Woman’s Role in the Church

 

Text: 1 Timothy 2:9-15

 

Introduction:

 

I.       Preliminary Considerations

A.    Definitions

1.      Egalitarian:  believes that the positions and functions of men and women are culturally derived and are not set by God into the created order.

2.      Traditionalist:  Believes that while men and women are ontologically equal, there are functional differences inherent in the created order

B.     This is not necessarily a liberal versus conservative issue

1.      There are many evangelicals that are egalitarians

2.      Most egalitarians also believe in a correct view of inspiration

C.    Hermeneutics is a crucial part of the debate

1.      Hermeneutics:  Correctly interpreting and applying Scripture

2.      The differences boil down to determinations of what is cultural and what is normative

D.    Confusion and rebellion on this issue are exactly the goal Satan wants

1.      This negates the effectiveness of the church

2.      This results in the created order being mixed up

E.     This section is a command

1.      Just as Paul wants men to “lift up holy hands” he wants women to “adorn themselves…”

2.      The force of boulomai is one of command, not just desire

II.     History

A.    Women before Scripture

1.      They were actually treated more as property than as human beings

2.      They were not considered equals of men

3.      While not barred from the synagogue, neither were they encouraged to learn

B.     Scripture actually elevated the position of women, not denigrated it

1.      They were put on par with men ontologically

2.      They were equal in all respects except function

a)      Mosaic Law was given to women as well as men (Dt. 1:1)

b)      Both men and women were to teach children (Deut. 6:4-7)

c)      Women had inheritance rights (Nu. 36:1-12)

d)      Women participated in the feasts (Nu. 6:2)

e)      Women were involved in spiritual service (Ex. 38:8; Neh. 7:67)

3.      New Testament is replete with the importance of women

a)      The first person Jesus revealed His Messiahship to was a woman

b)      Jesus taught women

c)      Women were some of the greatest ministers and helpers to Jesus

d)      After resurrection, Jesus first appeared to a woman

e)      Women were involved in the prayer services of the early church

f)        Women are “fellow heirs of the grace of God”

4.      There were functional differences

a)      There were no queens save Athaliah

b)      Deborah was the only woman judge and her case was unique

c)      There were no women priests

d)      No woman was the author of any Scripture

e)      While Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Isaiah’s wife were called prophetesses, they did not carry on a permanent ministry akin to the male prophets

f)        In the NT there are no woman pastors

(1)    None mentioned
(2)    Pastors are to be the “husband of one wife” not the “wife of one husband”
(3)    NT does not record a single sermon by a woman

III.  Woman’s Appearance

A.    Clothing

1.      Adorn (kosmew)

a)      From word that we get our word “cosmetics” from

b)      It means to “put in order, arrange”

c)      From cosmos referring to system

d)      Opposite of chaos

e)      They are to dress orderly (Prov. 31:22)

2.      Modest (kosmiw)

a)      Root refers to “feeling shame”

b)      A godly women would feel shame if she dressed in such a way so as to cause men to lust or to draw attention away from worship at church

3.      Sobriety

a)      Self-control

b)      Especially as it relates to sexual areas

c)      In a day where there were temple prostitutes, it was necessary to remind people that in the true church of God women were not to be viewed as sex objects

4.      Costly garments

a)      Church is not a fashion show

b)      We come to see the Lord, not the models wealth

B.     Hairstyle

1.      “Braided hair” = hairstyle in general

2.      Gold weaved into their hair to draw attention was wrong

3.      Ostentatious dress and displaying wealth was wrong purpose

4.      The purpose of worship is to elevate God, not women

5.      Jewelry

a)      Nothing wrong with jewelry

(1)    Song 1:10-11; 4:9
(2)    Gen. 24:53
(3)    Is. 61:10

b)      Jewelry was not to be for show at church gatherings

(1)    This might engender jealousy and division
(2)    This draws attention to the wrong reason for gathering

C.    Application

1.      Jewish philosopher Philo

In his work The Sacrifices of Cain and Abel described a prostitute as wearing gold chains and bracelets, with her hair done up in elaborate and gaudy braids.  Her eyes were marked with pencil lines, her eyebrows smothered in paint.  She wore expensive clothes embroidered in flowers.

2.      Dress does make a statement

a)      That’s why one of the perennial best-sellers is Dress For Success

b)      Proverbs says that there is the “attire of an harlot”

3.      Discerning the balance between “being in order” and dressing to kill

a)      Motive:  Why are you wearing what you are wearing?

(1)    If it is to draw attention to yourself then it is wrong
(2)    Are you flaunting your material wealth?
(3)    Are you dressing to get looks, especially from men?
(4)    Are you dressing to demonstrate your devotion to the Lord?
(5)    Are you dressing to demonstrate your devotion to your husband?
(6)    Are you dressing to demonstrate a humble servant’s heart?

b)      Modesty and femininity

4.      Genuine clothing is to be “good works” and “godliness”

a)      You are not to dress for success or be dressed to kill, but be known by your good works

IV. Woman’s Role in the Church

A.    We are dealing with roles, functions, not ontology

1.      Just as Christ is equal to the Father but “under” Him, women are equal to men, but under their authority

2.      Men and women ARE different!

B.     Primary role is learning, not teaching

1.      This learning is a command

2.      It is to be done in “quietness” which appears twice

3.      It is to be done in “submission”

C.    Ultimately negates the pastoral role of teaching for women

1.      They can and should teach other women

2.      They can teach with other men (Priscilla and Aquila)

3.      They can pray

D.    Woman was deceived, while man did it with eyes wide open

E.     Adam was formed first implies that this goes all the way back to creation

1.      The functional roles were in place BEFORE the fall

2.      The fall did not cause men to be in authority over women, this was the case prior to the fall

a)      Some argue that the fall caused this hierarchical relationship

b)      This means that salvation would negate this

F.     Women are saved in childbearing

1.      Possible meanings

a)      Saved by having children

b)      Saved by THE childbearing (Christ)

(1)    Problem here is that the word is plural, thus indicating it could not be referring to Mary (singular)
(2)    Not all women are saved

c)      Saved by raising godly seed as opposed to sinful seed

(1)    Woman led the race into sin, albeit by being deceived
(2)    She lead some out of sin by teaching her children to be saved

2.      Personally, none of the meanings is totally satisfactory, but number 3 seems the most likely

V.   Arguments

See my paper on The Woman’s Role in the Church