As Paul the apostle
continued to instruct Timothy his “son in the faith”
concerning the church located in Ephesus, he gave him several
directions toward the women who attended there. Paul said they should
be taught to “adorn themselves in modest apparel, with
shamefacedness and sobriety” rather than simply displaying
their “broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;”.
They should be women who are“professing godliness with good
works”, and they should“learn in silence with all
subjection”. In chapter two and verse twelve of his letter to
Timothy, Paul gives another directive concerning women in the church
when he addresses women “teaching or usurping authority over the
man” where we read:
But I suffer not a
woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in
silence.
The verse begins, “But I
suffer not a woman to teach,...” Paul
began this verse with the word, “But” which
we know is a disassociation conjunction which means what is about to
be stated takes precedence and priority over what was previously
said. With the idea of women learning in silence in mind, Paul adds,
“But I suffer not”
or “do not commit, intrust, to permit, allow or give leave”
“a woman” which was “a
woman of any age, whether a virgin, married or a widow”
“to teach” which means “to hold discourse with others in
order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses, to impart
instruction, instill doctrine into one or to explain or expound a
thing”. If Paul left this statement without the following
qualifier, we might all be wondering why he wrote this directive.
The verse continues, “...nor
to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” Paul
continued with “nor to usurp authority”
which means “one who with his own hands kills another or
himself, one who acts on his own authority, autocratic, an absolute
master or governs and exercises dominion over one” “over the
man” which is a reference to “males, husbands or a betrothed
or future husband”. Paul then states once again, “but to be in
silence” which means “in quietness which is a description of
the life of one who stays at home doing his own work, and does not
officiously meddle with the affairs of others”. Rather than being
teachers who “usurp authority” over men, women were to
study to be quiet within the church.
As we think through these
words of Paul, we, especially in our day, may have those who recoil
at the thought of women not teaching and usurping authority over men.
Questions, arguments, disputations and reactions are certainly to
come from many who read Paul's words. We must keep in mind the
setting of Paul's day and particularly the way the men sat on one
side of the church while the women sat on the other. Ciaos and
disruption were certain inside the church if men and women were
talking back and forth across the isle as the teacher or preacher was
speaking. The idea was for women to ask their questions at home or in
another setting which would allow order to be inside the church. Paul
gives no prohibition for women being teachers or usurping authority
over other women or children. He only gives the qualifying group as
“the men”, and oh how grateful we are for those women who
give themselves to teaching other women and children in the church.
Jesus Christ's church must have order, and for that to take place,
there must be authorities and subjects. In this case, Paul has given
Timothy and us one area where order must be established.
Next
time Paul gives Timothy the reason why women are not “to teach”
or “usurp authority over the man”, so read ahead, and we
shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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