Let's turn tonight in our Bibles
again to 1 Timothy chapter 2. 1 Timothy chapter 2 beginning
with verse 8 through the end of the chapter. I will therefore
that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath
and doubting. In like manner also that women
adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety,
not with brooded hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but
which becometh women professing godliness with good works. Let
the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer
not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man,
but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then
Eve, and Adam was not deceived. Notwithstanding, she shall be
saved in childbearing if they continue in faith and charity
and holiness with sobriety. I mentioned last time In Paul's
letter to Titus, which was also a pastoral epistle, he told him
that he left him at Crete that thou should have set in order
the things that are wanting. We do not read those same words
here in his letter to Timothy. He had him to abide at Ephesus,
but it's obvious as we go through this letter, this is what he
had in mind, that Timothy set in order the things that are
wanting in that church. We saw in the first chapter that
he charged Timothy that only charge them, those who teach,
that they teach only the glorious gospel of the blessed God, and
not be turned aside to bang-jangling and genealogies, and not to think
that they should be professors of the law, which they didn't
even understand. Then in the first part of this
chapter, we looked at last time, he said, I exhort, and we see
in the margin, it could be I desire, some believe, It might be better
translated, I urge, I urge that prayer be made for all men. And
we saw this means all classes of men, both Jews and Gentiles. He would have prayer offered
for all those in authority. And in Romans chapter 13, and
we'll turn here if you will, Romans chapter 13, the apostle
tells the church that not only are all powers ordained of God,
but that they are ministers of God. Think about that. Not only does he say that all
powers are ordained of God, but that they are ministers of God. Let's read beginning with verse
1 here in Romans 13. Let every soul be subject unto
the higher powers. For there is no power but of
God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth
the power resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist
shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid
of the power? Do that which is good, and thou
shalt have praise of the same. For he is, notice this, for he
is the minister of God to thee for good. Just like myself as
a pastor, as a preacher, I'm a minister of God, so the apostle
Paul It tells the believers in the church at Rome that all authority,
all power is ordained of God and that they are ministers of
God. They're ministers of God. But
if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not
the sword in vain. In other words, he's ordained
of God. He's got the sword to execute
justice as a civil authority. If you do wrong, You know, he
beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God,
a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore,
you must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for
conscience sake. For for this cause pay you tribute
also, for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this
very thing. Render therefore to all their
dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom,
fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. So Paul, back in our text
tonight, 1 Timothy chapter 2, he said that he would have prayer
be offered for all men, all classes of men, and for all those who
are in authority. And we see that they are ordained
of God and that they are ministers of God. Now in the verses that
we're looking at tonight, verses 8 through 15, he instructs Timothy, now listen,
he instructs Timothy on the conduct or the deportment of believing
men and women in public worship. That's the subject, the conduct,
the deportment of believing men and women in public worship.
One writer began verse eight with these words, where Paul
said, I will therefore that men, this writer said, that men in
the Greek is actually that the men. definite that the man as
distinguished from the women to whom he has something different
to say. He has something first to say
to the man and then second something to say to the women. And both men and women to whom
these words are addressed are believing men and women. So first,
instructions concerning the men the believing men, their deportment
in public worship services. Verse 8. I will therefore that
men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and
doubting. Here are two things that he tells
us about public prayer. Now we recognize that prayer
is a very integral part of our worship. That when we come together,
we worship publicly. that prayer is a part of our
worship as well as singing and as well as teaching the Word
of God. Well, two things the Apostle
tells the men about their deportment in public worship. First of all,
it is men who are to voice prayer in the public worship service.
It is men who are to voice Prayer in the public worship service. Men praying everywhere. This is what he said. I will
therefore that men, not women, men, pray everywhere. Now this is of course speaking
of voicing prayer. And when he says everywhere,
this reminds us of what our Lord told that woman at the well,
the Samaritan woman. He told her The hour cometh when
you shall neither in this mountain nor at Jerusalem worship the
Father. For the hour cometh, and now
is, when the true worshiper shall worship the Father in the Spirit
and in truth. We know that the Samaritans,
they believed the place to worship was in that mountain. And the
Jews, they had come, they'd been taught, and many of them, most
of them, probably believed that the place where prayer was to
be made was in the temple in Jerusalem. Now Paul tells the
believers, the men of the church at Ephesus, and they would meet
in houses. Obviously, from what we see in
the Word of God, this was a large congregation of people. There
was one church at Ephesus, but it was probably too large for
all of them to come together in one room. Remember, they didn't
have buildings, temples, like we have. They had houses, and
they would open up their houses, no doubt, and meet in a room.
And so Paul said, I would, or I urge, or I desire that thee
men pray everywhere, not just in a temple. Don't mistake that
and think you cannot pray wherever you meet. Wherever you meet to
worship God, Then pray. It's not the place. Here's the
point I want to make. It's not the place that gives
us access to God in prayer, but it is the mediator. Look above that in verse 5. It's
not the place. We don't have to come into this
building to have access to God. But we do have to go to God through
the one mediator. Now that's just so. For there's
one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. He's the only way to the Father. It is men who are to voice prayer
in public. Now listen, while the believing
women are to pray silently. As I thought about this, I came
to this example. One of the greatest examples
in the Word of God of answered prayer. Did you hear that? One of the greatest examples
in the Bible of answered prayer was a prayer prayed by a woman
silently. Look back to 1 Samuel chapter
3. 1 Samuel chapter 1 and verse 10. And she, it's 1 Samuel chapter
1 and verse 10, and she, Hannah, was in bitterness of soul, and
prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and
said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction
of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid,
but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give
him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall
no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass, as she continued
praying, now we just read part of her prayer, but she continued
praying before the Lord that Eli, the priest, marked her mouth. Now, Hannah, she spake in her
heart. She was praying, but she was
not praying vocally. She was at the temple, they'd
gone there to worship, and she was praying in her heart, only
her lips moved, But her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli
thought she had been drunken. And then look down, if you will,
to verse 20. Wherefore, it came to pass, when
the time was come about, after Hannah had conceived. Now she
asked for a son. She prayed silently. God heard
her. God answered her prayer. He came to pass when the time
was come about after Hannah had conceived that she bear a son
and called his name Samuel, saying, because I have asked him of the
Lord. When you ask something of God
and God grants your request, that's your Samuel. And it's
a special blessing, isn't it, when you've prayed for something
and God's given it to you. Many blessings we have, we receive,
we haven't really prayed for. But when we pray for something
in particular, some special blessing, and God grants our request. Here's our prayer. That's our
Samuel. And here, again, I said, The
greatest, one of the greatest, if not the greatest example in
the Word of God of answered prayer is this that we just read. Hannah,
a woman, prayed silently. And that's what Paul is saying
here concerning public worship in the churches in the New Testament. He would that men, he's not saying
women are not allowed to pray. Certainly they pray silently,
but men, he said he would have them to voice the prayer, that
men pray. You know, someone a few years
ago was here, and she was a school teacher. And I just made the
comment, no matter what the Supreme Court rules, they cannot rule
prayer out of school. And she kind of was taken aback,
you know, by that statement. Of course, What I was saying,
you can't tell me there's not some boy or girl taking a test
that they don't pray and ask God to help them. Whether they're
praying to the true God or not, they're going to pray. They don't
have to pray out loud. People are going to pray. Paul
is just saying that the men in public worship services, they
should pray. They should voice the prayer,
but that women should not. Now, here's the second thing
about prayer. These three things should be
true about the men who pray. Men should pray lifting up holy
hands. Now, in the Scriptures, we have
examples of prayer being offered by people, by men, in different
postures, different positions. I'm not going to take the time
tonight to have you turn to all of these examples, but let me
just remind us, we read of men standing and praying. We read of men bowing their head
and praying. We read of men lifting their
eyes toward heaven and praying. We read of men kneeling and praying. We read of men falling with the
face upon the ground and praying. And we read of one, Elijah, who
put his head between his knees and prayed. We read of one who
smote upon his breast, remember, the publican, he prayed. And
here we read of lifting up holy hands, hands lifted up to heaven. John Gill said that lifting the
hands was an emblem of the elevation of the heart in prayer to God. An emblem, the lifting up of
holy hands. And they lifted up their hands
like this, the palms up. And the Jews did pray like that.
It's an emblem of the elevation of the heart in prayer to God.
according to John Gill. Another writer said that the
palms turned heavenward was a symbol of craving help. Help, I thought
about the words to that hymn. In my hands no price I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling. But evidently it speaks of our
hearts. Paul said that he would have
men to pray. I will therefore that men pray
everywhere lifting up holy hands. In other words, lifting up their
hearts unto God in prayer. The psalmist tells us that a
broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. So Paul would have the men to
pray, and those men who do pray, first of all, they pray lifting
up their hearts in prayer. Secondly, man should pray without
wrath, without wrath. When a man stands, when we call
upon a man to pray in our congregation, then he should pray, he should
lift up his heart to God in prayer, and he should not have anything
in his heart, any animosity, any hatred, any strife in his
heart, towards another man or towards another person. And I
thought of this in Matthew chapter 5. Our Lord said, if you bring your
gift to the altar, Matthew chapter 5, verses 23 and 24, therefore,
if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembers that
thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before
the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come and offer thy gift. So men are to pray everywhere,
lifting up holy hands, without hatred, without wrath, rather,
and without doubting. In other words, pray in faith. That's what James tells us, James
1, 6, concerning prayer, let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. So those are Paul's instructions
to the men, the men, believers, in the public worship service.
They should come prepared to pray as he has directed here. Now, second instructions concerning
the women. their conduct, their deportment
in public worship services. First of all, the women should
adorn themselves in modest apparel. In like manner also, just as
the men would prepare themselves to come to worship, prepare their
hearts so that they may pray as he's directed. So Paul says,
in like manner, I would have the women prepare themselves
when they come to worship God, and they should adorn themselves
in modest apparel. And like manner also that women
adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety,
not with broaded hair, or gold or pearls, or costly array. Now again, John Gill, you know
I like him, he's one of the my favorite commentators, but he
says that the word translated modest, now listen, it signifies
that which is clean, neat, and decent, yea, beautiful, and ornamental. And William Hendrickson in his
commentary pointed this out, it is natural, he said for women,
as God created them to desire to adorn themselves. That's just
natural. Paul is merely saying that it
should be done in good taste. It should be done in good taste. The shame-facedness, which means
do not dress to call attention to yourself. A woman, as she
prepares to come to the worship service, then she should dress
modestly or adorn herself in modest apparel so that she would
not dress in such a way as to call attention to herself. You
know, dress is related to age as well, isn't it? There's some
things that young people may wear, that probably would be
better if older people didn't wear, and vice versa. I mean,
they're just things that are age-related. I had a story I
was going to tell you. I went to preach one time for
a friend, and he He was older than me, and he had a man in
his church that gave him a new pair of shoes every year. Every
year, bought him a new pair of shoes. And I happened to be there,
and he had just got these shoes. And you know, they're men's shoes.
They don't have strings, but they have the tassel on them.
And his wife told him, you shouldn't wear those shoes. They're for
young people, not for someone your age. And he asked me, what
do you think, David? I said, you've asked the wrong
person. I'm not going to get in the middle of this. But there
are things that are just age-related, right? Dress. For men and women. For men and women. And modesty,
that indicates a sense of shame. And the word sobriety means soundness
of mind. And the women should exercise
soundness of mind or sanity. sanity in adorning themselves. And then these next words, braids,
gold, pearls, and costly array, are to be understood in their
context. Paul is not, as some people have
said, he's not prohibiting the absolute use of these things,
but he writes against the sin of extravagance and outward appearance,
outward adornment. A Christian woman Her real adornment
is not on the outside. It's not with costly and splendid
dress, but it is rather, as he says in verse 10, with good works. Look with me in 1 Peter. About a year ago, I guess it
was, there was a lady here that I've known for a long time, and
her granddaughter was with her. And she's probably about 15 to
16 years old, I guess, and a beautiful girl, in my opinion. And I told
her grandmother, I said, your granddaughter is a beautiful
girl. And she said, you know what,
David? She's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the
outside. That's good, right? That's the
best. No doubt about it. 1 Peter 3,
verse 1. Likewise, you wives, be in subjection
to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also
may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives,
while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear,
whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting
the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel.
but let it be the hidden man of the heart, and that which
is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet
spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after
this manner, in the old time, the holy women also who trusted
in God adorned themselves being in subjection unto their own
husbands, even as Sarah, and remember this about Sarah and
Abraham, when they went, sent the servant to get a bride for
Isaac, He took a bunch of gold earrings and bracelets and everything
else along with him to give to her. But even as Sarah obeyed
Abraham, calling him Lord, whose daughters you are as long as
you do well and are not afraid with any amazement. So the first
thing he tells the women as you come to the worship service,
then adorn yourself in modest apparel. Number two, You should
learn in silence. Verse 11, let the women learn
in silence with all subjection. Now, Paul, he did not think that
women are inferior to men. That's not what it means by the
weaker vessel. He did not believe that women
are inferior to men and not able to learn, and I'm sure that you
have heard Paul criticize, as I have, as though he was against
women. I remember seeing a woman one
time on Nightline years ago, this program called Nightline,
and she was supposedly a preacher. And the interviewer asked her
about what Paul said, and she said, yeah, I have a lot of trouble
with Paul. I thought to myself, your problem's
not with Paul, your problem's with God. You read the word of
God and Paul spoke highly of women. In fact, let's look at
a few of these places. In Romans chapter 16. ...to mend her in any higher
way than he does. I command unto you, Phoebe, our
sister, which is a servant of the church, which is at Centuria,
that you receive her in the Lord as becometh saints, and that
you assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you.
For she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also. Then notice that next verse.
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus. There's a man and his wife, Paul
says, were his helpers in the Lord. Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4 and verse
3. And I entreat thee also, true
yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the
gospel. with Clement also and with other
my fellow laborers whose names are in the Book of Life." And
look in Philemon, this short letter of Philemon. It just has the one chapter. Paul, Philemon verse 1, Paul,
a prisoner of Jesus Christ and Timothy our brother, and to Philemon,
our dearly beloved and fellow laborer, and to our beloved Aphia. Now most people believe Aphia
was Philemon's wife. And as John Gill said, Paul mentioned
her prudently husband, Philemon, to receive
this runaway slave, Onesimus. Usually the woman is the more
kind, the more gentle than the man. And Philemon, he may have
had some hard, very hard feelings about Onesimus who had run away
from him. And so, as John Gill said, he
addressed Philemon's wife as well. But not only, and there's
many other examples in the work, in the epistles where Paul spoke
so highly of women, but also what he wrote about women when
he wrote to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives even
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Now
back in our text, learning in silence does not mean that women
cannot teach it all. Who taught Timothy the Scriptures?
Who taught him the Word of God? Well, it was his mother and his
grandmother, wasn't it? Who taught Apollos? We read just
a minute ago about Aquila and Priscilla. They both, according
to the Word of God, they both, in private but not in public,
taught unto Apollos the way of the Lord more perfectly. The women are not to teach in
the public worship services, for if they do, they usurp authority
over the man. Now I want you to notice Paul
gives two reasons why women are not to teach in a public worship
service where there are men in attendance. And these two reasons
will never change. They'll never change. Society
changes. People say, oh, well, back then
they were not very educated, the women, but now we live in
a time and a day when women are educated. Well, that's true. No doubt about that. But the
two reasons that Paul gives as to why he would not allow a woman
to teach men, they'll never change. Here they are. Adam was first
formed. Adam was first formed, then Eve. Now, it's true that neither the
man nor the woman is complete without the other. We need both,
man and woman, to make a whole. And Paul said, neither is the
man without the woman, neither the woman without the man. But
even so, God made Adam first, And then from Adam, and for Adam's
sake, he created Eve to be Adam's helpmate and to be Adam's glory. That'll never change. The order
of creation, that's God's order. That's God's order. It'll never
change. And her very name, the name woman, is derived from the man's name. Man, ish, ish, I-S-H, ish. The woman, isha, isha. 1 Corinthians 11, Paul gives this
order. He says, the head of every man
is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of
Christ is God. That'll never change. Number
two, here's the second reason. First, the first reason why Paul
says women are not to teach men, they'll be usurping authority.
The first reason is because Adam was created first and Eve was
created for the man. Secondly, in the transgression,
Eve was deceived, but not Adam. She was deceived. His sin was
greater. His sin was greater because he
fully knew the consequences for him to eat that fruit. He knew,
listen, Adam, we have no way of knowing just how wise and
how intelligent he was. But he knew the consequences
if he ate of that fruit, that he stood as a head, as a representative
of all men. all of his posterity. He was
the only man on the earth. And everyone was going to come
from him. And he knew the consequences. He did it anyway. Eve was not deceived. Eve reversed God's order in giving
the fruit to Adam to eat. And since she did that, she has
been subject to her husband as she was before. But now her husband
is a sinful husband, a fallen husband. Now, Paul says that women should
not assume the role that was never intended for her by usurping
authority over the man. When the church gathers for public
worship, let the women learn, not teach, obey, not rule, follow,
not lead. What does verse 15 mean? Look
at the last verse. Notwithstanding, she shall be
saved in childbearing. if they continue in faith and
charity and holiness and sobriety. Well, it is granted this is a
difficult verse. That's granted. It's difficult. And we know it's difficult because
if you read 10 different commentators, you'll get 10 different comments
as to what it means. I would just point this out.
Do you notice he uses the word she And then the word they. She, notwithstanding she. Now, I would believe this would
refer to Eve. In the context, she, that's who
he's spoken of just above this. She would refer to Eve. Notwithstanding, she shall be
saved in childbearing. That is her seed. Remember, the
seed of the woman, the savior. who was promised would crush
the head of the serpent and bring salvation. And then the word
they, women in general, though not allowed to teach, they shall
be saved just like men if they believe. They believe with the
faith and love and holiness and sobriety. I pray that the Lord
would bless this message to all of us here tonight. I know much of it we're all familiar
with, but it's good to be reminded of these things. Okay, Bill,
where are you? Let's sing another hymn.