1Ti 2:8 In 1Ti 2:1 Paul stated the importance and priority of prayer for what the true disciples in the church should give themselves, in contrast to the “strange doctrines” to which some were giving themselves; in this verse, who does Paul say has the primary responsibility to pray? Note: the Greek word for “men” refers not to people in general, but to males, in contrast to the females about whom he will give instructions in the following verses. What do his words teach us about the place for prayer in relation to preaching, teaching, evangelizing, or any of the many other good works to which God may call a man? Why is it important that men lift up “holy” hands in prayer? See Ps 24:3-4, Is 1:15-16, 33:15-16, James 4:8. Why is it important that they pray “without wrath and dissension (disputes, or quarrelsome thoughts)”? See Mat 5:23-24, Rom 12:18.
1Ti 2:9-10 In contrast to the prayer Paul says is to be of first importance and priority for men, what does he list as of first importance and priority for women? Why is it significant that Peter, the other most influential apostle in the New Testament, wrote nearly the same thing? See 1 Pet 3:3. How does the temptation to women to draw attention to themselves by their appearance contrast with what is typical for females in the natural realm of God’s creation? Think about a hen versus a rooster, or a lioness versus a lion. How is it contrary to the original intent of her creation? See Gen 2:18. How does it more exemplify her fallen state? See Gen 3:6. Instead of adorning themselves with that which is of outward and worldly extravagance, with what does Paul say in 1Ti 2:10 Christian women should adorn themselves that is of real value to God? See also 1 Pet 3:4 and note that “precious” is the same word translated as “costly” here in 1Ti 2:9. What one quality of a devout woman of God is the foremost expression of the hidden person of her heart? See 1Ti 2:11, 1 Pet 3:1,5-6, Eph 5:22-24. What other sorts of good works befits women making a claim to godliness? See 1Ti 5:9-10,14, Tit 2:3-5.
1Ti 2:11-15 How does the gentle and quiet spirit of a devout woman of God express itself in the context of public worship? See also 1 Cor 14:33-37. Do Paul’s words in 1Ti 2:11-12 mean that women are not to teach at all? See again Tit 2:3-5. For what two reasons does Paul say women are not to teach or exercise authority over the men in a church? See 1Ti 2:13-14. Are his arguments cultural and specific only to the Ephesians so they are no longer valid for today, or trans-cultural and applicable for all time? When the first woman reversed the order God had established in the original creation, where did she lead the man? See Gen 3:6-7. What is the significance to Paul’s argument that the second “deceived” in 1Ti 2:14 is an emphatic form of the Greek word he used first, so that the NASB translates it as “quite deceived”? Did the fact that the woman was completely taken in by deception make her transgression any less serious? In Phil 2:12 Paul exhorts believers to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”, and in every age of the church the temptation to the fallen nature of women has been to do so in a manner similar to that prescribed for men, such as by teaching and assuming positions of leadership and authority within the church; in contrast, how does Paul say in 1Ti 2:15 that women are to effect their salvation? Note: the NASB “preserved” is literally “saved”, a theologically significant word that Paul uses 27 other times, always in a spiritual sense. What additional words in 1Ti 2:15 indicate that childbearing is no more inherently salvific for women than mouthing the words of the gospel or making vain and repetitious prayers is for men? What does this passage teach us about the importance of the traditional role of a woman as a helper to man, especially in the bearing of children, to her salvation? Is salvation ever to be found outside of that for which God originally created us?