Sermon Tone Analysis

*1. Disruptions in the (current Anglican) church*

In 1994 the Church of England in the UK first allowed women to be ordained as priests.

In July this year they voted to allow women bishops.

New Zealand, America and Canada already have women bishops.

In the Anglican Church in Australia women were first ordained as deacons in 1986, and as priests in 1992.

Out of the 23 Australian Dioceses, only 4 - Ballarat, North West Australia, Sydney and The Murray - do not ordain women as priests.

In September 2007 our highest court, the Appellate Tribunal, ruled there was no constitutional bar to women being bishops.

So in April this year Perth Diocese appointed Archdeacon Kay Goldsworthy as Australia’s first female bishop.

In May Barbara Darling was consecrated as Victoria’s first female bishop.

And in June Brisbane Diocese changed their laws to clear the way for women bishops there.

Who is right?

I don’t mean legally, or culturally, but biblically?

What practice is consistent with Scripture?

One of the key passages in the debate is part of the one we are looking at today – 1 Tim 2 – and it is probably today one of the most controversial texts in Scripture.

Yet for the first 1900+ years after it was written it was almost always understood in a certain way.

It has only changed since the late 1960’s.

Why? Have we discovered something new about this letter, or about the situation at Ephesus where Timothy ministered?

No.

But the spirit of our age has changed.

Secular culture has changed, especially since the ‘60’s, and especially in its views on women and their roles, and this has swept to the church as well.

So let’s pray that God will help me to speak his word faithfully, and for us to hear his word clearly, and have open hearts to believe it.

PRAY

           

*2.

Disruptions in the Ephesian church*

In order to understand what Paul says we need to look at this passage in context, as always, and especially as v8 starts with ‘therefore’.

Earlier Paul has reminded young Timothy that the message of Jesus Christ is the essence of church life.

The gospel changed him, Paul, totally and completely, and God’s desire is that all people be saved, and so the gospel needs to go out.

And the local church gathering needs to reflect this – so the things people say and do will impact the cause of the gospel.

So the letter is written so that – 3:15 – ‘Timothy will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God.’

But some people weren’t conducting themselves in a godly way at Ephesus.

And these verses address this disruption to public worship, which is adversely impacting the cause of the gospel.

As we look at this letter we know that God’s desire is still for people to be saved, and we are still the household of God.

Paul’s words here will help us work out what is the best way for the gospel to go out into the world in our times together, so that people may be saved and God will be honoured.

Some people say – well, just do what society wants and more people will come to church, and hear the gospel and be saved.

They don’t and they won’t.

Why would I want to come to church to hear the same message everyone else is telling me, which is getting them nowhere?

No – we need to tell and show what God says.

/a) by the men (in their prayers)- 1 Tim 2:8/

            Therefore, v8 – ‘I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.’

‘Everywhere’ means every public assembly, our church services, and not just in Ephesus.

The church is the household of God in every place, and so these instructions are appropriate for every church setting.

Just because part of Scripture is addressed to a particular place, doesn’t mean that it’s teaching is confined to that place.

Men are to show their faith in the attitude they have when they pray.

They are to pray with holy hands – in Judaism men would pray standing up, with arms raised and palms upturned – but here Paul is not interested in posture but attitude.

Holy hands - not that the rest of their bodies are unholy - are symbolic of clean hearts and peace with God and other people, a peace which has no place for anger and quarreling.

Our attitude to others affects our approach to God, and our witness to the world.

Male aggression is not to hinder prayer, men cannot have that attitude as they pray.

/b) by the women (in their attire)- 1 Tim 2:9-10/

            What about the attitude of women in public worship?

Paul goes on to that in v9, which reads literally - "Likewise, I want women to dress modestly..." Likewise refers back to v8 and the context of our conduct in public worship.

The whole chapter is about this.

Some of the women seem to have been dressing immodestly or ostentatiously, and thereby causing disruption in the church, and being a bad witness to the world.

The antidote?

Be adorned instead with good deeds.

Don’t try to be a supermodel, but a supermodeller – of Christ and godliness.

Don’t focus on ostentatious displays of hairdo, gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but be adorned with good deeds, for women who profess to worship Christ.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the little girl who saw her mother putting on face cream.

"What's that you're putting on, Mum?" "Moisturiser," her mum said.

"They said it would make me beautiful."

With a child’s honesty she said "Mum, I don't think it's working."

There's nothing wrong with looking good, but there's much more to you than your clothes and your hairstyle.

In fact our clothes, our outward appearance, say something about what we are like inside.

Women were to dress with modesty and decency in the public assembly, and to adorn themselves with good works.

Ladies be pro-active in doing good – what God wants people to notice about you is not how you look, but how you live – as women who profess to worship God.

Show the effect of the gospel, show what God’s grace and mercy mean to you, by the way you live, and therefore also in your outward appearance.

That is to be their attitude in public worship.

/c) in leadership – 1 Tim 2:11-15/

            Having talked about women’s deportment in the public meeting, Paul moves on to talk more broadly about learning, teaching and authority in the church, and the attitude of the women in particular to such teaching and authority.

And it is these 2 verses – vv11-12 – which cause such friction in our church scene.

Let’s try to unpack vv11-12 so we can see what Paul is saying.

The main point in v11a is this – a woman should learn in quietness.

The verb ‘learn’ is an imperative – this is Paul’s command to them.

Learn.

Learning is a good thing for women, then and now.

And the way to learn is in quietness.

Which is the same word at the end of v12, despite the NIV translating it differently, which gives it emphasis, rounds off the two verses, and packages the thought together.

What does it mean to learn in quietness?

I don’t think it means total silence.

Back in v2 Paul talks about living quiet lives – he’s not talking about all of us taking a vow of silence for the rest of our lives.

Likewise in 1 Cor Paul talks about women praying and prophesying in the assembly.

It can’t mean total silence, but as I say, a quiet demeanour.

Paul’s emphasis is again on attitude.

The second half of v11 helps us – how do I learn in quietness – with all submission.

It’s that same idea we have seen all term – in the relationship between a teacher and a learner, the teacher has authority and the learner is to submit to it.

What then will such submission look like? 2 things in v12 – firstly not teaching.

And secondly not having authority over a man.

The principle is actually the second one.

Paul says in public assembly women should not have authority over men.

One of the specific ways that works out is that woman are not to teach men.

There may be other ways as well, and we’ll think about those soon, but for now let’s keep unpacking these verses.

What then is ‘teaching’?

In the NT it is the careful and authoritative public transmission of God’s truth – what we call preaching, or the sermon.

Women are not to take on this authoritative role as ‘teacher’ in church.

(Prophecy – has to be evaluated if it is to be accepted; teaching carries authority).

Why?

Because I take it such teaching carries authority.

So how do we teach, how do we show this spiritual authority authority in the local church, in a way which is consistent with God’s order?

It is by men preaching.

Not every man – but those called and equipped by God and recognized by the church as having authority in matters of doctrine.

So Paul will go on to talk about their qualifications in ch 3.

            Paul isn’t saying every man in church has authority over every woman in church.