instructions. We must remember that
the theme here is “order” in the church’s functioning. Paul had just said that it was important to
pray for the rulers and be submissive to those in authority (2:1-2). It seems coherent that this same submission
to church order and authority should also be affirmed. It is neither “liberalism” nor “literalism”
that we should lean on. The cultural
“descriptions” are not timeless “prescriptions,” but what is prescribed is the
godly humility of submission, order, and honor - that has never been set aside. In biblical interpretation, all of Scripture
is taken into account, and the principle of harmony in interpreting difficult
texts helps us navigate the twin traps of liberalism and cultural
rejection. The function of men and women
in the church is based on honoring Christ in all things, and in every
generation, we should applaud humility in quiet service. As a Pastor, some of the most valuable people
to the church work quietly in the background and receive no praise or notice,
except by the leaders who know what they do.
Yet, as we come to the end of this passage (2:11-15),
we recognize the difficulty of applying it, especially since the role of men
and women has changed tremendously over the last 75 years. Some of that change has been good, and I would
add, some of that has not been good. The
prohibition of women not teaching men is not consistent in church life today. What
do we do with such an odd - to us - command. Many reject the command as
outdated. Others stick to the command as still valid. In the overall harmony of
Scripture, we cannot help but notice that the Gospel elevated the status of
women to equality with men (Galatians 3:28). The church was vastly different from the
synagogue where men and women were separated. In the church, women stood
alongside men and participated in the prayers and worship of the church. The churches Paul established placed a high
priority on men leading the church, based on creation. Can women lead? Certainly, but the purposes
of God make male leadership the norm in most circumstances, yet there are
exceptions (Romans 16:1,2).
Paul’s appeal to Adam and Eve is a reminder that God created the sexes
differently and designed the sexes to complement and serve each other, and in
so doing, glorify God. Perhaps that’s
where we can ask the question in any situation – will this complement? Serve? and
Glorify God? Paul adds further reasoning
for a system of order and submission: “The
woman was deceived and became the transgressor” – which is a fact, but it
is followed by “yet she will be saved through childbearing.” Perhaps we are limited in trying to read
through the lines. Without defending my
view, I believe Paul is merely going back to Jesus as the one mediator between
God and man, and now also between man and woman. The woman may have been the
transgressor (historically); still, the sin of the fall is on Adam, who bore
the responsibility of the command from God. When Paul says it is in
childbearing that Jesus came to bridge the oft divided two – he makes sure they
both know, “if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with
self-control.”
Church order is only possible when church
leaders are rightly affirmed. We turn
the page to chapter 3, but Paul has no chapters in mind, and he merely
continues to confirm that the church order is the task of the church
overseer(s) – “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of
overseer, he desires a noble task” (3:1). The NIV and ESV translate the
Greek word – “episkopē” as “overseer.”
The KJV translated it “Bishop,” and some more translations use the word
“elder.” The general sense of both these
words is the “Church’s leaders,” - the Pastors, Elders of the church. What Paul is reminding Timothy is that the
church needs Leaders. Pastors or Elders
are the topic of the first seven verses; and Deacons, or Servants, are the
topic of the next six verses. The goal
of appointing leaders is to teach the truth (3:2b, 15) and to serve the needs
of the church.
Paul leaves enough ambiguity in detail that we
have to understand the role and name connected to church leaders. The “overseer,” or “episkope,” was Greek in
form; and the “elder” from “presbyteros” was Hebrew in origin. Pastor is the Greek idea behind a
Shepherd. All three are used
interchangeably, and while there may be distinct reasons for that, it would be
a stretch to try to prove which is over the rest.
Understanding the role and need for Deacons is
a bit more clear. The early church in Acts 7 saw the needs of the widows and
the poor and they appointed some who would serve those needs. The division of
appointed leaders was between the Deacons who served, and the Pastors who spent
their time in prayer, worship leading, and teaching. The word “Deacon” comes to
us transliterated – “diakonos” – meaning servants. We might be tempted to underestimate the
importance, but Jesus did not. He spoke
to his disciples on the night of the last supper saying –
“For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it
not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves”
(22:27).
We, therefore, understand that both Deacons and Elders, or Pastors, are servants
of Jesus Christ to the church.
Finally, we recognize that not all are
qualified for this service. Paul gives
several different ways to evaluate who would make a good leader. Looking at the two lists, there is much
similarity. The leaders, whether public
or private, in their role, must be self-controlled and mature. Regarding the family, they must be faithful
to their wife and able to lead in their home.
Concerning relationships, they are to be hospitable and gentle, concerning
those outside the church, they should have a good reputation, and regarding
faith, they must understand the truth (doctrine) and able to declare it when
needed.
Does it seem that the standard is too high?
Some say “yes” but consider that this is God’s Church, and Jesus Christ
is head of the church. Peter writes, “He
(Jesus) is the Shepherd (pastor) and overseer (Bishop) of your souls” (1 Peter
2:25). Of himself, Peter writes he was a “diakonos,” “deacon” of
Christ Jesus. What an honor, and
therefore what a difficulty to practice.
In a world full of ego, pride, and power, the temptation to “rule over”
is ever-present. It is a wise leader(s)
who learn to come “under” to serve – for, in the end, they are serving Jesus
Christ.
Peace
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