Monday, March 24, 2008

Saved in childbearing??

The last time I did my devotions I focused on this section from 1 Timothy 2.
8I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
When I checked back to see how far I had gotten, I realized that I hadn't talked about the last verse at all in this section
Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
I have to admit, I don't quite get this verse, it doesn't quite make "sense" to me. How can child-bearing save a woman? What does that mean for Christian women who can't or won't have children?
  • Is it as Henry says a hearkening back to the fact that Christ was born of a woman? And he is the Saviour of the world. And therefore we have a real part in our salvation.
  • Or is it as Jamieson, Fawcett and Brown say (e-sword) --- that it means that a woman will be saved by how well she performs her God-given duties of keeping the home and bearing children (in comparison to how men are to be the teachers and leaders in the church)? Have to admit, a part of me finds that a bit insulting. :)
  • People's new Testament says this :"Work was laid upon the fallen man; the pains of childbearing on the fallen woman. The apostle means here, that women will be saved in the line of their duties, and that those duties are domestic rather than public.
Regardless of how" one looks at it, the important part is this: "if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control". If Christ was born of a woman who cared not for the things of God, or if we as Christian women don't use self-control and perform our duties with any less than faith, love and holiness...none of it matters. Having a right attitude is very important, regardless of what we do. Having faith we learn from other scripture is what saves us. Having faith in God and in the work of the Holy Spirit in us, and in Christ dying for us. THIS is what saves us. BUT Paul points out, we each have our own duties.

I know this rankles in this day and age, when women want to do all that a man does both within and without the church. I'm not discounting the work that women can do. But I don't know... I don't want to say things improperly either. The church is NOT the world. Just because in the outside world men and women can do whatsoever job they want as long as they have the skills for it, doesn't mean that it's the same in the church. God has ordained things differently for his people, and the church needs to reflect that less it lead to their detriment.

Men take the public roles, women run things behind the scenes (hopefully smoothly). :) It's a harmonious thing. Not a separate lord it over you thing, but a smooth working using the best gifts and abilities of the people involved. That's how it's supposed to be.

YES sin interferes, but that doesn't change God's plan, God's basic set-up.

Tons more can be said, but I've got to keep moving along lest this post get too long and I don't get about "my" duties. :) Cheers!

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