Worshippers of Christ Should Pray for Leaders & Model a Wholesome Social Order.

Paul begins with encouragement that believers offer prayers for various kinds of people (cf. 1 Tim. 4:9-10; 5:1-2, 3-6:2), especially for "those in authority" 1 Tim 2:1-4, 6) for the sake of the gospel. This leads him into an affirmation of God's act of redemption in Christ and a digression on his own call as the Apostle to the Gentiles. See "Prayer: Why Should We Pray?" below.

Prayers should be offered for, not to, kings and others who have positions of leadership in society, so the community can flourish. Not only leaders, but "all people" in the community should be prayed for with "intercessions and thanksgivings" (vv1-2). These practices of prayer are consistent with the central narrative that shapes the identity, worship and mission of Christ's public assembly the good news that the one, true God wants "all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (v4).

"Who wants all men to be saved " does not mean that God sovereignly wills every human being to be saved. It may refer to God's general benevolence in that he takes no delight in the death of the wicked, or it may mean that God wills all types of people (cf. see "Everyone - 1 Timothy 2:1-3" below; cf. 1 Tim 4:9-10; 5:1-2, 3-6:2, etc.) to be saved. In other words, God does not exclude certain types of people from election to salvation because of their station in life. He saves whom he wills in all the earth (Psa. 115:3; 135:6; Dan. 4:35; cf. 1 Sam. 14:6; Jonah 1:14).

R.C. Sproul (The Teaching Fellowship of R.C. Sproul, Ligonier Ministries) explains:

But what about Paul's statement that God wants everyone to be saved? If not all people will be saved (Matt. 25:31-46), do Paul's words contradict the truth that no purpose of the Lord's can be thwarted (Job 42:2; Matt. 19:26)? Or must we embrace a universalism in which God will one day redeem hell itself?

Let us consider two answers to these questions. First, if "all people" means everyone without exception, the Lord's will is not ultimately done when people reject Him. Yet as Reformed teachers have often said, the Greek word translated "all people" can mean all kinds of people - leaders, followers, rich, poor, Jew, Gentile, and so on. This interpretation makes good sense, as Paul lists a certain class of people - rulers - when he tells us to pray for "all people" (1 Tim. 2:12). John Calvin says that God's desire for the salvation of all "means there is no people and no rank in the world that is excluded from salvation."

Second, if "all people" refers to every person without exception, then universalism is our conclusion only if God's desire to save is absolute. But the Lord desires one thing more than the salvation of all - His glory (Isa. 48:11). In one sense, God can truly want all who have ever lived to be saved; however, this desire always defers to His will to glorify Himself, the will in view when the Bible says His will is always done. The Lord is glorified when sin is punished in hell, and so God's supreme desire is met even when people are not redeemed.

He desires all people to be saved. Consistent with prayers for "all people" (2:1), Paul's gospel summary defined the central narrative of Christian worship—Christ was crucified and raised for the salvation of all people groups. On the one hand, this core testimony stood against the false teachers' misreadings of the Law, which imposed culturally specific dietary practices on the church. On the other hand, Paul's gospel countered Caesar's arrogant claim that he had brought peace and salvation to the whole world.

There is one God (Deut. 6:4; cf. Rom. 3:30; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 3:20; Eph. 4:6), there is only one God for the Jews and for Gentiles, and there is only one God for all types of people (see "Everyone - 1 Timothy 2:1-3" below), and there is "one mediator between God and men." Or simply, just as there is one God, there is only one mediator. There is One who arbitrates between God and man and reconciles them. Who? "The man Christ Jesus." See "The Full Humanity of Jesus: What Kind of Man Was Jesus?" and "Jesus Christ, God and Man: How Can a Man Be God?" below. See also 1 Cor. 15:21, 45-49; Rom. 5:15-21; Phil. 2:7, 8. Christ being human is essential to his serving as mediator of the covenant of grace (Heb 2:9-18). See WCF 8.1; 8.2; 21.2; WLC 36,181; BC 1, 18, 26; HC 18, 29. Hendriksen says:

There is not one God for this nation, one for another; one God for slaves and one for free men; one God for rulers, one for subjects. Paul is his own best interpreter: "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). Again, "or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also: if it be true (and it certainly is true) that God is one . . . " (Rom. 3:29). That the apostle is actually thinking of the distinction "ruler . . . subject" follows from the immediately preceding context (1 Tim. 2:2a). That he has in mind the distinction "Jew . . . Gentile" is apparent from the immediately following context (1 Tim. 2:7b).

Not only the realm of creation but also that of redemption is united under one Head. Hence, not only is there only one God; there is also only "one Mediator of (here in the sense of between) God and men." The present is the only passage in which Paul speaks of Christ as "Mediator." However, in Gal. 3:19, the apostle also uses the term, with probable reference to Moses, who as mediator transmitted God's law to the people. In Gal. 3:20 he speaks in general about "a mediator." It is the author of the epistle to the Hebrews who discusses at some length the position of Christ, our heavenly Highpriest, as Mediator (Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24), "the Mediator of a new covenant." By derivation the word simply indicates someone who stands "in the middle." The purpose for which he takes this in-between position must be derived, in each single case, from the context, or from parallel passages. In the present case it is not open to legitimate doubt that the apostle takes his point of departure in the fact that Christ is the One who has voluntarily taken his stand between the offended God and the offending sinner, in order to take upon himself the wrath of God which the sinner has deserved, thereby delivering the latter. This is clear because the entire context speaks of salvation (verse 4), and of Christ as a ransom (see on 1 Tim 2:6). A striking explanation is found in Gal. 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for (or over) us." In that passage the Savior is pictured as standing over us, that is, between us and the curse of the law, so that the curse falls on him, and we are saved. However, it is clear that in the present passage (1 Tim. 2:5) the concept Mediator is even slightly broader. Not only does Christ in this capacity restore sinners to the right legal relationship to God, but he also brings them to "the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4); and causes the testimony of this glorious truth to be borne to them (1 Tim 2: 6). Hence, he both establishes peace and reveals it to men, persuading them to accept the good news. He stands revealed as Mediator in this twofold sense.

Note the manner in which the identity of this Mediator is revealed: "one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." To think of men in this connection means to think of man, the man Jesus Christ. Hence men and man are juxtaposed. Had salvation been intended only for one particular group - say, only for the Jews - the apostle would have written, "the Jew Christ Jesus." Since it was intended for both Jew and Gentile, that is, for men in general, without distinction of race or nationality, he writes "the man Christ Jesus." (By no means is this a denial of Christ's deity. That he is the object of faith and worship is clear from 1 Tim. 3:16. The word man here in 1 Tim. 2:5 is not contrasted with God but with Jew or Gentile.)

There is one God. In a city of many gods, and a wider culture populated with tribal deities for each group, Christian worship at Ephesus confessed, with God's covenant people across generations and cultural borders, that there is only one, true God (Deut 6:4; cf. Rom 3:30; 1 Cor 8:6; Gal 3:20; Eph 4:6). There is one mediator for God and man. Ancient rulers fancied themselves, "sons of god(s)" whose favor with the gods supposedly mediated material blessings to their people and protection from their enemies. Paul's confession, for use in corporate worship, identified only one man—the man Jesus Christ—as this mediator. Apart from Jewish worship, which continued to recognize an elaborate priestly system, instead of Jesus's priestly role and sacrifice, and apart from the imperial cult, which celebrated Caesar as Savior and Lord, Paul's confession drew clear lines around the uniqueness of Christian worship

Christ, in the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4), gave himself to be a ransom for all types of people (cf. 1 Tim 4:9-10; 5:1-2, 3-6:2). By his death on the Cross, Christ paid the price necessary to free his elect - "from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Rev 5:9; 7:9), whether they be men, woman, children, of slaves (Eph. 5:22-6:9; cf. Acts 2:38-39), no matter their station in life (even kings and those in authority, 1 Tim 2:1-3) - from their sins (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; Tit. 2:14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19). Thus, he is the "one mediator" (1 Tim. 2:5).

Paul once again uses the word "all", meaning "all types of men or people." See "Everyone - 1 Timothy 2:1-3" and "Who wants all men to be saved - 1 Timothy 2:4" below. Salvation is not limited to a particular ethnic group or gender or to any other subsection of humanity. That "all" is commonly used to mean "all types" can be seen clearly in 1 Timothy 6:10, where the same Greek word is translated "all kinds." Although the value of Christ's death is infinite, his sacrifice on the cross was fully effective in winning the salvation of the elect only. See "Definite Atonement: For Whom Did Jesus Die?" below. See WCF 8.1; 11.4; BC 23.

who gave himself as a ransom for all. Paul's confession attests the historical event of Christ's crucifixion and its atoning significance for the sins of all people groups. His wording is consistent with the apostolic witness to Jesus' own testimony that he laid down his life intentionally as a sacrifice for sins (cf. Matt 20:28; Mk 10:45; Lk 22:20; Jn 1:29; 10:17-18; 1 Cor 15:1-4; Tit 2:14; 1 Pet 1:18-19; 2:24; 1 Jn 2:2). Christian worship is exclusive about the identity of its object, not its subjects. Only Christ's death and resurrection is effective for salvation. Therefore, he is worthy of worship. The salvation he secured is not limited to one gender, one ethnic group or any other subsection of humanity. Therefore, it is effective for all who come to worship Christ, by making this confession with Paul.

Paul is a "preacher" or "herald" of the truth (cf. 2 Tim. 1:11). He is not lying, but telling the truth. While this is an odd statement to make to a close friend, Paul intended for the letter to be read to the whole Church (1 Tim. 6:21). Some may have not known who he was or have heard false stories, so he was clarifying.

Paul was a true teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. The false teachers with their emphasis on the law had presumably questioned Paul's call and mission. Paul insisted that God had called him for the purpose of bringing the faith of Israel to the Gentiles. Hendriksen summarizes saying:

Once it is seen that the expression "all men" in 1 Timothy 2:1, 3 indicates "all men regardless of social, national, and racial distinctions" and not "one by one every member of the entire human race, past, present, and future, including Judas and the antichrist," the logic of the entire paragraph becomes clear. All men, in the sense explained, must be remembered in prayer and thanksgiving (1 Tim. 2:1), rulers as well as subjects (1 Tim. 2:2), because God desires that all men be saved and come to acknowledge the truth (1 Tim. 2:3, 4). There is not one God for this group, another for that group; there is not one Mediator for this nation, another for that nation, but only one God for all men, and only one Mediator for all men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5), who gave himself as a ransom not just for this one particular group or nation but for all, to which good news testimony was to be borne when the favorable opportunity arrived (1 Tim. 2:6). Hence, I, Paul, was appointed to be a teacher of Gentiles, in order that not only Jews but also Gentiles - hence, all men on an equal footing - might come to accept the truth by a living faith [which is by grace alone] (1 Tim. 2:7).

a herald and an apostle . . . and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Paul echoed his earlier testimony about his personal experience of God's grace (see 1:12-17 and related notes), which resulted in Christ's commission to send Paul as his representative to show-and-tell this good news to all nations. As an apostle, Paul was 'sent' under Christ's authority to represent the interests of his kingdom (see note 1:1). As a herald, he was authorized to communicate an official message from the king. As a teacher, Paul cultivated relationships and learning communities by personal example (see note 1:16) to enact the values and policies of Christ's kingdom (cf. 2 Tim 1:11). This repeated emphasis, along with Paul's unusual avowal—'I am telling the truth'—strongly indicates that false teachers in the Ephesian church questioned Paul's apostolic credentials and disputed his teaching of the true faith (cf. Acts 20:17-35; 1 Tim 4:1-5).

Paul continues to focus on prayer and worship. Apparently controversy had grown in the Church over these matters, so Paul addressed them by means of instruction on worship.

The Greek term translated as "men" is gender specific and may also mean "husbands." 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is making this distinction from women (or wives), having in mind male believers (cf. 1 Cor. 11:5 where women are not excluded). Therefore, "in every place" probably refers to corporate worship.

Paul says they are to "lift up holy hands." On this manner of prayer, see Psalm 63:4; 141:2. According to Lange this is "a Jewish custom, not only in taking an oath, or in benediction, but especially in prayer (see Psa. 28:2; 63:5); and, as appears from this passage, a usage of the Christian church." However, Paul was not mandating a particular physical posture for prayer, but assumed that lifting hands would be a part of both worship and prayer. See "Praying in a Prostrate Position - Matthew 26:39" below. His main interest was to encourage a proper attitude (1 Tim. 1:5) - upward! As to posture, Hendriksen comments on many types found in Scripture:

(1). Standing: Gen. 18:22; 1 Sam. 1:26; Matt. 6:5; Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11; Luke 18:13. (Note the contrast between the last two passages. It makes a difference even how and where one stands.)

(2). Hands Spread Out or/and Lifted Heavenward: Exod. 9:29; Exod. 17:11, 12; 1 Kings 8:22; Neh. 8:6; Psalm 63:4; Psalm 134:2; Psalm 141:2; Is. 1:15; Lam. 2:19; Lam. 3:41; Hab. 3:10; Luke 24:50; 1 Tim. 2:8; James 4:8. . . .

(3). Bowing the Head: Gen. 24:48 (cf. Gen 24:13); Exod. 12:27; 2 Chron. 29:30; Luke 24:5.

(4). The Lifting Heavenward of the Eyes: Psalm 25:15; Psalm 121:1; Psalm 123:1, 2; Psalm 141:8; Psalm 145:15; John 11:41; John 17:1; cf. Dan. 9:3; Acts 8:35.

(5). Kneeling: 2 Chron. 6:13; Psalm 95:6; Is. 45:23; Dan. 6:10; Matt. 17:14; Mark 1:40; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; Acts 9:40; Acts 20:36; Acts 21:5; Eph. 3:14.

(6). Falling Down with the Face Upon the Ground: Gen. 17:3; Gen. 24:26; Num. 14:5, 13; Num. 16:4, 22, 45; Num. 22:13, 34; Deut. 9:18, 25, 26; Jos. 5:14; Judg. 13:20; Neh. 8:6; Ezek. 1:28; Ezek. 3:23; Ezek. 9:8; Ezek. 11:13; Ezek. 43:3; Ezek. 44:4; Dan. 8:17; Matt. 26:39; Mark 7:25; Mark 14:35; Luke 5:12; Luke 17:16; Rev. 1:17; Rev. 11:16.

(7). Other Postures: 1 Kings 18:42 (bowing, with face between the knees); Luke 18:13 (standing from afar, striking the breast).

They were to do so "without anger or disputing." Knowing that the men in Ephesus would want to pray and worship, Paul insisted that they do so without the quarreling engaged in by the false teachers. From the preceding context (1 Tim. 2:1-7), it appears that at least one of the central controversies that Paul addressed here was the relationship of Gentiles to the law and to Jewish believers. See WCF 21.6; WLC 112, 185; HC 99.

Having addressed the whole congregation about the focus and content of their prayers in 2:1-7, Paul specifically addressed the men in 2:8, then the women in 2:9-15a. He returned to address both in 2:13b, and followed the same alternating pattern in 3:1-13. Instead of submitting themselves to the elders (see note 3:1-7), the authorized teachers of the congregation, false, would-be teachers of the law (see note 1:7) disputed them, even in corporate worship. Paul and Timothy confronted these men by commanding them to refrain from their angry arguments, and to limit their speech to prayers and praise. In 2 Tim 2:23-26, Paul laid out a pattern of attitudes, practices and content for Christian teachers.

The controversies stirred by false teachers touched the lives of women as well as men. As with men, Paul called on women to worship in ways that brought healing and did not aggravate the divisions and quarreling.

1 Timothy 2:9-15 form a chiasm (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) revealing that women (like male laypersons) are not to usurp or rebel against properly appointed Church authorities (please see notes on this section):

• A. godliness - with good works (1 Tim 2:9-10)
  • B. woman learn quietly with all submissiveness (1 Tim 2:11)
    • C. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man (1 Tim 2:12)

  • 'B. she is to remain quiet (1 Tim 2:12)

• 'A. faith and love and holiness, with self-control (1 Tim 2:13-15)

Women Should Dress Modestly and Learn, Not Dispute the Elders' Teaching in Corporate Worship. In keeping with his alternating pattern of address, Paul turned the focus of his exhortations about proper conduct in worship from the men to the women. First, he addressed their outward appearance, which in some cases signified the cultural influence of the goddess, Artemis, and the dominant cultural narrative of ostentatious wealth, instead of the good works which fit the narrative of the gospel. Second, like the men addressed in 2:8, Paul and Timothy called the women to learn, instead of teach, by submitting themselves to the elders, who were authorized as the leading teachers of the assembly. 2:9 Likewise . . . women. Literally meaning "in the same way" or "similarly," Paul started his address to the women of the church at Ephesus within the same defining narrative of the gospel and the same social context of corporate worship (see note 2:1-7). Dress themselves in proper clothing with modesty. The "braided hair, gold, pearls and expensive clothing" of some women in the assembly honored the goddess, Artemis, and/or displayed their acquisitive ambitions and use of slave labor (cf. 1 Tim 6:17-19).

Paul, in using the word "also" - literally "similarly" or "in the same way" - continues his focus on corporate worship. He speaks of how women should dress: "with decency . . . not with . . . expensive clothes." Paul probably had wealthy women in mind here, as they would have been most able to afford lavish attire (cf. the emphasis on financial gain in 1 Tim. 6:5). It is likely that the false teachers encouraged the demonstration of wealth in worship, although Paul was likely more concerned with the attitude of flaunting wealth than with the clothing and jewelry themselves.

We see several overtones of this type of behavior even in the Church today. Hughes gives this description:

Today thousands of lifesaving stations have turned into social clubs. Their architecture with crossed masts pointing to heaven and pulpits at the bow tell us what they were once meant for. Ships still founder on their shores, but no soul has been saved for years. There are no prayers for the perishing. There is no outstretched hand. No one wants to risk their present comforts.

How wonderful, then, are the lifesaving stations where prayers are offered for the lost, where lives are ordered so as to reach the lost, and where people long for "all [kinds of] men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

Is it a sin to have clothes that only the wealthy may afford? Is it not appropriate to fit in with the class God has providentially placed someone? Yet, how many poor can be dressed and fed for the price of just one expensive outfit? In such matters many things should be weighed.

Here in 1 Timothy, Paul is concerned with the inner man and his or her outward expression. As Hendriksen illustrates:

It is clear, therefore, that the apostle does not condemn the desire on the part of girls and women - a desire created in their souls by their Maker - to adorn themselves, to be "in good taste." But if a woman's robe is to be truly such, it will be expressive of modesty and good sense. . . . In getting dressed for church women must practise sanity. They must dress in sensible attire. They must not try to show off, to be "all the rage," wearing flashy apparel so as to make others jealous of them. They should adorn themselves, to be sure. They do not have to balk at fashion, unless a particular fashion happens to be immoral or indecent. They must not look decidedly old-fashioned, awkward, or queer. It must ever be borne in mind that a proud heart is sometimes concealed behind a mask of pretended modesty. That too is sin. Extremes must be carefully avoided. That is what "good sense" implies. The robe must be expressive of inner modesty and of a sane outlook on life, the outlook of the Christian.

Paul called these women of means to contribute good works to support a public reputation for godliness. In Paul's day, godliness or piety (Greek. theosebeia; Latin. pietas) was public, not merely private, referring to acts of worship and generosity that supported the city and honored its gods or goddesses. Though not an avenue for earning salvation (cf. Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5), Paul taught repeatedly that Christians have been created for and should be devoted to "good works" (cf. Eph 2:10; Tit 3:1, 8), which benefit the whole community, not merely the church.

As in 1 Corinthians 11:5, Paul does not utterly forbid all vocal participation by women in the worship service. Also, in 1 Corinthians 14:34, he enjoined silence for the sake of unity in the Church because in Corinth the main concern was regard for husbands. Here, Paul appears to be addressing a problem of regard for the authoritative teaching and governing by the leaders of the Church (1 Tim. 2:12).

Paul's use of "full submission" does not mean that women are to submit to the teaching of the Church in all cases; the only unquestionable rule of faith is Scripture itself. Rather, he means that they (like male laypersons) are not to usurp or rebel against properly appointed Church authorities. This may well indicate that the false teachers were manipulating women in their attempt to subvert the proper Church structures and teachings (cf. 2 Tim 3:6). Milne explains this in more detail:

By commanding quietness and submission, Paul is not demanding a vow of absolute silence from the female members of the congregation, as though the women were not to speak under any circumstances. Nor is he merely commending the grace of inner tranquillity. He is prescribing for their conduct in the public assemblies, in relation to the ruling/teaching function of the elders (1 Tim. 2:12). Their position and function required the overseers to address the congregation as a whole and in an authoritative way. It is from this sort of official speaking and teaching that the apostle debars the women and commands silence. But it is silence which he requires as a sign of their submission to the God-given authority of their male overseers (1 Cor. 11:10).

At the same time Paul is keen that the women should learn as genuine disciples in the school of Christ. While setting certain limits to the speaking and leadership role of women in the church, for reasons that are creation-based and historical (1 Tim. 2:12), Paul recognises everywhere the intrinsic worth of women (1 Cor. 7:2ff.; 11:11 f.; Gal. 4:4), their equal status with men in the common salvation in Christ (Gal. 3:28), and praises their supportive ministries (e.g. Rom. 16:116; Phil. 4:3).

a woman should learn. In contrast to the Jewish community, where most women were not taught to read the Law, Jesus and his apostles taught and addressed women publically (cf. Lk 10:39, 42; Jn 4:1-30; Acts 16:11-15). in quietness and with all submission. It is clear from Paul's use of this same word (Greek. hsychia) earlier in this context (1 Tim 2:2), and his discussion about prayer, prophecy and other forms of vocal participation in corporate worship (cf. 1 Cor 11:4-16; 14:1-40) that he did not require absolute silence. Rather, Paul made clear that, in order to learn, students must listen, and recognize their teachers' authority. Evidently, like the male, would-be teachers of the law, whom Paul corrected in 1 Tim 2:8, some women in the congregation needed to be reminded to recognize the primary teaching authority of their elders (cf. 3:1-7).

Here Paul exercises his apostolic authority in restricting women from exercising a certain kind of authority and teaching. He defended his position using the account of the Creation and the Fall in Genesis 2-3 (1 Tim 2:13-14). Hendriksen states:

Her full spiritual equality with men as a sharer in all the blessings of salvation (Gal. 3:28: "there can be no male and female") does not imply any basic change in her nature as woman or in the corresponding task which she as a woman is called upon to perform. Let a woman remain a woman! Anything else Paul cannot permit. Paul cannot permit it because God's holy law does not permit it (1 Cor. 14:34). That holy law is his will as expressed in the Pentateuch, particularly in the story of woman's creation and of her fall (see especially Gen. 2:18-25; 3:16). Hence, to teach, that is, to preach in an official manner, and thus by means of the proclamation of the Word in public worship to exercise authority over a man, to dominate him, is wrong for a woman. She must not assume the role of a master.

It is probably best to take this not as a prohibition against "all" teaching (see "May Women Teach Sunday School?" below), but as a prohibition against improper teaching in conjunction with the improper authority some women sought and perhaps wielded in Timothy's context. The prohibition was probably against women being ordained to the teaching and ruling office of elder/overseer. Milne explains:

Since teaching and having authority (or ruling) over others are the twin functions of the elders in the Pastorals (1 Tim. 3:2, 4f.; 5:17; Tit. 1:5f., 9), Paul is excluding women from the ruling-teaching office of overseers. Apart from these two functions, Paul sets no limitations on the ministry of women in the church. In other contexts they are encouraged to exercise authority and to teach, for example in the home and in relation to other women (1 Tim. 5:14; Tit. 2:3ff.). It follows that the requirement of silence must have definite reference to the public speaking that the pastoral leaders are involved in when addressing the congregation in preaching and ruling.

I do not permit. Translators debate how Paul used the present tense of the verb "to permit" (Greek. epitrepō). Did Paul mean "I am not permitting" in this particular instance or did he establish an ongoing policy? On the basis of the prepositional phrases "in every place" in 1 Tim 2:8 and "in all the churches" in 1 Cor 14:33b, as well as, Paul's appeal to the story of Adam and Eve in 1 Tim 2:13-15, it seems clear he was establishing an ongoing policy for conduct in corporate worship. To teach or have authority. Because many other passages affirm women in teaching roles (e.g. Jdg 4:4; 2 Kgs 22:14; Prov 1:8; 6:20; Acts 18:26; Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 14:26; Tit 2:3), and the apostle Paul urged all Christians to "instruct one another" (Rom 15:14; Col 3:16), this prohibition must be understood in its particular context of corporate worship. This context, along with the parallel syntax of the sentence, points to a particular kind of authoritative teaching and moral supervision that Paul prohibits, because it is the responsibility of the elders, the church's authorized and accountable male leaders (see notes on 3:1-7; 5:17-20; Tit 1:5-9).

Paul appealed to creation (Gen. 2:7, 21-22), indicating that his rationale was not based on the custom of his time, but that it was the law for all redemptive history. He used a similar argument in 1 Corinthians 11:8-9. In 1 Timothy 2:14, Paul again alludes to Genesis, this time to the account of the Fall (Gen. 3:1-6). The argument may seem unfair, since both Adam and Eve had sinned. In fact, Paul elsewhere had no qualms about blaming the Fall on Adam (Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor. 15:21-22). But Paul's point is correct: Eve was the one who was "deceived" by the serpent. Paul's argument here, with its emphasis on the one who was deceived, was probably a reflection of the relative success that the false teachers in Ephesus had experienced in leading women astray (1 Tim. 5:11-15; 2 Tim. 3:6-7), not an indication that he thought women were more gullible than men. Hughes offers this insight:

Notice first that he has grounded the ordering of authority in the church upon the order of creation before the Fall - Adam came before Eve. John Stott says of this appeal to creation order:

All attempts to get rid of Paul's teaching on headship (on grounds that it is mistaken, confusing, culture-bound or culture-specific) must be pronounced unsuccessful. It remains stubbornly there. It is rooted in divine revelation, not human opinion, and in divine creation, not human culture. In essence, therefore, it must be preserved as having permanent and universal authority.

[Adam was created first.] Firstness connotes authority throughout the Scriptures. Being the firstborn conveys the privilege of being heir and ruler (cf. Colossians 1:15ff.). God could have created Adam and Eve at the same time, but he did not. He created Eve for Adam. She was created to be his "helper." The unchanging fact is that God desires that the order of creation be reflected in his church, the Body of Christ.

We miss the point of 1 Tim. 2:14 entirely if we think that Eve was more gullible than Adam, and that is why she "was deceived and became a sinner." Eve's sin was not naivete but a willful attempt to overthrow the creation order. She hoped, in eating from the tree, that her eyes would be opened and she would be like God (cf. Genesis 3:5).

Here is the irony: God had given Adam and Eve awesome authority. The creation order issued like this: God made Adam, then made Eve to be Adam's helper, and both of them were to rule over all of creation. But due to her rebellion, a creature (part of creation), a snake, began to rule her because she obeyed it. Then Eve exercised woeful authority over her husband by leading him to do the same thing. And Adam? It appears from Genesis 3:6 that Adam was with Eve when she partook but did nothing, then "listened to [his] wife and ate from the tree" (cf. Genesis 3:17). As Phillip Jensen explains: "Eve's sin involved overturning the order of creation and teaching her husband. Similarly, Adam's sin came from "listening" to his wife, in the sense of heeding and following her instruction. He was taught by her, thereby putting himself under her authority and reversing God's good ordering of creation.

For Adam was formed first. Whether used causally or illustratively, the story of Adam and Eve rooted Paul's policies for public worship in the order of creation. Paul addressed men first (2:8), then women (2:9-15a), in step with their order of creation in Genesis 2:7, 21-22. Similarly, in 1 Cor 11:8-12, Paul argued that God's gifts of life are experienced in and through the covenantal interdependency of man and woman with God and each other (11:11-12). In the Greek creation myths, man is formed from the mud, but seen as a threat to the gods. Woman is formed, not from man as his strong ally, but separately to address the threat as his adversary, tempter and deceiver.

the woman was deceived. Designed by God as the man's advocate, 'the woman' only becomes a source of temptation and corruption in the biblical account of creation after she herself is deceived and sins (Gen 3:1-6). Paul's point is not, like that of the Greek creation myths, that women are tempters or that they are more gullible than men. Indeed, at that time in Ephesus, male false teachers were deceiving women in the church (1 Tim 5:11-15; 2 Tim 3:6-7), and priestesses in the Temple of Artemis were apprenticing the women and men of Ephesus in a false creation narrative.

Paul continues to refer to the Fall (Gen. 3:16) and women, and numerous attempts have been made to understand what it means to be "saved through childbearing." Hughes briefly says:

Most likely Paul references childbearing because it is a universal example of the God-given difference in the roles of men and women (men do not give birth to children, and most women in every culture do have children). So when Paul says "women will be saved through childbearing," he means that by not seeking a man's role they will more likely remain in the heart attitude that invites salvation and its attendant blessings. Moreover, as Duane Litfin has pointed out, "Whatever one understands the first part of the verse to be affirming, it is contingent on a woman's willingness to abide in these four virtues - 'faith, love and holiness with propriety.'"

Husbands and Wives Should Relate to One Another in Faith, Love and Holiness. Paul is continuing his reading of Genesis. He referred first to Adam (2:13), then to Eve (2:14), and here (2:15) to the result of their physical and spiritual union. She will be saved through bearing children. The Greek word, sōzō, has a range of meaning—to save, heal or deliver safely'—which illustrates the holistic character of salvation. In the context of childbirth, however, some commentators have emphasized mere physical safety. Artemis, the great goddess of Ephesus, protected women during childbirth. But, she did so in exchange for their religious devotion. Repeatedly, Paul used the word, sōzō, in 1 Tim 1:15, 2:4, and 4:16 to describe redemption from sin, which is the meaning here in relation to Eve's deception and transgression (2:14). Paul described the next sequence in the narrative of Gen 2:5-4:1, that signifies Adam's and Eve's redemption after the fall, the birth of their first child (cf. Gen 3:15, 20; 4:1). If they continue. The important shift from singular to plural between the two verbs in v15 has perplexed readers. Is Paul drawing an analogy between Eve and the women at Ephesus, then, with all women? More likely, 'they' refers to Adam and Eve, since Paul has been re-telling their story. This analogy teaches that the salvation of men and women depends on their fidelity and love in covenantal interdependency with God and each other. 'They' must 'continue' in the covenant established by Jesus, the seed of the woman, who shall crush the serpent's head (cf. Gen 3:15).