1 Timothy 2
In the previous chapter, Paul asked Timothy to stop certain people from teaching false doctrine. What is a good way to change people’s mind about doctrine? Men try to use force (which is why we have had so many religious wars in the past). Women try to teach (i.e. they use words) and use charm and beauty and guile. In this chapter, Paul says that this is not the way to do things. Instead, men should pray, and women should practice goodness.
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties {and} prayers, petitions {and} thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
The true church must prayer for all men, but especially for secular leaders, so that Christians can practice their Christianity without being persecuted from outside. That is unnecessary persecution that can be removed via prayer – we can expect to be persecuted from false teachers in the church who teach false doctrine and persecute those who teach the truth, and there is no point praying regarding that because God has already said that all who live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tm 3:12).
3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
It should be clear that when Scripture says, “all men” here, it means “all men” and not all types of men. Verse 4 is not saying that God desires all types of men to be saved but that God desires all men to be saved.
So then, it is clear from this passage that God desires that all men be saved. From this we can be sure that God does not elect anyone to perdition, and therefore Hyper Calvinism (which teaches that God elects people to perdition) cannot be true.
Even Calvinism cannot be true because, if Total Depravity (which teaches that man cannot, and therefore will not, seek God for salvation) and Unconditional Election (which teaches that God arbitrarily decides who will be saved) are true, then those who are not elected for salvation are elected for perdition. In other words, Hyper Calvinism is directly implied from Calvinism.
5 For there is one God, {and} one mediator also between God and men, {the} man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony {given} at the proper time.
In Paul’s time, Greek mythology was well known. In Greek mythology, there were many ‘gods’ and they weren’t always in agreement on things. The act of pleasing one ‘god’ might very well cause another ‘god’ to become upset with you. Doing something to appease Apollo might make Zeus very angry with you. This complicates things, especially when it comes to getting saved. For this reason, Paul clarifies things, saying that in Christianity, there is one God – that is, you either upset every person in the godhead, or none, and the godhead is unanimous on how to get saved.
Also, there is just one (and only one) mediator – Jesus, and you don’t need to go through anyone else.
In verse six, we see again that the ransom was given for all, and not merely for those who actually get saved. The Calvinist doctrine of Limited Atonement teaches that Jesus only died for those who are saved, and not for those who aren’t. Clearly, 1 Tm 2:6 contradicts Limited Atonement, and therefore Limited Atonement cannot be true.
It is interesting how Paul makes statements here – right in the book where he instructs Timothy to stop false doctrine – that clearly refute the false doctrines of Calvinism.
This testimony of Jesus, wherein He mediated the New Covenant, occurred when Jesus was fully man, and not while He was fully God; that was the proper time for the mediation. I point this out because some people teach that the mediation occurred after Jesus regained full divinity. A mediation (or formulation of an agreement about something) occurs before the payment of the agreed price, not after.
7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Paul wanted Timothy to understand that he was not saying things on his own whim but was doing so because God called him to do it.
8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
You can’t come to God in prayer if you have wrath and dissension within you, because your hands are not holy. You need to first resolve your wrath (with whoever you are angry at) and dissension (with whoever you are dissenting) and then come to God in prayer regarding the secular authorities over you.
9 Likewise, {I want} women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,
10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.
When people think of you, what comes first to their mind? Your good works, or your good looks, or the way you dress?
Modesty in clothing requires one to not exhibit that which makes one desirable. Discretion in clothing requires you to hide what you have, especially the assets that may lead others to pursue you because you have made your assets look attractive to them.
Pastors are very afraid teaching on these topics today, especially in places where women expose a lot of their body. But we need to mention this because it is God’s word and it applies to all times and all cultures.
Of course, these statements only apply to women who are making a claim to godliness, and not to the world outside the church.
We are not to judge others, but only ourselves, but if you are a woman making a claim to godliness and want to please God, and want God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and give you a genuine ministry, I would urge you to take heed to what Paul says here.
Many women love to post pictures of themselves on social media, and some of those pictures are not very modest or discreet. Apparently, they have never read or taken seriously 1 Tm 2:9-10. Paul’s point is that if people remember you for your good works, and not for your good looks or the way you dress, then you have done well, and they are more likely to receive the truth of Scripture that you believe.
I was told of a story where a pastor posted a not-so-modest picture of his wife on social media, and some man pointed out that doing so was inappropriate. The poor man got persecuted by the pastor and other people. That is the terrible state of the church today. I hope that that bold man had the discernment to realize that he was right and that the pastor and those who reprimanded him were in the wrong.
If you say that the above two verses don’t apply to our culture anymore, then you must allow the homosexuals to also say the same thing about the verses that preach against homosexuality.
11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.
12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
The above two verses are also applicable to all cultures and all times simply because they are the word of God. Women can teach other women or children, but they cannot teach a man, even if that man is wrong. Let God, or some other man, teach the wrong man. This applies in the church, not in the secular world where secular things are taught.
13 For it was Adam who was first created, {and} then Eve.
14 And {it was} not Adam {who} was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
Why does Paul put such restrictions about teaching doctrine on women? It is because Satan was able to cause Eve to sin even though he had less time to tempt her, showing that a woman is more gullible than man when it comes to Satan’s deceptive teachings (which is also why Peter refers to women as the weaker sex (1 Pet 3:7)).
It doesn’t mean that women are less important to God, or that there doesn’t exist women who are wiser and more discerning than men. There are a plethora of exceptions. Nevertheless, the word of God must still be honored.
Given Paul’s command, it only makes sense for a woman to marry a man who is more mature and wiser than her in the things of God. Otherwise, she will be very frustrated when she sees her husband believing wrong doctrines – things that she cannot teach him to correct.
15 But {women} will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.
After Eve sinned, God’s judgment upon her (and all the women after her) was that childbearing would be painful, and sometimes even result in death. Yet, God has provided a moderation – those women who continue in faith (i.e. believing the right things) and love (i.e. doing good to others) and sanctity (i.e. separating herself from sin) with self-restraint (i.e. not trying to teach men) will be preserved through that painful and dangerous time.
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