1 Timothy lesson 13 cont.
1 Timothy · Mike Doyle · Nov 3, 2024
1 Timothy, No. 38
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926193771780

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

So we are in 1 Timothy, lesson 13, which is chapter two. We're about to finish up with verse 12. And we got about halfway through the answer. The question was, is Paul saying women cannot teach or women cannot be teachers over men? The answer was, Paul didn't allow a woman to teach a man or even be a teacher in the body of Christ.

It's interesting because I looked at quite a few people's opinion about this. They're all over the line, you know. What's that? No, I didn't check her. So we looked at a little Greek here that the word for faith We're teaching for faith is to exercise faith in the aorist tense, which means faith on a given occasion, while pastuian present tense is to be a believer. You can be somebody who has faith on occasion, It's another thing to be a believer. I think that's pretty clear.

Same thing with, to render service, dualusia, while dualusian represents a person who's a slave. So one person, the one word means you render service when available, the other is that you're a slave. So, sin, hamartien, aoristensis, to commit a sin. Hamartien, present tense, is to be a sinner. Okay? So, accordingly, the word didioxii, aoristensis, to teach. Didioxian, present tense, is to be a teacher. So, that leads to I would say that the final answer here is that Paul says, I don't permit women to be a teacher of men. Okay? So question six, what kind of teacher does Paul mean then here? Hardest question of the day right there.

Let's look at Acts, let me look at Acts 13.1. Somebody else look at 1 Corinthians 12, 28 and nine.

And somebody else Ephesians 4.11.

So Acts 13.1. 13.1. Okay, now in the church that was at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers. Barnum of Sinai, who was called Niger, Lucas of Cyrene, Mahan, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.

So 13.1 uses this word in the present tense that they're in the church at Antioch, which was the big church in the early church, that there were teachers there. And a further question will amplify who they are, but in this case, they're all men. All right, 1 Corinthians 12, 28, 29. In the Church, First Apostles, Second Prophets, Third Teachers, then Miracles, then Gifts of Health, Health, Administration, Spares, Homes, and Home. Yeah, please.

All are not Apostles. All are not prophets. All are not teachers. All are not workers. But what we get out of this verse is that a teacher is appointed by God. Nick wanted the mic, but he couldn't hear a mic. Nick is like the shadow. And then lastly, Ephesians 4.11. Yeah, and he gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers. And I think I've studied this pastor-teacher thing enough to know that the pastor has that job as teacher. There aren't people that are pastors that don't teach, but there are teachers that aren't pastors.

Mike, can you transpose that and say that women are not gifted? Well, what do you think? Sounds like it. What do you think? Of men. Doesn't say that in these verses, but we're going to get to that. Well, I mean, can you be a gifted teacher but you don't teach men? Sure. So the answer would be yes, they could be. But not for teaching men, it would be for family or your kids or Sunday school.

Hey, J.D., why don't you move one chair to the right so you don't have to lean? That's okay. I'm always nagging a little bit. You want me to go this way? I think it's important to go back to where we started with a lot of these various services. Positionally and salvation-wise, this is not what this is talking about. This is talking about setting up his church. And we can't argue with that. It may make us uncomfortable in certain ways, but it is certainly the exact truth of what is communicated here and in the verses that we just read. We have to trust Him with that. You do. That's right. You do. You know, what's interesting here is that we sort of touched on this last week.

I don't think we would be comfortable with someone, a woman, applying to be the pastor. And if you walked into a church where the woman was a pastor, I would do a U-turn and walk out. What's crazy is that said woman could be far more equipped. Could be. In some ways. In some ways.

But based on these verses, the one problem that she's got, she hasn't been called to God to do that job. So you can say, well, what about Sunday school? You know, Donna just asked me a question. Yes. I think so. Sure. McCompany, if Donna was up here teaching and I was sitting down there, could I ask her a question or does she need to go wait till we get home and ask me there? That's already went through, I think. What's that? I think that's already went through between you two. Yeah, between us it has.

The point that I'm trying to make here is that look at the responsibility that it puts on the man in a marriage to know his stuff, to study, to grow, to be involved in understanding God's Word practically and how it works out in whatever role God has called you. and it also puts a big onus on women to be studiers too.

Donna's one of my best confidantes. I share stuff with her and say, what do you think about this and what do you think about that? She always has good advice. I've learned so much from Joanne, for example. I know. that she wouldn't teach. No. But, Cheryl, I learned a lot.

And we often say as teachers, as men, as teachers, we teach because we want to learn. And our ability to put forth God's Word as we understand it, and then be refined by men, is that the teacher has. I agree. I absolutely agree with that. I can't tell you how exciting it was for me when the ladies decided to have a Tuesday study. I mean, it's just really cool that they do that, and that they study, and that they do their homework, and they come prepared, and they pass the teaching responsibility around to three or four of you, right? That's really cool.

And then, you know, we ride home on Tuesday and, well, how'd your class go? You know, conversation. Well, how'd your class go? Conversation. And maybe this doesn't apply, but I'll throw it in. I learned from these guys, my kids, all the time. They point out things to me that... Somebody needs to do that. What's that? Somebody needs to do that. So... Yeah. No, I agree. Yeah.

Teaching is a very humble, it's a humble place to be, because you're putting forth what you believe to be God's Word, and making it known, and then you learn from those that you are teaching, possibly. I have to laugh because I looked at Aidan and I think, when John was his age, he used to say to me, well dad, what did we learn? And I'd say, well I didn't learn anything, did you learn? So I guess what's coming to mind is that I'm wondering, you know, that Ephesians 411, it says, And he gave some. So that's like a gifting that the Holy Spirit does to appoint to a designation. Can you be a teacher without being gifted by the Holy Spirit? I don't think so. I really don't. Look at the next question.

How do teachers show up in the body of Christ? How do they show up? Well, God calls them and He equips them, you know? And we, as learners, recognize, oh, there's one, you know? They do their homework, they come prepared, they're accurate, they understand what they're doing. And you know that—I mean, God's Word is amazing because you can't fake it, you know? you know, a PhD from Dallas Seminary, but if you don't have an acquaintanceship with not only the word itself, but the person of the word, the Lord Jesus, then you automatically start leaning legal, and you get away from the grace. So when God appoints somebody, you know, He equips them at the same time.

It's like in the sermon this morning, we're going to talk about a little bit, and have been, you know, the steps we went through that, how can they believe if they have not heard? And how do they hear if a preacher hasn't been sent? Well, who sends the preacher? God does, not me, not your church, not a group of people. It's God has to send, prepare and send the teacher, the herald, And we get away from that, I think, in contemporary Christianity.

We don't wait for God to raise people up to do certain things. And if you have somebody in your body of believers that God did raise up, then they're really effective. So I think we as sheep are always looking for shepherds. Part of my answer, God called and God equipped teachers recognized by the church as those having authority in the church in matters of doctrine and interpretation.

In New Testament times, the office of teacher was an authoritative position for communicating doctrine to believers, Acts 13.1, which we just read. Teachers are listed straight along with prophets. right along with prophets. So teaching is, you know, like if somebody joins our church and they're a good high school teacher, are they qualified to teach God's word?

They may be, they may not be. Their resume from the world does not qualify them alone to do that. So teaching in this case has to do with having spent time with a person. And that is the Lord Jesus. As you deal with him, and he deals with you, and through his word, you become more qualified, potentially, to help someone else along in life with those very things.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just want to know if we've resolved the issue, if Donna's going to teach Sunday school. Not in my lifetime. Okay. Actually, even if we wanted her to, she wouldn't get up here. Well, it was a good question because it was clarifying. Yeah. It helped us clarify what we're saying.

Well, and that does not to belittle the role of women in the body of Christ. As a matter of fact, the last three verses I want you to do, it's really good about how it's laid out that responsibility and that God has given certain people in certain environments based on who you are and what your role is, like in your family, make a huge difference. God is a God of order. You know, he's a, he's a God of, uh, he isn't a God of chaos. He doesn't want people out of place, you know?

And I think that that's what was happening with the fall of Tennessee. Yeah, I think you're right. There were very dissentious situations that were happening. He needed to speak up on that. You know, we don't have that here today. We haven't had it here that I've ever witnessed in 15 plus years, but he was witnessing that. I think so.

What about what happened to Barnabas and John Mark? Interesting. I think that was a whole other issue in terms of whether John Mark was going to stick it out or not, you know. And Barnabas defended him because he was his uncle. What the great thing about that story is, is that John Mark and Paul are reconciled towards the end of Paul's life. And John Mark was a young guy, you know.

This week, I lost a train of thought. Oh, I had a great thought right there. Oh, no, that's not it. Short train, short train. Hey, Mike, I was reminded of a conversation you and I had, oh, I don't know, a year or two ago. And we were talking about, well, we were both kind of bragging about our wives to each other. And we kind of came to the conclusion that, you know, if anyone is ever going to be a great teacher, the word of God, he's got to have a great woman behind him. Yes, he does. And I, so I think we got sometimes downplay or forget about the, the incredible role that women have, even if it's their husbands who are the one teaching or whatever, you know, their role is, is probably more important than his. Oh, sure. And, and your, and your wife needs to be, I'm not afraid to challenge it. I'm just not afraid to challenge me. You know.

What did you mean? What did you mean by that? I don't think you're right. How can that be? So, what does that cause me to do? I better go check it out and make sure I'm what I'm saying. responsibility for god to do. Oh, I that brought that brought I think it's a teacher's obligation to say to his audience, especially in the body of Christ, you go home and check out what I just said. That's your responsibility. You need to do that, and you need to check on me and make sure that, and if you have an issue about it, you come and talk to me or text me or something.

And the second part of that, what I listened to this week was that A false prophet is always a person who has the answer. I got the answer, and nobody else has what I have, and you have to listen to me, and I'm not taking any challenges. I interpret things this way, and that's the way it is. That's one of the reasons you can detect a false prophet, because that's their frame of reference.

I think a person who's called of God to be a teacher always would say to his audience, you make sure you study the Word on your own, and you make sure that what I'm saying is okay, and if you don't agree, come and see me. See, that was a good thought, wasn't it? Are there any instances where a woman can teach? Well, obviously it can teach women and girls, right?

Young children. Children. Sunday school. We don't have an age limitation there. We can't put an age. I think it has to be governed by the body where Okay, at this point, they're an adult. They're a young adult at that age level. And there's always teaching that goes on. So that doesn't ever have to change. However, when it comes to meeting in the church, you have to figure out when that becomes appropriate and when it doesn't. That's your job. Isn't that what Miles said, that there's nothing more needed nowadays than the mother and the Christian?

Oh, yeah. I mean, he was such a fan of moms. I told the story a hundred times that we were having a cake or something at the Bible study with him one day, and I think it was his anniversary. And some guy blew a lot of smoke at him and said, boy, Miles, when we get to the Bema Judgment, you're going to be right down in front. And he said, no, I'm not. I'm just going to be happy to be there. All the moms are going to be in the front row.

So I had to say, how come? He said, because they did what God called them to do and nothing else. That was a pretty cool answer. If we just do what God has called us to do, there's great glory to God in being a mom, being a dad, being a husband, being a wife, being single, whatever, if that's what God has called you to be and do. It's great. But you've got to have a calling from the Lord, and I think you do know.

I think that these verses tell us that a woman can't be a pastor, even if it was an all-woman's church, and shouldn't be a doctrinal teacher in a school, like a seminary. I remember when the Denver Seminary sent us out a thing and said, hey, you know, we're going to have—we've got this imam teaching over here, and he's working with a guy who's one of our PhD guys. You ought to come over and listen to him. So why would I want to go listen to an imam? You know, he's from Islam. I don't need to learn anything about Islam. You know, it's the same idea.

Why is he teaching there? It's supposed to be a Christian place of education. Anyway, so would it be appropriate for a woman to teach a mixed class of adults? So let's say you come to a Wednesday night Bible study and Donna's gonna teach. The Zoom people would go off. Bing, bing. I'd still listen. You know, I'd listen and see what happens. Here's a good example.

You know who Priscilla and Aquila are, right? Who's Priscilla? And who's Aquila? They're married. And she and he were instrumental in instructing Apollos, but were told that they took him aside to do it. That's like you were talking about Joanne. She always took you aside. Always. She was really savvy boy. Oh, she knew more than I did.

Yeah, she really was So last question What it but What would be the circumstances under where a woman should be kept silent should kept? Let me rephrase that What would be the circumstances where a woman should keep silent? in general? Well, I think it's just what you said. They keep silent so that they can bring you aside and take up their thoughts in a way that doesn't disrupt the order of how God has spoken to the church. It doesn't mean that they're silent. period, it means that they are silent and the organization of the teaching. But I want to hear what Ingrid has to say. I want to hear what Don has to say.

Am I allowed to ask this question? Absolutely. I don't know. I don't have a opinion. I don't know. I assume it's just in connection with teaching. I mean, are we allowed to fellowship out in the hallway? Yes. What's the underlying issue here? Maybe that's what we ought to go after. What's the underlying issue? How about in the order of discipline? No. How about in the order of authority?

I love authority. So many of these women have amazing things to say, but there's so many other ways to do it besides like, going against the authority that God set up. And even Joanna's like, sent JD letters in the past. Or, you know, these women talk to us on the side and we learn so much. It falls under the authority structure that God set up. That's right. That's exactly right.

And, you know, Donna and I have been in this ongoing conversation now for several weeks about how the world system has tried to destroy that. by transgenderism, by the woman is the leader, the woman is the income producer and the man gets to be the dad, they're the stay-at-home dad, the woman makes the decisions, she controls the money. That isn't the way God set it up. The other problem with that is it just doesn't work. It just doesn't work.

I'm satisfied being in the role that I am, that God has called me to be, and I'm dependent on Him totally for that to play out in shoe leather. Donna's been called to be my wife. I have watched him over all these 45 years, how he has trained her for that role and she's never bucked against it. When I first met Donna, she was a businesswoman with a lot of credentials. I was in the title insurance business, was one of the big producers, and, you know, I didn't take any prisoners. I'm kind of a woman.

And then we both became Christians, and then we got married, and I watched God put her under me. I saw him do it. I was going to marry her anyway. I saw him do it. And for all this time, I don't think I'm taking words out of your mouth, you're happy where you are. Fulfilled there. Why? Because it's what God has called you to do.

He's called men to be leaders, and there aren't a lot of them anymore. It's really hard. I mean, we talked to all these, you know, 20 and 30 sons that are single and, you know, they can't find an opposite sex that they can talk to or like or be comfortable with or whatever the reason is, and they don't want to have kids. You know, we have neighbors that have been married, how long has that one been married? 10, 12 years, no kids.

Got to earn that money. And role reversal. The problem with role—have you ever noticed that everything that God said that it ought to be this way in Genesis, the world's against it? I don't care what it is. He said male and female. What's the world say? Well, you can change your mind about that if you want. No, you can't. How about abortion?

A guy told me this week, and I never knew this, he said, you realize that the DNA of the baby is different than the mom's? It's not the same. So it's another living human being with its own separate DNA. So that's, I think, a challenge going forward for believers. with families in a world system where everything, the whole cosmos is against what you think is real.

They're trying to convince you it isn't. You know? I want to just reiterate something you said earlier. When you spend time with the Lord Jesus in His Word, You come to these same conclusions. You don't have to fight and fuss and argue. That's right, you do. You know where you need to fall in life. There's authority. That's his point. It is a final authority. And if it's not, then you can fix it. And how do you fix it? Come up with your own ideas. And you start working around the systems. and you start making your own law for yourself.

But when you're spending time with him, these things are not hard to swallow. Does that make sense? Yeah, it does, and I think there's a really cool principle there. I, as a man, only want to do what the Lord would have me do, and I don't really care what it is. And so, I can trust Him to go to him and say, I've got this situation and I really don't know how to handle it.

And so, you know, teach me, show me something. And then I learned that, oh, trials are a good thing. That's how you learn. And so I began to, over time, accept trials for what they really are. They're learning opportunities. Going into them, I may be totally in the dark, but coming out of them, a principle has been set.

I know that God is never going to not teach me, show me the direction that he wants me to go. I think that, and it's not a big thing about faith, I think it's a small thing. It's like what we're studying on the main service, that when you believe on the Lord, then you call out his name. Well, I call out his name all the time and say, what do you want?

I don't understand this. Here I am. I have an email that's been locked up for a month. What do you want me to do about it? I don't know. I can't fix it. Or I have a personal situation with either somebody I'm working with or somebody in my family. How do you want to fix that? What would you have me do?

And so lots of times you'll find, well, you all know, you've been around long enough that you run into circumstances you don't have an answer for initially. And so, I'm as dependent, men are as dependent on the leading of the Lord Jesus as women are on him and the structure he set up.

We have a trial right now. There's a fly. I see him. Trying to kill everybody. I already killed one box elder. You're one ahead, but I've seen this fly one, zero. That fly is crazy. Get the shotgun. I wish I had my electric tennis racket. I can zap them into fly heaven. He's a pretty good sized one. Yeah. Okay. Anything else?

Father, how we thank you for your word, how careful you are to teach us precisely and accurately how we're to function as members of your body. We thank you for that. We thank you how much attention you pay to us and how constantly you're about blessing us and causing us to grow in the knowledge and grace of your dear son. We pray in his name. Amen.