As Paul continues his encouragement to Timothy, he gives practical advice for Timothy’s specific context. First, Paul gives some of the best advice we’d all be wise to heed –“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them” (2:1). What might this world look like if we all actually did this? Prayed for all people, asked God to help them, and gave thanks for them.

Then, Paul moves onto situation-specific advice that is often (often!) used out of context. He instructs men to pray in a specific way, and he instructs women similarly. The piece pulled out of context is always Paul’s instruction about women in church. Here’s what’s important – Paul is giving Timothy instructions about both men and women and how they worship.

In this context, the call for women to dress modestly was important. Imagine if I showed up to regular weekend worship in a ballgown and a lavish crown. It’d be a little distracting, right? Certainly! Of course, I’d still be welcome, and Jesus certainly wouldn’t judge me, but it would distract others from actually participating in church. (Similarly, if the men prayed in anger, that would be distracting, too.)

Then we get to 2:11-15. Again, in this context, Paul’s instructions make sense. But taken out of context, and applied word-for-word to our context, it seems that Paul is for the subjugation of women. He’s not; Paul has commended women and invited them to his ministry on multiple occasions, just as Jesus did. Paul is speaking to a specific context and ‘good order’ in this church and society. It would be accurate to conclude that Paul wants both males and females to worship and learn together in ways that do not distract from the Gospel, but instead offer love and holiness in their worship.

Questions for reflection: 

  1. Who can you pray for today? Ask God to help them, and give thanks for them.
  2. Spend a couple of minutes reading John 4:1-39. Jesus went out of his way and broke down cultural barriers to spend time with the woman at the well. What does Jesus teach us about including women in his work?
  3. What gets in the way of our worship, whether we’re sitting in church Sunday or simply our daily worship? What things, people, or thoughts easily distract you from simply being with God?