Thursday, September 21, 2023

Paul's Letters to Timothy -Session 6 - What about the Women Cont'd




The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying Paul's pastoral Epistles (Letters) to his proteges, Timothy and Titus.

In session 5 we started talking about the women's role in the local church with Paul's admonition about submission.  We agreed that submission literally means “to rank under.” and it had nothing to do with value but with authority much like a colonel is higher rank than a private but the private is as valuable as a person as the colonel. God values men and women equally but in any organization, there must be levels of authority.

In this very lively session Paul presents his arguments for male leadership in the church based on creation and the fact that Satan deceived the woman. The woman was deceived but the man did not exercise the authority given to him by God.

There was a very lively discussion of 1 Timothy 2:15 where Paul wrote "But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety."

Listen to the audio recording of the session to get the full impact of our discussion

Paul’s Argument Regarding Male Leadership in the Church

Paul gave several arguments to back up this admonition that the Christian men in the church should be the spiritual leaders. The first is an argument from creation.


1 Timothy 2:13 NIV For Adam was formed first, then Eve.


Keep in mind that priority does not mean superiority. Man and woman were both created by God and in God’s image. The issue is only authority which is necessary to have and maintain order. 

The second argument has to do with man’s fall into sin. Satan deceived the woman into sinning.  The man sinned with his eyes wide open. Because Adam rejected the God-given order, he listened to his wife, disobeyed God, and brought sin and death into the world. The man did not exercise his authority.   


I do not think Paul suggested that women are more gullible than men and thus more easily deceived, for experience proves that both men and women are deceived by Satan.


Since the time of Christ, women have played pivotal roles in the growth, ministry, and vitality of the church. Jesus consistently included and valued women as capable equals. Women and men are equal in the eyes of God. In the salvation work of Christ, gender, economic, and racial divides have been superseded. We are equals, as fellow heirs in Jesus Christ. This equality is bolstered through the Holy Spirit’s impartial distribution of spiritual gifts to His children. The Scriptures never speak of withholding certain gifts from any particular group.  In fact, Paul teaches the Corinthian “brothers and sisters” that God gives His gifts as He determines. No further distinction is made regarding their allotment.

While Scripture maintains that women and men are equal in nature and gifting, the Bible does delineate particular roles for each gender, especially concerning the church. God has ordained the church’s primary leadership to reside with male elders who meet the qualifications prescribed by Scripture, and we are going to get into that today.  

God has set apart women for essential roles in church life. To sum up, God created the church in such a way that it could not function without the contribution of women and men through their biblically prescribed roles.

Godly women do have an important ministry in the local assembly, even though they are not called to be teachers of the Word in a pastoral sense. If all is done “decently and in order,” then God will bless.

1 Timothy 2:15 NIV But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

This verse has been misinterpreted to mean that any woman who bears a child is automatically saved by virtue of the childbearing.

This verse has often been confusing to readers. This is not surprising, since it is often debated among translators. The Greek of this passage does not provide explicit clarity as to what Paul means by these phrases. There are several ways in which this first statement about being "saved through childbearing" can be interpreted, and a few which are clearly not part of Paul's intent here.

First of all, this is clearly not a reference to salvation, in the sense of heaven and hell. Women are not "saved" in that sense by having children, but by Christ, by grace through faith (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9).

Some readers believe Paul is referring to women being kept safe through the physical process of childbirth. That is, that their love and self-control will keep them alive during the dangerous process of labor and delivery. This is possible, but seems highly unlikely given the context of both this passage and the rest of the New Testament.


Others think Paul might have been referring to women avoiding the dangers of the world by remaining at home to raise children. The idea would be that a woman who focuses on godly behavior in the home, as a mother, is "preserved" from the kind of deception and failure Eve experienced. This, again, is possible, but also seems unlikely.


A more likely interpretation is that Paul is, in this first phrase, still referring to Eve when he mentions "salvation." Paul has just referenced the Old Testament account of Adam and Eve. Adam was formed first, then Eve. Eve was then deceived by the Devil (1 Timothy 2:14). Yet, according to this view of Paul's words, Eve can continue her legacy through her generations of children (Genesis 3:16; 4:1–3). The term sōthēsetai, often translated as "save," can also mean "to preserve, to keep safe."


By this account, then, women are not "saved" through children in the spiritual sense, but rather leave a legacy or are preserved through bearing children. The same is true of Eve, who had an opportunity to leave a legacy despite her sin. The salvation in this case is that of heritage: women who lead godly lives and raise children are blessed with a special kind of "preservation" in the future.


According to Paul, this legacy is not automatic, but conditional. Women not only have influence through their children; they also must live godly lives.

Bible Study Audio





Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Paul's Letters to Timothy - Session 5 - What about the Women




The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying Paul's pastoral Epistles (Letters) to his proteges, Timothy and Titus.

In Session 4 we talked about the importance of discussion of prayer in the worship service of the local church snd the men's role in praying for "all men (people)  

1 Timothy 2:1‭-‬8 NIV  I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.

The key is that prayer is to be made for all people because   "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3‭-‬4 NIV).

Here is session 5 we begin the discussion of the women's role in the local church we start with Paul's admonition about submission.  The key here is that the word translated submission or subjection or submit literally means “to rank under.” Anyone who has served in the armed forces knows that “rank” has to do with order and authority, not with value or ability. He tells Timothy to tell the women that  the "inner person" is much more important than outward appearance. 

We should remember that God is a God of order and not confusion. Order implies a neat and logical organization of items, tasks, or people.  Paul exhorted, through Timothy, the men and women in the church and reminded them of their spiritual responsibilities, to maintain order.


He starts with—Prayer 


1 Timothy 2:1‭-‬8 NIV  I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.


Why do we pray why is it so important 


1 Timothy 2:3‭-‬4 NIV This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.


We know that it is God’s will that everyone is saved so we can pray for "All men. It is God’s will that “all men” come to the knowledge of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. God loved the world and Christ died for the whole world.


Paul’s emphasis in this letter is on the men praying. He was not excluding women.   Paul obviously thought it was important for men to pray because as we will see later he felt that men should be leaders.


1 Timothy 2:8 NIV Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.


Effective praying, then, demands that I be in a right relationship with God (“holy hands”) and with my fellow believers (“without murmurings and disputings”)



Now what about the women?


1 Timothy 2:9‭-‬15 NIV I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.


Let's start with the elephant in the room 


1 Timothy 2:11 NIV A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.


The word translated submission or subjection or submit literally means “to rank under.” Anyone who has served in the armed forces knows that “rank” has to do with order and authority, not with value or ability. A colonel is higher in rank than a private, but that does not necessarily mean that the colonel is a better man than the private. It only means that the colonel has a higher rank and, therefore, more authority.


We had said al along that in order to function and be effective in accomplishing our task as given in the great commission the local church must be orderly without confusion.  If there were no levels of authority, the church and society would be in chaos without submission. Children should submit to their parents because God has given parents the authority to train their children and discipline them in love. Employees should submit to employers and obey them.  Citizens of a nation  should submit to government authorities, even if the authorities are not Christians.


Submission is not subjugation. Submission is recognizing God’s order in the home and the church and joyfully obeying it. When a Christian wife joyfully submits to the Lord and to her own husband, it should bring out the best in her. (For this to happen, the husband must love his wife and use God’s order as a tool to build with, not a weapon to fight with


Ephesians 5:21‭-‬33 NIV Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.



Paul admonished these believing women to give evidence of their submission in several ways.


1 Timothy 2:8‭-‬10 NIV Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

First modest dress


1 Timothy 2:9 NIV I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,


The contrast here is between the artificial glamor of the world and the true beauty of a godly life. Paul is not saying women should not wear jewelry or lovely clothes, but rather the excessive use of them as substitutes for the true beauty of “a meek and quiet spirit”.


1 Peter 3:3‭-‬4 NIV Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.


A woman who depends only on externals will soon run out of ammunition! She may attract attention, but she will not win lasting affection. Perhaps the latest fashion fads were tempting the women in the church at Ephesus, and Paul had to remind Timothy to warn the women not to get trapped by outward appearance only.


The word translated “modest” simply means “decent and orderly.” It is related to the Greek word from which we get the English word “cosmetic.” A woman’s clothing should be decent, orderly, and in good taste.


Ephesus was a wealthy commercial city, and some women there competed against each other for attention and popularity. In that day expensive hairdos arrayed with costly jewelry were an accepted way to get to the top socially. Paul admonished the Christian women to major on the “inner person,” the true beauty that only Christ can give.


Matthew 23:27‭-‬28 NIV “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.


1 Samuel 16:7 NIV But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”


Psalms 51:6 AMP Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.


He did not forbid the use of nice clothing or ornaments. He urged balance and propriety, with the emphasis on modesty and holy character.





The next evidence of submission is "good works". 


1 Timothy 2:9 NIV I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,


Paul did not suggest that good works are a substitute for clothing! Rather, he was contrasting the “cheapness” of expensive clothes and jewelry with the true values of godly character and Christian service. Glamour can be partially applied on the outside, but godliness must come from within.

Now, and this is very important,  We must never underestimate the important place that godly women played in Jesus' ministry.



Women had a low place in the Roman world, but the gospel changed that.  There were devoted women who ministered to Jesus in the days of His earthly ministry.


Luke 8:1‭-‬3 NIV After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.


The gospel message had a tremendous impact on women because it affirmed their value before God and their equality in the body of Christ.


Galatians 3:28 NIV There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.


Women were present at His crucifixion 


John 19:25‭-‬27 NIV Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.


and burial, 


Luke 23:50‭-‬56 NIV Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.


and it was a woman who announced His resurrection. 


John 20:17‭-‬18 NIV Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.


In the book of Acts there's Dorcas,


Acts 9:36‭-‬42 NIV In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.



 Lydia


Acts 16:13‭-‬15 NIV On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.


Priscilla


Acts 18:1‭-‬3 NIV After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.


and godly women in the Berean church 


Acts 17:4‭, ‬10‭-‬12 NIV Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.


and Thessalonian church


Acts 17:1‭-‬4 NIV When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.


Most scholars believe that Phebe who was a deacon in the church delivered the letter that Paul wrote to the church in Rome.


Romans 16:1‭-‬2 NIV I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.


Paul greeted at least eight women in Romans chapter 16.


Next, we get into some controversial stuff.


Let's start with


1 Timothy 2:11 NIV A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.


“Silence” or quietness is an unfortunate translation because it gives the impression that believing women were never to open their mouths in the church.


This is the same word that is translated “peaceable” in 1 Timothy 2:2. Which we said is an inward calmness. 


Some of the women abused their newfound freedom in Christ and created disturbances in the services by interrupting. It is this problem that Paul addresses here.


Paul wrote a similar admonition to the church in Corinth 


1 Corinthians 14:34‭-‬35 NIV Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.


Though this admonition may apply primarily to speaking in tongues.


It appears that women were in danger of upsetting the church by trying to “enjoy” their freedom.


There are several options for what kind of submission is meant:

a) submission of all women to all men. However, as we saw in previous studies, the Old Testament does not require all women to submit to all men, nor does it require them to be silent. Nevertheless, some scholars believe that Paul is alluding to a “principle” derived from Genesis.

b) submission of wives to their husbands However, if Paul is alluding to a rule about family relationships, it would not necessarily apply to authority in the church.

c) submission to a Roman law that restricted women’s roles in pagan worship civil law in this verse; the Corinthians would know by context which law he meant.

d) submission to themselves. for women to control themselves.

Paul has already indicated that women can pray and prophesy in church.  

This means that it is permissible for women to have formal speaking roles in the church. Paul was apparently forbidding some other type of speech. Just as he did not allow tongue-speakers or prophets to speak out of turn, he did not want women to speak out of turn, saying things in such a way that they were breaking social customs about what is appropriate.

Paul appealed to church custom, the law, and cultural expectations; we will consider how each of these is relevant to the problem that Paul is dealing with.

1) We know very little about how first-century churches functioned, except for what the New Testament tells us—and the picture is one of variety. Some churches were led by apostles and elders; others by prophets and teachers; some by overseers or elders or deacons. Although we know the names of a number of influential men and women, we can associate those names with specific titles in only a few cases. We know even less about how a typical worship service was conducted..

There is no prohibition on women speaking in public. Scripture provides examples of women who had leadership roles in civil government, in publicly praising God, and in giving authoritative answers about spiritual matters to male civil leaders (e.g., Deborah, Miriam, and Huldah). 

Scripture does not require all women to submit to all men. 

The next evidence of submission was respecting authority 


Now we may get real controversial 


1 Timothy 2:12‭-‬15 NIV I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.


Women are permitted to teach. Older women should teach younger women.


Titus 2:3‭-‬4 NIV Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,


We already talked about Timothy being taught at home by his mother and grandmother. There is nothing wrong with a godly woman instructing a man.


Acts 18:24‭-‬26 NIV Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.


But she must not “lord it over” men and assume authority in the church and try to take the place of a man.



Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Paul's Letters to Timothy Session 4 - Prayer and Praying Men




The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying Paul's pastoral Epistles (Letters) to his proteges, Timothy and Titus.

In Session 3 we talk about the local church defending the faith and we ask the question is worship to be "Service or Circus?" Paul instructs Timothy on how to maintain order in worship, starting with prayer.  Here in Session 4 we continue the discussion of prayer in the worship service of the local church.

1 Timothy 2:1‭-‬8 NIV  I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.

The key is that prayer is to be made for all people because   "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3‭-‬4 NIV).


We should remember that God is a God of order and not confusion. Order implies a neat and logical organization of items, tasks, or people.  Paul exhorted, through Timothy, the men and women in the church and reminded them of their spiritual responsibilities, to maintain order.


He starts with—Prayer 


1 Timothy 2:1‭-‬8 NIV  I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.


First of all” indicates that prayer is most important in the public worship of the church


There are at least four different Greek nouns for “prayer,” used in verse 1


I urge, then, first of all, that petitions (supplications), prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—

1 Timothy 2:1 NIV


Supplication carries the idea of “offering a request for a felt need.”


Prayers is the most common term, and it emphasizes the sacredness of prayer. Prayer is an act of worship, not just an expression of our wants and needs. There should be reverence in our hearts as we pray to God.


Intercessions are next. The basic meaning is “to draw near to a person and converse confidently with him.” It suggests that we enjoy fellowship with God so that we have confidence in Him as we pray for others or for specific circumstances. 

Then thanksgiving.  Giving thanks is definitely a part of worship and prayer. We not only give thanks for answers to prayer, but for who God is and what He does for us in His grace. We should not simply add our thanksgiving to the end of a selfish prayer! 


Psalm 103 is a prayer of thanksgiving without any request or petition just thanksgiving. We are just going to read the beginning and the end but I encourage you to read it all. 


Psalms 103:1‭-‬5‭, ‬20‭-‬22 NIV Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.


Who should be the objects of our prayer when we worship together. Everybody. "All men"


1 Timothy 2:1‭-‬2 NIV I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.


No person on earth is outside the influence of believing prayer This means we should pray for the unsaved and the saved, for people near us and people far away, for enemies as well as friends.


Paul urged the church to especially pray for those in authority. Remember when Paul wrote this letter godless Emperor Nero was on the throne at that time, and yet the believers were supposed to pray for him! 


Even when we cannot respect men or women in authority, we must respect their offices and pray for them. In fact, it is for our own good that we do so: “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” 


The early church was always subject to opposition and persecution, so it was wise to pray for those in authority. “Quiet” refers to circumstances around us, while “peaceful” refers to a calm attitude within us. 

Paul has not named all the persons we can and should pray for, since “all men "covers everyone. We can’t pray for everybody in the world by name, but we certainly ought to pray for those we know and know about. 





Why do we pray why is it so important 


1 Timothy 2:3‭-‬4 NIV This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.


Yes, prayer is a good practice to have.  It has lots of benefits but the most important thing is that it is pleasing to the Lord. The Pharisees prayed in order to be praised by men or to impress other worshippers.  True Christians pray in order to please God.


Luke 18:10‭-‬14 NIV “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”


Praying to please God suggests that we must pray in the will of God,


1 John 5:14‭-‬15 NIV This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.


 It certainly does not please the Father when we pray selfishly. 


James 4:2‭-‬3 NIV You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.


It’s often said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth.


Matthew 6:9‭-‬10 NIV “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.


We know that it is God’s will that everyone is saved so we can pray for "All men. It is God’s will that “all men” come to the knowledge of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. God loved the world and Christ died for the whole world.


1 John 2:2 NIV He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.


Jesus died on the cross that He might draw “all men” to salvation.


John 12:32‭-‬33 NIV And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.


We know that everyone is not going to be saved. Salvation depends on a “knowledge of the truth” which we know that God wants to happen which is why Paul tells Timothy to tell the people to pray for all men.  


1 Timothy 2:3‭-‬4 NIV This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.


Not everyone has heard the truth of the gospel, and many who have heard have rejected it. We do know that prayer is an important part of God’s program for reaching a lost world. We have the responsibility of praying for lost souls and making ourselves available to share the gospel with others.


The prayer of the Christian is based on the work of Jesus 


1 Timothy 2:5‭-‬7 NIV For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.


Since there is only one God, there is need for only one Mediator, and that Mediator is Jesus Christ. No other person can qualify. Jesus Christ is both God and man, and therefore, can be the “umpire” between God and man. In His perfect life and substitutionary death, He met the just demands of God’s holy law. He was the “ransom for all.” 


The word ransom means “a price paid to free a slave.” His death was “on behalf of all.” Though the death of Christ is efficient only for those who trust Him, it is sufficient for the sins of the whole world. Jesus said that He came “to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

Christ died for “all men,” and God is willing for “all men to be saved.” 


So how do we get the word out that Christ died for everyone?

One way is through the spiritual gifts given to the church.


Ephesians 4:11‭-‬13‭ NIV So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 


Paul was such a messenger: He was a preacher, an apostle and a teacher.


If the basis for prayer is the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the cross, then prayer is a very important activity in a church. Not to pray is to slight the cross! To pray only for ourselves is to deny the worldwide outreach of the cross. To ignore the lost is to ignore the cross. “All men” is the key.  We pray for “all” because Christ died for “all” and it is God’s will that “all” be saved. 


Let's look at


1 Timothy 2:8 NIV Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.


Paul’s emphasis in this letter is on the men praying. He was not excluding women because in his letter to the Corinthians it is clear that he knew both men and women prayed in the church 


1 Corinthians 11:4‭-‬5 NIV Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.


However here's an observation from today that may have been the case then.  It is common to find women’s prayer meetings, but not often do we find men’s prayer meetings. So Paul obviously thought it was important for men to pray because as we will see later he felt that men should be leaders.


Posture when Praying 


Paul says that he wanted the men to lift their hands when they prayed in church. That was probably because of his background as a Jew. It was customary for Jewish men to pray with their arms extended and their hands open to heaven.nThe important thing is not the posture of the body but the posture of the heart.

There are other prayer postures in the Bible, kneeling (Dan. 6:10); standing (Luke 18:11); sitting (2 Sam. 7:18); bowing the head (Gen. 24:26); lifting the eyes (John 17:1); falling on the ground (Gen. 17:3). 


Paul gives Timothy three essentials for effective prayer. Look at verse 8 again.


1 Timothy 2:8 NIV Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.


“Holy hands.” Obviously this means a holy life. Some translations say  clean hands. “Clean hands” was symbolic of a blameless life. If we have sin in our lives, we cannot pray and expect God to answer.



Psalms 66:18‭-‬20 NIV If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!


First is "holy hands" then "Without wrath (anger)” is the second essential and requires that we be on good terms with one another. A person who is constantly having trouble with other believers, who is a troublemaker rather than a peacemaker, cannot pray effectively.  

Then there is to be no doubting.  “Doubting” suggests that we must pray in faith, but the Greek word really means “disputing.” When we have anger in the heart, we often have open disagreements with others. Christians should learn to disagree without being disagreeable. 


We Should “do all things without murmurings and disputings” 


Philippians 2:3‭-‬4 NIV Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Effective praying, then, demands that I be in a right relationship with God (“holy hands”) and with my fellow believers (“without murmurings and disputings”). Jesus taught the same truth 


Mark 11:24‭-‬25 NIV Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”


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