Bible Study: Paul's teaching that challenges today's cultural norms

1 Timothy 2:8-15

Click here to read the passage, 1 Timothy 2:8-15.

Click here to read the notes and questions for 1 Timothy 2:1-7.

Read 1 Timothy 2:8-15

Main Idea: Men and women should glorify God in the church by gladly submitting to the commands and patterns laid out in Scripture.

If you’re looking for a Scripture passage that challenges today’s cultural norms, 1 Timothy 2:8–15 is a good place to start.

In a world deeply confused about gender and sexuality, the church faces immense pressure to conform. But God’s Word is neither outdated nor out of touch; it is timeless, true and good.

While Paul was addressing specific issues in the first-century Ephesian church, his Spirit-inspired instructions carry enduring principles for all people in every generation.

To Divisive Men in the Church (Verse 8)

Men, before you pray:

• Make sure you are pure before God. Repent of your sins.

• Make sure you are at peace with other Christians. If not, go and make things right first.

To Distracting Women in the Church (Verses 9-10)

Like many ancient cities into which Christianity was born, Ephesus was filled with sexual immorality. It was common for women to use ornate fashion to attract attention to themselves, sometimes in seductive ways.

Paul told women:

• Do not draw attention to your physical beauty.

• Do not draw attention to your worldly wealth and social status.

Paul’s not saying, “Don’t adorn yourself with anything.” Instead, he’s saying, “Adorn yourself with godliness.” Women in the church should not distract others but instead live to attract others to God.

On the Distinctive Roles of Men and Women in the Church (Verses 11-15)

Remember:

• God created men and women with equal dignity.

• God created men and women with complementary roles.

Paul has two prohibitions:

• Women should not teach as elders/pastors/overseers in the church.

• Women should not lead as elders/pastors/overseers in the church.

Paul gives two reasons:

• God’s design in creation: God gives authority to man.

• Satan’s distortion of creation: man abdicates authority to woman.

According to pastor David Platt:

“It is clear that women should not teach as elders (or pastors or overseers) in the church. Men who don’t have a gift of teaching or who don’t meet the qualifications of an elder in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 likewise should not teach as elders in the church. Paul was making clear here that even a woman who has a gift of teaching is not intended by God to teach as an elder. Instead, women should listen willingly to the biblical instruction of elders. When the text says that they should “learn in silence with full submission,” it is not saying that once a woman steps into the gathering of the church, she should go mute. This text is simply saying that a woman should listen attentively with a teachable spirit to the God-ordained leaders in the church when they are teaching the Word.

“The relationships of the Trinity provide us with a helpful analogy. The Father is fully God. And the Son is also fully God. Yet the Father and the Son have different roles. The Son submits to the Father, and the Father directs the Son. The Son doesn’t complain, and the Father isn’t domineering over the Son. There are different roles among the persons of the Trinity, though each person has equal value. And all of this is in beautiful harmony. Similarly, God has assigned equal value to men and women, yet with roles that complement each other.”

The Difficulty of Verse 15

Many theologians believe this refers to Genesis 3:15, which says a child would be born through Eve’s line that would one day trample the serpent. We know for sure is that women are saved not through the birth of her own child but through the death of Christ.

Questions

1. How does impurity and interpersonal conflict interfere with prayer? How do we fix that?

2. What elements of women’s fashion imply wealth? How do men draw attention to their wealth?

3. How does our current cultural climate regarding sex and gender affect the church’s view of men’s and women’s roles?

4. What are your thoughts and questions on Verses 11-13?

5. In what roles are women permitted to serve in at Good Shepherd? Is that policy biblical?