Paul wraps up his instructions to Timothy in this week’s passage, completing his thoughts on the role of women in worship. This also concludes chapter two, and Paul’s letter turns to leadership roles next.

This week’s passage contains an interesting twist. You can find it in 1 Timothy 2:13-15:

There are a couple of critical issues addressed here. Let’s deal first with the subtle, and then the more obvious.

Paul continues his instructions concerning women with an appeal to the authority of Scripture. He goes back and refers to Adam and Eve and the original sin, from the early chapters of Genesis. This is important, because it reveals that Paul accepted the early parts of Genesis as totally authoritative, just as Jesus did when speaking about marriage in Matthew 19:4-6.

In our society today, we have almost totally relegated the early portions of Genesis, if not the entire book, to the status of mythology. There is a fundamental problem with that though. Jesus, Paul, and many other early church leaders, and the Church Fathers for the next few centuries, accepted Genesis as literal and historical. But we’ve allowed “science” to replace God in the 21st century. As a result, we’re rejected the authority of several significant portions of Scripture. And if parts of God’s Word are to be questioned, then how can we know that the rest is valid? We can’t. To reject the authority of a part of the Bible is to reject the whole thing.

Paul asserts here that the chapters of Genesis dealing with sin and the fall of man are real, true, historical events, and that they play a part in what is continuing to happen all over the world. He stresses this to Timothy as he strives to lead this church.

Now, to address the second issue. At first glance, it appears that Paul is blaming Eve, and by extension, all women, for sin. That is simply not the case. Paul refers to Eve, because according to the Genesis passage, she was the one first deceived by the serpent and ate the fruit. Paul is not removing Adam from any responsibility in this. See Romans 5:12 and 1 Corinthians 15:22 for more on this. Adam was likely right there when it happened, and he is just as guilty, if not more so, than his wife.

In concluding his remarks concerning women and their roles and responsibilities, Paul makes a remark that has been difficult to interpret. He says that women will be saved through childbearing. Just what does this mean?

In order to understand this completely, we need to understand just what Paul is saying in the original Greek. Most English translations do not convey his words well. He says, “she will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” Paul shifts from the singular, and from Eve, to the plural, and to the women at Ephesus and women in general. Many have thought that Paul is talking about Eve’s salvation, but that is not the case.

While there are several different suggested interpretations for Paul’s statements here, the one that makes the most sense is one that ties this passage together with the rest of Paul’s teachings on the role of women. I think Paul is stating here that women are not saved by asserting authority or teaching, but by being attentive to their traditional role. The word “childbearing” is simply used by Paul as a reference to what that role is. In other words, Paul is telling women that they cannot find their identity and salvation by trying to fulfill the role that God has given men. Rather, women find their identity by fulfilling their divinely appointed role in God’s grand design.

And what does that role look like? What does it produce? The life tuned in to God’s leading will always produce good fruit. In this case, Paul states that, among other things, the fruit that will be seen is faith, love and holiness. Propriety may refer to self-control. Here again, in the Greek, Paul switches back to the plural form for women, signifying that he is no longer referring to Eve, or simply the Ephesian women, but that this principle applies to all women.

Over the years, and especially the past few decades, many have tried to paint Paul as a woman hater, who wanted to keep women in their place. But a careful examination of the text here reveals that Paul was anything but a woman hater. He sees, rightly so, that men and women are created different, and as such, have different roles to play in God’s design. It does no one any good to try to fulfill or take over the role of the other. Men and women are simply created different. And that’s something to celebrate, not cause division.

Have you ever closely examined Paul’s teaching on the role of women for yourself? What other conclusions would you add to mine? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.