Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
1 Timothy – The Positive Roles of Women
It is too easy, common, and disheartening to focus on the restrictions of women in 1 Timothy 2:11-12. What is not done enough is focusing on the positive. Restricting religion to what happens in public worship must never be done. If it is, women do little, even do little good (in the eyes of some), for their role is more restricted than men. Please consider that possibly a woman’s role is not all negative and as restricted as some want to make it. I admit they do not have the lead in the church realm; but the discipleship is far more than “assembly religion”; so much more. This should give women hope there is something they can do which will keep them from feeling so helpless and useless. Provided below is a list that contains many (though not all) good works:[1]
1) Teach classes for children, youth, and ladies.
2) Prepare aids and helps for such classes.
3) Teach in home studies.
4) Teach in various and diverse situation where she has opportunity. Note Titus Chapter 2.
5) An ideal situation is a husband‑wife teaching team in cottage meetings or home studies as in Acts 18:24‑26.
6) Visit and minster to hospital patients and shut‑ins.
7) Visit and minister to discouraged and inactive members.
8) Look out for the interests and needs of widows and other lonely and needy ones.
9) Distribute tracts, literature and meeting advertisements.
10) Counsel young girls with problems.
11) Write letters to teach and encourage friends, youth, and acquaintances.
12) Make contacts for preachers and others ‑ looking for prospects ‑ and keep preacher and elders informed.
13) Help in bulletin preparation, printing, and mailing.
14) Clerical work for the church treasurer, the elders, or preacher.
15) Assist in teaching rudiments of music and new songs.
16) Offer advice and suggestions for improvements and problem solution.
17) Help in special song services for funerals and weddings.
18) Transport the sick and elderly to various appointments, grocery stores, church services.
19) Assist in cleaning, maintaining, and repairing of church property.
20) Help in the beautifying of the building and grounds with flowers and plants.
21) Care for communion ware. Baking of communion bread.
22) Help in ordering and maintaining supply of class literature, supplies, aids.
23) Provide entertainment or diversion in homes or elsewhere for members, especially youth.
24) Help operate church library.
25) Provide regular devotional and Bible sessions in your own home for your family, perhaps inviting neighbors and friends.
26) Help arrange for food and flowers to families in time of funerals or sickness.
27) Take singing groups to homes of shut‑ins, and homes for the elderly.
28) Study the Bible‑in‑depth, keeping notes, to enable you to contribute something useful to classes you attend.
29) Read again Proverbs 31:10‑31.
I’ll add a 30th to the list by asking you to discover more and more what you women can do for the Lord. Phoebe was tasked by Paul to do something (Romans 16:1-2). Whatever her responsibility was is unnamed. What is mentioned is their responsibility to her: “you should welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help” (16:2).
The above is just a partial list, no doubt. Simply put, a woman can do anything that does not put her in a position of teaching and exercising authority over a man (or possibly exercising authority by teaching). “Exercising authority” must not be defined overly broad. We must also ask whether we can create positions of authority not mentioned in the Bible. I am still working on that myself!
Going back to 1 Timothy we also see much that women can do. I am convinced Paul’s point is that while men lead in the spiritual realm of the church; women are great leaders in another realm – the home. Notice the emphasis on women and the home just in 1 Timothy:
- 1 Timothy 2:15 (ESV2011) Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
- 1 Timothy 3:11 (NASB) Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.
To put 1 Timothy 3:11 in context, here is my understanding of who the women are. First a couple of textual notes:
- In the NASB the word “men” is added in v.8 but it is not in the Greek text. That is why most translations do not have “men” in v. 8;
- Translations differ as to how they translate gune in v.11: Women (NASB; NIV); Wives (ESV; CSB; HCSB; KJV). The KVJ reads “wives” but adds “must their” wives which makes the interpretation be deacons’ wives: “Even so must theirwives be grave….”
I believe the women mentioned are female deacons. This shouldn’t be problematic because the prohibition for women in chapter 2 was against teaching and exercising authority over men (or exercising authority by teaching from a position of authority). Being a deacon (i.e., deaconess in modern terminology) means a servant and does not necessitate exercising authority over men. The same word for deacons in 1 Timothy 3 is used of Phoebe in Romans 16. For example, I know of a congregation where the elders have as the treasurer a woman. Writing the checks does not require her having authority over others since she follows the dictates of the elders. Below is to me a simple, contextual explanation of who the women in 3: 11 are.
1 Timothy 3:8-13 (ASV)
A – ALL DEACONS (8) Deacons in like manner [must be] grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; (9) holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. (10) And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless.
B – FEMALE DEACONS (11) Women in like manner [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
B’ – MALE DEACONS (12) Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling [their] children and their own houses well.
A’ – ALL DEACONS (13) For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
That makes much more sense than interpreting that deacons’ wives have qualifications, while elders’ wives do not. It also makes more sense than to conclude “women” or “wives” refers back to the elders when it is in the middle of the qualifications for deacons. That would make it out of place.
- 1 Timothy 5:3-16 (NASB) 3) Honor widows who are widows indeed; 4) but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. 5) Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day. 6) But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7) Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. 8) But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9) A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, 10) having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. 11) But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, 12) thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. 13) At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. 14) Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; 15) for some have already turned aside to follow Satan. 16) If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.
There are several important notes of interest in this section:
- Widows are to be honored (5:3). The term “honor” in this context involves financial support. Think of the modern word derived from this – “honorarium.” The same word is used of men who are both elders and preachers (5:17).
- The list or enrollment (v.9) is most likely not just a list of financial charity, but support. These widows would be busy attending to the needs within the church, and since a worker is worthy of hire, they would be paid. This was also a way for a church to take care of widows who were often destitute.
- Young widows are told to “keep house” (NASB). That is not a clear translation. The point of the Greek (oikodespoteó) is not that the wife is a house keeper. Literally she is the house (oiko) despot (despoteo)! She is the head of the house while the husband is the head of the home.
- Some have questioned why women are designated with the responsibility of taking care of “dependent” widows” (5:16). This fits in with Paul’s overall approach of emphasizing the positive role of women within the realm of the family.
Hopefully this overview of the positive role of women as seen just in this one letter or book helps fill out how worthy God considers women. Just as God made Eve a helper suitable to Adam, all women today are still empowered helpers. And everyone knows how much they are needed. Let’s make sure we men show them our appreciation and help them to get busy in the Lord.
[1]”What Can A Christian Lady Do?” a tract by William Wallace
Comments