The Church is to be in Silence
Dear Friends,
While studying 1 Timothy 2, and examining closely a woman's role in the
teaching process, I noticed an underlying spiritual meaning to the
following verses:
(11) Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
(12) But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the
man, but to be in silence.
(13) For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
(14) And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the
transgression.
(15) Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue
in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
If we were to get out our concordance and look up the word teach, or
taught, we would find that in the vast majority of instances in the
Scriptures, it is the Lord Himself who teaches His people. I will only
cite a few verses that point this out:
Ex 4:12-"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee
what thou shalt say."
Ex 4:15-"...And I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will
teach you what ye shall do."
Ps 25:4-"Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths."
Ps 119:64-"...teach me thy statutes."
Ps 119:66-"Teach me good judgement and knowledge..."
Lk 11:1-"...Lord, teach us to pray,"
Lk 12:12-"For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye
ought to say."
1Cor 2:13-"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the HOLY GHOST TEACHETH; comparing spiritual
things with spiritual.'
It is God the Holy Ghost who teaches His people what truth is. How does
the Holy Ghost accomplish this task?
The answer is: by "comparing spiritual things with spiritual."
When we approach the Bible humbly; and utilize the methodology that God
has ordained (that of comparing Scripture with Scripture) God tells us
that then the Holy Ghost is teaching us.
You might be wondering what all of this has to do with 1 Timothy, chapter
2? Well, after looking at 1 Timothy 2 very carefully: I believe that
there is most definitely an application to the manner in which a woman is
to approach the learning process; but I also believe that verses 11 thru
15 especially are teaching an extremely important spiritual lesson for
the church of God. When the Bible speaks of "the
woman": it could have
reference to the church. For example, in Ephesians, chapter 5, we learn
that the marriage relationship between man and woman pictures the
spiritual marriage relationship between Christ and His church. God uses
an earthly institution---marriage--to picture the spiritual reality.
Likewise, I think that God's instructions for a woman to learn
in---silence---pictures a spiritual reality. Verse 11, of 1
Timothy 2
states: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection."
The woman
represents the church. The church is not to speak as God the Holy Spirit
teaches us His truth. We are not to question or argue with God regarding
His Word, but we as the church are simply to be in "subjection" to the
Word of God. The same word subjection is found in: 2 Corinthians, 9,
verse 13: "...they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the
gospel of Christ..." God commands us that as He brings the church
truth,
as it is properly revealed by the Holy Spirit; then the church is to be
in subjection to that truth. The church is never to dictate what that
gospel is; but rather the church is to be completely silent as it goes to
the Word of God. The Lord stresses this point in verse 12, of 1 Timothy:
"But I suffer not a woman to teach, not to usurp authority over the
man,
but to be in silence." Whenever a church (or a believer on a more
individual basis) comes to the Word of God and uses their church fathers;
or uses their favorite theologian; or uses their superior intellect; or
uses anything other than God's prescribed method of comparing the Bible
with the Bible----then that church (or individual) is violating 1 Tim
2:12. That church (or woman) is teaching things out of its own mind.
They are usurping authority over the man. And the man typifies eternal
God Himself. Does this mean then that 1 Timothy 2:11 & 12
are really
admonitins to the church and do not address the individual woman
believer? The answer must be no! Yes, the spiritual principles apply to
the church. But nonetheless the application applies to women believers.
1 Timothy 2:11,12 can be likened to Ephesians chapter 5: the marriage
relationship points to a spiritual reality; but still the rules that God
lays down are to be followed by both the husband and the wife (Husbands,
love your wives----wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, etc.).
Likewise, the fact that women are not to teach points to the spiritual
reality that the church is never to use "any private interpretation (2
Peter 1:20)". But still, the woman is to be silent in the church
(I'll
just mention one area that we all agree on) and not to usurp authority
over man. In looking at the spiritual meaning behind a woman's
silence---WE REALLY ARE BEING GIVEN THE REASON THAT GOD COMMANDS THE
WOMAN TO BE SILENT. Surely it helps a woman to know that she must be
submissive to her husband because her submission is a beautiful picture
of how the true church submits to the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, I
think
it will help women as they seek to be obedient to the Lord's guidelines
in not teaching, or usurping authority over the man, if they understand
that God tells them to be in subjection in this manner in order that He
again might paint a beautiful picture of the church humbly and reverently
coming to the Word of God: waiting to be taught by the Holy Spirit.
What about 1 Timothy 2:13-15? Verse 13 says: "For Adam was first
formed,
then Eve." Adam, we know does typify the Lord Jesus.
Jesus is the 2nd
Adam (1 Cor 15:45); Romans 5 tells us that Adam was a figure of Christ
(v.14). Spiritually, Christ as Adam hung on the cross----and as His side
was pierced: out flowed the blood that covered over His people's sins;
and out flowed the water of the gospel that produced His spiritual wife
(Eve) the church. Christ the first fruits, afterwards those at His
coming. 1 Timothy 2:14-"And Adam was not deceived, but
the woman being
deceived was in the transgression." In this context, remember, we are
discussing how the man (or Christ) teaches the church (the woman). Now,
if we follow God's guidelines and allow the Holy Spirit to do the
teaching (even though we know that since we are yet in the flesh, we will
still not have 100% truth; but we will have a far greater likelihood of
arriving at truth by doing things God's way): we are letting the man
instruct us; and since Adam was not deceived in the same manner as the
woman----we have a much better chance of finding the truth. Verse 14
really brings our focus to this one idea: Adam, who represents Christ was
not deceived; but the woman, who represents the church was deceived. So,
when it comes to interpreting Scripture---who do we really want to
interpret it? Do we want the church, who would be nothing less than
pigeons for Satan to bring their best and brightest minds to a summit and
decide what the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is really comprised of?
Or, do we want to place the whole process of learning truth out of the
Word of God in God's hands entirely? Do we want God through the power of
His Spirit to teach us? With no possibility of deception on :His part:
the only possibility of error resting in our own feet of clay? Verse 15
has been a difficult verse for me to understand in the past: even as I
have heard brother Camping explain it to mean that a woman is saved
through the childbearing process, as the Lord Jesus was born of a woman.
I think that once we understand the spiritual dimension to verses 11
thru 15 in 1 Timothy, we then will see how verse 15 fits into the
context: Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they
continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. We have been
looking at the woman as a picture of the church: the body of believers.
Verse 15 is extremely hard to understand unless you see the spiritual
context. The woman is the church, or the bride that Revelation 21 speaks
of: this woman is saved in childbearing. Was the church saved in
childbearing? Yes! Let's go to Revelation, chapter 12: (1) And
there
appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun... (2)
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be
delivered. The following verses go on to explain how Satan sought to
destroy the child (Jesus) and after being frustrated with not being able
to destroy Christ, he continues to make war with "the remnant of her
seed". The woman, of course, pictures the church.
The Lord Jesus
Christ was born out of the woman---the nation of Israel, in a real sense,
delivered the child. Now, 1 Timothy 2:15 speaks about the woman
being
saved in childbirth: it appears to say that the one giving birth will be
saved. The only way we can properly understand this verse is by seeing
the woman as the church: and the church brought forth the Lord Jesus; and
as a result---the woman (the whole company of God's elect) is indeed
saved. In conclusion, I am afraid to say, that we live in a
day when
spiritually the woman is teaching: Revelation 2:20 prophesied of our day:
"...thou suffererest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a
prophetess, TO TEACH and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and
to eat things sacrificed to idols." There are women pastors and
Sunday
School teachers: women deacons and elders. The Lord has permitted all of
this to happen in our day in order to demonstrate to us that the woman
is teaching spiritually; and that the woman is usurping authority
spiritually. That is, the church as a whole is not coming to the Bible
waiting to hear what God will teach them; but they are coming
arrogantly---daring to place themselves above the Word of God. Daring to
take the role of the teacher, which God jealousy guards as His own.
Zechariah 2:13-"Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD:"
Please, feel
free to share a verse or make a comment related to anything I have
written above.
May the Lord richly bless you, Chris McCann