God’s Design For His Church
Text: 1 Timothy 2:8-15
Core Idea: The Bible clearly teaches that men and women were created equal in value but different in roles. Even though this has been distorted by sin, Christ restored it – making it possible for us to be the people that God desires us to be. Then let’s embark on this journey of rediscovering God’s design for our lives and work together to advance the gospel for this is the call that we have received as a church.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, Lighthouse. It is delightful to see you. We took a short break due to Easter but we’re back in the sermon series on biblical manhood and womanhood. And the last time we were here, the most fundamental truth we learned through the Creation account was that both men and women were created equal in value but different in roles. In fact, let me share a little more so that I can refresh your mind. From Genesis 1, we learned that God created both men and women in His own image which means that all of us carry this intrinsic worth that can never be taken away simply because it has been stamped on us the moment we were born. One is not better or worse – they are both equally treasured by God. At the same time, from Genesis 2, we learned that God had given Adam and Eve different roles to play – in that, Adam was appointed to be the leader (demonstrated by the act of naming Eve) while Eve was given the responsibility of being the helper (Gen. 2:18). Now, as soon as I say this, some of you may feel incredibly uncomfortable because we live in a culture that promotes this idea that being submissive to someone else’s authority undermines and diminishes our worth – but this couldn’t be farther from the truth biblically. Without going into too much detail, the Bible clearly teaches that a man of God should always lead in love – which is why he must treasure those he leads but be brutal toward his own sins. In fact, the Bible is firmly against leadership that’s chauvinistic and dominating – that is not the kind of leadership we’re talking about here. Now, another reason why it’s difficult for people to embrace this teaching is because the word “helper” carries the connotation of diminished worth or status. But we know that this is not how the Bible understands this word because we see that the same word was used to describe God Himself – which implies that the word “helper” doesn’t describe inferiority but beauty and strength. It’s a functional term, not a demeaning one. All that to say, Adam and Eve were called to complement each other to accomplish the mission that God had given them together.
Now, some of you might say, “Okay, I get it. But when the Bible says that men are called to lead while women follow, I can’t help but feel like it is an inferior role – that it’s somehow diminishing women’s worth.” If this is you, one of the things that I shared was that this is not an issue of competence but of calling. The Bible is not saying that women don’t have what it takes to do a man’s job – instead, it simply says that men and women are given different tasks, and they’re now called to obey out of their love for God. It’s not an issue of qualification but of obedience. To help you process this, I shared three examples. First, the Levites, in that, different roles were given to each clan, but they faithfully worked together to make worship in the Tabernacle possible. Second, the body of Christ, in that, even though each body part had different roles to play, it didn’t change the fact that they were all equally valuable to the body. Lastly, the Trinity, in that, even though God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are equally divine and equally worthy of praise, glory, and honor, they all have different roles as it was demonstrated through the work of salvation. All that to say, it was God’s intent from the beginning for the woman to complement, not duplicate the man – and that this was pleasing to the Lord. But this didn’t last long because Genesis 3 showed us that sin distorted everything. Sin caused Adam to abdicate and abuse his responsibility to lead while causing Eve to usurp Adam’s responsibility to lead – so, instead of complementing him, she started competing with him. Thankfully, the story ended with a glimmer of hope as God promised that a Savior would be born to crush the head of Satan. And that’s exactly what we celebrated last week – the cross and the empty grave.
Now, the reason why I wanted to extend this sermon series one more week was because I thought that it would be important for me to show you how this truth is lived out in the church. So, to do that, I decided to preach from 1 Timothy 2:8-15. But here’s the thing – this is not an easy passage to study. Then before we look at this passage, let me point out two things so that we can be better prepared to engage with the text. First, the context. This letter was written by Paul to instruct a young pastor named Timothy who was ministering at a church in Ephesus. This church was dear to Paul’s heart because he had spent three years of his ministry there which by the way was unusual – he was always quick to transition out because he wanted to take the gospel to as many places as possible. But now that he was away, his heart was heavy for them especially because he heard that false teachers had infiltrated the church – leading people astray from the gospel truths and making it difficult for Timothy to minister. So, he wrote this letter to encourage him but also to teach him important truths about the church. Listen to what he said in 1 Timothy 3:14-15, “Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Paul’s desire was to help Timothy understand God’s design for His church – how the church should function in general which makes this letter relevant to us as well. Second, hermeneutics. For those of you who may not be familiar with this term, hermeneutics is the study of interpretation. And one of the most important hermeneutical principles we need to remember is that Scripture interprets Scripture. This is extremely important to our study today because even though some parts of this passage may be confusing at times, reading it with the totality of God’s Word will bring greater clarity to our minds. Then please turn your Bibles to 1 Timothy 2:8-15. Let me read this for us.
8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things about God’s design for His church.
· A CALL TO PRAY
· A CALL TO ADORN THEMSELVES WITH GODLINESS
· A CALL TO LEARN IN QUIETNESS AND FULL SUBMISSION
1) A CALL TO PRAY
Verse 8, “Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.” Paul calls the Christian men everywhere to pray and intercede for everyone around them because, as 1 Timothy 2:4 says, we serve a God “who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Now, this of course doesn’t mean that women are not allowed to pray. I point this out because that’s how some people are interpreting this verse. But if you look at the Bible, there are countless passages that talk about women who pray. Just to name a few – we see Rebekah praying in Genesis 25, Hannah praying in 1 Samuel 1, Anna praying in Luke 2, Mary and other women praying along with the disciples in Acts 1. In fact, Paul instructs the women how they are to pray in 1 Corinthians 11. Nowhere in Scripture does God say that women cannot pray. I’m actually so thankful for this because some of the greatest prayer warriors that I know are women – one of them being my mom. I can confidently say that I am who I am and where I am because of the prayers and wisdom that she has poured into my life – and for that, I am forever grateful. The prayers of godly women are powerful – which is why this verse can’t be saying that women can’t pray. Instead, Paul is earnestly encouraging the men to pray because it could be that some of them haven’t been praying as they ought to. Let me explain. Acts 19 tells us that one of the biggest temples in the city was for Artemis – the goddess of chastity and hunting. She was a symbol of strength for many women which is why there were many female priests serving in that temple. Now, some scholars speculate that this model was seeping into the church – causing men to abdicate their responsibility to pray and women to take the leadership role over the life of the church. Then Paul was simply calling men to embrace their responsibility as spiritual leaders and pray. In other words, Paul wasn’t speaking against women as some have argued – he was challenging men to rise up and pray. I love this because it means that one of the marks of biblical manhood is not someone who wins all the arguments but someone who prays – it’s not someone who intimidates others with anger but someone who humbly intercedes for others.
Then, brothers, let me ask you, “Are you praying today? Husbands, are you praying with your wife? Fathers, are you leading your family in prayer? Are you praying for your friends, co-workers, church members, and the leaders of this nation? Do you realize that this is a call that God has given you, men? Do you see that our homes, schools, workplaces, and church are desperately in need of men who pray? If so, will you take up this responsibility and pray?” Now, here’s what you shouldn’t do. When you go home today, don’t bring your family together and say, “Woohyun told me that I have to do this. So, we’re going to have a prayer time whether you like it or not. I’m the spiritual leader of this house.” Please don’t do that. Why? Because you haven’t earned their trust yet. Instead, here’s what you should do. Invite your wife to help you figure this out – plan this out with her. Ask her if it’s okay to pray with her. You don’t have to pray the perfect prayer every time. It’s okay to stumble through your words. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to be simple. You don’t have to impress your family with your prayer – you just need to be genuine in the way you pray. Now, the more important thing is that you do this regularly – make it a habit to pray together. Then I firmly believe that your family will soon follow your lead in prayer. And if you’re single, learn to intercede for others. It’s always easier to pray for ourselves – for our needs, troubles, and desires. Now, I’m not saying it’s wrong to do that, but I’m just saying that you should learn to pray earnestly for others as well. Brothers, let’s not abdicate our responsibility to pray for this is what we’re called to do in the family and the church.
2) A CALL TO ADORN THEMSELVES WITH GODLINESS
Verse 9, “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” Paul shares that women in the church shouldn’t be focused on outward appearance but on godliness – that they should give greater attention to adorning themselves internally, not externally. Now, why did he say this? Because he wanted to protect them from mindlessly following the pattern of this world. Steve Baugh, a professor at Westminster Seminary, explains it this way, “The adornment of the hair was a new trend originating in Rome. Then Paul’s skeptical response to this trend was due to his judgment that simplicity and modesty in dress befit pious women, not external extravagance. Also, these hairstyles carried connotations of both imperial luxury and the licentiousness of women in Ephesus. Today, this would be the equivalent of warning Christians away from imitating styles set by promiscuous pop singers or actresses. How one dresses can often convey rebellious or ungodly messages whether intended or not.” Paul wasn’t against women looking beautiful – the problem wasn’t their elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive clothes. Paul was simply concerned about their heart. So, when Paul heard that some of the Christian women in Ephesus were spending a lot of time adorning themselves physically, he felt the need to remind them that what draws God’s attention isn’t their outward beauty but their internal beauty. In other words, he was saying, “God is not seeking those who are beautiful on the outside but those whose hearts have been captivated by the beauty of God. Remember that physical beauty may draw people’s attention to you, but godliness will draw God’s attention to you.”
Then let me ask the women of our church, “Whose attention are you seeking today? Are you more concerned about your looks or your heart?” Again, this is not to say that you can’t dress nicely. In fact, this is not even about your clothes but all about your heart. Then are you doing everything you can to prepare your heart for worship every time you come into His presence? Do you come ready to worship God – or is your heart distracted by something? If so, I invite you to lay those things down before the Lord and make room in your heart so that He’ll fill you with His joy, peace, and hope again. And with a heart that is fixed on the Lord, with a heart that has been captivated by His beauty, adore God, pursue Christ, and follow the leading of the Spirit so that you’ll grow in your godliness. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” May this be something that you’ll strive after – that you’ll live not to draw people’s attention to yourself but to attract people to God.
3) A CALL TO LEARN IN QUIETNESS AND FULL SUBMISSION
Verse 11, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.” Well, let me first point out that Paul was not anti-women. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If you understand the context, you’ll begin to see that these verses demonstrate Paul’s radical support for women. His words were, in some sense, revolutionary to their culture. Then let me give you three truths to help you better understand this passage. First, women at that time were not allowed to learn. Jewish men never taught their wives or daughters biblical truths. Rabbis never took a woman to be their disciples because they considered it a waste of time – in fact, some even thought that it was sinful for women to learn the Scripture. The Talmud (a set of teachings on the Torah that form the basis for Jewish law) instructs all Jewish men to count their blessings by praying every morning, “Lord God, I thank You that I am not a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.” Likewise, in the Greek city-states, women had little freedom, in that, they couldn’t even leave their houses without their husband’s or father’s permission. They were, in one sense, locked up in their homes – which obviously meant that they couldn’t study or enjoy social gatherings. Similarly, women in first-century Rome were not regarded as equal to men. It’s true that some of them were allowed to receive a basic education but they couldn’t vote or stand for office. This was the culture that the Ephesian church was in – and to them, Paul said, “Women should most definitely learn. They should study God’s Word. They should know theology. They should grow in their knowledge of God. They should be discipled by the truths of God.” Do you see how radical this is? This was unheard of in his days. Now, some of you may be thinking, “But what does it mean to learn in quietness? It sounds demeaning.” Well, the word “quietness” in Greek has the connotation of tranquility and peace – which means that Paul was calling women to remain humble and teachable in the way they received the Word.
Second, “submission” is not a derogatory word. I’ll be honest – this was one of the things that puzzled me as well because the word carries a lot of negative connotations in our culture today. But what helped me was what Susan Hunt (a former director of women’s ministries for the PCA) said, and I pray that it will help you as well. It’s a little long but I’ll read it all. “Submission, whether it is to God, to one another, to husbands, or to male leadership in the Church, is a grace-empowered virtue of humility and reverence for God. It has nothing to do with superior/inferior status or equality. It has to do with attitude and function. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in being and in power, but each has a different function. Submission is not about behaviors; it is about character… God said that man needs a helper. The true woman celebrates this calling and becomes affirming rather than adversarial, compassionate rather than controlling, a partner rather than a protagonist. The true woman is not afraid to place herself in a position of submission. She does not have to grasp; she does not have to control. Her fear dissolves in the light of God’s covenant promise to be her God and to live within her. Submission is simply a demonstration of her confidence in the sovereign power of the Lord God. Submission is a reflection of her redemption.” In fact, let me share a few principles that she shares on this issue. Number one, every woman is not to submit to every man, but every married woman is to submit to her husband. Number two, women are not to submit to sin. Number three, the biblical commands about women not usurping authority have reference to the home and church, not society in general. Number four, all believers, men and women, are to submit to the ordained leadership of the church. And number five, as members of the body of Christ, we are to submit to one another, regardless of gender. In summary, what I want you to remember is that a woman of God is able to learn with full submission because she trusts in the Lord. Again, submission doesn’t mean that you are putting your husband or any male leader in the place of Christ – no, Christ must be King over all of us.
Now, some of you may say, “It’s easy for you to say – you’re a man.” That’s true – which is why I’m sharing this with a lot of compassion and humility. I can only imagine how difficult it is for women to limit their freedom in order to obey this call – which is why I’ve been earnestly praying that this truth will land well in your heart. At the same time, men, I want you to know that we must also learn to limit our freedom in order to obey the call that God has given us. For example, Paul says in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” Husbands, if we want to lead in such a way that will honor God, we must learn to deny ourselves, put Christ at the center of our lives, and sacrifice ourselves for our spouse. Recently, someone at our CG asked me and Alicia, “How do you guys practice biblical complementarianism at home?” In response, Alicia gave a few examples of how this impacts our decision-making. And to follow up, this is what I said, “It’s true that Alicia empowers me to lead when we disagree on major issues, but we honestly don’t have a lot of those in our lives. In fact, we converse a lot and pray a lot so that we can both be at peace with our decisions. But here’s how I see this play out in our marriage: I serve her. I take care of her. I do the things that no one wants to do at home. Why? Because I love her and because I want to lead by example.” Brothers, when I say that we must be servant leaders, I don’t mean that we are leaders who serve – rather that we are servants who lead. Do you see the difference? The former says that serving is one of many things we do but the latter says that serving is the foundation from which all things flow out. Remember that Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve (Mk. 10:45). Then let’s do just that wherever we are. In fact, as your pastor, this is how I want to lead this church as well. I want to make every effort to lead by loving and serving the community. And I pray that you’ll come to trust my leadership so that obeying this call won’t be burdensome but light. All that to say, submission has nothing to do with worth and competence but everything to do with obedience and character.
Third, women aren’t given the spiritual authority to teach over men in the church. Verse 12, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” Now, I understand that this sounds really controversial in our culture today – so, in order to soften its meaning, some people have come up with different theories to make sense of this verse. Let me share just a few. Number one, they argue that Paul was actually a horrible misogynist – which means that we should just ignore everything he says about women. Now, this couldn’t be farther from the truth because we just talked about how Paul was radically supportive of women – he discipled them, empowered them, and served with them. Number two, they argue that Paul was applying this only to the church in Ephesus because there were a lot of female false teachers teaching heretical things – which means that it’s not applicable to us today. But this is hard to accept because (1) Paul used an indefinite article (a woman and a man) which means that he was talking about men and women in general, but also because (2) Paul prohibited a woman from teaching over a man. If she was teaching heresy, why didn’t Paul stop her from teaching completely? Why prevent her only from teaching over a man? Does this mean that it’s okay for her to teach heresy to other women? The logic breaks down if you think through it a little more. Number three, they argue that the cultural situation has changed so much that we no longer need to obey that part of Scripture. They say, “Isn’t this similar to the topic of slaves? We used to think that the Bible embraced slavery because it never explicitly went against it – but God gave us more light. And we now realize that He was actually condemning slavery. In the same way, Paul could sound a little oppressive toward women, but it was just a reflection of his culture. But now that God gave us more light, we don’t believe that this is how God sees women.” Now, this certainly can sound plausible, but we know that this can’t be true because of the reason for this command Paul offers in verse 13 – “For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” He goes back to the Creation account – a picture of what Adam and Eve were called to be before the Fall. He doesn’t use contextual examples but a theological one as a way to prove his point – implying that this is not situational but applicable to us at all times. I won’t go through this in detail because I’ve already done that in my previous sermon – but let me just say that the order of creation shows us that even though both of them were created in the very image of God (equal in worth), Adam was called to name, lead, and protect while Eve was called to nurture, help, and support (different in roles). Then Paul’s point is that since this was God’s design from the beginning, it should be reflected in the family and the church as well.
All that to say, the best way to interpret this passage is to read it literally – that God did not call women to exercise spiritual authority over men through teaching in the church. Now, here’s what this doesn’t mean – it doesn’t mean that women should never teach. That is simply not true – and that’s not what Paul says here as well. In fact, the Bible is in full support of women teaching – it’s just that they’re called to teach other women or children. For example, Titus 2:3-5 says, “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” Or Proverbs 1:8 which says, “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” Then what is Paul saying here? Well, here’s the reason why I emphasized the word “spiritual” when it comes to the authority given. Paul was basically saying that the responsibility of preaching on the pulpit has been given to qualified men because the teaching done here impacts the direction of the church. Now, I added the word “qualified” in describing the leaders because Paul isn’t saying that anyone can just go up to preach as long as they’re men. No, they must be approved by God and the church. In fact, Paul gives us a description of qualified men who are worthy of being ordained as spiritual leaders over the church in 1 Timothy 3 (the next chapter). I won’t read it for the sake of time, but I do want to point out that Paul only uses masculine pronouns to describe a qualified overseer – in fact, one of the things he says is that this leader must be faithful to his wife. All that to say, teaching with spiritual authority over the church has been reserved for qualified men who are called and set apart to lead the body.
Now, some of you might say, “But what about the women who have the gift of leadership, teaching, and preaching? If what you’re saying is true, then why would the Holy Spirit give those gifts to them in the first place only to waste them? What if they feel called to teach and preach?” I’ll be honest – this was very difficult to wrestle through because I do see a lot of women with those gifts. So, I had to do a lot of reading, and this is the conclusion that I came up with – that just as God distributes these gifts, it’s also God who determines how these spiritual gifts will be used (1 Cor. 12:11). Elisabeth Elliot (a professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) once said that she had better gifts for being a pastor than most of the men in the class, possibly the entire seminary. She knew the Bible in multiple languages, had vast experience in expositing it, and had the maturity gained from suffering to speak with compassion to others. But this is what she also said, “However, God has not called me, as a woman, to exercise those gifts in a pastoral role. I am called to use them – but why should they only be valuable if used in one particular role, the ordained ministry?” Now, you might say, “But what can women do in the church then?” First of all, this certainly doesn’t mean that women are to be passive. In fact, let me share what Kathy Keller said that brought great clarity to this issue for me, “Anything that an unordained man is allowed to do, a woman is also allowed to do. Then women should be active participants in the life of the church – teaching, exhorting, encouraging, and contributing in every way except in the office of elder, where teaching and doctrine are judged according to the canonical deposit of truth, the Scriptures.” Of course, this doesn’t change the fact that we should be on a journey to figure out all the details. But this definitely gives us a clear structure to work with.
Okay, let’s quickly look at the last two verses. Verse 14, “And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” This honestly sounds like Paul was throwing Eve under the bus as if she was the only one responsible for the Fall – but that’s not what he meant at all. He wasn’t saying that women are more easily deceived than men – that they are inferior or weaker than men. No, he simply meant that even though Eve was deceived and sinned, Adam wasn’t deceived but he willfully disobeyed, which is worse. Kevin DeYoung writes, “Adam was supposed to be the head, responsible for loving leadership and direction. But he abdicated his role, and Eve’s leadership influenced him for evil. As a result of this role reversal, sin entered into the world. Adam sinned openly, but Eve was deceived.” Paul was simply pointing out that even though God’s design was for Adam to lead Eve (verse 13), because Adam abdicated his responsibility of leading and willfully disobeyed, Eve was deceived, and it caused her to sin. In other words, Adam should’ve spoken up. He should’ve protected Eve. He should’ve led her away from the enemy. But he didn’t – and sin entered the world.
Then is there any hope for us? Verse 15, “But women will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” Let me explain. There are a few ways that people have tried to interpret this verse – let me share them with you. Number one, that women will be saved through fulfilling their responsibility of childbearing. This doesn’t make sense because the rest of the Bible makes it clear that salvation only comes through our faith in Jesus Christ (remember Scripture interprets Scripture?). In fact, what about those who cannot have children? Is Paul saying that they can never be saved? Of course not. So, this can’t be true. Number two, that women’s significance will be made secure through childbearing. Again, this doesn’t make sense because the Creation account clearly points out that our worth and value come from the fact that we are all created in the image of God. In fact, what about those who choose to be single all their life? Are they never going to be women of significance? Of course not. This makes no sense. For me, this last one made the most sense – that women will be saved through the childbearing. Even though it’s not visible in most English translations (because it’s grammatically wrong), we actually find the definite article “the” before “childbearing” in Greek. Isn’t that interesting? Then here’s what Paul was saying. Even though sin has distorted God’s design for His church (causing women to be deceived and sin), they will be saved through the childbearing – the birth of Jesus Christ. He will come and restore all things – He will make it possible for us to be the people that we were created to be. He is our hope.
OBJECTIONS
Now, even after going through this passage, you may not be fully satisfied. Then before we finish, let me quickly address three things that may be hindering you from embracing this truth. First, fairness. Some of you may say, “Well, this doesn’t sound fair. Why would God choose to do this?” If this is you, I wouldn’t know how to answer because I honestly don’t know – I don’t know why God designed it this way. But one thing I do know is that His ways are always perfect and good. Then trusting in His love and wisdom, I’ll embrace the role that God has given me and obey faithfully and joyfully. I will love my wife as Christ loved the church – and I will love the church as Christ loved His sheep. I pray that you’ll do the same.
Second, fear. Some of you may say, “I want to, but I’m scared that the men in my life will take advantage of me. I’m scared that they will abuse me, manipulate me, and abandon me. That’s what my father did. That’s what my husband did. That’s what my pastor did.” If this is you, first of all, I’m so sorry that you’re carrying so much pain from the past. No wonder this is very difficult to embrace. All I can say is that we as men have a lot of work to do – we need to earn your trust again as we learn to lead with love. Then as you see God working in us, molding us, I pray that your fears will subside so that you can also obey the call that God has given you.
Lastly, fog (I really wanted to alliterate the points with the letter “F” – but what I really wanted to say was “confusion”). Some of you may say, “What does this mean for us going forward? I know you shared Kathy Keller’s quote, but I have so many questions still. How are we going to navigate through this?” If this is you, I want to invite you to journey with me to discover God’s will for our community. For many of us (including me), this is the first time we’re wrestling through this truth – which means that we won’t have everything figured out. Think about it. Just because you know you should love your enemies doesn’t mean that you know how to live this out in every single situation. Just because you know that the Bible calls us to be holy, to take up our cross, and so on doesn’t mean that you know how to obey them perfectly all the time. Most of the time, we’re still figuring things out – which means that it’s a journey to be sanctified. And I believe that it’s no different with this as well. It’s true that I still don’t know how exactly this will play out in our life together at church. But what I do know is that this is what God is teaching us. Then let’s wrestle through this together so that we can grow together, so that we can faithfully live out this truth together. If you have more questions, I hope you’ll join us after this because we’ll continue our conversation at the open forum.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, the Bible clearly teaches that men and women were created equal in value but different in roles. Even though this has been distorted by sin, Christ restored it – making it possible for us to be the people that God desires us to be. Then let’s embark on this journey of rediscovering God’s design for our lives and work together to advance the gospel for this is the call that we have received as a church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Read verse 8. Why was it important for Paul to exhort men to pray and how is this relevant to us today? How can we cultivate a life of prayer?
2) Read verses 9-10. Why was it important for Paul to exhort women to dress modestly at church and how is this relevant to us today? How can we better prepare for worship?
3) Read verses 11-15. Paul shares that the reason why women should not teach with spiritual authority in the church is because of the order designed by God in the Creation – and that though sin had distorted this, Jesus will renew it. Do you have any questions that you want to clarify?
4) What are complementarianism and egalitarianism? What is your personal conviction regarding this matter? Was it helpful for you to study this passage or did it create more confusion?