Introductory remarks:
This chapter is concerning the public worship in the assembly at Ephesus, with Paul giving Timothy instructions that he was not able to deliver himself. "Paul instructs Timothy to pray for everyone and pray for those in authority so we can live peaceful, godly lives. He says God wants everyone to be saved. Jesus is the only mediator between God and men and became a ransom for everyone. Paul says this is why he was sent to be an honest teacher to the Gentiles. He says all men should pray, not being angry or having doubts. Women should be humble and sober, not richly dressed up. Women should seek not authority over men because Eve was made after and for Adam and she, unlike Adam, was deceived into sinning" (A Survey of I Timothy - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: Instructions concerning prayer vv. 1-15.
Instructions Concerning Prayer
Verse 1, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men:"
LGT "I exhort therefore, first of all, supplications to be made, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, on behalf of all men:"
I exhort therefore, first of all: Paul says that his first request is that: supplication to be made: this is a petition, request or appeal to God on behalf of men. Prayers: directed to God. Intercessions: a request being made on behalf of someone, entering in with familiarity of a case with God. Thanksgiving: responding to what God has done and will do. On behalf of all men: Paul will complete his thought on prayer in the next verse. I must admit at this point I for one do not understand all that Paul is expressing here concerning prayer; what I do believe is that prayer is going to God mentally, with a familiar spirit of boldness, because He has given us this privilege; and our going to Him is an on going mental exercise of a son or daughter speaking with their father, and in this case, are in God's holy family, and He urges us to come to Him unceasingly. When we go to the Father, He expects us to speak to Him about whatever we have on our hearts, and this is man's viewpoint of prayer; God's viewpoint is that He speaks to us in His Word, and this is the only way He communicates to His children in this age of grace. Finally, we respond with thanksgiving to God for the privilege He has given us in Christ Jesus to come to Him boldly in this way.
Verse 2, "For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."
LGT "On behalf of kings and all the ones that are in nobility, in order that we may live a quiet and tranquil life, in all faithfulness and dignity."
On behalf of kings: this included Nero who set fire to Rome and blamed it on the Christians. And all the ones that are in nobility: the ones who have rule over the common class. In order that we may live a quiet and tranquil life: free from the disturbances of whatever society we live in. In all faithfulness and dignity: the Authorized Version has the word "honesty" which is unfortunate here; the meaning Paul wished to express was that we should exhibited a dignity which arises from our union with Christ. We don't see much dignity today, even in the organized churches, for the church has gone the way of the world, that is, it is far from quiet and tranquil, with all the loud obnoxious bands, and the horrible dress that is now acceptable.
I believe Paul is saying that we should pray for our government that they leave us alone and allow us to live our lives as unto the Lord. We see the unrest in the world today in the Middle East; and this is only a sample of what we pray to be delivered from. Paul does not say we are to pray for the welfare of a corrupt president; he is saying that we should pray that he would not do what is to our detriment. In the case of Barrack Hussein Obama, well, I pray that the Republicans will neutralize this scoundrel, and rid us of him in the near future; however, as I know that God is in control, I am encouraged that the end is near, for I no longer have any hope for America, because I believe this mad-man is seeking to destroy America, and he wants to rule the world.
Verse 3, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior."
LGT "This is good and acceptable before God our Savior:"
Prayer should always be acceptable to God, and that means that we must always pray that God's will be done.
Verse 4, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."
LGT "Who wills all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of [the] truth."
Who wills all men to be saved: this goal is accomplished when the government leaves Christians alone, and the gospel of grace is able, not only to spread, but also to accomplish its design of saving souls. And to come unto the knowledge of the truth: this is accomplished when the truth of the Gospel of grace reaches men and they are saved; and it also accomplishes its purpose when after the man is saved, he comes to a deeper and fuller knowledge of grace. Along with His will, God has provided salvation for all men, and just not among all classes of men. If a man is not saved, it is not because God did not provide a way for him to be saved; a man is eternally lost because he has rejected God's provision, which is, "believe on Jesus Christ and you will be saved."
Verse 5, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
LGT "For God is one, and one mediator of God and men, [the] man Christ Jesus:"
For God is one: One God both to Jew and Gentile; there is no other god only this One true God, who wishes all men to be saved (v. 4). And one mediator of God and men: Since man became separated from God in Paradise by the sin of one man Adam, Christ came down and offered the first pair "coats of skin" representing a lamb had to be slain to produce these coats; these coats were a type of Christ as the "Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world." Christ became the one mediator between God and man with His finished work on the cross. God has not appointed any other as mediator, so it is foolish for man to go to man for forgiveness. Christ took away the sin of the world, and God has left us in the hands of the One and only Mediator, the God-Man Christ Jesus. The man Christ Jesus: Paul stresses the humanity of Christ for the simple reason that Christ, in His human mission on earth, lived a perfect life, and was crucified for the sins of the world, and this is why He is our one and only Mediator; no other can claim this right; no other can take His place. The Pope may claim to be the Vicar of Christ, but this is a figment of his depraved mind, for no man is able to take the place of the one and only Savior of mankind. The Roman church's teaching on this verse is that Christ is the Mediator with regards to salvation, but the priests are "intercessors" with regard to the daily sins of man. The way the Catholic Church leaders abuse Scripture is not only misleading the poor and ignorant, but they are adding anathema of God to their own souls. The teachers of the Catholic Church dogma, and the stupid ones who accept their dogma are equally to be accountable to God. No one is led about without his or her own personal consent. The priests are filled with stupid pride, and the people are filled with stupid superstition. Through Christ, our one and only Mediator, we are able to come to the throne of the grace of God, and we do not need any man to intercede for us.
Verse 6, "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
LGT "Who gave Himself a ransom for all, the testimony [to be rendered] in its own time:"
Who gave Himself a ransom for all: God sacrificed His only-begotten Son on the cross, in order to redeem us from the slave-market of sin. Christ's blood that He shed on the cross was the ransom price that purchased our Salvation. Christ paid for the sins of all, but only the ones who accept Christ as their own personal Savior, receive the benefits of so great Salvation. The testimony to be rendered in its own time: "Paul affirms it as a great and important truth that Christ gave Himself a ransom for all mankind - for Jews and Gentiles; for all classes and conditions of men alike. This truth had not always been understood. The Jews had supposed that salvation was designed exclusively for their nation, and denied that it could be extended to others, unless they became Jews. According to them, salvation was not provided for, or offered to heathens as such, but only on condition that they became Jews. In opposition to this, Paul says that it was a doctrine of revelation that redemption was to be provided for all men, and that it was intended that the testimony to this should be afforded at the proper time. It was not fully made known under the ancient dispensation, but now the period had come when it should be communicated to all" (Barnes).
Verse 7, "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."
LGT "To which I was appointed, a herald and apostle, (I speak [the] truth, I do not lie.) A teacher of [the] Gentiles, in faith and truth."
To which I was appointed: Paul was appointed by Christ to teach the gospel of grace to the Gentile nations. A herald and apostle: I believe these are the same office. The meaning of the term "apostle" means 'one sent from God", and the term "herald" means "one who sounds forth (teach) the gospel of grace. Paul therefore was sent by God to teach the Gentile believers the gospel of grace. I do not lie: he claims Christ as his witness, because it was Christ who appointed him. It may seem strange that Paul felt it necessary to tell Timothy that what he is teaching is true; I would think Timothy already knew it was true. I believe Paul is saying this as an encouragement to Timothy that everything he does in the service of Christ he does with a clear conscience. A teacher of the Gentiles, in truth and faith: Paul says that Christ had appointed him to be the apostle to the Gentile nations. "It means that faith and truth are element or sphere in which the apostolic function is discharged: that he preaches with a sincere faith in the gospel, and with a truthful representation of the gospel which he believes' (Vincent).
Verse 8, "I will therefore that men everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."
LGT "I desire then the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands apart from anger and rationalization."
I desire then the men in every place to pray: the first observation is that these regulations that the apostle Paul is giving Timothy do not apply to today. This is not applicable to today's church that have the completed Word of God; it was necessary in Paul's day to regulate the assembly that possessed the supernatural gifts, in order that there would be no confusion. The term "the men" was that only the men would pray in the public service. The term "in every place" limited the prayer to the place where they assembled to study God's Word. Lifting up holy hands: "Among the Orientals the lifting up of the hands accompanied taking an oath, blessing, and prayer. The custom passed over into the primitive church, as may be seen from the mural paintings in the catacombs" (Vincent). This is another custom that does not apply to today; whenever I see this taking place, I believe the person is attempting to draw attention to themselves, and they are probably thinking, I imagine others are seeing me and thinking, "What a dedicated Christian he or she must be." Apart from anger and rationalization: Prayer should be rational according to the grace of God, and it should not be from a disturbed heart that is not at peace with God, that is, the person offering a public prayer should always be in fellowship. I also believe that calling on a person to pray in public without prior warning is not only unfair to the one who is asked to pray, but also that person might not be mentally, or spiritually prepared.
Verses 9, 10, "In like manner also, that women adorn them selves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."
LGT "In like manner also women in decent apparel with modesty discreetness to adorn themselves, not with braided hair, and gold or pearls, or costly clothing, but what is becoming to women professing [the] fear of God, by good works."
There are two terms in these verses that say it all to me; I will expound on these two and then let others define it further. I believe Paul is telling young Timothy that women should present themselves in public assemblies with decent apparel and modesty. The meaning of decent apparel means "respectable", not sexy and provocative, but that which displays self-respect. The term "modesty" displays humility and meekness. To me, there is nothing that is more unappealing in a woman than a loud mouth, and an arrogant spirit. God has blessed me with a woman that is not only modest, she is unassuming, and is a spiritual example to her children and grandchildren, and I might add, to anyone who ever gets to know her.
Verse 11, "Let the women learn in silence with all subjection."
LGT "Let a woman learn in quietness in all subjection."
In the context of the times Paul declares that a woman should not teach publicly, but that she should with a quiet modesty subject herself to the authority of the man. This does not mean that she should not hold a private Bible class, especially within her own family, that is, she should without reservation teach her children grace doctrine.
Verse 12, "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
LGT "But I do not allow a woman to teach, nor to exercise dominion over man, but to be in quietness."
But I do not allow a woman to teach: in public meetings. Not to exercise dominion over man: the natural condition which God created woman was to be subservient to the man; in the normal relationship, the man is the active agent and the woman is the responder. It is not natural for women to exercise authority over the man; however, if the man will not rule in the home, the woman is left to the responsibility of teaching the children the Word of God. But to be in quietness: the woman is to keep silent in the public meeting and listen. This does not mean that a woman is inferior intellectually to the man; it means that by keeping quiet, she is showing the proper respect to the man, and is professing her godliness by these good works. In spiritual things, the man submits himself to Christ, by obeying grace doctrine, and the woman submits herself to the man, and she will learn grace doctrine.
Verse 13, "For Adam was first formed, than Eve."
LGT "For Adam was formed first, then Eve."
God instituted this order that man would be the head of the woman; the first proof is the order of creation.
Verse 14, "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."
LGT "But Adam was not deceived, but the woman having been deceived became a transgressor."
Paul alludes to the punishment God meted out to the woman in Gen. 3:16, "Because thou hast obeyed the voice of the serpent, thou shalt be subject to the authority of thy husband, and thy desire shalt be to him." "Because she had been given fatal advice, it was right that she should learn that she was under the power and will of another; and because she had drawn her husband aside from the command of God, it was right that she should be deprived of all liberty and placed under the yoke. Besides, the Apostle does not rest his argument entirely or absolutely on the cause of the transgression, but founds it on the sentence which was pronounced by God" (Calvin). God made woman to be subject to the man even before she sinned, but now this subjection became a problem for her; for just as the man is subject to laboring with his hands for six days, and one day for rest, he has rebelled against this from the first, and woman has rebelled against be subjected to the authority of the man; however, no woman is truly happy when she is not under a man's guidance, protection, and authority; and no man is happy not being able to be the authority.
Verse 15, "Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety."
LGT "But she shall be saved through the childbearing, if they abide in faith and love and sanctification with discreetness."
This is quite a difficult verse to explain on the first reading; however, upon examining it in its context we will first notice that Paul is referring to Eve in the singular in the first phrase: But she shall be saved in childbearing: we read in Rom. 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." So we see that sin was imputed on the human race so that all are born sinners. This is where Eve comes into the picture. Through Adam sin entered the world, but through Eve sinners entered the world. Now if you have studied Genesis you will remember that God cursed the serpent first in Gen. 3:15, "And I [God] will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy seed [Satan's children] and her [Eve's] seed [Christ]; He [Christ] shall bruise his head [Satan's head, which will be a mortal blow delivered at the cross], and thou [Satan] shall bruise His [Christ] heel [which is not a mortal blow, for Christ resurrected and will return to cast Satan into the Lake of Fire]. Next God cursed woman, (3:16), "Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Now God did not leave Eve in this cursed state, for He also promised the Savior to come into the world through childbirth through the Virgin Mary. Remember, Mary was like every other woman in that she was a sinner; only, she was saved by faith in the Christ she bore. This is the salvation that Paul is talking about. We read in (3:20, 21), "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. [Through Eve sinners are born, that is, Eve's sin was imputed on every woman, and through woman sinners are born into this world - but God did not leave them in this lost state - read on]. For Adam also and for his wife did the Lord God make coats of skin, and clothed them." "Coats of skins: a type of Christ, made unto us righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30) - a divinely provided garment that the first sinners might be made fit for God's presence" (C.I. Scofield). You see, the Coats of skin were given to the first pair, and they were a type of Christ, in that the animal had to die in order for the coats to be offered; this is a type of Christ dying on the cross offering us eternal salvation; all we have to do is accept Christ. Adam and Eve were saved by accepting these Robes of Righteousness. This phrase does not say that women are saved because they bare children; it simply conducts us to salvation, to which He has appointed unto salvation through grace (Calvin). If they abide in faith and love and sanctification with discreetness: in the first phrase Paul used the singular "she" referring to Eve. Now in this phrase Paul uses the plural "they" referring to Eve's descendants, which includes all women ever born. Women are not saved in the act of Childbearing, but the same as Eve; every woman that accepts Christ by faith does remain in faith and love and sanctification with discreetness.
McGee notes:
"It was the sin of Eve that brought sin into the world. Now every time a woman bears a child, she brings a sinner into the world - that is all she can bring into the world. But Mary brought the Lord Jesus, the Savior into the world. So how are women saved? By childbearing - because Mary brought the Savior into the world. Don't ever say that woman brought sin into the world, unless you are prepared to add that woman also brought the Savior into the world. My friend, no man provided a Savior: a woman did. However. Each individual woman is saved by faith, the same as each man is saved by faith. She is to grow in love and holiness just as a man is."
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