Paul focuses on what Christians need to do in order to expose, denounce false teachers: Christian living and prayers (2:1–15); Christian, qualified authorities, I.e., overseers/elders (3:1–7), and deacons (3:8–13).
1Tim2:1-8 Prayers In 1Thess 5:17 “Pray without ceasing,” I.e., vital to denouncing idle speculations and false teachers; Jesus is the model for continual prayer: alone (Mt 14:23)(Mk 1:35)(Lk 9:18)(Lk 22:39-41), in public (Jn 11:41-42)(Jn 12:27-30), before meals (Mt 26:26)(Mk 8:6)(Lk 24:30)(Jn 6:11), before important decisions (Lk 6:12-13), before healing (Mk 7:34-35), after healing (Lk 5:16), to do the Father’s will (Mt 26:36-44) v.8 “Lifting … hands,” is a typical posture for prayer in the Bible: see Ex. 9:29; 1 Kings 8:22; Ps. 28:2; 63:4; Isa. 1:15; Luke 24:50 (Jesus). The way the church conducts itself in corporate worship (unity, modesty, proper submission) bears significantly on its effectiveness in world evangelization. Why pray for everyone, including the enemy-state? “God wants everyone to be saved” by coming to “the knowledge of the truth”! Church vs State relationship defined, “pray for government officials,” period! ESV Study Bible “The lifestyle encouraged here (peaceful, quiet, godly, dignified) corresponds to the goal of apostolic teaching in 1:5 and contrasts with the behavior of the false teachers.“ 1Tim2:5 unitary monotheism Not just “one God” but “one God, the Father” (1Cor 8:6; Eph 4:6; cp. John 20:17; Mal 2:10)! “In addition to the Shema, & perhaps in some cases as a substitute for it, one finds that at the beginning of the Christian era the formula EIS O THEOS, was used to express the monotheistic faith of Judaism.” (Neufeld, The Earliest Christian Confessions, v 5, pp 39-40) 1Tim 2:6 He died in our place Mark 10:45 “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom in place of many," cp. Mat 20.28; The word “ransom” includes the idea of substitution (dying in our place, not just “for us” or “on behalf of us”); Sarah? NET Bible study note adds that the Greek word for ransom is found here and in Matt 20:28 and refers to the payment of a price in order to purchase the freedom of a slave. In other words, Jesus paid the price with his own life by standing in humanity’s place as a substitute. Fulfilling prophecy: Isaiah 53:4-6 1Tim 2:9 Women and fashion ESV Study Bible: Paul is not prohibiting the wearing of jewelry; the principle is that women should not dress ostentatiously or seductively, but in a way that is proper. Ancient portraits and sculptures show elaborate hair braiding and ostentatious jewelry common in upper-class Greco-Roman society. 1Tim 2.11-15: Women not to be silenced! Not "silent" but "quiet" without public fanfare, "disturbance": 2Thess 3: 11 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. Teachers of other women (Titus 2.3-4); children (1Tim 2.15; 5.10); some men (Priscilla, along with her husband, taught Apollos “the way of God more perfectly,” Acts 18.24-28); and 1 Cor. 11:5 women may “pray and prophesy”; Spiritual gifts (“to one is given…to another…” 1Cor 12:7-11); cp. daughters who had the gift of prophecy (Acts 21:9); Fellow servant-ministers, evangelists with Paul (Prisca, aka Priscilla, Rom 16:3). The chapter break sometimes don't help! As we will see, in the wider context what Paul is talking about, i.e., overseer/elder; 1Tim 2:15 Whatever it means Paul is not saying only mothers will be saved! 1Tim 3:2 Female elders? First, no male or female in regards to salvation, Gal 3.28; and/or teaching, ministers of the gospel (as noted); What did Jesus and Paul teach about male headship? Jesus purposely chose 12 men for a reason; Paul says "the head of the man is Christ and the head of the woman is man," 1Cor 11.3; Paul says "the husband is the head of the wife" and they "should submit to their husbands in everything," Eph 5.23-24; As a result, the man manages his house, 1Tim 3.4; Paul says this order is from the Genesis Creation, 1Tim 2.13; NOTE as long as the head of the man remains Christ! Only married elders? Reasons why not only: It's about faithfulness, "above reproach" i.e., live exemplary married lives which best fits the overall context by the false teachers (4:3; cf. 3:4-5). Only married elders would disqualify both Jesus and Paul! And not all married men have children. Some translations "married only once" or "not have been married more than once." But Paul is not against remarriage (young widows marry, 1Tim 5.14; cp. 1Cor 7.9). The Moody Bible Commentary, pp 1898-99: “Both the syntax and the broader context suggests that Paul was prohibiting women not from all teaching but rather from the authoritative teaching of the Scriptures that is associated particularly with the office of overseer or elder (cf. 1Tim 3.17). Paul gave two reasons for his prohibition, both indicating that it is not merely a cultural concern. First, he linked this prohibition with the order of creation of man and woman, indicating, that male leadership was God’s original creative design for men and women. The second reason…refers to the first woman being deceived (v.14). This is not to suggest that women are inherently more gullible and prone to doctrinal error. Rather it is to show the destructive consequences that the original breakdown in roles caused." ESV Study Bible, 1Tim 2:12 “Since the role of pastor/elder/overseer is rooted in the task of teaching and exercising authority over the church, this verse would also exclude women from serving in this office (cf. 1 Tim. 3:2). Thus when Paul calls for the women to be quiet, he means “quiet” with respect to the teaching responsibility that is limited in the assembled church.”
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