Woman In The Church: Silence, Subjection: The Meaning: Part II

Let the woman learn in silence

with all subjection. But I suffer

not a woman to teach, not to 

usurp authority over the man,

but to be in silence. For Adam

as not deceived, but the woman

being deceived was in transgrassion.

Notwithstanding she shall be saved

in childbearing, if they continue 

in faith and charity and holiness

with sobriety.

1Timonthy 2:11-15

     It may seem that I am "picking" on women: I am not! But, I will "pick" on men. How, how, can a woman learn in silence? Is she just to read the Bible herself? Is God going to impute some sort of vision or revelation supernaturally as some teach: i.e., The Bethel School of the Supernatural." Yes, women must learn the principles of Christianity, to learn about Jesus Christ, to learn the Scriptures: but how is this to be done? Here is a problem: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought hem, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (2Peter 2:1). "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake" (Titus 1:10-11). There are those who call themselves "Christian," yet are not Authentic Christians and we all must beware of them. But women are told to learn in silence. Well, men, husbands, you have a responsibility: first, it is your responsibility to take your wife, your children to hear the word of God preached, how else can one come together with like believers to learn of God and sharpen one another, setting an example that it is God first, second, third, last, it is God: "How then shall they call on him in whom they ahve not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher" (Romans 10:14)? Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church: "Submitting yourselves one to another in fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to heir own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.....So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church"......And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 5:21-25;28-29; 6:4).Husbands are not to "lord" over a woman or a child, no, husbands are to do the very same thing Jesus did and that is to love, for He loved the Church and taught the Church, and husband have the responsibility to do the very same thing. Women, children, are to study themselves, but the man, the husband is to lead in this study, to be prepared to answer question, to aid them to be able to defend their faith according to Scripture. 

     What to we see far to often in the Church? A lack of home Bible study, a lack of prayer with wives and children. No real intentional time to be with the Lord, no set aside time to be evangelistic, no time except when there may be such as Vacation Bible Study, important but often is an excuse for not spending time in silence to learn of God. Entertainment has become so important in this culture and Christians spend way to much time entertaining themselves forgetting or making time for personal study. Or, the push to become successful above all other things, maybe saying: "you will have time after you get your education and become successful", or running a child to all kinds of events as though this will make a better human being, or citizen, to make them achieve. We can make time for those things after we make time to be with the Lord. 

     An interesting statement by Paul: "Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." (vs. 15). How are we to understand this? Does this mean a woman can be saved if she bears a child? Paul just wrote that the woman, Eve, was deceived and transgressed, so Paul is writing about the promise to Eve about childbearing, both in regards to the pain of childbearing but also that the Savior would come to save by means of being born, a childbearing. It is by this childbearing that a woman is saved and is true also of men. Paul is speaking of this extraordinary event, the birth of Jesus Christ, a miracle that she shall be saved even though by a woman, Eve, Satan had his way with her then Adam bringing sin into this world and by birth this sin, Satan, all would be atoned for and demolished. The entrance is through a woman, the means for salvation. Therefore in faith, holiness, charity, with sobriety a woman is to recognize her role in the coming of the Savior, but this is not to rise her up over her husband, no, she is to submit to him. Now husbands, this word to submit does not give you the right to abuse, to lord over you wife anything, rather you are to teach, to love, as a co-partner in the eternal life to come. Men are to exercise their authority in gentleness, tenderness and affection. 

And I will put enmity between 

     thee and the woman, and 

between they seed and her seed; 

    it shall bruise they head, and

thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto 

    the woman he said, I will greatly

multiply thy sorrow and they conception;

    in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; 

and they desire shall be to thy husband,

    and he shall rule over thee.

              Genesis 3:15-16

Love is to be manifested: not lordship

Richard L. Crumb

Women In The Church: Part I

In like manner also,

that women adorn themselves

in in modest apparel, with

shamefacedness and sobriety;

not with braided hair, or gold,

or pearls, or costly array; 

but (which becometh women

professing godliness) with 

good works. Let the women

learn in silence with all 

subjection. But I suffer not a woman

to teach, nor to usurp man,

but to be in silence. For Adam

was first formed, then Eve.

1Timothy 2:9-13

     Oh boy! Have I stepped into it now!! These verses written under inspiration by Paul have been discussed, cussed, used for all kinds of doctrine and practices leaving a sane person be think that he/she has gone insane. How can we understand these verses? Some will use these verses to show that the Bible does not teach the equality of women and puts man on a high and lofty pedestal. Is that true? Is God prejudiced against women and only holds man to be worthy? Some Churches today insist that a woman come to Church service with some sort of head covering, others do not and give reasons that demonstrate that these verses do not apply in today's culture. Is this so? Allow me to break down the verses to be able to arrive at how we are to understand these verses.

IN LIKE MANNER...(vs 9a)

     Paul is referring back to what he just wrote, that Christians are to pray, to make intercession for others, lead a quiet life in all piety, to do those things that are acceptable to God in Jesus Christ. There is more but this should suffice for it was antecedent to this verse. All Christians are to lead quiet pious lives, men, women, children. All are to live for Jesus Christ, therefore the words inspired by the Holy Spirit, God, the Third Person of the Godhead speaks for each Person of the Godhead. Now, Paul, addresses women specifically and to be inspired to do so means that there is a problem that must be addressed and a teaching as to what pleases God. 

THAT WOMEN ADORN THEMSELVES IN MODEST APPAREL, WITH SHAMEFACEDNESS, AND SOBRIETY....(VS.9B).

     The word "shamefacedness" means in the Greek "discreetly." Women are to dress discreetly. Does this eliminate man? No, this rule of dress applies to all Christians, but especially to women who desire to wear all sorts of jewelry, to dress immodestly especially in this day when women will wear very short pants, where their gluteals are showing, and their breasts are shown by wearing low cutting tops. How is this modest? Cannot women, even men, wear clothing that is modest and not revealing to make themselves seem to be "sexual", "sexy," to be something that the other sex would desire by their immodest apparel? This is vanity: "He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail" (Proverbs 22:8): "O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing" (Psalm 4:2). "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind" (Ephesians 4:17). Vanity is never spoken of as good in Scripture. This was a problem in Paul's day when the Gentiles wore to be acclaimed as what they were not at times, rich, desirable, and sought after riches however they may achieve them, and this has not changed throughout the centuries. This is not Christian, this is not Authentic Christianity. To wear jewelry is not wrong, to wear clothing that is appealing is not wrong, there is no teaching that a Christian woman should wear a burka as do the Muslims, no, this is not from the heart this is legalism in its worst form. A true Authentic Christian heart will seek to please God not men: "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts" (1Thessalonians 2:4). Yes, this is Paul speaking about himself, but are you not also entrusted with the Gospel? Yes! Therefore you are to be pleasing God, not men: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 2:10). Women have a very special place in the home, with their husband, with their children for God made them to have a very special love and intuition that man does not seem to have, for man has another very special aptitude and that is to be the breadwinner of the home and more, to be the teacher of the home. Man has a responsibility to be the leader of the home, in all things. Man will have to give an account to God for all things he did or not do that would be pleasing to God. Women by their discreet living, and wearing of clothing, jewelry, etc., is professing Jesus Christ and their fear of God. Extravagance is not pleasing to God, it does not profess a seriousness to godliness, rather it shows vanity that is disgraceful to God. Whoever is doing this is wrong in the sight of God. It is to be God first, God second, God third, God in all things and to do otherwise is a shame upon that person doing them and to God. You have been saved and this by means of a horrible death by Jesus Christ to pay you debt of sin, so why would a person heap coals upon what He did for you, and why would you not want to live to manifest Him, the Gospel, to be a true Authentic Christian. Do you think that you are going to live forever on this earth so you must have all that this world has to offer and are willing to succumb to its culture? Or do you understand that this world is not our home we are just passing through our treasures are laid up somewhere in the blue (as the song goes). Look at this world, look at the opposition towards Christianity, towards a person who attempt to live an Authentic Christian life and you will see that when Christianity is allowed to become cultural, then all sorts of problems arise and when Christianity is held up then the land, the nation, the people are blessed. You are either the problem or the solution. Yes, it means a change from the inside/out. Will you do it? I pray so!

      I will continue this in tomorrow's blog. 

Bow down thine ear, and hear

     the words of the wise, and 

apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

     For it is a pleasant thing if thou

keep them within thee; they shall 

     withal fitted in they lips. That

thy trust may be in the LORD, I have

     made known to thee this day, even to thee.

                             Proverbs 22:17-19

Godliness is a beautiful thing

Richard L. Crumb

 

      

Turning From Death Unto Life

For there is one God, and one mediator 

between God and men, the man

Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a 

ransom for all, to be testified 

in due tome. Whereunto I am 

ordained a preacher, and an 

apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ,

and lie not:) a teacher of the 

gentiles in faith and verity.

1Timothy 1:5-7

     This is the Gospel: Jesus Christ, the Mediator, and that Mediator gave Himself a ransom for all; which implies there is only on Mediator. This then excludes any other worship to any other god, or image. Jesus Christ came to earth to pay the debt owed to the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, sin (singular) and by His death, resurrection, and ascension into to heave to present this propitiatory sacrifice to the Father sins (plural) can be forgiven. Jesus did not sin, the Father did not sin, the Holy Spirit did not sin, therefore the only sins that could be forgiven, atoned, are the sins of man. The children of God are redeemed, forgiven, and have the promise of God that they will have eternal life, an immortal body. Ezekiel makes this very clear that God does not desire the destruction of anyone, but only their welfare and salvation: "Say unto them, as I live, aith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Does this mean that God will save all men? No! Man must turn from their evil ways or they will perish, not because this is the desire of God, but rather due to their own fault. Why would God allow sinful man to continue? Why would God not save some who will turn from their evil ways and allow those who would not, one to live forever, the other to die? God is Holy, God is Just, God is love, God is Merciful, but God through His love, mercy, and justice will not allow sin to continue and to continually affect those who have turned to Him. God is Holy! 

     This fact is most necessary to understand and grasp: it is not otherwise; man must come to know the truth to be saved. What is the truth? Jesus Christ is the Way and the Truth and the Life, no man can live that does not come to Him and convert to Him, to live by Him and to grow in their relationship to Him for man will live eternally with Him. The time to begin that eternal life with Him is now, when you have come to believe and convert to Him. Jesus Christ paid the price for your sins, so why would a person say they love Him, call themselves Christian and not do the things that He said to do, how to live, how to please Him, the Godhead? Jesus Christ by His work on the cross has brought mankind to a place where they can stand on the terms of God. Not a covenant of works, this does not save a person, but as a rule of life; you as a Christian are under grace; you have been saved by grace, you are made righteous by grace. Sin through Satan, Adam and Eve brought death, and life through a Person who did not sin, is given by grace, no other way can a person be saved except through the grace of God, by God enabling that person to have faith, to be called of God, you are called the "elect." 

     Let us then learn to pray in faith without doubting, to worship ins spirit and truth. Free you minds from resentment, pray for all, especially those who are in the truth. 

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob

     for his help, whose hope is in the 

LORD his God: 

                         Psalm 146: 5

 Praise God: You are free

Richard L. Crumb