HOW WOMEN OF FAITH BEHAVE IN THE CHURCH - Tim 2:9-15

  1. women are to dress in modest apparel - 2:9-10
    1. the emphasis of this passage is that the outward should manifest the inward
      1. women should perform and function as God designed them to
      2. a woman should always present herself in a way that is "in good taste" – "adorn"
    2. how to dress
      1. shamefacedness
        1. respect, dignity & proper humility in the presence of others
        2. this will protect the woman from vanity and worldly display
      2. sobriety
        1. literally means a sound mind
        2. a saved person should think and act like a saved person
        3. a Christian woman should practice sound judgment & self control when selecting clothes to wear
      3. which becometh women professing godliness - 10
        1. godly women will want to be spiritually attractive to Christ
        2. a godly woman cannot clothe herself in the "attire of a harlot"
        3. she should not be know for what she put on, but for the service she performs
    3. how not to dress
      1. the godly woman should be known for who she is, not for what she wears
      2. our attire is an expression of our taste, interest and our character
      3. the manner in which we dress indicates a great deal about the type of person we are
      4. that which makes a woman attractive, is not to be costly attire but the exhibition of a Christian character
      5. Paul is not forbidding the use of these things
      6. Paul is not insisting on a dull & dingy type of dress, even this can be worn with vanity
  2. women are to assume the role of a disciple - 11-12
    1. women are to be learners -11
      1. they are to learn in silence
        1. this silence does not imply an absence of sound
        2. this silence involves the absence of vocal conflict
      2. they are to learn with all subjection
        1. "subjection" means "under rank"
        2. this rank has to do with order & authority, not with value or ability
        3. within the home & the church, the woman is to yield to the leadership of the man
        4. this is an order appointed by God
    2. women are not to teach men - 12
      1. a man can certainly learn a lot from a woman
      2. the woman is not to have the formal position of teacher within the church
      3. only men qualify for the position of pastor
      4. this does not mean that a woman can never do any teaching (other women & children)
    3. women are not to have authority over men
      1. "usurp authority" means to lord it over another, to have the mastery
      2. for a woman to usurp authority over a man is wrong
      3. even delegated authority, given by a congregational vote, is a violation of this biblical principle
      4. a congregation or board of elders, does not have the biblical right to put a woman in authority
      5. a man is not the head of his home, if his wife is the head of a church
    4. a woman should be in silence
      1. she should rest quietly & confidently in the role God has given her
      2. this stresses the importance of her attitude
      3. Peter said that a "meek and quiet spirit" in a woman is a valuable asset before God - I Peter 3:4
  3. reasons why the woman should not have a leadership role - 13-15
    1. the order of creation -13
      1. "for" - an explanation or reason is being given
      2. the order of creation does not imply superiority, but it indicates authority
      3. both the man and the woman were created in the image of God
      4. God created Eve to meet the needs of Adam
    2. because of the woman’s role in the origin of sin - 14
      1. Adam was not deceived
        1. Adam entered into sin with a conscious understanding of his actions
        2. Adam is blamed for sin & death rather than Eve
      2. Eve was deceived
        1. she even admits that she was deceived by Satan
        2. women are more easily deceived (by a smooth talker)
      3. Eve was in the transgression
        1. one major result of her sin was that her husband was to rule over her - Gen. 3:16
        2. as long as the judgment of God is upon man, the principle of male headship must be accepted
    3. the woman’s salvation - 15
      1. the woman will be saved from spiritual uselessness by accepting God’s program for the godly woman
      2. a woman can have a place of leadership in the home
      3. she can rule over her children and teach them
      4. the man needs her support & counsel in order to carry out his leadership responsibility
    4. conditions for a woman’s usefulness - "if they continue"
      1. "they" refers to both the man and the woman
      2. both parents have a spiritual responsibility in the home
      3. four areas of spiritual vitality must be maintained
        1. faith - both must walk by faith and trust God
        2. charity - they must love each other, their children and their Savior
        3. holiness - they must be separated from worldly lust & actively pursue godliness
        4. sobriety - use sound judgment in developing their marriage & in raising their children