1 Timothy 2:1-15

How to be a Leader in the Church

1 Timothy

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 2

Prayer for all people (2:1-4)

v1 First of all, I urge you to pray for all people. Talk to God about them. Ask God to help and bless them, and thank him for each of them. v2 Pray for kings and all who are in authority. Then we may live calm and quiet lives. Do this so that we may respect God. And we may be good and honest in all that we do. v3 This is good. And it pleases God who saves us. v4 He wants to save every person. And he wants them all to know the truth.

Verse 1 When Christians meet together as a church, they should pray. This is most important. Paul urges them to pray for all people. He uses four different words in this verse. These words help to show what this prayer means.

The first of these words means to make requests to God to meet needs. This is when we desire God to do something to help. We see the needs of people. Then we desire that God will meet their needs. We should pray for them.

Then there is the usual word that is prayer to God. We bring to God all the things that trouble us. And then we ask him to guide us. We think about other people. Then we ask God to help us to know what is right. And we ask him to help us to know what we should do. We ask God for his general blessing and care for the people. We talk to God about them.

The third word means to have a conversation with God and to make an appeal to him. The *Lord Jesus gives us the confidence to come to God and to talk with him. We can be like the agents for other people and come to God with an appeal on their behalf. We ask God to help and bless them.

The last word means to thank God. We must always thank God. We thank him for all people. We thank him for all that he has done. Thank him for each of those for whom we have prayed.

They should pray in this manner for all people. He is not asking them to pray for everyone in the world. That would not be possible for them to do. He means that they should pray for all kinds of people. They should pray for the people that they know. And they should pray for the people about whom they know.

Verse 2 They should pray for all who lead in their society. At that time, it would have been for the *emperor in *Rome and all the minor rulers. The *emperor was Nero, who was a very cruel man. Christians should pray for all those who govern them. They should pray for them, whether they are good or bad.

What the rulers do and say will affect the lives of all the people. The purpose in praying for them is that they will rule well. The prayer is that all that they do will be for the good of the people.

The Christians should pray that the rulers would allow them to live in *peace. The reason for this desire is so that they can be free to *worship and serve God. They want to be able to live good and honest lives. They want to be at *peace with all the people. They want to be able to share what they believe with other people.

Verses 3-4 It is a good thing to pray for the people and for the rulers. It is right for Christians to care enough to pray to God for them. More than that, such prayers are pleasing to God. God saves from *sin all those who have come to him through the *Lord Jesus. He desires that all people should come to him. So, as Christians want the same thing, it will please the *Lord.

God wants to save all sorts of people, including those who lead, from the effects of their *sin. He desires that they would come to know the truth. The truth of God will deliver them from all error.

One God and one way to him (2:5-7)

v5 Now there is one God. There is only one person who can make *peace between God and people. He is Jesus Christ who became a man for this purpose. v6 He gave himself to die on behalf of all people, and God showed us this at the right time. v7 God made me an *apostle so that I should *preach this good news. I am telling the truth; I am not lying. He sent me to teach the nations in *faith and truth.

Verse 5 People may believe in many gods but there is only one real God. Many believe that there is only one God. But they do not know him. People can only know God by coming to him through the *Lord Jesus Christ.

The *Lord Jesus is the only one who can bring people and God together. To do this he had to be the agent for both God and people. Jesus Christ is God. And he came to show us what God was like. He became a man so that he could take us to God. The *Lord Jesus had to deal with all that separated us from God. He took the *sins of all people and died on their behalf. By this, he made *peace and is now able to bring people to God.

Verse 6 All people have done what is wrong. There is no person who has not *sinned. The effect of this was to make all people to become like slaves to *sin. The *Lord Jesus gave himself as the price to free people from *sin. He alone was perfect and has not *sinned. But he took the punishment of all our *sins when he died. He suffered instead of and on behalf of us all. Those who accept that he died for them are set free from their *sins.

God sent his Son Jesus Christ at the time that he appointed. In the plan of God, the *Lord Jesus died for all people. This is what he has shown us. And this is the true *gospel.

Verse 7 God called Paul to be an *apostle of the *Lord Jesus. God sent him to declare this *gospel to all people, both *Jews and *Gentiles. It seems that some of those in *Ephesus had doubted the authority of Paul. Therefore, he insists that he is not lying. It is true that God has appointed him an *apostle.

He did not only *preach the *gospel. God also sent him to teach the *Gentiles. He explained to them what is true. And he tried to lead them to the *Lord. He taught them what Christians believe. And he taught them how they should live.

Instructions to men and women (2:8-15)

v8 I want the men to pray in every place. Let them lift up their hands to God. They should be clean from *sin; they should not be angry or doubting. v9 I would like women to wear modest and sensible clothes. They should not do their hair in odd styles. They should not put on much gold and precious stones, or wear expensive clothes. v10 Rather, their charm should be in good works. This is right for women who say that they believe in God. v11 They should learn as they listen, quietly and humbly, to those who teach them. v12 I would not allow them to teach. And I would not allow them to tell men what to do. They should be calm and quiet. v13 This is because God made Adam first. And then he made Eve. v14 The enemy did not fool Adam. But Eve believed his lies and *sinned. v15 God will save the woman through the birth of children. That is if women trust and love him and are holy and modest.

Verse 8 Paul writes here about prayer in the public *worship of the Christians. The women had to keep quiet in the church meetings. So he urges the men to pray. In every place where the Christians meet, the men should pray.

When they pray in the church meeting, they should lift up their hands. They lift them up to God. But this act and their prayers have no value if they are not clean (morally good) in their minds. They cannot really pray unless their lives are good.

There must be a unity in the church. There can be no anger between the members. They must settle all such problems before they pray. They must not argue among themselves. And they must believe that God will hear their prayers.

Verse 9 Paul now talks about how the women should behave in the church meetings. They come together to meet with and *worship the *Lord. They too should pray but they should not pray aloud.

Women should be modest in both their attitude and in their dress. They should not dress or wear things to attract attention to them. The centre of attention should be the *Lord. So they should be modest in their appearance. This does not mean that the women should be dull and not attractive. But they should not display their wealth or beauty. Paul is writing about the excess and the effect of these things.

Verse 10 The women should make themselves attractive by what they do. Not by what they wear. Their lives are more important than the clothes that they put on. Christian women should do good things because they trust in God.

Verse 11 When the *Jews came for *worship, the women had to be silent. Among the *Gentiles, this was not always so. Paul ruled that the women should be quiet. When they came to the meetings, they should be under the authority of the men who taught. They had to listen to them and learn from them.

Verse 12 Paul would not permit a woman to teach in the public meetings of the church. He is not saying that there is no place for a woman to teach. But the task of teaching in the church belonged to the men. For a woman to teach men would be to take the authority from them. The women should keep quiet in the church meetings.

Verses 13-14 The reason why the man should be the leader over the woman is that God made the man first. After this, he made the woman to be a helper for the man (Genesis 2:20-23). It is not that men are superior to women. They are equal before God. But they are not the same and they have different roles in society. Men and women are equal partners but one must take the lead. The man should take that role for the benefit of both of them.

Paul then looks at the story of the first *sin (Genesis 3:1-7). The woman listened to the lies that *Satan told her. She believed what he said. And so she did not obey God. She took and ate of the fruit. But God had said they must not eat that fruit. She gave some of it to the man and he ate it. The man did not accept the lies of *Satan. He decided to *sin when the woman offered the fruit to him.

This is an example of Eve taking the role that Adam had. He was wrong because he listened to the voice of his wife (Genesis 3:17). There is a danger when men or women take on the wrong roles.

Verse 15 Women should not try to take the role that God has given to men. The role that he talks about here is to teach in the church meeting. They have other roles that men cannot have. One of those roles is to have children.

After the fall into *sin, God told Eve that she would be in pain as she gave birth to children. Eve is the subject of the first part of this verse. She had *sinned but God gave the promise of *salvation. He would send the Christ (*Messiah) to be born of a woman. So, through the birth of Jesus to Mary, God kept his promise. God will save women if they continue to trust in him and love him. They should be pure, holy and modest.

Some people take this verse as a promise that women will be safe as they give birth. But they must have the right attitude toward God. They must trust him and love him. They must be pure, holy and modest.

This verse does not mean that having children is the method by which God will save women. That would make their *salvation to depend on their works. But *salvation comes by the gift of God and we receive it by *faith. God will not save women because they give birth to children. He saves them as they *repent and believe the *gospel.

Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
emperor ~ a king. The ruler of Rome was its emperor.
Rome ~ the capital city of the rulers at that time. They were the Romans.
Rome ~ the capital city of the rulers at that time. They were the Romans.
peace ~ when there is no fighting with God; when we have no trouble in our minds; when a person is not afraid or angry.
worship ~ the act of showing honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
apostle ~ one whom God sends; especially one of the 12 that Jesus chose to be his helpers.
preach ~ to speak out the message from God and to teach his word.
faith ~ trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son. The faith is the Christian religion. It is what Christians believe.
gospel ~ the good news that God saves people from sin by Jesus Christ.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the Jewish people.
Jewish ~ people or things that are from the Jews.
Gentiles ~ people who are not Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the Jewish people.
Jewish ~ people or things that are from the Jews.
Ephesus ~ the name of a city.
Satan ~ the name of the devil.
salvation ~ the result of God saving us from sin and punishment; the new life that God gives to those who believe in the Lord Jesus.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
Messiah ~ a special servant of God; a name for Jesus Christ; it means the person whom God sent; he sent him to save people from the anger of God because of our bad ways; the only one who can put people right with God; the one who will come again to rule over God’s kingdom.
kingdom ~ the place or territory where a king rules. The kingdom of God is the people over whom God rules.
repent ~ to change one’s mind and heart; to turn away from sin and turn to God. To turn one’s mind and heart away from sin is to repent.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.