I know there are those today who say, Well, Paul is dealing simply with the parachurch. And some women Bible teachers who would say, Well, I don't want to be a pastor. But you know that doesn't mean I can't have a Bible content conference with men and women present. That doesn't mean in these parachurch organizations we can't have women preachers. That's ridiculous.
That does a great disservice to the Word of God. That'd be like saying. Ladies, since Paul is talking about the worship service and he tells you to dress modestly and discreetly when you're outside of the church, it's okay to dress loose and indiscreetly. Of course not. Welcome to Search the Scriptures.
The Bible Teaching Ministry of Dr. Carl Brogie. Senior pastor of Community Bible Church in Beaufort, South Carolina. We begin today, the third in a three-part message dealing with gender roles in the church. It's part of our series from the pastoral epistle of 1 Timothy.
These passages are as important in this day and age as when they were penned by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit almost 2,000 years ago. Let's rejoin Dr. Broly now. as he begins today's message with a recap. of what we've already learned.
Would you open your Bibles, please, this morning and turn to 1 Timothy chapter 2. If you're joining us for the very first time, we've been working our way through 1 Timothy, the first of three pastoral epistles found in the New Testament. And we're in that section of this epistle that deals with the roles of men and women. We began by examining the roles of men. And Paul's going to come back to that in more detail later in this letter.
But for now, we're focusing where Paul puts the emphasis, and that is concerning the roles of women. And we're studying that God has a plan for his church. In this passage, that we're looking at in these days together, the third in this series. is dealing with a very controversial section of Scripture. It deals with a portion of scripture.
where there is tremendous debate. But God has spoken and he has spoken clearly. All we need is ears to listen.
Now, for the sake of those who are with us for the first time, or for those who are not familiar with this text, but for the benefit of all of us to hear the word of God again, let's begin reading 1 Timothy 2 and verse 9. Paul says, likewise I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing. modestly and discreetly. Not with braided hair and gold or jewels or costly garments, but rather by means of good works as befits women making a claim to godliness. Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.
But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who is first created. And then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman, being quite deceived, fell into transgression. But women shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith, and love, and sanctity with self-respect.
Now the church for over 20 centuries has been committed to the same understanding of these verses of Scripture. But in the last two decades, systematically and progressively, Many people have thrown aside all of those former doctrines for new ones. And I'm amazed at how many evangelical organizations and schools, seminaries and denominations are fast jettisoning doctrines that they've held their entire life long. You can hardly turn on the television. And not see a woman pastor, a woman who calls herself a prophet, an apostle, an evangelist, a healer, teaching over men.
And then in addition, we have Women who traditionally were conservative in their view of these scriptures, who are now, within a course of a decade, totally reversing what they taught before. And now our boasting is you can read it on their websites. But they teach to mixed groups of men and women. And then there's that plethora of books that are coming out on evangelical presses. declaring new truth or new insights to old truth.
Probably one of the best known ones is written by Gilbert Bilzikian. He's a leader at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, and he's professor of biblical studies at Wheaton College. And in his book, Beyond Sex Roles, he says. Sex distinctions are irrelevant in the church. Such distinctions become immaterial.
to a woman's equal participation in the life of the church. Therefore, the practice of sex discrimination in the church. is sinful. And for Belzakian, Sex discrimination would mean that a woman Would be prohibited from teaching over men or serving as a pastor in the church. He says, in essence, that all such distinctions are irrelevant.
And so women can equally participate. In what men do.
Now this is a book that's come out on a major evangelical press. From a school that was once known for its orthodoxy, and for a church that has far drifted away, I'm afraid. from the clear teaching of Scripture on this issue.
Now Belzekian says that those who Take the stance that I take, are quote: dehumanizing the female half of their populations by placing them under the rulership of the male segment. Brethren We need to be on our theological toes. We need to know what the Word of God plainly says. Because church history is littered with once Bible-believing Christian denominations and churches who began to move away on just a small thing. And Jesus was very clear that if you're not faithful in a small thing, You won't be faithful in a great thing.
And if you will compromise the Word of God in one area, you will compromise the Word of God in another area. It's a slippery slope. In church, history documents those that have gone down that path.
Now, I've thought long and hard on this portion of Scripture, and it's really with great anxiety. that I want to be loyal and faithful to the Word of God.
Now remember Timothy to whom Paul is writing was a pastor. who's over the church at Ephesus. And Paul is dealing with a church that was once a great church, once a great. doctrinally pure church. But with time, as the seven letters in the Revelation indicate, And as Paul prophesied in Acts 20, as he gathered the Ephesian elders together there at Miletus, he said, after my departure, certain wolves would enter in and they would draw disciples away.
and they would move you from the truth. And that had happened. The church had fallen into doctrinal error. And so in Paul's first letter to Timothy, among other things, he is correcting some of the error that entered the church. He says, for instance, in the third chapter, in the 15th verse, in case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar in support of the truth.
And among some of those doctrinal errors that this church had slid into concern the role of women. And so, in verses 9 to 15, he tries to correct that problem. He tries to mend that doctrinal error with truth. And he spells out for us four elements that should characterize a woman's role in the church. Four elements as it relates to her appearance, her submission, her design, and her contributions.
So, let's review for just a moment. As you can see there from your note-taking outline, the very first issue he addresses in verses 9 and 10 is a woman's adornment.
Some of the women, by the way they dressed, were denying the truth that they professed, namely, that they had come to church to worship the living God.
So, Paul gives some very helpful instruction in three realms concerning a woman's adornment. First, women are to adorn themselves in modest apparel. Secondly, he teaches that women are to adorn themselves in discreet apparel. And third, women are to adorn themselves with godly character. That was part one in this three series on women.
Then, in verses 11 and 12, he moves from a woman's adornment to a woman's submission. He moves from those who are indecently dressed to those who are improperly leading in the church.
Now remember how he opens this section. He said, therefore, I want the men. And again in verse 9, sharing the same Greek verb, it's rendered likewise, I want women. And as I noted last time, this is a very strong verb. It's the word bulemai.
It's a verb of command. I want. The King James says, I will. The New Jerusalem Bible says, I direct. Paul is speaking with divine authority.
It's a verb that deals with action, with desire, with the desire of a command. Paul is not just saying this is something I think would be a neat thing for you guys to do. He's talking With apostolic authority. And so in verse 12 he says, but I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. And again, he's speaking with apostolic authority under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
And so when I see a lady. Who wants to teach men? I see a lady who is either woefully ignorant of what the scripture plainly says, or a woman who has stepped out of her submissive role. She's living in a role of rebellion.
Now, that may sound simplistic. In the midst of a raging debate on the role of women, But God could not have said it any clearer. That's why there's never been debate for centuries. You know, it's a good rule of thumb if it's new. It's not true.
If somebody comes up with something that no one else has seen in 20 centuries, they ought to perk up and listen because they're probably speaking error. And I don't know how any thinking person could come to any other conclusion that when God says, I'll not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, that that's what it means. He meant what he said, he said what he meant, and ultimately, this is an issue of God's church submitting to what he has said. And I hope before we're done. that you'll see that these women who either buy Precept or by example.
Are leading differently, that they are doing a tremendous disservice today to the body of Christ.
Now, last time we learned as it relates to a woman's submission, that a woman who is submissive is not inferior. In Galatians 3.28, Paul said, there is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free man. There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Question.
Do evangelical Christians, better yet, does the Bible teach the absolute equality of men and women.
Well, there are a few points that we've allowed ourselves to be more misrepresented than on this one. No evangelical worthy of the name who has soundly read the Scripture could come to any other conclusion but the fact that the Bible teaches from beginning to end the full, absolute, unmitigated equality of men and women. But while Galatians 3:28 is teaching that we are equal in our standing before God as men and women, it does not teach that we are equal in our function before God. We examined the passage last time in its context very carefully. We saw that the context deals nothing with roles, but only with the spiritual blessings and the inheritance that we have as co-heirs in Christ.
And while we are equal in our status before God, God has given men and women different roles, just as members of the Trinity have different roles. The Son submits to the Father. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. There is equality of worth, but there is different function. There is equality of worth, but there are different roles, because equality of worth does not mean identity of function.
And so when we think of a woman's submission, very clearly the Bible teaches that a woman who submits is not inferior. Secondly, we learn from this text that a woman who is submissive is willing to learn. She learns. Verse 11, we read, Let a woman receive Instruction with entire submissiveness. The King James renders it: Let the women learn in silence with all subjection.
Now we learn that in pagan cultures, and in the Jewish culture, at least of the first century. That women had been put on a second class level and their need for learning was greatly dismissed. And so we did a rather extensive study from the whole of Scripture to document that men and women are equal in their spirituality. Both the Old Testament applies all of the moral dictates, all of the blessings, all of the promises to men and women alike. It equates them in their spirituality before God.
The whole of Scripture affirms that women and men are equal, but while they are equal, they are different in their roles. And while God equally blessed a man and a woman, they have a different role.
Now, think about it. Considered last week the Old Testament, we studied last time that there was not a single woman king listed anywhere amongst all the kings of Judah and Israel, not one.
Now, it would seem to me that that's a pretty significant statement that God makes about leadership. There are no women priests in the Old Testament. None. There are no women who wrote any book of the Old Testament, or even a portion of a book, none. 39 books in the Old Testament, but none of them or any portion of them were written by women.
Now we noted two were named after women, Ruth and Esther, but they weren't written by women. No woman in the entire Old Testament had any kind of ongoing prophetic ministry. There are none who are major prophets, none who are in the list of minor prophets, or none who, like Elijah or Elisha, had a preaching ministry to the nation. Not even one.
Now, yes, we noted that there is the mention of prophetesses in the Old Testament, five total to be specific. One, because she gave birth to a child whose name had prophetic meaning. And so you can see how God can somewhat loosely apply the term prophetess just because she had a baby whose name had a prophetic meaning. We saw in addition, another is called a prophetess, but in a negative context. In Nehemiah, she's referred to in the context as a false prophet.
And three who are called prophetesses are called as such because on one occasion they spoke on behalf of God. Miriam To women, and Halda and Deborah each in turn to a single man, and only once. But in relation to the nation, there was no ongoing prophetic teaching or ministry of a woman anywhere in the Old Testament.
So, without kings, without priests, without prophets, without women writing any kind of scripture, I think God is making some statements. About Rolls and his design for men and women. And again, that is not to say. That women were not significantly and wondrously and gloriously used in the Old Testament era, because all you have to do is read your Bible to find out differently. God used them in an amazing way.
He used them in many ways, but he used them differently. because they're different by design. And of course, when you come to the New Testament, the same equality of blessing and privileges are taught, but also the same differing roles. For example, in the New Testament, there's not a single preacher, not one. In the New Testament, there were no woman apostles, none.
There's not a woman who serves in the office of pastor-teacher. There's not a woman elder. There's not a woman evangelist. None. There's not recorded in the texts of the New Testament a sermon delivered by a woman or a teaching given by a woman, none.
There's not a woman who wrote any portion of the New Testament. In fact, all 66 books of the Bible were written by men. And so the roles of men and women in both Old and New Testaments are consistent. Yes, we noted. That there are some women, four daughters of Philip, who are called prophetesses.
But God does not contradict himself. And so when he plainly says that a woman should not teach or exercise authority over a man, the nature of a woman prophesying has to be understood in light of the clear, qualifying statement of truth that God makes. There is nothing in the Bible that counters this truth. And so the word prophecy, as we did a study on the Greek word last time, simply means to speak forth. And in every example of Scripture, when a woman is prophesied, or is prophesied and it's described, she becomes a direct conduit of revelation from heaven to earth.
And so in Acts 2, 17, When the Apostle Peter quotes the prophet Joel telling us that in the last days your daughters shall prophesy, I take it. That he's describing prophecy in the way God every single time illustrates it.
Now, I know there are women today who make a big deal out of that one verse, books that are written on it. They say, well, listen, what Peter is talking about is what would happen in that time right before Jesus comes. And we're seeing it fulfilled right before our eyes. In the last days, your daughter shall prophesy. The only problem with that, the way Peter uses the term last days, Applies to that day that began on the day of Pentecost.
Go back and read Acts 2. What they did, he said, is precisely what God said would happen in the last days, as they spoke supernaturally there with those other tongues. But in every case, when a woman does prophesy, she becomes a direct conduit of revelation.
Now, today, The canon of Scripture is complete, and we're warned we're not to add or subtract to it.
So the only modern-day equivalent that I could understand would be maybe possibly a woman reading Scripture in church. But that is distinctly different. From her being identified as a pastor, teacher, or evangelist, or opening up the Word of God and in a mixed audience, teaching it. And so, what we find in the New Testament is entirely consistent with what we find in the Old Testament. Women are not second-class citizens.
They are equally used and blessed of God, but in different ways because they have different roles. And so a woman who is submissive is not inferior. A woman who is submissive learns. And third, we noted a woman who is submissive learns quietly. Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.
Now what do those women who advocate that ladies ought to be preachers do it this word quietly.
Well, as I noted last time, most of them would make it culturally mandated to the first century. They would say, well, that just applies to the first century, has no application for us today. Still, at the other end of the spectrum are some hardliners who, in their sheer ignorance and handling of the word of God, say that a woman should never, ever speak under any circumstances, ever. When the body is gathered, not coming in or going out. She should never give a testimony, she should never pray, she should never read a scripture, total silence.
Well, we saw that can't be true. Because the best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture itself. In a parallel Text where Paul is dealing with a slightly different issue, but with a very similar theme. He says in 1 Corinthians chapter 14: Let the women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the law, that is the Pentateuch, the first five books, as we'll see in a moment. Cells.
Now how does it say it? That is really interesting. He will say it by the order of creation, as we will see. You'll see no verse anywhere specifically mandating it except by the order of creation. And if they desire to learn anything, Let them ask their own husbands at home.
For it is improper for a woman to speak in church.
Now, when you read 1 Corinthians and you read this statement given by the Apostle Paul, you know it has to be some kind of a qualified silence. I mean, let's face it, Paul is writing under the inspiration of the Spirit. He's not writing with error. He's an incredibly bright man that even the secular pagan would acknowledge. One of the brightest and keen minds that ever lived.
And he can at least be, I think, within a few chapters of himself, consistent. And he has just said how a woman ought to speak in church. That with her head covered, she ought to pray and prophesy in the church.
So when Paul, just a short time later, in the same book, says that she ought to be quiet, you know it is a qualified silence. And if you read the verses right before it, he spells out how it is qualified. And I won't get into that this morning or we'll never get into our text. But here's the fact. It's a qualified silence.
You look at his letter to the Ephesians. And there he says that a woman ought to sing with thankfulness in her heart with men, all of us. The command is given across the board to God and to one another. And the historical belief Of 1 Corinthians 14 is that it was a qualified silence.
Now, when you, the point I'm trying to make is this. When you come to 1 Timothy chapter 2, There's also some kind of qualified silence going on.
So, how do we understand it?
Well, the answer. I think it is found by simply remembering the context. Words find their meaning in context. When I say pool, do I mean a carpool, a swimming pool, the game of pool that you shoot? You don't know, except by the way, I use that word pool in its context.
So it is in all languages. Words identify themselves within the context. And you have to figure out what he means by quiet as you consider the context. Look at it: let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.
Well, what precisely do you mean by that, Paul?
Well, he explains here in verse 12, but I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. And he inseparably connects the two by stating for a second time, but to remain quiet. I do not allow a woman to teach. That's the silence issue. Nor to exercise authority.
That's the subjection issue.
So the quietness in the context is qualified by verse 12. And I think before we're done, you'll see that so clearly, that contextually, by the quietness of the woman, he means that she is not to take the role of a teacher. Wherever or whenever the church at large is gathered and you have men and women present, for a woman to teach is to exercise authority over a man.
Now, I know there are those today who say, well, Paul is dealing simply with the parachurch. And some women Bible teachers who would say, well, I don't want to be a pastor. But you know that doesn't mean I can't have a Bible conference with men and women present. That doesn't mean in these parachurch organizations we can't have women preachers. That's ridiculous.
That does a great disservice to the word of God. That'd be like saying, Ladies, since Paul is talking about the worship service and he tells you to dress modestly and discreetly when you're outside of the church, it's okay to dress loose and indiscreetly. Of course not. God has stated a plain principle and the application would apply in other realms. He's speaking about wherever the church meets, in every place where men lift holy hands.
Now, it doesn't mean that she can't sing, that she can't offer prayer, that she can't read a scripture or offer praise, but at the appropriate time. It simply means that she is not to be the teacher and so to rebel against the role of submission that God has designed for her.
So silence in the context is in relation to teaching. She is not to be the teacher in the body of Christ when the men and women are gathered. The church. It is to be taught and led by man.
Now, you say, well, why does God give all the good stuff? and all the upfront stuff. to men only. I mean what role can we play? Where Is the balance.
Well, I'm glad you came back today to find out.
So, having spelled out a woman's adornment, and a woman's submission Paul now goes on to describe a woman's design, again in verse 12. But I do not allow a woman To teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
Now, every single word in that verse is important. I almost made this a four-part series, and I just was going to preach on verse 12 today. You know, I prepare every week, and I can't share half of what I suppose I'd like to share sometimes. But let me highlight a couple of important things. First, this word, allow.
If you do a. word study on the particular Greek word, and you see its usage throughout the Bible and even in literature outside of the Bible. You'll see in every instance it refers to something that one really wants to do. Versus something that they have to do. By his choice of words, Paul is saying, I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority, even though they really want to do that.
Now that was a problem in Paul's day, and it's a problem in our day because then and now women want to teach and so to take authority. And God warned in Genesis 3:16 that that would be the tendency of a woman to want to take the role of her husband, but she was to be under his leadership. And so in the church, you have women today who are also discontent with their God-given role. And so they seek to reach what they consider to be a more important position by taking over the authority that God has given to a man. But Paul is saying, I do not allow them to do that, even though they may desire to do that.
To listen again to today's message in its entirety, Use the Search Descriptors app for smartphones or tablets. Or you can visit us online at searchthescriptures.org. You can also order a CD or DVD copy by calling 877. 787 7478 and requesting program 1st Timothy. zero zero six.
Don't forget tomorrow that Dr. Rogan's wife, Audrey, is in this time slot with her program for women. Mothering from the heart. And when we return Monday, we'll continue to look at what God's Word says about women's roles in the church. We hope that you will join us next week.
as we continue to search the scriptures.
