1Timothy 2.8-15 (Re)mix

As I mentioned in my sermon on Sunday, it is an impossible task to deal with every issue as it relates to 1Timothy 2.8-15. My prayer is that it would stir you to research and wrestle with the text and the implications for your life. As I noted, this passage is not merely about what limits there are on women serving in the office of elder in the church…it lays a lot of weight on men leading in love and generosity and gentleness and grace. That can get lost in the culturally offensive limits we see in Scripture.

I, personally, have tried to be convinced of the egalitarian position (as Dr. Schreiner also shares in the linked article below), but the biblical evidence leads me to hold to complementing roles between men and women. Specifically, this passage is dealing with order and an office in the Church and should not be read as a limit to women serving as, say, the President of the United States or as governor or a CEO of a company. Of the myriad of applications of Scripture, it is important to bear this in mind.

At the end of the day, Christians have to reckon with this passage and (1) explain it as pertaining to a specific time and place; (2) simply apply it as it is written; or (3) affirm it’s location specificity and it’s trans-temporal principles. This third option is what I was seeking to do in my message on Sunday. We affirm the principle as it pertains to the office of elder, but we understand the specific situation in which Timothy found himself in Ephesus that sought to overthrow God’s design for man and woman. It’s definitely not popular to affirm such a complementarity in today’s culture. It will increasingly be hard to so in the years ahead. This is not a prophetic omen, as much as it is simply reading how such a trend to forego God’s design in the Garden—the place to which God will restore at the consummation of our salvation…when Christ comes to rule in gracious benevolence.

To sum up the message and by way of reminder:

(1) Men are called to man up and step into their God-designed role as the servant. A servant who resembles the Servant.

(2) Looks Promises Deceive as Time Goes By. Good Works streaming from Faith Remain. In a world that majors on fashion and fads, choose to consume that which is lasting and becomes better with time…faith, hope, and love.

(3) God Designed Distinctions. Our culture makes the mistake of equating one’s value based upon their roles and function. Scripture reminds us that the Servant of All was the one with the most power. He used his strength to serve and save. The one who was despised and rejected by a world looking for external prowess and beauty turned their faces from him.

I would encourage each of us to not only affirm but celebrate God’s Design of men imitating in love and service and humility and women pursuing lives of faith, hope, and love. May we all be people who pray and work out of a love for God’s Creation and in pursuit of the Day when all brokenness will be healed.

I share these articles and books to equip you to do such celebrating. As always, Russell and I are here to listen and talk through these delicate and timely issues with you anytime.

At Redeemer we want to affirm and celebrate that women are not less-than in any way. As I said in my message, they are vital to the work of redemption. The biblical story affirms and promotes women to roles that the prevalent culture prohibited them from being a part of. The sheer fact that women are told to learn was scandalous at a time when only men were schooled and women were kept from literacy. We need women to admonish and exhort us to live godly lives. We encourage women to lead ministries the Spirit lays on their hearts. Women are co-directors of Community Groups. Women are encouraged to serve as Deacons. Wives are to admonish their husbands to live godly lives. Single women are to encourage brothers in Christ to diligently follow Jesus. We would be fine with a woman teaching a group of men and women in Discipleship Classes. We want women reading Scripture and praying publicly. We pray that women will exhort us to reach out to our neighbors in love and service. Indeed, women are vital to our spiritual formation.

Matt Wireman