The Grace Notes devotions in 2024 are based on verses from 1 Timothy. Each devotion includes Greek, pastoral ministry notes, and prayer.

We outline this section:

• Verse 8: What men must do and not do
• Verses 9 and 10: What women must do and not do
• Verses 11 and 12: A principle about authority and an application in teaching
• Verse 13: The basis in God’s order of creation
• Verse 14: The illustration of Eve’s breaking of that order
• Verse 15: The blessed role of women

⁸ Βούλομαι οὖν προσεύχεσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμοῦ.  ⁹ ὡσαύτως καὶ γυναῖκας ἐν καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ σωφροσύνης κοσμεῖν ἑαυτάς, μὴ ἐν πλέγμασιν καὶ χρυσίῳ ἢ μαργαρίταις ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ,  ¹⁰ ἀλλʼ ὃ πρέπει γυναιξὶν ἐπαγγελλομέναις θεοσέβειαν, διʼ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν.  ¹¹ γυνὴ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ μανθανέτω ἐν πάσῃ ὑποταγῇ·  ¹² διδάσκειν δὲ γυναικὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπω, οὐδὲ αὐθεντεῖν ἀνδρός, ἀλλʼ εἶναι ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ.  ¹³ Ἀδὰμ γὰρ πρῶτος ἐπλάσθη, εἶτα Εὕα·  ¹⁴ καὶ Ἀδὰμ οὐκ ἠπατήθη, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἐξαπατηθεῖσα ἐν παραβάσει γέγονεν.  ¹⁵ σωθήσεται δὲ διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας, ἐὰν μείνωσιν ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ καὶ ἁγιασμῷ μετὰ σωφροσύνης.  ^[1]

⁸ Βούλομαι οὖν προσεύχεσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμοῦ.

The Apostle Paul issues a command, using the language of desire. Paul “wants” men to serve as leaders, wherever and whenever God’s people gather as members of his church. Men are to raise holy hands in prayer, responding to God’s word and requesting his blessings. Their requests naturally will include the forgiveness and the power they need to offer their hands in holy service to him. Men must resist their sinful inclination towards anger (ὀργῆς) and rational disputes (διαλογισμοῦ). This calls for careful instruction, always; at times, pastors need to admonish men and call them to repentance. Dear pastor, may God bless your ongoing efforts to guide and equip the men in your congregation to be dedicated men of prayer!

 ⁹ ὡσαύτως καὶ γυναῖκας ἐν καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ σωφροσύνης κοσμεῖν ἑαυτάς, μὴ ἐν πλέγμασιν καὶ χρυσίῳ ἢ μαργαρίταις ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ,  ¹⁰ ἀλλʼ ὃ πρέπει γυναιξὶν ἐπαγγελλομέναις θεοσέβειαν, διʼ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν.

The Apostle Paul wants (commands) women to adorn (κοσμεῖν) themselves in such a way that their appearance (καταστολῇ) is modest/respectable/honorable (κοσμίῳ). They are to do this μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ σωφροσύνης—with reserve/modesty and discretion/self-control/decency. The inner attitudes of godly women will be evident in their appearance and behavior. For them the pursuit of good works (i.e., a life of service to the Lord) is more important than the pursuit of outward beauty (e.g., elaborate hairstyles, shiny jewelry, and costly clothes). The motivation for women to adorn themselves with good works is their faith in God. They are women who have professed (ἐπαγγελλομέναις) their reverence for God (θεοσέβειαν—a hapax). In their appearance, attitudes, and values, godly women will go against the inclination of sinful human nature; in many settings this may also mean being countercultural. Dear pastor, may God bless your ongoing efforts to equip the women in your congregation to adorn themselves with good works!

¹¹ γυνὴ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ μανθανέτω ἐν πάσῃ ὑποταγῇ·  ¹² διδάσκειν δὲ γυναικὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπω, οὐδὲ αὐθεντεῖν ἀνδρός, ἀλλʼ εἶναι ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ. 

“In stillness/quietness” (ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ) and “in all submission” (ἐν πάσῃ ὑποταγῇ) describe the way in which Christian women will learn in a Christian congregation. That posture in learning is an application of a greater principle: men are to exercise authority in the church. Women willingly place themselves under the leadership of godly men, despite the weaknesses and flaws that might remain in those leaders. Believing women pray for their leaders and encourage them to be growing in their ability to proclaim God’s word with their words and actions. Speaking with apostolic authority, Paul makes this application: “I do not permit (ἐπιτρέπω) a woman to teach or have authority over a man, but to remain in quietness.” The basis for this principle about authority and this application in teaching, stated in the next verse, is God’s created order.

¹³ Ἀδὰμ γὰρ πρῶτος ἐπλάσθη, εἶτα Εὕα· 

God formed Adam first. Then he formed Eve. Embedded in this temporal sequence is God’s design for leadership/headship for men, and his design for following/helper-ship for women. This was God’s design for men and women in a perfect world; it is also his design for mankind after the fall. Women teaching men is one way for churches to lose the principle of male headship, founded on God’s order of creation.

¹⁴ καὶ Ἀδὰμ οὐκ ἠπατήθη, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἐξαπατηθεῖσα ἐν παραβάσει γέγονεν.

This verse serves as an illustration of God’s order of creation being ignored. Eve led instead of Adam. She was deceived. She came to be in transgression/became a transgressor. In this sinful world, surely there are countless examples of male leadership gone bad, and many people struggle with God’s design for the roles of men and women. But the Lord, who is making all things new (Rev 21:5), changes the hearts of men and women, so that they joyfully and faithfully fulfill the roles he has designed for them.

 ¹⁵ σωθήσεται δὲ διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας, ἐὰν μείνωσιν ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ καὶ ἁγιασμῷ μετὰ σωφροσύνης. 

Paul ends with a positive description of the role of women: their service among the people of God is extremely valuable. Through Eve “the Seed of the woman” would come into the world and destroy the work of the devil. The daughters of Eve are blessed as they carry out God’s purposes for them “in faith, in love, and in holiness, with sound judgment.” In a world where so many voices have something to say about where the worth and value of women are to be found, the word of the Lord stands. The Lord loves them and blesses them—and others through them—when they live by faith. Shaped by the word of the Lord, women of faith continue to display dedication to the Lord. With the discernment of the Spirit and with faith in Jesus, they live holy lives to the glory of God, serving with the gifts that the Lord has given them. Pastors and all leaders in the church will give joyful thanks for their faith and love—lives characterized by holiness and sound judgment. Dear pastor, raise holy hands in prayer, asking God to make you the best spiritual shepherd you can be, for the benefit of his holy people. Have confidence in God’s word and proclaim it with humble strength.

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thanks and praise be to you for all your good gifts to us. Continue to send us your Holy Spirit. Give our pastors and church leaders a spirit of humility, wisdom, and love. Keep the men and women of our congregations in the saving faith and enable them to run joyfully in the paths of your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

P.S. For further reading, I recommend Pres. emeritus David Valleskey’s recent book, The Splendid Task of the Ministry: A Pastoral Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles (NPH, 2023). In connection with 1 Tim 2:8–15, I appreciated especially his practical insights about the need for pastors to exercise sound judgment, about the interdependent relationship between men and women that is a part of God’s design from the beginning, about providing opportunities for women to serve in the congregation, and about the prayerful and gospel-centered applications of these biblical principles in our lives.

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^[1] Holmes, M. W. (2011–2013). The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition (1 Ti 2:8–15). Lexham Press; Society of Biblical Literature.