As we grow older, flab sets in. It is the same with the church. Paul tells Timothy to maintain spiritual discipline within himself and the church and be “fighting fit”.
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TIMELINE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS
Snapshot
- Introduction
- Spiritual Fitness: Cleared Conscience
- Spiritual Flab: Smeared Conscience
- Shipwrecked Faith: Seared Conscience
- Discussion
- FAQ on women’s role
Theme Verse
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Introduction
- 1, 2 Timothy and Titus are pastoral epistles
- Paul uses the tone of a father instructing son
- Timothy was a young pastor of Ephesian Church and other churches.
Background
- Church in Ephesus was falling into wrong doctrines including a form of gnosticism [2]
- Influential people promoting pagan practices and ideologies
- Paul urges Timothy to maintain spiritual discipline within the church.
- In order to do that he had to be “Fighting fit”
The site of the ancient Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world [3]
Spiritual Fitness - Cleared Conscience
Goal:
- To save sinners
Means/approach:
- Fight the battle well
Defenses
- Hold on to faith
- Hold on to good conscience
Fitness regime
- Connect with God
- Conduct with others
- Care of self
Spiritual Fitness - Cleared Conscience
Goal
Single goal: to save sinners.
1 Timothy 1:15 …Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Means/ Approach
Fight the good fight
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Defences
1 Timothy 1:18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith
Ref: Full armour of God Eph 6:10-18
Connect with God - Pray
1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Connect with others
1 Timothy 3
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
Care of Self :Self Confidence
1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example .
Care of Self – Sustenance
1 Timothy 4:7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Care of Self : Sharpen Skill
1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift
Role of Women
1 Timothy 2:9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. (Refer FAQ at end of presentation)
Role of Women
Paul’s instructions: general and context specific.
Attire: Inner beauty.
Authority: Under authority of husband/ father/ pastor
Teaching: First century doctrines formulated by few spirit filled men.
(Refer FAQ at end of presentation)
Spiritual Flab -Smeared Conscience
Goal: Material gain, money
Means/ Approach: Fruitless discussion
Defenses: Weak, vulnerable
Spiritual Flab-Smeared Conscience (Cont’d..)
Weak, misdirected
-
Inconsequential with respect to God
-
Impulsive with respect to others
-
Indulging with respect to self
1 Timothy4:8 … for bodily discipline is only of little profit
Goal
Material gain, money
1 Timothy 6:5 .. who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. Ch 6
Means/ Approach
1 Timothy 6:6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion
Defences
Weak, misdirected
1 Timothy4:8 … for bodily discipline is only of little profit
Spiritual Flab – Smeared Conscience Fitness Regime
Indulgent
1 Timothy 3:3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money ..
5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Spiritual Flab – Smeared Conscience Fitness Regime
Indulgent
1 Timothy 5
6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.
11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. ch 5:6,11-13
Shipwrecked Faith - Seared Conscience
Permanently damaged conscience.
1 Timothy 4:2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods.
For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 1 Timothy 6:7
Result of rejecting Conscience
1 Timothy 1:19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
FAQs on Women’s role
Passage:
1 Timothy 2:9 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. 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. 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. 15 But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.
Q 1 – Women and Jewellery
Is Paul against women wearing Jewellery?
It is interesting that those who take “not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments” literally and don’t wear jewellery, appear to skip the “braiding of the hair” bit. Paul’s reference is with respect to:
- Spending huge amounts of time and money on expensive and elaborate clothing or hairdo.
- It also has to do with focusing and highlighting the “inner self” and “attitude” over the “looks”.
Q2 – Women and Teaching
Is Paul instructing that women can never teach at any time?
- The phrase “I do not permit women to teach” in present tense (appears to be for context in 1st century). Contrast with the earlier instruction to men “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” addressed to all men at all time.
- Today, we do not see all men “lifting hands” during prayer. It is an expression to encourage them to pray rather than fight.
- In the 1st century context of the Ephesian church, false teachers encouraged women to defy gender norms, be egalitarian, rebel, assume authority in the church, etc. There were women doing this and spreading wrong doctrines. Again first century teaching involved formulation of Christian doctrines which only select apostles who were men were to do – unlike 21st century when we propagate those doctrines.
Q2 – Women and Teaching (Cont’d)
- Women are clearly instructed to teach in other passages. (2 Tim 5:24, Colossians 3:16).
- In general, Paul warns of the vulnerability of women who have to validate their doctrines with the bible and appropriate spiritual authorities (pastor,/husband/ father) before teaching.
- Last but not least the woman writing this FAQ is writing under the authority of her husband and pastor who are in agreement with women teaching in churches. [1]
Q3 – Women Speaking
Was Paul telling women never to speak in churches and meetings?
- The word (hesuchia) can mean “silence,” in an absolute sense, or “quietness,” in the sense of “peacableness” (similar word, hesuchion, is used in 1 Timothy 2:2: “… that we may live peaceful and quiet lives …”). It does not imply that women should not open their mouths at all but refers to the attitude.
- In Jewish culture, women were always silent observers in the back of the synagogue. Paul encouraged them to respect their culture.
- Submission also does not necessarily refer to all women submitting to all men – but specifically those those in authority over them – their husband, boss, pastor etc.
Q3 – Women Speaking
- “Teach or have authority over men”..The teaching refers to authoritative teaching over (or dominating) men – which Paul has clearly commanded against…in the context of formulating prime doctrines, the home, her husband, in the context of the church – the pastor.
- Godly women in the 21st century may preach in the church under the authority of their father/ husband and the pastor/senior pastor/ bishop. Propagating doctrines already formulated by men of the spirit in the Bible. [1]
References
1.bible.org
2.biblegateway.com
3.Image by Adam Carr
