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Rev. Robert M. Celeste

Wednesday June 24^th, 2009 Childbearing, faith, love, holiness, and self control. 1 Timothy 2:15 Part of the natural use of the woman series, key phrase “natural use of the woman”

Why is it so important to do continued studies on the “natural use of the woman”? The answer to that is twofold, first to find out what Scripture really means when it says, “leaving the natural use of the woman” and second, by knowing the natural use of the woman we also learn the natural use of the man. For the woman was made for man, by God, to be complementary and as the most trusted aide.

Today we will look at a verse which is so widely misused as to rank right up there with “Judge not least ye be judged”. But in order to understand the context of verse fifteen, let us read verses eight thru fifteen.

8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 9 And in like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (that which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 For 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. 1 Timothy 2:8-15

Ok, you have the context in which Christ, thru the pen of Paul, tells us that “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.” All too often all that is focused on is the very first part of the verse, “she shall be saved in childbearing”, then it is disregarded because we all know that we are saved by grace, not by childbirth.

The problem with disregarding any part of God’s book, the Holy Bible, is that in disregarding it you are saying, “Well God didn’t really mean that so I’ll just overrule Him and ignore His teachings on that subject.”

Before you do anything that stupid, bear this in mind, Christ created the universe and all things in it, on it, and beyond it. As the Creator He is the owner, as the Owner He is the ultimate Judge, and what He will judge us by is His book. Remember that Scripture “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Well, there are lots and lots of commentary and guesses on the meaning of those two verses, but I say to you judging to disregard God’s book, the Holy Bible, is what you will be judged by. So, instead of tossing out 1 Timothy 2:15, let’s instead study it.

Notwithstanding (de) she shall be saved (sozo) in (dia) childbearing (teknogonia), if (ean) they continue (meno) in (en) faith (pistis) and (kai) charity (agape) and (kai) holiness (hagiasmos) with (meta) sobriety (sophrosune).

14 Greek words are found in that verse, that is a mighty high number, so God must be very serious about it. Now keep in mind that the English words were translated in 1611 and our language has changed since then. For that reason it is always important to have a Greek dictionary handy so you can look up the word and try to figure out, using the context, just what the translation would be today.

The Greek word for “Notwithstanding” is de, it is pronounced deh and it is used as a primary particle, and it is most often translated into English today as moreover. So, reading it as “Moreover she shall be saved” or “Notwithstanding she shall be saved”, is not a problem since either word makes sense and means much the same when taken in context.

The term “she shall be saved” comes from the Greek word sozo, pronounced sode'-zo

and it means to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):--heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole. So, that certainly covers the word “Saved”, and from the context of the preceding verses we know that we are talking about a wife, so the word “she” is fine, so we have “She saved”, therefore putting in “shall be” is not a problem. This leaves us with a very acceptable “she shall be saved”.

The word “in” is translated from the Greek word dia, dee-ah' which is a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance. So, using the word “in”, “by”, “through” “because of” works fine and does not change the meaning of the verse by one iota.

So, at this point in time we have “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in” and we can find no fault in the 1611 translation. Let us move on for we are about to come to the word that causes the lazy of the world to have so much trouble.

She shall be saved by “childbearing”. Oh no, could that mean a woman is to have children? Not a career, but children, not be a US Senator but instead have children? The Greek word is teknogonia, pronounced tek-nog-on-ee'-ah and it means childbirth (parentage), (by implication) maternity (the performance of maternal duties):– childbearing. Yes folks it means a woman is saved, by being a God fearing mother who teaches her children to honor their father and fear God. It means being a mother, a housewife, a stay at home homeschooling mom who respects, honors, obeys and is faithful to God first and her husband second.

But there is more to the verse than just “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in or by being a stay at home mom” the verse goes on to say “if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”

Note that word “If”, for it is not by having children and being a stay at home mom that gets her saved. That word “If” is from the Greek word ean, pronounced eh-an' it is a conditional particle; meaning in case that, provided, etc.;it is often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty:--before, but, except, (and) if, (if) so, (what-, whither-)soever, though, when (-soever), whether (or), to whom, (who-)so(-ever). So, today we would say, “as long as” or “in conjunction with”, or perhaps “in addition to”.

So at this time we are looking at: “Notwithstanding or moreover she shall be saved in or by being a stay at home mom if or in addition to her”

In addition to her what? In addition to her “continuing in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”

“faith” is pistis, pronounced pis'-tis it means in the persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity. In other words “faith” is being a Born Again Washed in the Blood of the Lamb Christian woman/wife/mother.

“charity” is in the Greek agape, pronounced ag-ah'-pay and it means love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast:--(feast of) charity(-ably), dear, love. Charity is the type of love that causes a wife to want to obey what is said to Eve by God in Genesis 3:16, to have children, to honor and obey her husband, to want to serve him. But it extends beyond husband to her family and even beyond.

“holiness” is taken from the Greek word hagiasmos, pronounced hag-ee-as-mos', she is proper, purified, she is in a state of purity; she is a purifier: living in holiness, and sanctification. In other words she is a wife who is happy being a wife, she is living in the knowledge that she is doing exactly what God created her and ordained her for. She is not a gossip, a busy body, a woman trying to usurp power from her husband, she is not looking to teach her daughters that they should be lawyers, doctors, politicians and God forbid preachers instead of staying home and baking cookies. No, she is a devout, godly mother and wife. She feels pity and pain for those women who go to Washington, who forgo having children to have a ‘career’. She loves and honors her husband and family and most of all fears God, wanting always to do what God created and ordained her to do, even though in this day and age, that is not always possible.

“sobriety” sophrosune, pronounced so-fros-oo'-nay it means soundness of mind, i.e. (literally) sanity or (figuratively) self-control:--soberness, sobriety. It does not means she never relaxes with her husband and has a glass of wine, it means she is sane, in control of her lust and desires, and sober in her habits including drinking.

All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, is from the ACP/KJV

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