I Timothy 2:11

First Timothy 2:11

The Bible says in First Timothy 2:11, “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.” There are several words in this passage that we must look at closely in order to understand its true meaning. The first that we will look at is the word “silence.” The word that is translated “silence” is the same word that is translated “peaceable” in First Timothy 2:2. It does not mean that a woman cannot speak. It simply means that a woman should be tranquil and peaceable instead of being in an uproar or in a fury.

Paul is talking about the husband-wife relationship. A home can be viewed as an organization that has leadership. The leadership is made up of the husband and the wife, kind of like a business that has a chairman of the board and a CEO. Both individuals have a lot of authority and responsibility in the organization, but on certain issues the one reports to the other. Both individuals submit to the will of the other at various times. But there will be times when two individuals will not agree, and even though such times may be rare, when they do happen, the wife should submit to the husband.

God is not behind anarchy or rebellion. God is not the author of confusion. There is an order to things, and the order that God has put into the family can be seen by going back to Genesis. Foundational principles can be found to many things in life when we look at the book of beginnings. Paul referred to the book of Genesis, and he wrote in First Timothy 2:13-14, “For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” There was a reason that Adam came before Eve. Adam was the first human leader that God brought into the world and Eve was the second. This does not mean that man is supposed to dominate woman, but it does mean that there are times when wife should submit to husband.

As we think of the differences between men and women, one of the physical differences that is very obvious is that of child bearing. Every child that comes into the world comes by means of the womb of a woman. Even Jesus came into the world that way. There are things that women know that men will never know. There are things that women can do that men cannot do.

Child-bearing is a great responsibility that God has given to women. With pregnancy comes at times discomfort, pain, and some women have even given their lives in childbirth, especially in centuries past when so much less was known about medical science. But what Paul is saying in First Timothy 2:15 is still true. “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.” Paul is not talking about the salvation of the soul. He is talking about a woman being saved from the difficulties of childbearing. Total wellness including childbearing involves much than just the physical. It involves the physical and the spiritual. If you want your pregnancy to go as God intends for you then have faith in God, show love to others, do what is right, and be sober-minded and serious-minded.

In First Timothy chapter two we were instructed about prayer, salvation, and the husband-wife relationship in the family. In First Timothy chapter three we turn from the family to the church: specifically the leaders of the church. What are the qualifications of the pastors and deacons of a Christian congregation? Paul was writing to Timothy because Timothy was somewhat new to the ministry, at least compared to the Apostle Paul, and Paul was writing to Timothy in order to give advice and instruction to Timothy concerning some important issues to be faced in the Christian ministry. One very important question is: who can be chosen to be a pastor and who can be chosen to be a deacon in a congregation? The Bible says in First Timothy 3:1-7, “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

A bishop is the same as a pastor. The word “bishop” literally means overseer or superintendent, the one who is in charge. In order for a person to become a pastor, that person must be called by God. In First Timothy 1:12 Paul said that God had put him “into the ministry.” How does a person know if they are called by God to be in the ministry? For one thing the qualifications given in First Timothy chapter three will be present in the life of such a person. God knows how to prepare a person for a prepared place. The first evidence that God has called a person is that the person will “desire the office of a bishop.” Sometimes when we desire to do something, it is because God has given us the desire. Of course, if someone desires to be a pastor, that person must determine if his desire is coming from God or coming from himself. The existence of the desire is not enough, the desire must come from God. Some people desire to be teachers of the Word, but they are not gifted by God to be teachers. The people who must listen to them would be better off if such people found out what their real gift was.

One thing is for sure, if a person desires to be a pastor, he desires a good work. It’s a good thing to be a pastor because sheep without a shepherd will fall into a ditch. Jesus is the Great Shepherd, and those who are called to be pastors are called by God to do some of the things that Jesus did when He led and taught the 12 apostles. The first church was Jesus as the pastor and the 12 apostles as the church members. After the resurrection Jesus said to Peter, “If you love me, feed my sheep.”

First Timothy 3:2 says that a pastor must be “blameless.” Immediately we are talking about the behavior and the reputation of someone. Of course, anyone can be blamed without merit by critical people; but if someone can be blamed, accused, or reprimanded justifiably for bad behavior, then that person is not qualified to lead a Christian congregation. Every human being is a creature of habit. Someone will not change by becoming a pastor. They must change before becoming a pastor, and they must have time to show what they are really like.

It’s important that a pastor be “the husband of one wife.” Of course, a pastor will deal with men and women in the congregation, and it is very important that a man’s attitude to women be well understood. God’s pattern is one man and one woman attached in marriage for life. A man should leave his mother and father and then cleave unto his wife. All other women are to him as sisters or mothers. The phrase that is translated “the husband of one wife,” literally means “a one-woman man.” This goes beyond being married to only one woman. This is the very character of the man. A one-woman man is a man that is attached to only one woman and seeks only one woman to be the object of his affections, and that woman is his wife. Tremendous damage is done to a community and the testimony of a church when a pastor does not start with this attitude towards women or does not keep it throughout his life.

If any man desires to be a pastor, he should be vigilant. This word in the Greek is used three times in the New Testament. Twice it is translated as “sober” just as we will see it translated in First Timothy 3:11. It comes from a word that means sober, as in “not drunk with wine.” A person who is sober has his own spirit under control. A person who demonstrates lack of self-control of his own spirit would not be qualified to be the pastor of a congregation.

The Bible says that a person who desires to be a pastor should be vigilant and “sober.” The word that is translated “sober” is a word that means “of sound mind.” It is used in Mark 5:15 that says, “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.” A person who is of sound mind is in total possession of his own faculties. There is nothing weird or strange about his mental processes. Preaching God’s Word involves the mind as much as anything else. Someone who cannot think right is not going to be able to preach right.

The person who wants to be a pastor must be “of sound mind,” and he must be “of good behavior.” The phrase “of good behavior” comes from the same Greek word as the word “cosmos,” and it refers to being well-arranged or well-organized. The cosmos, the universe, does not exist in a state of chaos. It is well-organized because it was planned by the mind of the eternal God. It is interesting to note that the same Greek word, cosmos, was also used in First Timothy 2:9 and was translated as “modest.” A modestly dressed woman is well-organized and well-arranged in her apparel.

One of the qualifications for a pastor is that he be well-organized. Another qualification is that he be “given to hospitality.” All Christians should be hospitable to each other. First Peter 4:9 tells us, “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” The word “hospitality” comes from the Greek word phileo which means to like. A pastor must be someone who likes people. Of course, that should be common sense. A pastor is going to be around a lot of people a lot of the time, so he needs to really like people and like being around them. If you want to be a pastor, learn to like people; and learn to look for something in each person you meet that you can like. Remember God loves everyone in the world, and our goal is to learn how to be more of a channel of His great love for the souls of all mankind.

According to First Timothy 3:2, a pastor must be “apt to teach.” The words pastor and teacher must always go together. They are together in this passage. They are together in Ephesians 4:11 that says that he gave “some pastors and teachers.” One of the primary responsibilities of a shepherd is to feed the sheep. Speaking of God our shepherd, the Bible says in Psalms 23:1 that “he maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” Saying that the pastures are green means that there is plenty to eat. Psalm 23:3 says that “he restoreth my soul.” The soul is restored when the soul is fed spiritual food, and that food is the teaching of the Word of God. Psalm 23:5 says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”

After the resurrection Jesus said to Peter, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” The sheep are fed when they are taught the Word of God. It’s the Word of God that’s important. It’s not illustrations or stories. It’s the Word of God that must be fed to the people of God. A pastor must understand this, and he must have the ability to do it. Just as the Bible says, he must be “apt to teach.” One of the great problems of Christianity and one of the great problems of the whole world is that not enough people are receiving good, sound teaching.

The Bible says in First Timothy 3:3 that a pastor must be “not given to wine.” This is an emphasis on the behavior and the actions of a pastor. This is the same thing as saying not addicted to wine. The abuse of alcohol was a problem in the first century and its still a problem in our society today. Life is a big enough challenge when we have full control of our own faculties. It’s an impossible challenge when we do not. A pastor cannot be someone who has fallen under the control of substance abuse.

A pastor must be “no striker.” A striker refers to someone who uses physical force to solve disagreements. It means to be pugnacious. In every society there are some men who are taught that it is a normal part of manhood to be quick to use one’s fists to resolve disputes. They have been taught incorrectly. Jesus is the supreme example of what a man on this earth should be like, and He did not use His fists to strike anyone. Notice that when this passage says that a pastor should be “no striker,” it does not give any exceptions. A pastor, who is to be an example for other Christians, should not be a striker of anyone. He should not be a striker of his neighbors, he should not be a striker of his wife, and he should not be a striker of his children.

A pastor should also not be “greedy of filthy lucre.” This refers to a pastor’s relationship to material things, and the purpose for this person being a pastor. Material things are a necessity, and there is nothing wrong with being rich if that is God’s will for you. But of course, there are people in this world who have gone to an extreme in the desire that have and the priority that they have set on getting money and more money. A pastor should never be one of these kinds of people. A pastor should never give the impression that he is after people’s money. The gospel is free. Jesus paid it all, and nothing should take away from that message.

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