1 Timothy 2:1-15

 

(1 Timothy 2:1-15)

Iexhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 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. 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.

 

Paul is exhorting his spiritual son Timothy to have two faiths. First, he talked about prayer. Paul said that the object of prayer is everyone. And Paul explains why he should pray for everyone. The reason we pray for everyone is that God wants everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. God's grace is a grace that is given without discrimination regardless of race, education, status, or status. Therefore, God's desire is for all to be enriched in the knowledge of Christ without discrimination by anything. Paul confessed that he was called to be the only mediator and to bear witness to all of Christ, who became the gospel. If the gospel should be preached to all without discrimination, and if God's desire is for all to be enriched in the knowledge of Christ without any discrimination, then, of course, Christians' prayers should be all people.

In particular, Paul said, we should pray for kings and those in high positions. And as to the reason, he said, "In order for us to lead a quiet and peaceful life with all godliness and modesty." At that time, the church was under the threat of the Roman Empire. The purpose of the gospel is to pray for the rulers in this situation. Government officials are also the objects of the Gospel, and they must pray so that God will move their hearts and not hinder the spread of the Gospel through the church.

The church is a community of diverse people. Diversity becomes a powerful force when it is acknowledged in the gospel and in love. But when diversity becomes discrimination, the community will lose its power. Just as there is no discrimination in the gospel, there should be no discrimination in the church, and we must shake off discrimination in our perception as people of the Lord. So, our prayers must also extend from our center to all who are the Lord's concern. That includes the rulers. They too are the objects of the Gospel, and the saints should pray for them so that the love of the Lord can seep into the world without hindrance through them.

There is another thing Paul is admonishing Timothy to do. It is about the right conduct and basic order that men and women should have during worship. Regarding the attitude that a man should have in worship first, Paul exhorted:“I want men to pray with their holy hands raised, free from anger and strife.” At that time, it was a common custom for the prayer to stand up and pray with both hands raised. But what Paul is trying to say is that prayer is not about the outward appearance of raising hands. He is pointing to an inward and spiritual attitude when he says to raise up holy hands in prayer.

Paul is telling them not to pray with a heart where the saints stand up, raise their hands and pray with a reverent and passionate appearance, and live a life that has nothing to do with prayer as if they had prayed after the service. At the same time, do not pray as if arguing with an angry heart. The form is not important, but the prayer is to take care of yourself with an honest heart, and to live a life of purity and the love of sharing. As Paul pointed out, for a godly prayer life, it is not possible through hard work, but by always remembering that we are dead with Christ.

Then Paul exhorted women to have an attitude: 『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. 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.

Male and female have two meanings. The first is biologically male and female, and the second symbolizes those with and without the seed promise. First, in the case of men and women in the biological family, Paul is not referring to the discrimination between men and women, but Paul intends to teach the right attitude and attitude that women should have in response to some problematic situation facing the church in the context of the time. had the intention of

In Paul's heart, there is always the premise, "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." as revealed in Galatians 3:28.

Paul's teaching is that it is important for those who make up a body as a church to renounce their righteousness, renounce their desires and greed, and fulfill their roles with the right mind and attitude under the order of creation.

However, those who do not have the seed of God's word should be chaste. Paul is telling them to listen first. New believers may not yet have the seed of God. Hearing a story about Jesus Christ, even if he says he believes in Jesus, if the seed of the Word is not conceived, he cannot be regarded as having a seed. If you believe in Jesus, but Jesus' death is not the believer's death, he has heard the word, but there is still no seed. If I come to realize that Christ died for me (love) and believe that I also die with Christ (holiness), I will be saved.

Paul linked Adam and the Hawaiian story. 『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.

It does not mean that women should be quiet in the church because Eve sinned first. Those who do not have the promise of the seed should be quiet and understand how salvation is accomplished. It is to wait until the seed of the word is established (pregnancy), grows and bears fruit (birth). It is said that the person who preached the word is a man, and the one who hears the word and the word grows and bears fruit and is saved is a woman.

In 1 Corinthians 15:45, “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” The first man, Adam, becomes the one who delivers the physical body, and the last Adam becomes the one who delivers the spirit body that saves the spirit. So, the Bible says that the first man, Adam, was a type of the last Adam. In other words, Adam is the scapegoat. The appearance in the Garden of Eden symbolizes the appearance of the kingdom of God. Adam is the Christ, and Eve is a person who does not keep his position, who has been deceived by Satan because he wants to become like God in the kingdom of God.

Christ and the Spirits were one in the kingdom of God. So, in order to imprison the spirits that have sinned, God expresses them in the form of separation (the separation of Eve from Adam) through one flesh. The separation of Eve from Adam was originally one in the kingdom of God, but through the separation of Eve, the Bible explains the things of the kingdom of God. So, the first man Adam gives his wife a physical body, and the last Adam gives his bride a spiritual body. The first man Adam is a representation of the last Adam.