Bible Passage About Women
- Thread starter Lurkee
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Lurkee
Well-Known Member
Sorry I should have made that clear.
What I mean is that should we follow this rule? About women being silent and not teaching in the church. It was ironic because the person who read the passage out in the church was a woman.
What about expensive dresses? Gold jewellry? What does it mean by saying women will be saved through childbearing?
loolalooh
Well-Known Member
Lurkee:
From the Life Application Study Bible. (I'm just typing out the more relevant explanations. There's more than this.):
2:9, 10: It is not unscriptural for a woman to want to be attractive. Today, however, to what degree should women take this advice about fixing their hair or wearing gold, pearls, or expensive clothes? Paul was not prohibiting these things; he was simply saying that women should not be drawing attention to themselves through these things. Modesty and decency are the key words. All women would do well to remember that beauty begins on the inside (Loolalooh's insertion: Think Proverbs). A gentle, modest, loving character gives a light to the face that cannot be duplicated by even the best cosmetics. A carefully groomed and well-decorated exterior is artificial and cold unless inner beauty is present.
2:12 Some interpret this passage to mean that women should never teach in the assembled church; however, commentators point out that Paul did not forbid women from ever teaching. Paul's commended coworker, Priscilla, taught Apollos, the great preacher (Acts 18:24-26). Paul frequently mentioned other women who held positions of responsibility in the church. Phoebe worked in the church (Romans 16:1). Mary, Typhena, Tryphosa, and Persis were the Lord's workers (Romans 16:6, 12), as were Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2). Paul was very likely prohibiting the Ephesian women, not all women, from teaching.
(Because these women were new converts, they did not yet have the necessary experience, knowledge, or Christian maturity to teach those who already and extensive scriptural education.) The Ephesian church had a particular problem with false teachers. Evidently, the women were especially susceptible to the false teachings (2 Timothy 3:1-9) becasue they did not yet have enough biblical knowledge to discern the truth. (In first-century Jewish culture, women were not allowed to study.)
2:15 The phrase "saved through childbearing" can be understood several ways: (1) Man sinned, so men were condemned to painful labor. Woman sinned, so women were condemned to pain in childbearing. (Loolalooh's insertion: Refer to Genesis.) Both men and women, however, can be saved through trusting Christ and obeying him. (2) Women who fulfill their God-given roles are demonstrating true commitment and obedience to Christ. One of the most important roles for a wife and mother is to care for her family. (3) The childbearing mentioned here refers to the birth of Jesus Christ. Women (and men) are saved spiritually because of the most important birth, that of Christ himself. (4) From the lessons learned through the trials of childbearing, women can develop qualities that teach them about love, trust, submission, and service.
From the Life Application Study Bible. (I'm just typing out the more relevant explanations. There's more than this.):
2:9, 10: It is not unscriptural for a woman to want to be attractive. Today, however, to what degree should women take this advice about fixing their hair or wearing gold, pearls, or expensive clothes? Paul was not prohibiting these things; he was simply saying that women should not be drawing attention to themselves through these things. Modesty and decency are the key words. All women would do well to remember that beauty begins on the inside (Loolalooh's insertion: Think Proverbs). A gentle, modest, loving character gives a light to the face that cannot be duplicated by even the best cosmetics. A carefully groomed and well-decorated exterior is artificial and cold unless inner beauty is present.
2:12 Some interpret this passage to mean that women should never teach in the assembled church; however, commentators point out that Paul did not forbid women from ever teaching. Paul's commended coworker, Priscilla, taught Apollos, the great preacher (Acts 18:24-26). Paul frequently mentioned other women who held positions of responsibility in the church. Phoebe worked in the church (Romans 16:1). Mary, Typhena, Tryphosa, and Persis were the Lord's workers (Romans 16:6, 12), as were Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2). Paul was very likely prohibiting the Ephesian women, not all women, from teaching.
(Because these women were new converts, they did not yet have the necessary experience, knowledge, or Christian maturity to teach those who already and extensive scriptural education.) The Ephesian church had a particular problem with false teachers. Evidently, the women were especially susceptible to the false teachings (2 Timothy 3:1-9) becasue they did not yet have enough biblical knowledge to discern the truth. (In first-century Jewish culture, women were not allowed to study.)
2:15 The phrase "saved through childbearing" can be understood several ways: (1) Man sinned, so men were condemned to painful labor. Woman sinned, so women were condemned to pain in childbearing. (Loolalooh's insertion: Refer to Genesis.) Both men and women, however, can be saved through trusting Christ and obeying him. (2) Women who fulfill their God-given roles are demonstrating true commitment and obedience to Christ. One of the most important roles for a wife and mother is to care for her family. (3) The childbearing mentioned here refers to the birth of Jesus Christ. Women (and men) are saved spiritually because of the most important birth, that of Christ himself. (4) From the lessons learned through the trials of childbearing, women can develop qualities that teach them about love, trust, submission, and service.
Poohbear
Fearfully Wonderfully Made
Sorry I should have made that clear.
What I mean is that should we follow this rule? About women being silent and not teaching in the church. It was ironic because the person who read the passage out in the church was a woman.
What about expensive dresses? Gold jewellry? What does it mean by saying women will be saved through childbearing?
No problem. To understand these verses, we must understand the situation in which Paul and Timothy worked back then. In the first century Jewish culture, women were not allowed to study. When Paul said women should learn quietly and humbly, he was offering them a new opportunity. Paul did not want the Ephesian women to teach because they didn't yet have enough knowledge or experience. The Ephesian church had a particular problem with false teachers. Evidently the women were especially susceptible to the teaching of false teachers because they did not have enough biblical knowledge to see through false claims. In addition, some of the women were apparently flaunting their new-found Christian freedom by wearing inappropriate clothing. Paul was telling Timothy not to put anyone into positions of leadership who were not yet mature in the faith. The same principle applies to churches today.
Some Christian women were apparently trying to gain respect by looking beautiful rather than becoming Christ-like in character. Some may thought they could win unbelieving husbands through their appearance. It is not unscriptual for a woman to want to be attractive. Beauty, however, begins inside a person. A gentle, modest, loving character gives a light to the face that cannot be duplicated by the best cosmetics and jewelry in the world. A carefully groomed and well-decorated exterior is artificial and cold unless inner beauty is present.
I got this from my life applications bible. There is more that I can type out.
Lurkee
Well-Known Member
Poohbear, thank you. I wonder why some things are said to be a part of a culture and time period and others literal. It gets a bit confusing for me. I hear Old Testament versus New Testament all the time but not New Testament time period versus present day society.
How do I know when I am following the right rules?
How do I know when I am following the right rules?
Poohbear
Fearfully Wonderfully Made
Lurkee - I think alot of it has to do with discernment and how you perceive the bible. I personally see the bible as a guide for Christian living, in other words, I believe some parts of the bible apply to today's time and some parts of the bible do not apply to today's time. You just have to read passages within their context in order to tell the difference. I know some may disagree with me but that's the only logical answer for me to understand the bible.
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