Paul is finished with his call to prayer, but isn’t yet finished instructing Timothy about worship. In this week’s passage, he moves on to other matters. Take a peek at the two verses we’ll be looking at in 1 Timothy 2:9-10:
Paul begins here a section of his letter that has stirred many discussions over the years. He instructs Timothy on the role of women in the church.
And yet, before he talks about how women should serve, he addresses how women should dress.
He draws a very clear distinction between two realities: the inner versus the outer, much like Peter discusses in 1 Peter 3:3-4.
He calls women to dress decently. This probably isn’t referring to revealing or suggestive clothing, although that application certainly fits to our culture today. He is more likely referring to the “dressing up in order to show off” attitude that is also common in many places in our society today. When he refers to the braided hair, gold and pearls, and expensive clothes, he is suggesting that such extravagance completely fails to recognize that the inner person is much more important than the outer. Such an external display would prove to be a distraction in worship.
So what should the inner person look like? Paul explains that next.
Paul expects the inner woman to be dominated not by the external appearance, but by the inward motivation of external actions. Good deeds is the phrase he uses, although he never uses this phrase outside of the Pastoral Epistles. The greatest asset a woman can possess is a devout and godly life. That’s because man looks outward, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
And while this is specifically addressed to women in this text, the principle holds true for everyone. We are called to live lives of godliness and holiness, displayed through our actions and service.
Paul may have had some individuals in mind as he wrote this. If not, his words surely bring these people to our minds. Take, for example, Phoebe, who was a great help to many (Romans 16:1-2). Lydia displayed great hospitality to Paul and other believers (Acts 16:14-15). Dorcas used her talents in sewing to help the needy, and was greatly missed when she died, resulting in a miraculous resurrection by Peter (Acts 9:36-42). Or, take a look at the description of the wife of noble character found in Proverbs 31.
These are just a few of the godly women to which we can point. I can think of a dozen more examples from the pages of Scripture, history, and in my own life.
The lesson here is simple: the inner heart qualities are much more important to God than any external show of ostentation.
That’s where our focus should be.
Where is your focus? It it on the inner person? Or on the outer? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.