So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28 NIV)
We're all made as "one in Christ Jesus." God has joined us together as His Ambassadors, His Body, and His Team. Think about it. What if your gift is in making chocolate chip cookies (yeah, it's stuck in my head now), but the person you are trying to reach is allergic to chocolate? Now how are you going to reach them? Good news: you're not alone. You are part of a team!
...Now if the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body...The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" (1 Corinthians 12:12-15, 20-21 NIV)
We need one another to be effective in reaching out to others. No gift is insignificant. No gift is all that and a bag of potato chips, either. Every gift is separate, necessary, and given by God.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
I feel the need to pause for a moment and talk about the role of women in the church quickly here. It's important because over half of the world's population is female and many of our churches tell women they can not use gifts like teaching or leadership when men are involved. It stems from the passage you just read from above. I'd like to clarify what Paul is saying here when he writes these words to Timothy.
For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Paul gives his reason for not allowing women to teach or have authority over men: Eve was formed second and Eve sinned first. Often times, I've heard it taught that Paul is appealing to creation order and Eve's sin here, so this command is an eternal command because it dates all the way back to the first book of the Bible. We can't stop here, though. We need to read the rest of the passage to learn what Paul is really saying here.
and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Paul gives his reason for not allowing women to teach or have authority over men: Eve was formed second and Eve sinned first. Often times, I've heard it taught that Paul is appealing to creation order and Eve's sin here, so this command is an eternal command because it dates all the way back to the first book of the Bible. We can't stop here, though. We need to read the rest of the passage to learn what Paul is really saying here.
Yet she (Eve) will be saved through childbearing—
if they (Women) continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
(1 Timothy 2:12-15 ESV - Emphasis and explanation mine)
Paul does give his reason, this is true. But, he also explains how things will change as well. Notice what he says: Eve will be saved through childbearing if women will live in faith, love, holiness, and self-control (or propriety or sober-mindedness).
In other words, Paul is telling Timothy something like this:
I do not let women teach or have authority over men because men won't have it. They still think women are second class citizens because of Eve. But don't worry, Eve will save face if women live in faith, love, holiness, and propriety. Then men will listen.
In other words, when men live in faith, love, and holiness, they become men of God who can empower people to walk together with God. When women live in faith, love, holiness, and propriety, they become women of God, remove Eve's bad rap, and they, too, can empower people to walk together with God.
You see, leadership is not about power, position, or politics. It's about walking together with God and then empowering one more. This is true for men, women, old, and young. The standard remains the same. Live in faith, love, holiness, and propriety and people will listen to you because through you they are seeing the love of God.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV)
How about you? Do you see yourself as part of God's team? Are you connected to others on God's team? Do live in faith, love, holiness and propriety? Does it increase your effectiveness in empowering people?
if they (Women) continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
(1 Timothy 2:12-15 ESV - Emphasis and explanation mine)
Paul does give his reason, this is true. But, he also explains how things will change as well. Notice what he says: Eve will be saved through childbearing if women will live in faith, love, holiness, and self-control (or propriety or sober-mindedness).
In other words, Paul is telling Timothy something like this:
I do not let women teach or have authority over men because men won't have it. They still think women are second class citizens because of Eve. But don't worry, Eve will save face if women live in faith, love, holiness, and propriety. Then men will listen.
In other words, when men live in faith, love, and holiness, they become men of God who can empower people to walk together with God. When women live in faith, love, holiness, and propriety, they become women of God, remove Eve's bad rap, and they, too, can empower people to walk together with God.
You see, leadership is not about power, position, or politics. It's about walking together with God and then empowering one more. This is true for men, women, old, and young. The standard remains the same. Live in faith, love, holiness, and propriety and people will listen to you because through you they are seeing the love of God.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV)
How about you? Do you see yourself as part of God's team? Are you connected to others on God's team? Do live in faith, love, holiness and propriety? Does it increase your effectiveness in empowering people?
No comments:
Post a Comment