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The Apostle Paul's First
Epistle to Timothy |
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Chapter 2
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1First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and
prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on
behalf of all men, 2for kings and all who are in
authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and
quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
In chapter 1, Paul dealt with correcting certain
negative practices. This section, however,
emphasizes what God's people should be doing to
effect positive change. With the phrase "first
of all," Paul is emphasizing the importance of
praying on behalf of others. Before we take a
look at the reasoning behind this imperative,
let's take a look at the four words Paul used in
regards to what should be made on behalf of all
men.
entreaties - deesis - This word refers to the act of requesting certain needs
or wants from someone that can fulfill such
requests.
prayers - proseuche - This is actually more of a technical term that
specifically refers to formal requests to God.
This term actually further defines the previous
word ("entreaties") and gives us the sense that
we should realize that when we make requests in
prayer, we are not making requests to someone
who cannot fulfill what we are asking.
petitions - enteuxis - This phrase is more accurately translated as
"intercessions." In other words, when we pray
for others, we should petition God as if we were
standing between God and the individual. It's
not just simply a prayer; it's an expression of
your heart's desire. A great example of this is
Daniel as he prays for his fellow Israelites (Daniel
9:1-19).
thanksgivings - eucharistia
- This time simply means "giving thanks" but is
used multiple times to refer to a bracha.
In all forms of Jewish prayer, including
numerous examples throughout the Epistles,
entreaties, prayers and petitions to God are
always capped with a giving of thanks (a
liturgical blessing). This is yet another
indication that the set brachot of Jewish
tradition should be the norm for Believers as
well.
For whom are we to pray on behalf? Paul said
that Believers should be praying for all people.
It's very easy to get caught up in our own needs
and desires and forget about a lost world.
Specifically, we should be praying on behalf of
kings and those in authority. Interestingly, the
king, in this passage, could refer to the
emperor, who was Nero at the time. Paul knew
that God could save anyone since He saved him.
Paul doesn't want us to exclude anyone in our
prayers because Paul’s vision of salvation going
to Gentiles was that whole nations would turn to
God. His desire to go to Rome
is indicative that he believed that the entire Roman empire, from the top down, could be saved and transformed. In our
day, this would include presidents, prime
ministers and other people in positions of
leadership. It is too common to hear Believers
speak of the evils of Islamic leadership around
the world. Rather than talking about it, we
should be praying for them, that they may be
saved.
Our goal in praying for others is so that we can
lead tranquil and quiet lives. It is misguided
zeal to think that we can change our culture
through normal means, as if our battle was with
flesh and blood. Instead, we should seek change
in our society through prayer and good deeds;
the godliness and dignity we display will change
more than picket lines and protests.
3This is good and acceptable in the sight of
God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Paul's emphasis here was that that praying on
behalf of others is a reflection of God's
character. The word translated here as "desires"
does not have the sense of a decreed will but
rather a general desire of one's heart. In other
words, it truly is God's heart desire for all
men to be saved. God takes no pleasure in the
death of sinners (Ezekiel
18:32).
If God desires that all men be saved, then why
doesn’t He save everyone? There is certainly a
mystery as to why God chooses to save some and
not others despite the fact that He desires all
men to be saved. Nevertheless, it’s possible
that Paul isn’t even implying that God wants
every single person to be saved but rather that
it is God’s desire that all kinds of people be
saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
This interpretation would certainly fit with
Paul’s previous admonition that people stop
discussing and looking into their genealogies.
In other words, it doesn’t matter if someone
belongs to a certain group (i.e. that one is
legally Jewish) because God desires that all
kinds of people to be saved. God is not only the
God of the Jews but also of those from the
Nations.
5For there is one God, and one mediator also
between God and men, the man Messiah Yeshua,
6who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the
testimony given at the proper time.
Motivating us to pray on behalf of others is the
truth that there is only one God and that there
is only one mediator between God and man, the
Messiah Yeshua. In other words, while there may
not be exclusivity to what kind of person God
saves, there certainly is exclusivity to how God
saves people. So many religions around the world
falsely claim that either there is no need for
salvation or that salvation is based on human
merits. This, of course, will do them no good on
judgment day. All the different kinds of people
around the world need true salvation and true
salvation only comes through the mediating work
of Yeshua the Messiah. Additionally, notice how
Paul emphasizes the humanity of the Messiah and
distinguishes him from the one God. We must be
careful lest we read later theological formulas
back into the Apostolic Scriptures.
7For 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.
8Therefore I want the men in every place to
pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and
dissension.
To emphasize that what that he was speaking the
truth, he points out the fact that this is what
he devotes his life to. Paul had nothing to gain
by being a proclaimer and ambassador to the
Gentiles unless salvation was open to all kinds
of people and not just a select group (such as
those with Jewish lineage). Flowing from this
truth was his exhortation that men should pray.
He qualifies this decree by saying that men
should pray by "lifting up holy hands." It's
probable that in the first century there was a
practice of lifting hands during prayer but Paul
used this phrase idiomatically to refer to the
individual's conscience, character and general
lifestyle.
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Notice that the phrase "lifting up holy hands"
is contrasted with "wrath" and "dissension."
This further clarifies that Paul's point was to
remind the men that prayer must come from a pure
heart and a clear conscience. God does not bless
unrighteousness nor does He answer the prayer of
the wicked, so godly men must continually check
their hearts and lifestyles to make sure they
are consistent with the truth of Scripture,
specifically in the area of maintaining the
unity of the Spirit through the bonds of peace.
9Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves
with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly,
not with braided hair and gold or pearls or
costly garments, 10but rather by means of good
works, as is proper for women making a claim
to godliness.
After bringing correction to the men of the
assembly, Paul sought to correct the way the
women of the assembly dressed and conducted
themselves. These verses seem to imply that the
women were not acting appropriately;
specifically some women were purposely drawing
attention to themselves. To combat this, Paul
instructed the women to "adorn" themselves with
"proper clothing." The Greek word "kosmeo"
is here translated as "adorn" but simply means
to "put in order." Accordingly, the word
translated here as "proper" is the Greek word "kosmios,"
which means "well arranged." The Apostle Paul
did not advocate women to be homely or plain
looking but instead intended to convey that
women can and should be attractive but not
according to this world's standards. He showed
this by contrasting how a worldly woman would
dress and how a godly woman should dress.
Firstly, women should not dress themselves with
braided hair, gold, pearls and costly garments.
Each of these things, in Paul's day, was seen as
excessive. This is not a blanket prohibition on
braided hair, wearing gold, pearls or even
expensive clothes. In the context, certain women
were flouting their excess and it was detracting
from the worshipful atmosphere of the assembly.
The eyes of both the men and the women of the
congregation were upon these women, the men in
lust and the women in jealousy.
In contrast to this, godly women should dress
modestly and discreetly. A godly woman should
focus on good works not their appearance. The
word here translated as “modestly” is the Greek
word “aidos” and refers to having a
“sense of shame.” In other words, a woman who
dresses modestly is someone who would be ashamed
to wear something that doesn’t sufficiently
cover and conceal their body. In the same way,
the word here translated as “discreetly” is the
Greek word “sophrosune” and refers to
“soundness of mind” or “self-control.” A woman
making the claim of godliness should present
herself accordingly by dressing properly and, as
we’ll see, acting appropriately in the assembly.
11A woman must quietly receive instruction
with entire submissiveness.
In contrast to the mainstream idea of the time
that women were not worthy to be educated, here
Paul instructed that women should be taught. The
phrase "receive instruction" could just as
easily be translated as "educated." In other
words, Paul wanted the women to be educated in
the Scriptures. Speaking to specific issues
occurring in the Ephesian assembly, he
instructed that the women must, yes, be
educated, but through quiet submission. The
implication is that some of the women of the
assembly were usurping the man's role as leader
and teacher and were not accepting the teaching
of the elders.
12But I do not allow a woman to teach or
exercise authority over a man, but to remain
quiet.
Paul went on to further define what he meant
when he said "quietly" and "submissiveness." In
what way were women to be quiet? They were to
remain quiet by not teaching. In what way were
women to be submissive? They were to be
submissive by not exercising authority over a
man. This verse is not teaching that women must
always, in every situation, remain silent but it
is teaching that in the context of a mixed
assembly, women should be the ones to learn not
teach.
It's clear that Paul upheld God's creative order
that men are to lead and women are to submit.
The point of this verse is not to imply that
women are less in value than men or that women
don't have any function in a congregation but it
does teach that women should not teach in
authoritative way over men. Specifically, this
verse is most probably referring to the fact
that women should not be permitted to be
overseers in an assembly.
13For it was Adam who was first created, and
then Eve. 14And it was not Adam who was
deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell
into transgression.
Paul backed up this directive by referring to
creation narrative and the account of the fall
of man from the book of Genesis. Here, Paul
emphasized that Adam was created first and then
Eve. He said this to indicate that God ordained
an order to societal relationships.
It’s too easy to soften Paul’s words here due to
our modern cultural sensitivities. It seems that
Paul intended to convey that it was not Adam,
the head, that was deceived but rather Eve, who
bypassed the leadership of her husband and fell
into transgression. Obviously Paul is using this
to exemplify the necessity of women in the
assembly submitting to leadership. Again, it
seems foreign to our modern ears but women need
leadership. Too often this notion is simply
brushed aside as being antiquated but ask any
woman who has as a loving and protective
husband, who takes leadership and makes right
decisions, and you will find a woman who is
happily fulfilled.
15But women will be preserved through the
bearing of children if they continue in faith
and love and sanctity with self-restraint.
Contrary to the modern feminist mentality, women
are preserved through child-bearing. The word
here translated "preserved" is the Greek word "sozo"
and can mean "saved." How will women be saved or
preserved through child-bearing? Firstly, to
clarify, Paul is not referring to eternal
salvation. He’s most likely referring to the
fact that though it was the woman who caused
mankind to fall into sin, women can “balance the
scales” by raising godly generations of
children. Some might think that a woman being
"relegated" to teaching and training children is
not as important as a man teaching the adults.
Both men teaching adults and women teaching
children are just as important. It's perhaps
more important, as it secures the longevity of
God’s truths within a society. This is why it’s
important for a woman to continue in faith,
love, sanctity and self-restraint as these are
all attributes that a godly women must possess
in order to be equipped to train the younger
generation. |
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