Following God’s Way: “Behave Yourself!” – 1 Timothy 2

 ”Behave Yourselves!” The words were common in our home growing up. My mother used the words, my father enforced the words with actions that “left their mark” on our lives, and in particular some southern portions of our anatomy! Scripture offers us in a number of places, the same admonition to “behave ourselves” but does so along with the principles that will help us to behave in a way that suits our Master.

In 1 Timothy 1, our study on the “Goal Line” reminded us that in every game, the participants must be sure where the goal line is. We shared the fact that God has defined for us the process and the goal of working together. We explored “Five Commissions to Leaders for the Body of Believers”. We saw these five instructions to the Pastoral Leader:

1. Remain in place: Don’t run! (1:3a).
2. Refrain from dropping your guard: set parameters on teaching (1:3b-4).
3. Recognize problems of Frivolous discussions (1:6) and Confident Incompetents (1:7)
4. Restore Right Thinking (1:8-10):
5. Realize how Good God has been to us! (1:12-17).

In chapter two, Paul moves from instruction to Timothy to sharing his own priorities in teaching and exhorting believers. (Note 2:1 says this was Paul’s personal practice: “I urge”). Paul shares how MEN and WOMEN in the assembly are to behave in relation to each other and to God.

It is important to identify this section of the letter with “Instructions Concerning Public Worship” (Chapters 2-3). A key verse for this section can be found in 1 Timothy 3:15, with special attention to the phrase “I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

When I was a boy, we had a brood of children that was always between 12 and 15 in number. As an unruly mob, we would have destroyed the lovely home that our parents provided. As a result, my mom made rules of how we should, would and MUST behave. The “in the house” rules were significantly different than the less controlled play we could exhibit on the playground or in the park across the street from our family home. There was “in house behavior”. 1 Timothy 3:15 reminds us that this same truth applies to the church – there is “in house” behavior.

What were men to act like “in the house”?

MEN: Paul said that he “Urged Men” – that they must focus their energies in four areas that may not have seemed natural for them:

1) They were to be men of prayer (2:1). (Men hate to ask directions!)

Note the words used for this practice, because it reveals something of what God wanted to see developed in men:

* “Entreaties”(Diasis: from deiomai – wants, desires and longings).
* “prayers” (proseuche: set aside place or time of prayer)
* “petitions” (enteuchis: an interview with, from a legal word to make an appeal on behalf of..)
* “thanksgivings” (eucharistia: to offer thanks for)

Men that gathered were to make a priority of sharing with God the longings for other men in an organized time, seeking to present the need for that other man to the Lord in their place, ever thankful for God’s listening ear and caring heart.

When men respond as a trained praying unit, God tenderizes the men and empowers the work – so Paul urged men to be anxious to pray and intercede for others.

2) They were to be men of priorities (2:2-3). (Men like to make some noise!)

In the context, Paul urged men to be prayer warriors on behalf of those in authority, in part, because it would help the community of faith to lead a life of peace. These men would not do so unless they understood that peace is something they should desire and strive for. Look at Paul’s description of the world he wanted them to seek:

* Tranquil: from eremois, a word from which we get the term “hermit”. The idea is “to be left alone”.
* Quiet: hay-soo’-khee-os, is a compound word from the verb to sit and another term for “to have a place” or “to possess”. The idea is “to have a place to be seated without being moved off.”
* Godliness: eusaybeia: to do well at reverence, the idea is “to excel at taking God seriously.”
* Dignity: sem-no-tes: from a word for “august” the idea is to be “deserving of honor or respect.”

When men MAKE A PRIORITY of having an uninterrupted place for worship and act in honorable ways before others in the world, they provide God a platform to bless their community.

A man’s man is not self made, nor self willed. Learning God’s Word is not “unmanly”. Placing a higher value on entertainment  – like bulking up one’s body so that they can successfully move a leather ball down a flattened piece of grass with lines rather than bulking up one’s spirit – with the ability to provide both economically for your family and be a man of moral restraint and one who takes God seriously in every decision of life is a bad mistake. God’s man must value a secure place to worship and reflect reverence. He is not seeking trouble or conflict – it will bring pain to his loved ones and distraction to his own heart.

3. They were to be men of purpose (2:3b-7). (Men don’t like to rescue weak men!)

a) They synchronize their desires with God’s heart for outreach and creating a place where there is a Biblical world view (knowledge of the truth: epignosis – “knowledge around” or correct and complete knowledge of the truth with all its ethical implications). (2:3-4)
b)  They recognize the exclusivity of the message, and are moved to share the truth with others (2:5). There is no alternative for their salvation (2:6).
c) They realize their place in time! God timed the public testimony of Jesus (2:6b) and of Paul (2:7), and Paul is instructing believers to pray in this way (2:7-8a).

When men decide to frame the purposes of life around the passions of God – truth and lost men – they become effective at their moment in time. They leave a faithful trail to follow!

4. They were to be men of peace (2:8) (Men love a good battle!)

The men Paul dealt with were being agitated and feeling like they needed to “fix” what they really needed to pray about and present to God. They were getting enlisted into a CAUSE, not encouraged into a RELATIONSHIP! Paul says “men” (aynayr: physical males),  “in every place” (pas topos: every collective location of prayer), were to pray without two “natural ingredients”:

* wrath: (orgay: agitation of the heart)
* dissention (dialogismos: from the idea of “arguing with one’s self”, questioning of whether God is able).

When men stop believing they can “fix” everything, and begin to sincerely commit to the Lord all things with peaceful (un-agitated) hearts, the
y start experiencing the power of God to accomplish through them!

What about the behavior of women in the context of the household behavior?

WOMEN: Paul said that he “Urged Women” – that they must focus their energies in three areas that may not have seemed natural for them when they assembled (2:9-15).

A. They were to draw attention by godliness, not appearance (2:9-10). (Women like to be seen as beautiful!)

2:9-10 In those assemblies, I want women to be deliberately wear those items that will not draw attention to them, but rather use their own disciplines to choose to wear only those things which will reduce attention to them. I want them to stop wearing the ostentatious and beautiful things that draw one’s eye, but rather be conspicuous in their excellent behavior in keeping with their profession of faith in the Lord. Note the words:

2:9        “adorn” (kosmeo: to bring to order)
“proper clothing” (kosmeeos: ordered; katastole: from a word for calm or quiet; ordered in a way not to be noticed.
“modestly” (aheedoce: with a sense of shame or bashfulness)
“discreetly”(sofrosune: self disciplined and controlled)
2:10      “proper” (prep’o: to be conspicuous, stick out)
“making a claim”(epangello: announcing, professing or representing self as)
“godliness” (theosebia: reverence of the Holy One)

When women bear out the life message of purity and godliness, the real inner beauty draws the attention that the world places on the physical form. When people love such a woman, it is for WHO THEY ARE, and not simply THE SHELL WHERE THEY LIVE. That condition of the outer woman is fleeting, but the godliness of the inner woman is growing!

B. They were to place themselves quietly under the leadership (2:11-14). (Women like to drive!)

Dr. Paul Dean shares this insight: “The reality is that Christian women are not to act like those women of the pagan world who are rebellious and have cast off authority. God is to be reverenced for who He is, thus, He demands submission. A woman who learns in quiet submission in the context of Christ’s gathered body is a woman who recognizes who she is before God (1 Tim. 2:11), and one who will receive what the Master has for her.

Part of Paul’s point is that preaching or teaching men is not a woman’s God-given role in the context of the church. He grounds this point in the created order. “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve (13).” God created man before He created woman. The prohibition on women teaching men in the church is not cultural. The prohibition is grounded in God’s creative activity. Eve was to help Adam. Only when a woman follows the Lord through following her husband, will she have peace. She will not have peace in leading her husband around, nor will she have peace in not submitting to the Lord in her role in the context of the church.

Of course, Paul makes clear the fact that women are not to be disparaged. He finishes with saying, “But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint (v. 15).” He has made the point that Eve was deceived and led her husband into sin (14). Yet, women may lead the human race into righteousness through the bearing and raising of godly children. This verse does not teach spiritual salvation through childbearing. Nor does this verse teach that all women should bear children. This verse simply affirms that the stigma of Eve is removed as women, in general terms, bear and raise godly children. In that sense are women delivered from the bondage of Eve’s sin, namely pain and suffering in childbearing. While there is pain in relation to childbearing, joy follows. Greater joy follows as women are delivered through this dynamic. They will be delivered in this manner as they live in faith, love, holiness, and propriety. Of course, that includes finding fulfillment in their God-given role.”

2:11-14 In the meetings women must calmly and quietly learn, deliberately subjugating themselves. I do not allow them to teach the Word to men, nor to be in a governing role, but rather expect them to adjust to a quiet role. I do this because it was God’s order of Creation, and because of the illustration of how Eve was tricked in the garden. In that place, Eve placed herself into a place of violation of God. Again, note the words carefully:

2:11      “quietly” (heseuchia: quietness and calmness)
“receive instruction” (manthano: to be taught in a teaching setting)
“entire submissiveness” (pas hupotagay: full deliberate act of subjugating one’s self)
2:12      “teach”(to impart instruction in the context of the Biblical teaching in the assembly)
“exercise authority” (authenteo: govern; to take mastery over; to kill with their own hands; exercise dominion over) used ONLY HERE
“remain quiet”(heseuchia: as in v.11)
2:14      “deceived”(apataho: beguiled; tricked as in James 1:26)
“fell into transgression”(para’basis: placed into violation)

When women follow in the way God intended, the struggle to lead is replaced by a peaceful home.

C. It is right for women to be blessed with children (2:15). (Women want to have the affirmation of the working world!)

2:15 The penalty of her violation would be crushing, but God offers a way to keep the weight of that judgment by offering child bearing and rearing of children, that will relieve her if she continues to walk faithfully in what God’s Word says. She will find great joy if she opens her heart to God’s love, and dedicates herself to dedicated service with self discipline.

2:15      “preserved” (sodezo: saved; kept from judgment)
“faith”(pistis: vision of God’s truth; fidelity to that vision)
“love”(agape: God given love)
“sanctity”(agiasmos: consecration; dedicated reverence)
“self-restraint”(sofrone: from 2:9 means self-disciplined and controlled)

When women apply their abilities to manage and lead in the home, they provide a great outlet for their God given abilities, as well as create stable homes. Our nation is filled with women who are in the work force because they want what they should not have, at the expense of children they have no time to raise.

God has a design for how HIS people will behave as part of the assembly. The men will be prayerful and careful, reverent and caring to each other. The women will be focused on exposing inner beauty, quietly submissive in the assembly and energetic about managing homes and raising children. This is God’s definition of “BEHAVE YOURSELF!”