LOOKING AT 1 TIMOTHY 2:11-15. and the CHURCH, and OUT of the church!
by Keith Hunt
I have written in other studies of the past that this section of scripture has to do with the context of "church" and it must be put with 1 Corinthians 14:34-37.
And in 1 Timothy 2:15 we need to keep the definite article "THE" in the word "THE childbearing" referring to CHRIST, as the Savior or all women as He is of all men, no matter their "function" in the church.
If we isolate this section in 1 Timothy, we could, would, run into some major problems. For then the woman would be always in the "learning" position; always in subjection [and the word here is a military type word - "to rank under"]. Then we would have Paul going still further by saying "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence" - this then covering all kinds of areas, for if this section does not just apply to within the church, then it would apply to all kinds of jobs and professions where men and women work [an example could be no woman only a man as "principle" of a grade school]; whatever the working skill where men and women are part of the same company, the man would always have to be the leader or top dog..... Paul going as far as saying she needs to be in silence.
This idea of theology would hardly fit within the context of the whole Bible.
Then we would have Paul saying as he does this subjection in.... whatever..... is because the man was first created THEN the woman; and the man was not deceived but it was the woman who was deceived [verses 13, 14].
Putting this all outside the context of "the church" would I submit have to then be applied in the largest sense of any work, where men and women are part of that work force; Paul gives no exceptions; he just gives some blank statements; which I submit out of the context of "church" is just an up-front statements, and so would have to apply to all working situations where both sexes are employed.
Then if verse 15 does NOT apply to "THE childbirth" meaning CHRIST, we would have to say Paul goes on further yet to state, putting it in my paraphrase, "The woman can be saved by being a mother, which is her main job in life; being saved as mothering children, as long as they remain true to the faith, with love, holiness and sobriety."
This then would be Paul saying a woman is not to be a leader over men; if working with men she is to be in silence to them; and further her main task in life is to be a child-bearer, a mother; all else should be less than this first calling - a mother; the bearer of children.
But some women do not have children; some for various reasons cannot have children; some women never marry.
In my studies on CHURCH GOVERNMENT the idea of this section of 1 Timothy being outside a "church" context, is contradicted by examples we find in the New Testament where women had roles that were above men; even in certain "spiritual" roles where men were involved.
BUT putting this section of Timothy with 1 Corinthians 14: 34-37; in the context of ELDERSHIP/PASTORSHIP in a church congregation; then it all fits with the plain, abundant, examples of the Church of God in the first century AD.
To the contrary of what some women think; what "women's lib" organizations have to say; what even some "church" organizations are now saying and now practicing; you can only find MEN as "elders" "pastors" "leaders" in charge of a church/es in the New Testament.
True some do not want to see this fact of the New Testament; some do not want to see the fact Jesus chose 12 apostles of MEN, in founding the New Testament Church of God; some do not want to see the fact that the apostle Paul only gave instructions to other male leaders on ordaining MEN to the church ministry of "elder" and "pastor" or "shepherd" of a flock of God's children.
I did not write or inspire the New Testament; I did not decide HOW the structure of the New Testament Church of God should be spiritually structured; I did not inspire the apostle Paul [who said he was inspired - 1 Cor. 14: 37, 38] to write and to practice which sex should be the ordained ministers and church shepherds of the New Testament Churches of God.
All I can do is gather all the Scriptures on the subject, and understand the clear truth as to what those Scriptures teach, and also the plain examples we find in the New Testament, as the truth of those Scriptures were practiced by the first century apostles of God.
It is God who is head of this universe; it is Christ who is head of the church He founded, and said the gates of hell - the grave - would never prevail against it.
And so as the apostle Paul finished it; the women accepting that their role in the Church of God is not to be an ordained Elder or Pastor over a flock of God, would like men, be "saved" [to eternal life] in THE childbearing [Jesus the Messiah coming in human form through a woman], like men, if they continue in the faith, and love, with all holiness and sobriety.
On the "BEING SAVED" subject...... men and women are EQUAL!
AND let me add [as I've pointed out in a another study] we shall be REWARDED according to our WORKS..... you do what you have been given to do with, and you will be rewarded in the Kingdom accordingly..... AH YES, and SOME WOMEN will I expect get a greater reward than some men.
BUT THEN in the Kingdom we shall be PERFECT AND HOLY as God the Father and Christ are..... there will be no jealousy. Remember what the humble king David said, "I'd rather be a door keeper in the House of God than the greatest physical human position any man could ever attain" [I'm paraphrasing his words].
IN THE END OF IT ALL, WE SHALL BE GIVEN THE RIGHT AND CORRECT REWARD, FOR OUR WORKS WE HAVE DONE WITH WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO DO.
Keith Hunt (February 2015)
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