9 Likewise the women are to dress in suitable apparel, with modesty and self-control. Their adornment must not be with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive clothing,
10 but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God.
11 A woman must learn quietly with all submissiveness.
12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet.
13 For Adam was formed first and then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, because she was fully deceived, fell into transgression.
15 But she will be delivered through childbearing, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with self-control.
Whatever I say about the seven verses is probably going to upset someone. This letter was written in a different time and culture, so the relationship of men and women is different than our day and age. The social mores change with each generation and each culture.
On the other hand, we know that "all scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching..." 2 Tim. 3:16, 17. Some scripture is for exhorting believers, some are commands or history. We can agree that some the commands of the Old Covenant no longer apply to believers (e.g., sacrifices, holy days, etc.). Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law. He did that. There are fewer commands in the New Covenant than in the Old.
Do the following verses fall into the 'culture specific' instruction or commands, such as women are second class citizens and should be kept quiet and invisible? Or are these commands to be universally applied, like 'believe and be saved', or 'go in to all the world...'?
It is potentially dangerous deciding which biblical verses are applicable and which are not. It is a path to be tread lightly. When is a command not a command but an applicable guideline? (
This passage is very similar to 1 Peter 3:1-6, dealing with basically the same subject with respect to Christian women.
So let’s begin:
9 Likewise the women are to dress in suitable apparel, with modesty and self-control. Their adornment must not be with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive clothing,
10 but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God.
"Likewise" - Some translations use 'also' here. (Either seems to work.) In verse 2:8 previously discussed, Paul instructed all men to pray everywhere, for everyone, and without anger or dispute. Do I think this instruction applies only to men, and not all believers? No, I do not. All of us need to pray for our leaders, for peace. Paul, in the next few verses, addresses women...
He states that a Christian woman should not depend on clothes and jewelry and fancy hair to be 'noticed', but her behavior should be the prominent feature that people notice. Suitable, modest clothes, not expensive clothes, no gold chains, no fancy hairdos, no pearls. Now, to our modern sensibilities this seems harsh. Paul is pretty clear, women are not to draw attention to themselves by their outward appearance.
What does this mean? Are there any similar such admonitions to men? Yes, but a bit more obliquely. James 2:2-4 says that we are not to give preferential treatment to richly dressed people over the poorly dressed. God does not measure a man by his outward appearance. See 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.‘" The people of Israel were looking for a big strapping super-hero type to be king. (They had one such in Saul, and that did not go well.) Jesus also warned against public displays - see Mathew 6:5 - ostentatious displays of piety are hypocritical.
I went to a commentary, "A Leader Led" (
see note 2) to help me on these verses. Per this commentary, the command is to avoid vulgar display, whether dressing for church, or as a witness in the world around you. If you say you are a Christian, then let the display come from the heart, not the hairdo. To quote, "These severe words of the apostle are not to be taken as a plea for frumpishness, but as a warning against immodesty and extravagance. Ladies - look nice... be natural." The guidelines are (a) modest apparel, (b) modest behavior, and (c) self-control.The charm of believers is not how they look, but how they behave (a truism for both men and women). This same message was said by Jesus (Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:21; Luke 6:45) "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil.” That is the essence of the phrase "who profess a reverence for God." If you have it, you will live it. See James 2:17, 26. James is emphasizing living out your faith, demonstrating your beliefs in the way you treat people, take care of people, meet their needs. It comes from within, and is on display for the world to see. Again, from A Leader Led, "Not what you say, but how you act; not what you profess, but whether you possess; not only that you believe, but that you behave - there lies woman's, or man's true charm."
The following verses, 11-15, are probably more controversial than the previous two... dealing with the subject of women and church. I continue with some fear and trepidation.
Sometimes people say, "I can be Christian without going to church." One of our pastors has said Christianity is not designed for hermits, but for fellowship. We are children of the Lord of the universe, and are to worship together, to fellowship, to sing. Through teaching and preaching we are to encourage and buildup one another. See Heb. 10:23-25, and Rom. 12:5. This issue, the teaching and preaching in church is what is being addressed here. In today's America, with intense emphasis on equality, especially women's rights, these verses are bound to raise hackles. Paul is not addressing a woman's private ministry for the Lord here, but in the public place.
V. 11 A woman must learn quietly with all submissiveness."learn quietly" - All believers are to learn, be disciples. The Holy Spirit is given to each of us so we may be taught, and learn. Jesus said in Matt. 11:28, 29 to come to Him, all who are weary and burdened. The Holy Spirit (Advocate, or Helper) is promised to teach us. (John 14:16, 26) He also said to learn from Him. Men and women are to learn from the teachers and preachers, neither men nor women should lag behind the other.
"with all submissiveness" - To simplify somewhat, Paul is telling women to listen and not challenge the teacher/preacher when in public settings. This seems harsh. Part of the harshness is the result of the modern sense of the idea of 'submissive'. It does not mean 'inferior' - we tend to infer that being submissive means giving in to a superior. In the Bible, submissive is positional (however, we are inferior to God, and being submissive to Him is a wise choice). Jesus Christ was submissive to the Father in ceding to His will, but was in no way inferior to God the Father, or the Holy Spirit. See: 1 Cor. 11:3, 15:28. Jesus also said He could only do what the Father told Him to do. John 5:30.
Women are not inferior to men in any way. Both men and women were created in God's image. See: Gen. 1:27. There is no difference in the relationship with God, there is no distinction among the children of God - Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11.
This does not mean women are to sit quietly and do nothing, learn nothing.
Look at all the women in the early church. They were an integral part of Jesus' entourage - the disciples (a.k.a., apostles) and the women. These include Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of Mark - Acts 12:12; Philip's daughters - Acts 21:9; Lydia, in whose house the church met - Acts Acts 16:14-15; Tabitha, who died and Peter brought her back to life so she could continue her work (she was that valuable to the church in Joppa!) - Acts 9:35-42; or Phoebe, mentioned in Rom. 16:1-2. Women in the early church were indispensable to its growth. Women were prophets (prophetesses?) in the early church - Acts 21:29; 1 Cor. 11:13. Apollo was taught by a woman, Priscilla, who (with her husband) brought him into her home to teach him - Acts 18:28. In Paul's letters to the early church believers, women are prominently mentioned as part o the vital growth, see 2 Tim. 1:5 (Timothy's mother and grandmother).
V. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet."do not allow..." - It is said straightforward, women are not to teach men in the church. This does not mean women are not to teach at all. Older women are to teach younger women. See: Titus 2:3,4. Women are to teach the children - their own children as well as others.
"teach, or exercise authority" - We do not always perceive teaching as an authority position, especially in the American church where we tend toward egalitarianism. Yet in our secular schools, we recognize the teacher is the one who knows what needs to be taught. We expect that the best teachers are the ones trained in the subject. (Do you really want a P.E. teacher in the calculus classroom? Assuming the P.E. teacher in this example was not a mathematics major in college.) We expect the teacher to instruct us on what is right, to call us out and show us what we are doing wrong. That requires some authority. The spiritual gift of teaching is not a degree you pick up, either in school or on-line. The Holy Spirit dispenses the gifts to each of us for the common good - 1 Cor. 12:7.
And therein lies a dilemma for us. Does the Holy Spirit give the gift of teaching only to men? NO. And if women are gifted as are men, what is the problem? It appears that it not a matter of “ability, or gifting, but of roles and responsibilities. The issue is the matter of function, not inferiority or superiority of either sex. The roles of men and women are different. God has given each a role to fill in the church and we do best when we are in that role, or function.” (
See note 3)V. 13 For Adam was formed first and then Eve.
V. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, because she was fully deceived, fell into transgression.
The reason why. Some commentaries indicate Paul (or, God through Paul) hass removed this issue of cultural bias as presented by . In most ancient cultures, women were not equal to men, in almost every way. In pagan religions the role of the woman was either non-existent, or worse, as a temple prostitute. Even today there are religions in which the women have no rights, other than to do what their husbands or fathers tell them (See: Islam). Even in ancient Judaism women were not fully involved in the faith. Yet there are plenty of instances where they played a vital role in the Old Testament, - see: Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Esther, Deborah, etc.).
It is in the New Testament that, maybe for maybe the first time, women have equal standing before the Lord. That includes equal standing on earth - women could make their own decision to believe and be saved; women were not shunned or denied access to Jesus. See in Samaria (John 4:5-29). Jesus spoke to the woman at the well first. She was a Samaritan, with a somewhat dubious reputation. She believed in Him, and went to fetch the men of the city, saying she had found the one for whom they were waiting.
"Adam was formed first, and then Eve." - This is the basic reason that God has placed men in the position of authority over women. Simply: Adam was created first. Eve second. See: Gen.1:27; 2:18-25. This a hierarchy established by God. (Does this mean that animals have a position ahead of humans because they were created first in the Genesis story? I think not. Animals were not created in God's image. Animals were not given a soul.) In most commentaries, this is why the question is not one of cultural bias. Christians can fall into a "The Bible said it. That settles it," attitude. That can be dangerous, as it calcifies the thought process, rejects reasoning and searching out the truth.
Just as Jesus subjected Himself to the will of God - Phil. 2:5-11 - God has laid out a hierarchy of man-woman, husband-wife. The church is the bride of Christ. We are subject to Him (plus, He is God and all things are subject to Him). We do not exercise any authority over Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. (I am NOT saying that men have the same authority over women as Jesus and the church. I think that would be blasphemy.) In fact, there are areas in which men should tread lightly, such as in management of the home. It seems that God has indicated that the woman is in charge in the home, the household and children. See Proverbs. Do not go too far with that concept. We are not to be autocratic in our endeavors. We are not in control, only the Lord is in control of all things.
"Adam was not deceived... she was fully deceived." - The second line of reasoning is here. (Remember, 'All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness' - 2 Tim. 3:16 - it is in the Bible for our edification.) Sin came into the world, and is passed on to each human born, because Adam walked into it, eyes only, knowing fully he was commanded not to do it. See: Rom. 5:12, 15. We are inheritors of Adam's sin. Eve also sinned, but she was fully deceived. Does that mean she gets a kings-x? No. She shares in the curse placed on humankind as the result of sin. She fell into sin first, before Adam, but she was gullible and deceived. Adam made the decision. Knowing it was wrong, he did it anyway. I will not try to impute a reason or motive for the guideline God has laid out. Throughout the Bible, God has placed men as priests, and in the church - apostles, preachers, teachers, elders or deacons for the public teaching of doctrine, and shepherding the body of believers.
V. 15 But she will be delivered through childbearing, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with self-control.
"delivered through child-bearing..." - And here we go - stepping into another mine field. This does not mean that a woman is saved by having babies ('barefoot and pregnant', or so to speak). If that were so, why would a woman need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? She would not. The more babies she delivers, the better she is saved. This is the worst kind of 'works'.
Or, does this mean that women are saved because the Savior was born, a woman delivered the Savior into the world? That concept does not work (for me anyway). Besides, only one woman did that. How does that save all the others who did not give birth to Jesus Christ? What about all the women who lived before Mary? Would her ‘work’ reflect backward to Eve? Don’t think so.
I think 'A Leader Led' puts it quite nicely. Rather than 'saved' in the evangelical sense, she is saved from 'spiritual uselessness' (which some say verses 11-14 would condemn her). A mother can care for the children's spiritual welfare as no one else can. She takes care of their physical needs, and by teaching the gospel, by disciplining them she can raise up children who walk in the way. See: 3 John 4. And if she teaches other young mothers, or teaches in Sunday school she can have an effect for the Kingdom of God 'that is beyond measure.' This concept is similar to the 'work out your salvation' in Phil. 2:12, which is not a verse saying you can work your way to heaven. Your salvation is demonstrated by how you live, how you serve, how you work. This theme of works show your salvation is repeated throughout the epistles. See James and 1 John.
Note 1: Rules versus guidelines: Our sermon this Sunday was titled “More Like Guidelines’, based on Luke 5:17-6:11. Luke gives us the account of Jesus being confronted by the religious leaders. Their system had become rigid, and they could not ‘see’ Jesus as the Messiah. Even miracles could not convince them, because He had ‘violated’ one of their religious rules. They had forgotten the Law could flex in order to meet human need.
The command - barring women form teaching and preaching in the church - seems like one of those rigid rules. This is one of those commands which does NOT have any effect upon salvation. Salvation is based on belief and faith in Jesus Christ - His birth, life, death and resurrection. I know there situations in a local church where a woman may be the best, or only teacher. Should she be barred from teaching based on this command. I don’t know the answer. We should turn to the Lord in prayer and supplication for Him to lead us in the proper direction. This command concerns the church community, not salvation. I don’t think it should be taken lightly. However, as John states, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) This is the test for whomever would be a teacher - male or female. I am not comfortable saying we can ignore Paul’s command with respect to women preaching in the church. I am also not entirely comfortable being rigid about the matter. The local church leaders must pray and ask the Lord for leadership.
Note 2: Guy H. King. A Leader Led. Christian Literature Crusade. 1962.
Note 3: N. Geisler. Systematic Theology, Vol. 4. Bethany House Publishers. 2005.
END OF CHAPTER
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