Sermon Cloud

 

-have you ever run into one of those verses in the Bible

-that when you read it

-you have little idea of what it mean?

-or you read it

-and at first glance it seems to be saying something that disagrees with other teachings in the Bible?

-my guess is that many of you have had this happen

-and I would not be surprised that the verse we are looking at today would not be one of those verses

-because it is a difficult verse to understand

-even Bible commentators cannot come to a consensus on what it means

-as one author wrote,

"But women will be saved through childbearing" (NIV): this simple statement has mystified average Bible readers as well as Christian scholars for centuries. Is Paul here suggesting salvation by works? In what sense can a woman be "saved" by bearing children? What would be so virtuous about bearing children that could become the cause of women's salvation? And what about single women or married women who do not or cannot have children? Even apart from these interpretive questions, the passage sounds horribly sexist and out of date in the days of female Prime Ministers or Supreme Court Justices. How are we to understand this passage, and how are we to apply it?¹

 

-and as another stated, this is, “a notoriously difficult verse.”²

-this is one of those verses that is difficult

-in fact it is so difficult that when we read Peter's words when he wrote about Paul's writings that, “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”

-it is easy to think that this might be one of the statement by Paul that he had in mind

-having said that, because this verse is difficult

-it should be treated that way

-that means first of all that more clear teachings in the Bible

-need to be used to help understand this less clear teaching

-we have to hold to this being the Word of God

-so we cannot simply ignore it because it is difficult

-or worse yet say that it disagrees with other scriptures that seem to teach something different

-instead we take the more clear passages

-and seek to have them assist us in understanding this one

-along with that, we need to realize that a complete understanding of the passage may be beyond us today

-so we need to approach this with humility

-looking to the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply this

-we need to avoid being overly dogmatic about what it means

-and be willing to listen carefully to those who present other views

-realizing that every interpretation that we have

-has some problem or weakness

-with that in mind we can start to look at this verse

-the first thing we need to do is set it in its context

-it is found in a larger section of this letter to Timothy

-dealing with various roles in the church community

-first we find the role of men addressed

-saying that instead of anger and quarreling

-they should lift their hands in prayer

-then from men

-the letter moves on to deal with women

-first directing that instead of being concerned with their looks

-dressing up to show off with braided hair

-jewelery

-and expensive clothing

-they should be concerned about showing the character of modesty

-and dress sensibly or modestly in decent clothing

-that is not where those direction of how women are to live in the community of the church end though

-for then we find the direction that they are to learn in silence and submission

-instead of teaching authoritatively or having spiritual authority over men in the church

-they are to be silent in that sense

-then reasons are given why women should not hold those ruling positions in the church

-first, because Adam was created first

-and then Eve

-and second, because Adam was not deceived

-but the woman was deceived

-both look to creation

-to the order of creation

-and the events at the fall

-where the woman was deceived by the serpent

-and while Adam sinned in eating the fruit

-it was not because he was deceived

-it is following this

-that we find the verse in question today, “Yet woman will be saved through bearing children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.”

-so what does this mean?

-while it my be beyond us to understand this today

-there there is one thing we can say about what it does not mean

-it cannot mean that women are saved from their sins and the wrath of God they deserve through bearing children

-even though that is the normal way Paul used the word “saved”

-we can say this for certain

-using that principle of the more clear scriptures

-being used to assist in understanding the less clear scriptures

-and in this case we have a lot of clear scriptures in this area

-that teach we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone

-for example we have Romans 3 and 4

-were we find that truth repeatedly taught

-we read there, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

-then a little later, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

-now neither of these verses use the word “saved”

-but it is what they are talking about

-and they point out that being declared just by God

-innocent of sin before him

-come through faith in Christ alone

-Ephesians 2 makes this clear as well

-and it uses the word “saved”

-there we read, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

-in both of these cases

-and in many others

-we have clear teaching that being saved from sin

-from the wrath of God that sin deserves

-is only by the free gift of God

-received through faith in Jesus Christ

-that teaching is not unclear

-and it make it clear that whatever this verse is saying

-it does not mean that women are saved from sin and the wrath of God by having children

-so what does it mean?

-various interpretations have been put forward that hold to the truth that we are saved by grace through faith alone

-and seek to understand this verse in light of that

-there are five major views that try to do this

-the first is one that takes “saved” to mean protected from harm

-and it understands this verse to be saying that women who believe are saved from the dangers of child birth

-that is, that they will not die or be harmed by child birth

-as appealing at this sort of interpretation might be

-at the same time it seems unlikely

-first of all because it does not fit the context it is found in

-and along with it is that fact that believing women do suffer and die in childbirth

-another attempt to understand this

-is that it is speaking of the birth of Jesus Christ

-in that case this is saying that it is through his birth that women are saved

-in support of this

-there is the mention of Genesis both the creation account

-and the account of the fall

-in that account of the fall we have the promise in 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

-which promises a child who will be born who will bruise the head of the serpent

-this interpretation also has the strength of explaining the singular word, “woman”

-who is said to be saved through childbearing

-however, this understanding has its problems as well

-for it would seem this is an odd way to refer to the birth of Christ

-using the general term childbearing

-rather than something more specific like “the birth of a child”

-so while possible

-again this is not likely the proper understanding

-another view is one that views childbearing as in some way hindering the salvation of a woman

-and thus it understands this passage as saying that she will be saved through whatever danger or hindrance to salvation that childbearing presents

-other than the fact that this is a possible explanation

-it like the first one mentioned does not fit with the context

-and more than that, it suffers the problem of the fact that no where else in the Bible is childbearing said to hinder a woman's salvation

-the next view is that what is being said here

-is that it is in childbearing that a woman lives out her salvation

-just a Paul commanded in general in Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

-so rather than saying that childbearing saves a woman

-it is saying that childbearing is how a woman works or lives out her salvation

-as she lives as God has called her to live

-on the positive side

-this view recognizes that more often than not

-Paul uses being saved in the sense of salvation from sin

-and recognizing this says here it is focused on working out that salvation from sin in one's day to day life as a woman

-however there is a problem with this view as well

-because the way the verse is actually phrased

-it says not that they work out their salvation

-but that they are saved by childbearing

-finally related to this

-is the view that the salvation in mind here

-is being saved from the danger of being lead astray in doctrine or practice

-and that for women, one of the means to avoiding that

-in in childbearing

-the weakness of this view is that Paul usually uses the word “saved” of being saved from sins and the wrath of God

-the strength is that is fits the context of where it is found in the letter and the letter as a whole very well

-having outlined these views

-we find we have five different views

-all with strengths

-all with weaknesses

-but what you may have noticed so far

-is that there are two things that are important to the discussion of what this passage means

-which can help us to come to some greater understanding

-first, one of the things that is different between the various views

-is in what sense is the word, “saved” is being used

-and second, there is the question of what exactly does the world “childbearing” speak of

-first, how is the word, “saved” being used here?

-if we look through the New Testament we find that this word is used in several different ways

-in the gospel accounts from Matthew, Mark, and Luke

-it is most often used to speak of healing

-often even being translated as “healed”

-there are a few times when it speaks of being saved like we often think of in the spiritual sense

-such as when the command is given to call the child born to Mary by the name Jesus

-because he will save his people from their sins

-however, there are also times where it is used to speak of being saved from danger

-probably the most obvious one is when Jesus comes walking out on the water to his disciples in the boat

-Peter said, “"Lord, if it is you, bid me come

to you on the water.”

-Jesus said, “Come.”

-and Peter came and walked on the water until he saw the wind and the waves he started to sink

-and he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

-here clearly Peter is calling out to be saved from the danger of the water the drowning

-what we find as we look at the rest of the New Testament

-is that while the word “saved” us mainly used to speak of being saved from sins and the wrath of God

-yet at the same time it is also used in these other ways

-even by Paul

-just less often

-so while we can say that Paul usually used the word saved as speaking about the salvation that Jesus has achieved

-removing all who trust in him from the wrath they deserve

-bringing forgiveness and reconciliation with God

-at the same time he also, all be it rarely

-used it in the sense of saving someone from some threat or danger

-since we know from what is taught clearly elsewhere in the Bible

-that the type of salvation in mind here cannot be the one from sin

-it is likely it is being saved from some sort of threat or danger

-so what is that danger likely to be?

-to answer that it is helpful to look a little further into this 1^st letter to Timothy

-in chapter 5

-there Paul is speaking about the widows list

-and directs Timothy to not add younger women to it

-for various reasons

-then he gives this direction, “So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan.”

-what we find here is that a danger Paul had in mind in this letter

-was women being lead astray by Satan

-in fact, that theme of being lead astray in one way or another

-is found throughout this letter

-from the very opening we read of this danger of straying to other teachings

-there we read, “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.”

-so there were people in Ephesus where Timothy was told to stay by Paul

-who were teaching strange doctrines going astray

-then again in chapter 4 we read of people going astray, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”

-here we have a mark of the last times

-that is the times between Christ's ascension and his return

-that people will go astray to false teachings

-in fact Paul called them teachings of demons

-these are but a couple of examples

-but there are more

-where the warning is of people be lead astray

-and so causing much heartache for themselves and others

-that is the repeated danger this letter addresses

-getting back to that verse in chapter 5 that may help us with this

-remember there we read, “So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan.”

-in that verse we find that the thing that the word of God says will help women, especially younger women, to avoid the danger of being lead astray to Satan

-is to devote themselves to bearing children

-and managing their households

-in other words, devoting themselves to the roles that God has given them

-this helps us with answering both the questions we asked about what it means that woman is saved through childbearing

-first it shows that it is likely that being saved

-is speaking about being saved from some danger

-in particular the danger that fills this letter from Paul

-that is the danger of being led astray and bringing occasion for slander against the church

-and secondly, it helps answer what 'childbearing' is talking about

-because if it only includes bearing children

-what about single women, or women who cannot bear children for one reason or another

-but in chapter 5 that is expanded

-to include various parts of what is means to live as a woman in the pattern God has established

-that includes bearing children

-but it also includes other tasks that are part of managing a household

-probably in mind are things like we find in proverbs 31 were we read, “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.””

-with all this in mind

-we can say that likely what is being said here is this

-the way women can avoid being deceived like Eve was by Satan

-is by devoting themselves to the things that God has shown in the Bible to be their task

-not simply childbearing

-but all those things that we find as a description of a good wife

-in fact, even if one is not married

-in the life God has called them too

-they can live this way

-seeking to being living examples of a godly woman

-being devoted to family and home and managing them well

-and with that comes the danger that can open a woman up to possibly being deceived

-that is ignoring those things God has said are part of being a godly woman

-and seeking to live outside those roles

-and with this comes the directions that fit both men and women

-in the final part of chapter 2 verse 15

-for woman are saved through childbearing, “if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.”

-these are marks of a godly person

-but here they remind us that they are marks that a part of a godly womans living out the life God calls her to in his word

-who through living out her life in obedience to God's revealed will in the Bible

-bring glory to God

-and are kept from being deceived

AMEN