1 TIMOTHY 3:8-16 - QUALIFICATIONS FOR DEACONS

1 TIMOTHY 3:8-16

QUALIFICATIONS FOR DEACONS

1 Timothy 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

Susie: In the same manner that the pastor/overseers needed to live blamelessly, those who performed the practical, sometimes menial tasks of caring for the congregation should have a good conscience concerning their behavior.

Susan: The word translated “grave” would be better understood as reverent, serious, dignified. They should have a good moral character and be financially responsible.

Susie: Deacons should be known for honesty and being the same with all people, not saying one thing to this person and another to that person. They should not be hypocritical.

Susan: They should not be in need of alcohol or be known for drinking to excess. My personal choice is not to drink at all because I don’t even want to give alcohol the opportunity to take hold of me. It is important to me that I am in control of my faculties always, and drinking can put one’s faculties at risk.

Susie: Since I grew up in a very conservative Independent Baptist church, the expectation was that church members not drink at all. However, I have since learned that modest drinking is not condemned in the Bible. However, the Bible does make it clear that a person should not be drunk or to the point of losing control:

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Like Susan, my personal decision is to abstain from alcohol, but I do not think less of those who choose to drink in moderation.

Susan: Deacons were often in charge of distribution of benevolence funds to the poor.

Susie: Therefore, the deacons needed to be people who could be trusted with finances. They should not be money-hungry people out to make a profit from their service to the church.

Susan: They should not be more interested in the funds coming in than the meeting of the needs of the people whom they were serving.

1 Timothy 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

Susie: Paul uses the word mystery to mean something was formerly hidden but is now made known. To Paul the mystery was that God was incarnated in the form of Jesus the Son, that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers, and that God’s grace extends to Jews and Gentiles equally.

Susan: Their conscience should be cleansed by trusting in the work of Jesus on the cross, His death for the forgiveness of sin. The Messianic Community, the fellowship of believers, are to be ambassadors of the Gospel message.

Susie: Deacons, as well as pastors, should be a positive witness, living uprightly in their community.

1 Timothy 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

Susie: Deacons should not be baby Christians. They should be rooted and grounded in the faith and demonstrating a godly lifestyle in their homes as well as in public. Only after a “vetting” process should they be appointed as deacons.

1 Timothy 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

Susie: Not all translations use the word “wives” here:

1 Timothy 3:11 (AMP) Women must likewise be worthy of respect, not malicious gossips, but self-controlled, [thoroughly] trustworthy in all things.

1 Timothy 3:11 (MSG) No exceptions are to be made for women—same qualifications: serious, dependable, not sharp-tongued, not overfond of wine.

1 Timothy 3:11 (NASB) Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.

1 Timothy 3:11 (VOICE) Again the same applies to women in key positions; they should also be dignified, not backstabbing gossips but self-controlled and faithful to the core.

Susie: Therefore, I looked up the Greek word in Strong’s and found it could be translated woman or wife.

Susan: This is a good place to insert that Paul names at least one woman who was a deaconess:

Romans 16:1 (AMP) Now I introduce and commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess (servant) of the church at Cenchrea

Susie: What I take from 1 Timothy 3 as a whole is that anyone in a position of leadership in a church—male or female, husband or wife of a leader, or even a leader who is single—should be above reproach, an example for all believers, and respected in their community.

1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Susie: We addressed these same qualifications with pastors in 1 Timothy 3:2. The words for husband and wife do mean the male and female in a relationship rather than spouse of one spouse. However, as we said before, a male in the leadership role would have been an assumption in that culture. We have already shown that Phoebe, a female, served as a deaconess.

Susan: Phoebe was approved and commended by Paul for her service. Both parents are to take responsibility for the upbringing of their children in discipline and education.

Susie: Both parents should require their children to be respectful and well-behaved at home, in church, and wherever they go.

Susan: Observing proper etiquette can determine how well someone functions in society.

Susie: As stated when we discussed pastors, if a deacon does not have control of his or her children and cannot manage his or her own household, they cannot be put in charge of matters in the church.

1 Timothy 3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Susan: If a deacon approaches this service with all due diligence, it will garner them a well-respected reputation in the congregation, the body of believers, and probably their community at large.

Susie: This may also be referring to eternal rewards for service done by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Susan: Being a deacon gives a person an opportunity to see God at work through them, to see themselves being an instrument of holy benevolence.

Susie: As deacons see the Lord meeting the needs of the church members, their own faith is increased. This helps them to be more bold in their testimony.

1 Timothy 3:14-15 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Susie: Paul hoped he would be able to visit his son in the faith, Timothy, soon; but in case he was unable to do so, he sent Timothy these instructions for how to manage the church at Ephesus.

Susan: He was instructing Timothy in how to be a good shepherd to the Lord’s flock which had been entrusted to him, not just by Paul, but by the Lord.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Susie: Verse sixteen is one of Paul’s “Gospel in a nutshell” statements. We defined mystery as used by Paul as something that was previously unknown but now made clear.

Susan: The first mystery was that God was willing to contain Himself within the limitation of human flesh.

Susie: One of the things I find amazing about the incarnation, God becoming human, was that He chose to do so by becoming an embryo, a tiny helpless human, rather than just appearing as a full-grown man.

Susan: God’s Holy Spirit’s presence in the form of a dove confirmed that Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah, the only begotten Son of God.

John 1:32-33 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Susie: The Spirit also enabled Jesus to perform signs and miracles that could only be attributed to the power of God.

Susan: After His baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness, fasted for 40 days and nights, and was tempted by Satan at His most vulnerable point as a human. After this time of temptation without sinning, angels ministered to Him and strengthened Him.

Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Susie: Angels attended His birth, rolled the stone away when He rose from the dead, and were there when He ascended back to Heaven as well.

Susan: After Jesus returned to the Father, those Jews who believed on Him as the Messiah, could not hold this wondrous, exciting reality all to themselves. This was especially true in the case of the Apostle Paul, but he certainly was not the only one who preached Jesus to the Gentiles. He was probably the most prominent one.

Susie: He definitely is the one most associated with spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles. However, after the Lord showed Peter through a vision that the Gentiles should not be taboo, he preached to Cornelius and his entire household (Acts 10). Of course, this preaching increased in volume and power after the Holy Spirit came into believers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

Susie: As a result of Jesus’s own teaching and that of His disciples, many people believed Him to be the Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, their Savior.

Susan: What began with a band of twelve men has now spread to almost all known people groups . . .

Susie: . . .from one end of the earth to the other, on every continent. Jesus foretold this as He exited this earth after His resurrection:

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Susan: After Jesus had given His disciples their commissioning orders to spread the Gospel message to all people, He was then received back up into Heaven with the Father. He now is seated at the right-hand of God, restored to His glory, interceding for the saints, all those who believe and trust in Him.

Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

QUESTIONS

1.       List the qualification of a deacon from this passage.

2.       What does Paul mean by “the mystery of the faith?”

3.       In what ways should a deacon candidate “be proved?”

4.       Is there a case for women as deacons? Cite scripture to support your answer.

5.       Verse 16 is a condensed version of the gospel. Use a concordance or online help such as www.biblehub.com or www.biblegateway.com to find one of Paul’s other “gospel in a nutshell” verses.

1 TIMOTHY 3:4-7 QUALIFICATIONS OF A BISHOP - PART 2

1 TIMOTHY 3:4-7

QUALIFICATIONS OF A BISHOP

PART 2

1 Timothy 3:4-5 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;  (For if a man⁵¹⁰⁰ know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Susie: Note that the word used for man in verse 5, is the one we looked up in the previous lesson which could be interpreted “person,” not necessarily male. However, in other passages such as Ephesian 5 and this cross-reference from 1 Corinthians, the man is seen as the head of the household.

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Susan: If the pastor/elder/overseer were to be a woman, this scripture could be interpreted as the woman instructing and leading her children well. The children should be obedient to both mother and father. A married couple should be in agreement and back each other up concerning rules and consequences for their children, presenting a united front.

Susie: The main point of this qualification is that the children of the pastor should be well-behaved and respectful. If a man cannot manage a small family of children, how can he be expected to deal with a larger group of siblings in the Lord!

1 Timothy 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Susan: This scripture details that a pastor should not be a new believer. The leader of the congregation needs to be well-seasoned in the scripture . . .

Susie: . . . and should be living out what the Bible teaches in front of others. His life should demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit living in and through Him to glorify God.

Susan: The pastor should be pursuing a Christ-like lifestyle, fueled by the Holy Spirit.

Susie: There is another caution about putting someone into a pastoral position to early in his/her walk with the Lord. The person might become prideful over their promotion to such a prominent place and become easy prey for the devil. We should not want to put a new believer into that position. Satan works hard to discredit pastors, so we need people serving who are rooted and grounded in God’s word.

1 Timothy 3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Susie: The pastor should have an excellent reputation in the community at large as well as among Christians. He should be respected as a man of integrity who lives what he believes and preaches.

1 Peter 2:12 (AMP) Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy].

Susan: The pastor must have a good reputation with those outside of the church in the broader community where he/she serves.

QUESTIONS

1.       Why is it important for a pastor to have a well-ordered household and family? What does that look like?

2.       Should a pastor be a newly converted believer? Why or why not?

3.       Does a pastor’s reputation in the community around the church matter? Why or why not?

1 TIMOTHY 3:1-3 - QUALIFICATIONS OF A BISHOP - PART ONE

1 TIMOTHY 3:1-3

QUALIFICATIONS OF A BISHOP

PART ONE

1 Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, if a man⁵¹⁰⁰ desire the office of a bishop¹⁹⁸⁴, he desireth a good work.

Susie: Since I come from the point of view that a head pastor, the leader of a congregation, should be a man, I was the one who suggested we look up the word used for “man” in verse one.

The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible:

5100 – tis – some or any person or object

Susie: I have to admit I was surprised to find that the word Paul chose by the power of the Holy Spirit did not necessarily have to mean a male person.

Susan: Culturally, people would assume the leader of a church would be a man due to the general status of women in their society. But this verse does not stipulate that only males could be bishops/overseers of the church.

Susie: The Jews were a patriarchal nation in which women had very few rights.

Susan: Men and women were both created in the image of God, were to be equals and to complement one another. However, after the Fall, part of the sentence God pronounced over the woman was that her husband would “rule over her.”

Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Susan: However, in Christ that equality is restored:

Galatians 3:28 (VOICE) It makes no difference whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a freeman, a man or a woman, because in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, you are all one.

Susie: Whether the one who leads the congregation is a man or a woman, he or she must meet the stipulations of this passage with the key requirement being that the person be blameless. But before we get into those, let’s take a look at the words “desire” and “desireth.” John MacArthur’s note in the MacArthur Study Bible pointed out that the first word used for desire was an outward action while the second was an inward motivation. His entire (lengthy) note is worth your while to read, and can be found at www.biblegateway.com by looking up this passage, clicking on “Study This” and choosing “MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV).”

Susan: The Holy Spirit plants the God-given desire to pastor inside a person. Then he or she passionately pursues and reaches for this goal of becoming a pastor.

Susie: Bishop, Overseer, and Pastor are all used interchangeably in the New Testament to describe the same office, the same role in the local church.

1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop¹⁹⁸⁵ then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Susie: I have put in superscript the Strong’s numbers for the words used for bishop in case you wish to look those up.

Susan: Blameless means the person could not be found guilty in a court of law.

Susie: Their lives were to be lived in such a manner that no evidence of impropriety could be found against them. All that follows is Paul describing what “blameless” looks like. Here we open our first can of worms—the husband of one wife.  I looked up the words husband and wife. Husband means the male partner and wife means the female partner. HOWEVER, I concede that male leadership would be assumed due to the culture of Paul’s day.

Susan: The main point Paul is driving home is that the person be of pure character, morally and sexually.

Susie: Paul is not stressing a certain marital status but a life of faithfulness and purity. This does not say a man must be married to serve. Paul himself was single.

1 Corinthians 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.

Susan: Paul is not excluding one who has been widowed and is now remarried. Paul promoted remarriage of those whose spouse had died.

1 Corinthians 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

Susan: The leader, of course, would be required to marry only a believer, a Christian.

Susie: I had always been led to believe that this disqualified a divorced person from serving as a bishop or even as a deacon. However, as MacArthur pointed out, this was more about a morally pure lifestyle. The Bible does allow for remarriage after divorce in certain cases, such as divorce due to unfaithfulness:

Matthew 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. (emphasis added)

Susie: Another instance is if an unbelieving spouse leaves/divorces a believer. Then the believer is freed from that marriage:

1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

Susie: However, before a divorced candidate for the pastorate is considered, enough time and healing should have transpired to ensure that the person is continuing to live a life of sexual purity and if married again, faithful commitment to one spouse.

Susie: The question remains, does the requirement “husband of one wife” mean that a woman cannot be a pastor? At face value, the words themselves seem to indicate a male in the leadership role. I believe this statement, coupled with the fact that God placed Jesus over the husband and the husband over the wife, would indicated male leadership. However, Susan and I differ here (which is okay, by the way).

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Susan: Aquila and Priscilla were a sanctioned discipleship team for Apollos. Paul discipled this husband and wife and approved of their discipling others.

Acts 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Susan: Paul often placed Priscilla’s name before that of her husband which was not the norm in their culture which was a patriarchal society. This indicated respect for her and the equality of Priscilla and Aquila as church leaders.

Romans 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

Susan: Remember that the Holy Spirit was writing these words through the Apostle Paul which means there must be a specific reason for listing Priscilla first. It could be that she was the one most comfortable sharing her faith and the gospel message.

Susie: I agree that this shows a woman was active in discipling a specific man and was active alongside her husband ministering in a church. However, I would still note that she is not called a pastor, bishop, or overseer.

Susan: In the last days, the proclamation of the Gospel message will require everyone’s voice, male and female, young and old. After the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 believers in the upper room at Pentecost, Peter preached and quoted the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32).

Acts 2:16-18 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy . . .

Susan: A good article presenting women as leaders during the New Testament period can be found at:

http://www.godswordtowomen.org/pastors.htm

Susie: Moving on to the other characteristics necessary for a biblical leader of the church. A vigilant person is alert . . .

Susan: . . . observant, one who pays attention to small details.

Susie: I would even say the person is not easily deceived by Satan:

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour . . .

Susan: He or she must be discerning.

Susie: Sober or sober-minded and of good behavior would indicated a disciplined person who leads an orderly life and is capable of keeping order in the congregation. A person who takes his role seriously.

Susan: A person who leads a sober-minded life characterized by good behavior would be one whom the congregation could safely model themselves after, as he or she follows Jesus.

Susie: The pastor should be given to hospitality as an example to other believers to do likewise. The word indicates that he is a “lover of strangers.” Paul listed hospitality as a trait of a believer in his letter to the Romans as well.

Romans 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Susie: Opening one’s home to people allows them to see the person’s true character in action.

Susan: People are most themselves in their own homes.

Susie: The pastor or overseer of a congregation must be able to teach, to present the word of God in a way that helps others to understand and apply it in their lives.

Susan: The person for this leadership position must be gifted to teach by the Holy Spirit, to lay the scripture out line upon line. He or she must be able to communicate in such a way that the congregation is eager to apply these biblical truths to their lives in order to be a difference in the world.

1 Timothy 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

Susie: This does not say that the pastor can never drink a glass of wine. Paul himself later suggests to Timothy that he take a little wine for his health (1 Timothy 5:23). However, the leader of the church cannot be addicted to wine or characterized as a habitual “drinker.”

Susan: Alcohol should be indulged in sparingly if at all.

Susie: In order to lead a church well, the pastor must have a cool head. He cannot be one who jumps to the point of fighting when there is a disagreement. He should be able to settle things without coming to blows.

Susan: The pastor of a church should definitely not be verbally or physically abusive to nuclear family members or his/her church members.

Susie: He should be gentle and patient, forgiving easily and not holding grudges.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Susan: The pastor’s favorite function should be that of shepherd, nurturing and guiding his/her flock as a parent guides their children. He should also promote unity and harmony rather than being a rabble rouser.

Susie: The pastor should not be greedy or covetous to the point of sacrificing integrity for monetary gain. Pastors should be provided for by their congregations but should not be “in it for the money.”

Matthew 10:10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

QUESTIONS

1.       Does the word “man” in verse one necessarily refer to a “male?”

2.       What does it mean to be blameless?

3.       Must a pastor be married?

4.       Was Priscilla a pastor in the sense of being the head of a local body of believers? Support your answer with scripture.

5.       What do the words “sober-minded” and “vigilant” mean in the context of a pastor’s character?

6.       Is a pastor completely forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages?

7.       Look up these key women in the New Testament and list their roles in the early church:

a.       Anna – Luke 2

b.       Mary Magdalene

c.       Chloe – 1 Corinthians 1

d.       Lydia – Acts 16

e.       Priscilla – Acts 18

f.     Phoebe – Romans 16

1 TIMOTHY 2:11-15 - SILENT WOMEN?

1 TIMOTHY 2:11-15

SILENT WOMEN?

                         

1 Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

Susan: A woman was forbidden by Jewish custom from talking with men other than her own husband. A man teaching a woman in the church might be suspected of trying to lure her from her husband.

Susie: Perhaps this is the reason for Paul’s advice to the church at Corinth as well.

1 Corinthians 14:35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

Susie: However, we cannot take this to mean that Paul completely forbade women to speak in church. Because in other verses, such as the one below, he mentioned women praying and prophesying but insisted they cover their heads:

1 Corinthians 11:5 (NASB) But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman [a]whose head is shaved.

Susie: Giving instructions for women to cover their heads while praying or prophesying implies that they were allowed to do these things.

Susan: Paul’s admonition to the Ephesian women believers “to learn in silence” is not be understood as to refrain from speaking. The word is “hēsuchia²²⁷¹” which expresses the idea of a calm demeanor, as when a person is in meditation, to be quietly attentive. He was urging them to consider others’ needs to listen, listen attentively themselves, and to allow the teachers to talk without competition. Paul obviously believed that women should have intellectual and spiritual opportunity and expression, for he said, ‘let the women learn.”

Susie: In the cross reference above Paul instructed women to learn from their own husbands at home. Perhaps they were interrupting the teach with questions or in other ways being disruptive in the public meeting and could have waited to ask their own husband at home rather than being suspected of seducing a teacher.

Susan: My impression was that perhaps they were trying to yell to their husbands, thus disrupting the service. They could not whisper questions in their husband’s ear because men and women were separated in Jewish and early Christian worship. This indicates a cultural, situational context rather than a blanket prescription for all women within the Messianic community for all time.

Susan: The word “hupŏtagē⁵²⁹²” translated as “subjection” in English which is derived from “hupotasso⁵²⁹³”, within this context (and the situational context of Ephesus), is correctly understood to mean “the voluntary willingness to be responsive to the needs of others.” As stated before, this subjection was to be considerate of the needs of everyone by listening attentively, not competing with the teacher, and allowing others to hear.

Susie: As we studied in Ephesians, this was to be a mutual subjection of believers to one another, and a wife specifically to her own husband, not men in general.

Ephesians 5:21-22 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

1 Timothy 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

1 2:12 (VOICE) Now, Timothy, it’s not my habit to allow women to teach in a way that wrenches authority from a man. As I said, it’s best if a woman learns quietly and orderly.

Susie: Susan and I have some disagreement about women’s roles and have agreed to disagree. We will each present our views, backing them up with scripture. We urge you to research these verses on your own. As my former pastor, James T. Draper, used to tell us, “Do not believe something merely because you hear it from this pulpit. Believe it because you understand it from the word of God.”

Susan: Paul’s entire theme was always order, unity, and harmony. The purpose of every one of his letters was to advocate the idea that Christ is the standard, unity and order and relationship are the pillars, and all people are to have reverence and respect for God. Furthermore, this reverence for God is only manifested when people have reverence and respect for one another. Whether they are Jew or Gentile, slave or free, adult or child, man or woman, all are equal and are to be treated as such.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Susie: I think the key here is that the woman not wrench authority from a man. For example, I was asked to substitute for a Sunday School teacher who taught a mixed adult class. I was intimidated by the fact that I would be a woman teaching men, and not just any men, but the former pastor and a former long-time missionary! I began by admitting my inadequacy compared to them and asking them to correct me if I stated anything incorrectly. After the lesson, the former pastor came up to me and said, “Sweetheart, do not ever apologize for teaching again. God has given you a gift. You were asked by the proper authority to teach, and, therefore, you were not out of line in doing so. Excellent lesson today!” A woman may teach if she has been authorized to do so, but should not interrupt a church service to assert her own opinions.

1 Timothy 2:13-15 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Susan: Many students of the bible then continue to read the verses about Adam and Eve and assume that Paul uses his example as a definition of subservience for women. However, Paul did not preach a gospel of inferiority for women nor superiority for men.

Susie: Paul did teach a position of authority for a husband but not because of superiority in any way. The authority of Christ as the head of the church and the husband as the head of the wife was to have a chain of command, much the way that a captain follows a general. The general is not necessarily “better” than the captain but he is above him in the order of things. However, this applies to her own husband as I stated earlier in this chapter.

Susan: Paul was giving reference to the effects of the fall which was the domination of men over women substantiated by the institution of patriarchy.

Susie: Eve and women in general would then have extreme pain in childbirth, and man would have to toil and sweat to grow food, but both would be preserved through worship of and obedience to God.

Susan: Women have suffered for centuries under the misconception that Eve was to blame for the Fall.

Susie: Contrary to the idea that Paul is blaming the Fall on Eve, he is pointing out that she was deceived and was part of the transgression, but Adam knew full well that he was disobeying by taking the fruit from his wife and eating it.

Susan: Adam was standing right there when Eve picked the fruit and did nothing to stop her.

Susie: God had given the command prohibiting eating from that tree directly to Adam before Eve was ever created:

Genesis 2:16-18 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Susie: Most likely Adam had passed this knowledge on to Eve although she added, “nor shall you touch it” when talking to the serpent. Adam is most culpable in the Fall as attested elsewhere by Paul:

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Susan: Women have been chained to the presupposition of blame for the curse for hundreds of years. However, Jesus Christ came and delivered wives and women for the presuppositions of ignorance and inferiority which prohibited women from church ministry and authoritative participations. Through the coming of Christ, they would be free to have active participation in ministry if they continued in their relationship to God and had a reverent, modest conduct.

Susie: I would agree that women can be called to a teaching ministry and in the right circumstances, may even teach men. However, in 1 Timothy chapter 3, we will deal with the office of pastor. This is where Susan and I may differ. Do not construe our ping-pong here as arguing. We are each respectfully examining and explaining scripture as we understand it and are in no way angry with each other!

QUESTIONS

1.               Did Paul teach that women should never speak in church?

2.               Why did Paul instruct women to learn from their own husband? Does this cultural situation apply today? Explain why or why not.

3.               What was the constant theme in Paul’s writings?

4.               What verse cross-referenced in the lesson describes the equality believers have in Jesus? This might be a good memory verse.

5.               What is your understanding of Paul’s illustration using Adam and Eve?