By: Dale Weckbacher
Scripture Text: 1
Timothy 2:8-15
1 Timothy 2:8-10
8 I
desire then that in every place the men should
pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise
also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with
modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly
attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who
profess godliness—with good works.
(ESV)
Evidence of the orderliness of God is clear all around
us. So precise is the speed of rotation
of the earth that measurement of days into 24-hour portions is possible. From this orderliness, people can plan when
to wake-up, work, and go to sleep. The
tilt of the earth on its axis separates the year into seasons which allow
farmers to plan when to plant and harvest, providing food. The earth is the precise distance from the earth
so life can thrive there and not on any other planet in the solar system. The earth also has the correct mixture of gases
in its atmosphere to support life plus water necessary for life to thrive. Please take a moment to watch this video which
illustrates and praises the orderliness of God.
In 1
Timothy 2:8-15, the Apostle Paul calls for the same orderliness in worship
since we worship a God of orderliness. The
typical church worship service involves a time of worship, often using music,
to focus attention away from the cares of life to God. With the congregation’s focus on God, they
are ready to receive teaching from the Word of God. While the Bible provides no specifics as to the
order of services in the time of Paul, the emphasis of this passage of
Scripture is orderly worship focused on God and not people attending the
service. The passage encourages
orderliness through,
1) Prayer
without anger or quarreling (1
Timothy 2:8) – In last Saturday’s post, we studied the church as a force of
prayer (1
Timothy 2:1-7). However, quarreling
and anger serves to dim the lamp and stifle the growth of the seed of
prayer. 1
Timothy 2:8 urges men to lift up holy hands in prayer without quarreling
and anger for in so doing they ensure the light of God’s power and grace is in
their prayers, providing nourishment to the seeds of faith in prayer.
2)
Modesty with good works (1
Timothy 2:9-10) – Sadly, some church leaders have used this passage of Scripture
as a call for women to only dress in a plain manner without any jewelry or
makeup. Instead, we must view this
passage in context and with consideration of the audience addressed. (1) The Greek women in Ephesus could have been
dressing elaborately to indicate their class superiority. With the Gospel inclusive of all choosing to
accept Jesus as savior, the flaunting of wealth by these women would have led
to feelings by poorer women that they did not belong, depriving them of an
opportunity to worship God and learn from God’s Word. It is not a matter of what one wears when
coming to worship God but a matter of attitude.
Worship of God must be about God and not bringing attention to one’s
self through wearing elaborate clothing, regardless of whether one is a man or
woman (Proverbs
16:18).
3)
Learning and teaching under submission to God (1
Timothy 2:11-15) – It is not just flaunting of expensive clothing and jewelry
that can divert attention from God to one’s self but also knowledge or one having
a high level of education. There is
nothing wrong with education for certain professions like medical doctors who
work with the health of individuals require a high level and ongoing education. However, when one flaunts knowledge, diverting
attention from God to them, it becomes an idol dimming the light and power of
the Gospel message. The message of the
Gospel is simple, all have sinned (Romans
3:23), the penalty for that sin is death (Romans
6:23), but God has paid the death penalty for us through Christ if we
choose to accept it (Romans
5:8, Romans 10:9-10). Just as one
wearing elaborate clothing to Church, flaunting of superior education could
cause some to believe they do not belong.
Those having higher levels of education should use their knowledge under
submission to God to point people to the Gospel and not to bring attention to
themselves.
Salvation through Christ is available to all regardless of
social, economic, or academic status. Jesus
already did the work for our salvation on the cross, making it available to all
simply by asking. If you have not prayed
to accept Jesus as your savior, I encourage you to do so now by praying with
me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, was
buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.
A word of caution, however.
While structure in how public worship of God occurs, there must also be
room for the Holy Spirit to move. I have
been in services where the pastor stopped teaching and offered an invitation to
receive Christ with many coming forward in a profession of faith in
Christ. I shudder to think of how some
of those coming forward would have missed their opportunity to receive Christ
had the church and pastor felt compelled to adhere to the structure of the
message instead of getting out of the way for the Holy Spirit to move. However, this is not an abandonment of
orderliness but submission to God’s order in the service. May God bless and order the lives of those
reading this.
1. Priscilla Papers: The Academic Journal of CBE
International. Does 1 Timothy 2 Prohibit Women from Teaching, Leading, and
Speaking in the Church? www.cbeinternational.org. [Online] CBE
International . [Cited: May 16, 2019.] https://www.cbeinternational.org/resources/article/priscilla-papers/does-1-timothy-2-prohibit-women-teaching-leading-and-speaking.
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