It is
important that the church have a balanced ministry of the
Word of God and prayer. The Word instructs the church;
prayer inspires the church to obey the Word. The church
that has an abundance of Bible teaching, but little
prayer, will have "much light, but no heat." It will be
orthodox but frozen! The other extreme is the church that
has much prayer and religious enthusiasm, but little
teaching from the Word - producing a group of people with
zeal, but no knowledge.
A.
Modesty - modest means anything that does not attract attention.
Even though some people may live according to a very
legalistic code, they find ways to attract attention to
themselves. The clothes simply manifest the condition of
the heart. Some people take vs. 9 to mean than no gold or
jewelry ought to be worn. This is not Paul's intention as
he does not say "wear" but "adorn". Adorning is defined
in I Peter 3:1-3. If adorning is complete abstinence of
wearing, then clothes are condemned in I Peter 3:3. Much
of Bible interpretation is common sense.
B.
Purity
- She "professes godliness." Godliness is one of Paul's
favorite words; (see 2:2,10, 3:16;4:7-8; 6:3,5,6,11; 2
Tim. 3:5; Titus 1:1). Of course, godliness is simply a
shortened form of "godlikeness."
C.
Industry
- She
practices good works (vs. 10). Later in this letter
(5:11-14) Paul warns about idle women who wander from
house to house and give Satan opportunity to lead them
into sin. The best way for a Christian woman to preach is
with her life (see I Pet. 3:1-3, where Peter tells
Christian wives how to win their lost husbands to
Christ).
D.
Humility - In (I Cor. 14:34-40), Paul amplifies this
commandment. Just as Satan got a footing in Eden through
Eve, so he often gets a footing in the local church
through some sincere, misguided woman. It is significant
that women have played a big role in the false cults
(Adventists, Christian Science, Theosophy, I Am Cult,
etc.) as well as in Pentecostal movement. When the local
church meets in assembly, it must the woman's place to
sit in humble silence and listen prayerfully. If she has
any questions, she should ask her husband at home. (The
tragedy is, too many of the husbands are at home and not
in church!) This rule does not prevent a woman from
teaching women or children.
Paul under
girds this ruling with a solid doctrinal foundation: Adam
was created first and had precedence over Eve. (See I
Cor. 11:8-9). Headship is written into the very course of
nature; and when man violates this principle, chaos is
always the result. The Corinthian church was confused and
carnal partly because the women were taking precedence
over the men!
Paul gives a
second reason for this principle: Satan finds it easier
to deceive women than men (14, and see II Cor. 11:3). Eve
was deceived by Satan and sinned; but Adam sinned with
his eyes open. Adam had to choose between loving God or
being with his wife; and he chose deliberately to be with
his wife as a sinner. In this respect Adam is a picture
of Christ, the Last Adam (I Cor. 15:45): because He loved
sinners, he willingly laid aside His glory and became sin
for us (Phil. 2:5-8).
Ladies
remember, your greatest weapon is prayer not
arguments!
"Saved in
childbearing" - saved from what? The context implies
saved from deception. It is amazing how much wiser a
woman gets after she has had children.
