1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NIV) “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– {2} for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. {3} This is good, and pleases God our Savior, {4} who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. {5} For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, {6} who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time. {7} And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle–I am telling the truth, I am not lying–and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.”

 1 Timothy 2:1-7 (MSG) 1 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. 2 Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. 3 This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. 4 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: 5 that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, 6 who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. 7 This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

As Paul begins to tell Timothy how to conduct oneself in the local church (3:15), he puts prayer as the first priority (2:1, “First of all”). But Paul is not just talking about the need for prayer in general. He is talking about the need for prayer as it relates to the salvation of the lost

 1. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s plan (2:1-2, 8). Prayer is not a nicety, but a necessity. God is sovereign, yet His sovereign plan includes the prayers of His people. If we are involved with God’s plan for the world, then we will be praying in line with His plan.

 A. God’s plan involves all kinds of prayer for all kinds of people.

• “Entreaties” = prayer stemming from a sense of need. Sensing our lack and God’s sufficiency, our impotence and God’s omnipotence, should move us to pray.

• “Prayers” = a general term for prayer to God….refers to requests for needs that are always present, in contrast to specific and special needs.

• “Petitions” = means to converse freely; it pictures someone who can go into the presence of the king and talk freely with him on your behalf.

• “Thanksgivings” = this points to the fact that we must express not only our petitions, but our gratitude to God for His gracious answers.

Not only do we need all kinds of prayer, but also we need to pray for all kinds of people. In his case, this included the cruel maniac, Nero, who later executed both Peter and Paul, who lit his gardens in the evenings with Christians covered with pitch, burned as human torches. Prayer is God’s means for removing tyrants and establishing peace.

It is extraordinary to trace how all through its early days, those days of bitter persecution, the Church regarded it as an absolute duty to pray for the Emperor and his subordinate kings and governors.

Justin Martyr writes: “We worship God alone, but in all other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging kings and rulers of men, and praying that they may be found to have pure reason with kingly power” (Apology 1: 14,17).

B. God’s plan involves the spread of the gospel so that all may be saved. We should pray that those in authority would govern so that we might enjoy a tranquil and quiet life. But the purpose for such a life is not that we might be comfortable and happy, but so that we can grow in “godliness and dignity” with a view toward the maximum spread of the gospel.

C. God’s plan designates men as taking the leadership in prayer.

God wants “men” (the Greek word in 2:8 means “males,” men in contrast to women) to take the leadership in the prayer life of the church.

2. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s pleasure (2:3-4).

Note the words, “good” (beautiful, pleasant), “acceptable,” and “desire.” God’s desire is for the salvation of all men. The Lord told Ezekiel (33:11), “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live.”

3. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s provision (2:5-6) and God’s procedure (2:7).

That one way of salvation involves a mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. In order for God to be reconciled to sinful man, man had to pay for his sin. The price was death, because the wages of sin is death. But God provided a representative man to be the substitute for all other men through His death. He became the ransom, the one who paid the price to release us from bondage to sin and judgment. This ransom is sufficient for all who will receive it.

The Conduct Of Women In The Church (1 Timothy 2:9-15)

I didn’t write the Bible. I just try to report what it says. But sometimes people get upset with me because they don’t like the forecast. For some that’s the case when I tell you what the Bible says about the conduct of women in the church.

Being a Christian means obeying apostolic doctrine, not changing the message to be more compatible with our times. The conduct of women in the church should be marked by godliness and submission to male leadership.

1 Timothy 2:8-15 (NIV) I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

(MSG) 8 Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. 9 And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions 10 but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it. 11 I don’t let women take over and tell the men what to do. 12 They should study to be quiet and obedient along with everyone else. 13 Adam was made first, then Eve; 14 woman was deceived first—our pioneer in sin!—with Adam right on her heels. 15 On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve. But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness, gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this.

1. The proper attire of Christian women: not focused on outward appearance, but on godliness (2:9-10).

When a woman dresses for the worship service to attract attention to herself, she has violated the purpose of worship.

Our grooming and clothing says a lot about our values and the way we think. If a woman dresses in a sensuous manner or if by inordinate attention to grooming she emphasizes external beauty, it reveals that her emphasis is on the superficial and worldly rather than on that which is significant from God’s perspective. He is not prohibiting a woman from looking attractive, as long as she is not seductive or showy. Nor is he putting an absolute ban on a woman’s braiding her hair or wearing modest jewelry. He’s talking about emphasis. He was correcting women who went to great expense and effort to braid jewels and expensive ornaments into their hair. Their clothing was showy and expensive.

2. The proper attitude of Christian women: not assertive, but submissive to male church leadership (2:11-15).

When it comes to the roles of men and women, the Bible is clear that both male and female reflect the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Men are not superior over women nor women over men. In Christ, men and women are equal (Gal. 3:28), but at the same time, they are to fulfill different roles.

A. The realm of submission involves activities where a woman would exercise authority over a man (2:11-12).

Paul wants women to learn as long as their attitude is marked by two qualities: “quietness” and “submissiveness.”

The word translated “quietly” doesn’t mean absolute silence, but rather to have inner tranquility or peace (see 2:2). When the church gathers, however, women are to listen to the men who teach quietly … with entire submissiveness. Heôsuchia appears at the beginning of verse 11 (quietly), and the end of verse 12 (quiet), thus bracketing Paul’s teaching on the role of women with the principle of silence.

Order in the Church #3

The Priority Of Prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-7)

1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NIV) “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– {2} for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. {3} This is good, and pleases God our Savior, {4} who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. {5} For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, {6} who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time. {7} And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle–I am telling the truth, I am not lying–and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.”

1 Timothy 2:1-7 (MSG) 1 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. 2 Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. 3 This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. 4 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: 5 that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, 6 who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. 7 This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

As Paul begins to tell Timothy how to conduct oneself in the local church (3:15), he puts prayer as the first priority (2:1, “First of all”). But Paul is not just talking about the need for prayer in general. He is talking about the need for prayer as it relates to the salvation of the lost

1. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s plan (2:1-2, 8). Prayer is not a nicety, but a necessity. God is sovereign, yet His sovereign plan includes the prayers of His people. If we are involved with God’s plan for the world, then we will be praying in line with His plan.

A. God’s plan involves all kinds of prayer for all kinds of people.

• “Entreaties” = prayer stemming from a sense of need. Sensing our lack and God’s sufficiency, our impotence and God’s omnipotence, should move us to pray.

• “Prayers” = a general term for prayer to God….refers to requests for needs that are always present, in contrast to specific and special needs.

• “Petitions” = means to converse freely; it pictures someone who can go into the presence of the king and talk freely with him on your behalf.

• “Thanksgivings” = this points to the fact that we must express not only our petitions, but our gratitude to God for His gracious answers.

Not only do we need all kinds of prayer, but also we need to pray for all kinds of people. In his case, this included the cruel maniac, Nero, who later executed both Peter and Paul, who lit his gardens in the evenings with Christians covered with pitch, burned as human torches. Prayer is God’s means for removing tyrants and establishing peace.

It is extraordinary to trace how all through its early days, those days of bitter persecution, the Church regarded it as an absolute duty to pray for the Emperor and his subordinate kings and governors.

Justin Martyr writes: “We worship God alone, but in all other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging kings and rulers of men, and praying that they may be found to have pure reason with kingly power” (Apology 1: 14,17).

B. God’s plan involves the spread of the gospel so that all may be saved. We should pray that those in authority would govern so that we might enjoy a tranquil and quiet life. But the purpose for such a life is not that we might be comfortable and happy, but so that we can grow in “godliness and dignity” with a view toward the maximum spread of the gospel.

C. God’s plan designates men as taking the leadership in prayer.

God wants “men” (the Greek word in 2:8 means “males,” men in contrast to women) to take the leadership in the prayer life of the church.

2. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s pleasure (2:3-4).

Note the words, “good” (beautiful, pleasant), “acceptable,” and “desire.” God’s desire is for the salvation of all men. The Lord told Ezekiel (33:11), “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live.”

3. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s provision (2:5-6) and God’s procedure (2:7).

That one way of salvation involves a mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. In order for God to be reconciled to sinful man, man had to pay for his sin. The price was death, because the wages of sin is death. But God provided a representative man to be the substitute for all other men through His death. He became the ransom, the one who paid the price to release us from bondage to sin and judgment. This ransom is sufficient for all who will receive it.

The Conduct Of Women In The Church (1 Timothy 2:9-15)

I didn’t write the Bible. I just try to report what it says. But sometimes people get upset with me because they don’t like the forecast. For some that’s the case when I tell you what the Bible says about the conduct of women in the church.

Being a Christian means obeying apostolic doctrine, not changing the message to be more compatible with our times. The conduct of women in the church should be marked by godliness and submission to male leadership.

1 Timothy 2:8-15 (NIV) I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

(MSG) 8 Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. 9 And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions 10 but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it. 11 I don’t let women take over and tell the men what to do. 12 They should study to be quiet and obedient along with everyone else. 13 Adam was made first, then Eve; 14 woman was deceived first—our pioneer in sin!—with Adam right on her heels. 15 On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve. But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness, gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this.

1. The proper attire of Christian women: not focused on outward appearance, but on godliness (2:9-10).

When a woman dresses for the worship service to attract attention to herself, she has violated the purpose of worship.

Our grooming and clothing says a lot about our values and the way we think. If a woman dresses in a sensuous manner or if by inordinate attention to grooming she emphasizes external beauty, it reveals that her emphasis is on the superficial and worldly rather than on that which is significant from God’s perspective. He is not prohibiting a woman from looking attractive, as long as she is not seductive or showy. Nor is he putting an absolute ban on a woman’s braiding her hair or wearing modest jewelry. He’s talking about emphasis. He was correcting women who went to great expense and effort to braid jewels and expensive ornaments into their hair. Their clothing was showy and expensive.

2. The proper attitude of Christian women: not assertive, but submissive to male church leadership (2:11-15).

When it comes to the roles of men and women, the Bible is clear that both male and female reflect the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Men are not superior over women nor women over men. In Christ, men and women are equal (Gal. 3:28), but at the same time, they are to fulfill different roles.

A. The realm of submission involves activities where a woman would exercise authority over a man (2:11-12).

Paul wants women to learn as long as their attitude is marked by two qualities: “quietness” and “submissiveness.”

The word translated “quietly” doesn’t mean absolute silence, but rather to have inner tranquility or peace (see 2:2). When the church gathers, however, women are to listen to the men who teach quietly … with entire submissiveness. Heôsuchia appears at the beginning of verse 11 (quietly), and the end of verse 12 (quiet), thus bracketing Paul’s teaching on the role of women with the principle of silence.

Adam was there ‘with’ Eve

Genesis 3:3-24 (NIV) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Adam was ‘passive’ in that situation and it ‘encouraged’ Eve to take upon herself a role not intended…with terrible consequences.

God expects the man to lead the relationship.

Where is the church going? Most of us will agree that extraordinary changes are taking place in the church. Traditions which have lasted for decades have been cast aside in favor of changes that are likely to become new traditions. Questions are being raised on many of the issues that had seemed to be settled long ago.

The incredible uniformity of a fellowship that was held together by no ecclesiastical body is disappearing as congregations experiment with new understandings of their mission.

All change is difficult, especially when our religious convictions are involved. The transition that is taking place in the church is likely to be difficult – even painful – because we will be forced to deal with questions that will divide us.

Some greet current changes as harbingers of hope, while others greet them with dismay and alarm. Some changes are appropriate to our own times, while others undermine the very nature of the Christian faith. Our task is to know the difference!

James Thompson wrote, regarding ‘fault lines emerging in congregation after congregation, that “I see little evidence that we even know how to discuss the issues. It is as if we were engaged in a game in which the participants had vastly different understandings of the rules or even a disagreement about the purpose of the game. As long as we have no shared understanding of the nature of the game, we can neither face the challenge of changing times nor work harmoniously in God’s service.”

These epistles are written to prepare the believers to act when the apostle is no longer there to guide them; to equip them to remain faithful when Paul is taken from them. Thus they are a word to churches throughout history which must act and make decisions in the physical absence of the apostles!

1 Timothy 3:14-15 (NIV) Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

(1 Tim 1:3)”As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer”

The Ephesian church was on Paul’s mind. According to Acts 19, he had founded the church himself and had spent more time in Ephesus than in any other community (Acts 19:10; 20:31). During his last missionary journey, he called the Ephesian elders together for a farewell visit and sermon (Acts 20:17-25), in which he warned them about the false teachers who would threaten the church.

This is the first charge to the young minister—to be a defender of the faith. The young minister must guard against and correct false teachers:

1. False teachers teach a different doctrine (v.3).

2. False teachers give heed to speculations and myths (4:7; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:4), genealogies (Titus 3:9) and questions rather than godly edification (v.4).

3. False teachers put empty discussion above love (v.5-6).

4. False teachers put ambition and personal ideas above the truth (v.7).

5. False teachers put self-righteousness above God’s gospel (v.8-11).

6. They forbid marriage and the eating of meat (1 Tim. 4:1-5).

The situation is so dangerous that Paul describes the false teaching as a disease that is infecting the church (1 Tim. 6:4). Their talk will “spread like gangrene” (2 Tim. 2:17).

They are proud, arrogant, and abusive (1 Tim. 6:4), disobedient to their parents (Titus 1:16), slanderers, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit. They are insubordinate and factious (Titus 1:10; 3:10). Clearly, Timothy is confronted by a formidable task.

In the definitive words of John 8:44, Jesus informs us that Satan is a liar. Wherever God sows truth, His arch-enemy endeavors to sow falsehood and error. It is no surprise, then, that one of his most persistent attacks on the church has been through false doctrine.

Our Lord reminded us often of the danger of false teachers. He warned in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Timothy was to charge the ministers, teachers, and leaders to preach no other doctrine than the doctrine of God’s Word.

• They were not to add or take away from the doctrine of God’s Word.
• They were not to formulate new doctrines for the church.
• They were not to make what they thought were improvements nor to correct what they thought were defects in the Word of God.

His task was to teach “sound doctrine.” In fact, there is an emphasis on “sound teaching” (2 Tim. 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1), sound words (1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; Titus 2:8), and being “sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13; 2:2).

That familiar phrase, so well known to many of us, is actually a medical metaphor. “Sound” teaching is literally “healthy” or “wholesome” teaching. This phrase reflects the view that the church, in selecting its teachers, chooses between health and disease.

Sound doctrine involves our central convictions about the saving significance and his cross! Whenever the church departs from the saving significance of the cross of Christ, it rejects that sound teaching which produces healthy lives.

Our need to reach out to non-Christians, to maintain interest among church members, and to maintain the interest of our youth places before us special challenges, for we are all shaped by a media culture that has increased our appetite for entertainment and diminished our attention span.

In this situation, the understandable temptation for the church is to find the subjects that will maintain the interest of the people and, in effect, let them set the agenda for the church’s teaching ministry.

In a religious climate driven by consumer demand, “customers” dictate the substance of their instruction and teachers occupy themselves with meeting the demands of the clientele.

Richard Osmer: “a staggering 76% of all church members (all religious groups) now agree that an individual should arrive at his/her own religious beliefs independent of a church or synagogue.”

Paul is not suggesting a mean-spirited attitude. Paul’s goal: producing the life distinguished by love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience.

“…the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith.” 1 Timothy 1:15.

No teaching is true which does not produce faith and love. The end of God’s commandment—of all that God has ever said to man—is love. But to do this he must be totally committed…

• to having a pure heart before God.

• to having a good (clear) conscience before God.

• to following the faith, that is, the teachings and doctrine of God’s Word.

Paul used the word “conscience(s)” 21 times in his letters, and 6 of these references are in the Ministerial Epistles (1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 3:9; 4:2; 2 Tim. 1:3; Titus 1:15).

The word “conscience” means “to know with.” Conscience is the inner judge that accuses us when we have done wrong and approves when we have done right (Rom. 2:14-15).

Conclusion

From the earliest days Christians have faced the formidable challenge of maintaining an unaltered faith while they changed customs to meet the demands of different cultures.

A healthy church will recognize that changes reflect ideas and are seldom merely matters of style. Whether our assemblies undergo major or minor changes, we do well to ask rigorous questions about what it means to come together in the presence of God.

The major issues of our public assemblies – how we sing, what we sing, how we participate in the Lord’s Supper – involve theological questions about what we have been called to do as a people. These questions are not solved by the preferences of consumer demands.

Healthy churches can have vigorous discussion – even debate – as it meets the challenge of change.

Vigorous debate, if it is conducted without rancor and within the context of a search for truth, may help us clarify the important issues of our time.

Does doctrine really matter? Sound (healthy) teaching matters!

It matters not only for pragmatic reasons, but because it is true.

(2 Tim 1:12)”That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”

(2 Tim 1:14)”Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you–guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”