Demonstration of Faith By Women

I Timothy 2:9-15

Just as faith in God will affect how we pray, both in how we pray for others, and in our personal prayer life, it will affect how we comport ourselves in other areas. In our day many, especially girls, feel driven to appear in a certain manner, creating many inferiority complexes. Just as God does not favor the prayers of one Christian over another, he does not favor the appearance of one over another. We are not to have the idea that clothing affects our Christian life. In Paul’s day the tendency was to dress extravagantly to show superiority. Notice Paul’s instruction, given by the Holy Spirit.

“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves 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.” (I Timothy 2:9-10)

The woman’s worth is not to be based on her outward appearance, but on what she does. I Samuel 16:7 tells us, “for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” If she really believes that, comparing how she is dressed to how others are dressed is of no significance. James 2:1-4 teaches that anyone who makes the clothing an issue is himself thinking in an evil fashion.

Some have taught that this verse means a woman is not to wear makeup, jewelry, or certain types of clothing. I believe they have ignored the meaning of the word modest. Modest refers to not calling attention to oneself. In dress, it refers to dressing in a moderate or not extreme fashion. Many groups dress in an extreme fashion to prove their spiritual level, not realizing they have proven their lack thereof. They are as immodest as the girl in the shortest miniskirt because they are focusing attention on themselves. Look how spiritual I am is not much different than look how daring I am. The focus is to be on God, rather than self.

The next few verses are one of the most controversial issues of our day. Again, our response is a demonstration of our faith in God. If we believe the Bible is his word, then This is a statement of his will. If we believe that everything God does is for our ultimate good, we will accept his directions on the matter. If we resist we are demonstrating our own lack of faith. Conflicts such as this reveal who truly believe God and who doesn’t according to I Corinthians 11:19. “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.”

A major recurring theme in the book of Hebrews is the number of those in the church who have never believed to the saving of their souls. As Paul says, heresies or controversies are necessary to identify who does or doesn’t believe. Either they believe God’s word, or they do not. Even for those who are saved, the conflicts demonstrate lack of submission to the Holy Spirit, going our own way rather than God’s. I Corinthians 3:3 describes it thus: “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” Real faith will produce obedience. Let’s look at the passage.

“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, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.” (I Timothy 2:”11-15)

I Corinthians 14:34-37 makes it clear that obvious interpretation is a valid understanding of the scripture. “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.”

As Corinthians says, anyone who is really a truly of God will acknowledge that this is God’s command. Anyone who doesn’t admit it obviously doesn’t know what God wants. They believe they have some special revelation beyond what God has given.

Some have taught that women are inferior to men and have tried to use these passages to support that claim. Galatians 3:28 clearly refutes this, stating that we are equal in Christ. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” The abuses of some come from distortion of this passage.

Paul explains the reasons for this position in our passage. Adam was created first, and the command not to eat the fruit was given to him. As we see from Genesis, the woman may not have been present when the command was given, which would explain her misquoting God’s command in Genesis 3:3. She sinned as a result of Satan’s lie. She is not totally responsible

Adam knew exactly what God had said. Nobody lied to him. He deliberately sinned. It was not Eve’s sin that loosed sin into the world and made mankind sinners, it was Adam’s. The man is responsible for causing sin, and God wants man to take his responsibility. The woman who takes that position is enabling, or even preventing man from taking his responsibility.

It is no different than a woman who refuses to accept child support from the child’s father. She is not being fair to the child or his father, and she is acting pretty dumb, depriving herself of what she could otherwise have.