1 Timothy 2:8-15

8 I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing. 9 In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment; 10 but (which becometh women professing godliness) through good works. 11 Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection. 12 But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression: 15 but she shall be saved through her child-bearing, if they continue in faith with love and sanctification with sobriety.

Thought Questions 2:8-15

53.

Is Paul excluding the women from public prayer by his use of the term men in 1 Timothy 2:8?

54.

What is meant by the expression: every place?

55.

What are holy hands? Is this describing a posture in prayer?

56.

Why say without wrath and disputing? How could men pray at all if such conditions prevailed?

57.

To what does the phrase, women in like manner refer?

58.

Why would Christian women adorn themselves in anything else than modest apparel?

59.

Does shamefastness-' relate to the use of cosmetics? Explain.

60.

Is it wrong to wear jewelry of any kind? Explain.

61.

A woman professing good works should adorn herself with what raiment?

62.

Why introduce the thought of women learning? Please indicate how it relates to the context.

Paraphrase 2:8-15

8 I command, therefore, that the men pray for all, (1 Timothy 2:1), in every place appointed for public worship, lifting up holy hands; hands purified from sinful actions; and that they pray without wrath and disputings about the seasons and places of prayer.

9 In like manner also I command that the women, before appearing in the assemblies for worship, adorn themselves in decent apparel, with modesty and sobriety, which are their chief ornaments, not with plaited hair only, or gold, or jewels, or embroidered raiment; in order to create evil desires in the men, or a vain admiration of their beauty;
10 but, instead of these vain ornaments, let them (as becometh women professing the Christian religion) adorn themselves with works of charity, which are the greatest ornaments of the female character, and to which the tender-heartedness of the sex strongly disposeth them.
11 Let every woman receive instruction in religious matters from the men in silence, with entire submission, on account of their imperfect education and inferior understanding,
12 For I do not allow a woman to teach in the public assemblies, nor in any manner to usurp authority over a man; but I enjoin them, in all public meetings, to be silent.
13 The natural inferiority of the woman, God shewed at the creation; for Adam was first formed, then Eve, to be a help meet for him,
14 Besides, that women are naturally inferior to men in understanding, is plain from thisAdam was not deceived by the devil but the woman being deceived by him, fell into transgression,
15 However, though Eve was first in transgression, and brought death on herself, her husband, and her posterity, the female sex shall be saved equally with the male, through child-bearing; through bringing forth the Saviour; if they live in faith, and love, and chastity, with that sobriety which I have been recommending.

Comment 2:8-15

1 Timothy 2:8. The actual lifting of the hands toward God in an expression of supplication and petition was a very common occurrence in the Old Testament; also in the synagogues and in the early church; hence we refer the expression to the physical act. When hands are thus held up before God, let them be the expression of a pure heart; a good conscience; and an unhypocritical faith; then will the hands be holy or clean.

Let prayers for the rulers be without a desire for vengeance upon them. Let no hatred or animosity enter the heart, as mention is made of the names of those who rule, This would not be an easy matter when Nero was on the throne.
Under the world conditions of the first century, it would not be easy to believe prayers would effect any real change, or produce any good, hence the use of the word disputing, or doubting. Paul wants the Christians in Ephesus and all places, to pray in simple faith in God's ability and love.

1 Timothy 2:9. The three words, in like manner, have occasioned no small discussion among commentators. We take them to refer to the sphere of the women's activities as compared with that of the men. As the men were to follow carefully the instructions given to them regarding leading in prayer, the women likewise are to follow carefully the instructions about to be given to them.

Both the men and the women here mentioned are appearing in public. How they act and look and feel, is very important. We have noticed how men are to behave themselves; the discussion turns now to the women. Woman does not have a place of congregational leadership; hence her appearance is discussed rather than her position or work.

Paul is saying: when women dress for church please remember the following divine instructions: Be orderly and modest in arranging your appearance; particularly with your clothes and hair. The word adorn had the meaning of orderliness; the word modest does not only refer to the cut of the dress but to the attitude of the one wearing it.
Every woman knows what is considered modest in the society in which she lives. Extremes are thus avoided by placing the responsibility of the one who wears the clothes.
The word shamefastness is an obsolete word which simply means modesty; the word modesty in the first half of this verse refers to the appearance of the clothes; here the word refers to the attitude of the heart of the woman.
Sobriety refers to that inner self control that would hinder any Christian woman from appearing in public in any garb that would reflect on her Christian character.
To be specific Paul refers to a custom which evidently was very common in some assemblies of his day. Not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment. We like the comment of Lenski upon this point:

Isaiah 3:18-24 names some of the extravagant female ornaments. Paul says: -not braids and gold or pearls or expensive clothes.-' 1 Peter 3:3 writes: -not the outward adorning of plaiting of hair and of wearing of things of gold or putting on apparel.-' This is the vanity of personal display in order to attract general attention, in particular to fill other women with envy, to outshine rivals. These are -braids-' or -plaits-' of hair, the putting it up in showy, unusual fashion so as to become conspicuous, and not just common and customary braids.

Paul does not say where the gold or pearls are worn, whether in the braided hair, or in chains about the neck, or in pins, etc. on the dress. Display of jewelry is referred to. Aside from religion, good taste forbids such display. The two -or-' are not disjunctive so that, when gold is worn, pearls would not be; but conjunctive, which is a common use of -or-' that draws attention to each item separately, to the gold for one thing, to the pearls for another, and also to the expensive clothes. The fact that flashy jewelry would be displayed with costly -clothing-' is apparent. Such a woman wants to make a stunning impression, Her mind is on herself; she is unfit for worship,
This verse does not refer to merely sex attraction, How many women who are past the age are given to the silly vanity of dress? Paul is not insisting on drab dress. Even this may be worn in vanity; the very drabness may be made a display. Each according to her station in life: the queen not the same as her noble mistress. Each with due propriety as modesty and propriety will indicate to her both when attending divine services and when appearing in public elsewhere. (Lenski, Pp. 559-560).

1 Timothy 2:10. The adornment of women professing godliness when they prepare to worship in public is good works. How could good works be worn? The development of character through good works is the adornment of the heart. Such a heart condition will react on the selection of clothes.

1 Timothy 2:11. 1 Timothy 2:11-15 are a unit. In 1 Timothy 2:11-12 we have a charge to women. In 1 Timothy 2:13-15 we have two reasons for the charge. We refer the admonition here given to the public service: women are not to lead out in such meetings; they are rather to be the silent learners. We, of course, think of the companion verses to this in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Possibly the conditions in Ephesus would have called forth such prohibitions.

1 Timothy 2:12. The expression I permit not is not to be passed off lightly as local or temporary, as we have heard it done in too many places. Paul speaks with divine authority to us as well as to the church at Ephesus. Are we to assume there are actually two prohibitions here? We are to read in a subsequent letter that Paul permits and encourages women to teach (Cf. Titus 2:3-5) so we must confine it to certain conditions and times. We would say then, that in gathering of the whole public assembly, the woman is not to teach. The expression to have dominion over a man could well be translated lord it over a man. In the public meetings where men are present, women are not to teach, nor in any way lord it over them, but in contrast they are to be in quietness.

1 Timothy 2:13. Adam was first formed, then Eve; at first reading, this might appear as a rather superfluous reason for giving man precedence over the woman; but look again. How was man created? out of the dust of the ground!; and how was woman created? Out of man; man was a separate being before woman was created. 1 Corinthians 11:9 is a commentary on this thought. Man holds a direct relationship of responsibility to God; the woman through the man to God, i.e. in the husband and wife relationship. Only when this arrangement was altered did the first pair lose Paradise.

1 Timothy 2:14. The social position of the woman is as well established in the order of temptation and sin as in the order of creation. The woman was altogether deceived by the serpent and came into transgression. This would indicate a definite lack on her part. To quote another, She wants, by the very constitution of nature, the qualities necessary for such a task(i.e. ruling in the church) in particular, the equability of temper, the practical shrewdness and discernment, the firm, independent, regulative judgment, which are required to carry the leaders of important interests above first impressions and outside appearances, to resist solicitations, and amid subtle entanglements and fierce conflicts to cleave unswervingly to the right. (Fairbairn, p. 129). This, Eve did not do. Why she did not do it, the inspired writer is to say, has to do with her essential nature. Adam, on the other hand, was not deceived by the serpent. Adam was indeed a sinner, and responsible for his own action as well as his relationship to his wife. If Adam is the head of the woman, why does he not act like it? Both Adam and Eve were out of place. However, the only point being made here is that in the nature of the two, one is made to lead and the other to follow.

1 Timothy 2:15. This verse contains one of the most difficult of expressions in the whole letter. What shall we say of the promise of salvation to woman through child bearing? Does this refer to the Messiah or The Child? Is Paul offering salvation to women through the pains of bearing children? Are the they of the latter part of the verse the same as woman of the first part? Let each student answer these questions before he proceeds to formulate an opinion. Gutherie outlines the three leading views on this verse:

1.

Refers to the Messiahwoman has been given the capacity to save herself and all others because it was through woman that the Saviour was born.

2.

The word saved is to be taken in the natural or physical realm and refers only to the promise of the safe deliverance of children if the proper conditions are observed,

3.

Woman is to save herself in the process of seeing to it that her children are saved.

Fact Questions 2:8-15

38.

Give the meaning of the expression every place.

39.

Is Paul suggesting that men actually, physically, lift up their hands in prayer? Explain,

40.

Give the meaning of holy hands.

41.

How would wrath and disputing relate to prayer?

42.

Explain the phrase: women in like manner?

43.

How shall we determine what apparel is modest?

44.

Meaning of the words: shamefastness and sobriety.

45.

Is Paul against all braided hair?

46.

Women are to adorn themselves with somethingwhat is it?

47.

When and where is a woman to learn in quietness?

48.

Does the act of teaching give a woman dominion over a man?

49.

Explain the two reasons for the subjection of women, as given by Paul.

50.

How does the thought of 1 Timothy 2:15 fit this particular context?