Wenstrom Bible Ministries Marion, Iowa Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom wenstrom

1. Wenstrom Bible MinistriesMarion, IowaPastor-Teacher Bill Wenstromwww.wenstrom.org

2. Tuesday March 29, 20111 Timothy: 1 Timothy 2:9-Paul Does Not Want The Pagan World To Determine The Fashion Of The Women In The Ephesian ChurchLesson #44

3. Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 2:1.

4. This evening we will note 1 Timothy 2:9, which transitions from addressing the conduct of the men in the church at Ephesus to the women.

5. In this passage, Paul expresses his desire that the pagan world will not determine the fashion of the women in the church at Ephesus.

6. 1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,

7. 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

8. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

9. 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

10. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

11. 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

12. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

13. 8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

14. 9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments. (NASU)

15. “Likewise” is the adverb of manner hosautos (ὡσαύτως) (oce-owf-toce), which marks a similarity between how the Christian men in Ephesus were to conduct themselves with that of how the women were to do so as well.

16. It does not indicate that both the men and women in the church at Ephesus were to do the same thing and intercede in prayer for the unsaved since the word does not emphasize sameness but rather similarity.

17. Therefore, hosautos is marking the similarity between the men and women in the church at Ephesus with respect to how they were to conduct themselves.

18. Just as the men have the responsibility to lead the church in corporate prayer so “likewise” the women had a responsibility to dress themselves in suitable apparel with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive clothing.

19. The similarity is that Paul had certain instructions with regards to proper conduct in the church at Ephesus for both the men and the women.

20. “I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing” is composed of the accusative feminine plural form of the noun gune (γυνή) (yee-nee), “women” and the preposition en (ἐν), “with”

21. and its object is the dative feminine singular form of the noun katastole (καταστολή) (kah-tastowe-lee), “clothing” and the dative feminine singular form of the adjective kosmios (κόσμιος) (koez-mee-oce), “proper”

22. and the present active infinitive form of the verb kosmeo (κοσμέω) (koez-meh-owe), “to adorn” and the accusative third person feminine plural form of the reflexive pronoun heautou (ἑαυτοῦ) (owf-too), “themselves.”

23. The noun gune means, “woman” or “female” as opposed or in contrast to men or a male just as aner in verse 8 meant “men” in contrast or as opposed to the women in verse 8.

24. The verb kosmeo means “to adorn” or “to dress” and is used of outward physical adornment or dress of the Christian women in Ephesus.

25. The verb kosmeo emphasizes outward adornment that reflects an inward condition.

26. Paul is concerned with how the women in Ephesus dressed since the way a woman clothed herself in Paul’s day reflected their values.

27. To dress provocatively or ostentatiously would be a rejection of how the Lord wants Christian women to conduct themselves and would express her sexual promiscuity and availability to men.

28. The apostle wanted the Christian women to dress modestly and to be more occupied with performing good works that are pleasing to the Lord rather than being occupied with their outward appearance.

29. He also wants them to dress modestly and not suggestively or provocatively since this would misrepresent the Lord and hurt the cause of Christ.

30. He wants the conduct of the Christian women in Ephesus to influence the non-believers in that city just as he wants the Christian men to influence the non-believers with corporate intercessory prayer.

31. The reflexive pronoun heautou emphasizes the responsibility that these women have with respect to their relationship with Jesus Christ.

32. It stresses the choice they must make between what honors the Lord and what does not.

33. What reflects Christian values and what does not and reflects the values of Satan’s cosmic system.

34. The noun katastole refers not only to outward adornment but also outward adornment that reflects an inward condition.

35. It speaks of the character of a person that is manifested by the way they dress themselves.

36. The noun katastole is used of the women in the Christian community at Ephesus and means “modesty.”

37. Paul demonstrates his concern for the dress of the women in the Christian community at Ephesus because there was a “new” type of woman emerging in certain social circles in Rome and throughout the Empire.

38. This is attested to by ancient historians who observed this change around 44 B.C.

39. Winter writes, “Both in ostensibly factual texts and in imaginative writing a new kind of women appears precisely at the time of Cicero and Caesar: a woman in high position, who nevertheless claims for herself the indulgence in sexuality of a woman of pleasure.” (Ibid, page 21)

40. 1 Timothy 2:9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments. (NASU)

41. “Modestly and discreetly” is composed of the preposition meta (μετά) (meh-tah), “with” and the genitive feminine singular form of the noun aidos (αἰδώς) (ay-those), “modestly” and the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” and the genitive feminine singular form of the noun sophrosune (σωφροσύνη) (so-froe-see-nee), “discreetly.”

42. The noun aidos is used of the women in the Christian community at Ephesus and means “reverence” which is expressed by dressing modestly.

43. It speaks of the reverence that these women were to have for the Lord by dressing modestly.

44. This reverence for the Lord, results in an attitude of considering provocative or sexually suggestive clothing, as repugnant.

45. It results in having self-respect and self-restraint.

46. The noun sophrosune means “self-control” with respect to one’s sexual desires and impulses which is the direct result of thinking in a godly fashion.

47. It is the result of understanding and applying the Word of God and appropriating by faith one’s union and identification with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:11-13).

48. “Not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments” is composed of the negative particle me (μή) (me), “not” and the preposition en (ἐν), “with” and its object is the dative neuter plural form of the noun plegma (πλέγμα) (pleg-mah), “braided hair”

49. and the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” which is followed by the dative neuter singular form of the noun chrusion (χρυσίον) (kree-see-own), “gold” and the particle of separation e (ἡ) (ee), “or”

50. and the dative masculine plural form of the noun margarites (μαργαρίτης) (mah-gah-ree-teez), “pearls” and the particle of separation e (ἡ) (ee), “or” and the dative masculine singular form of the noun himatismos (ἱματισμός) (ee-mah-teez-moce), “garments” and the dative masculine singular form of the adjective poluteles (πολυτελής) (polly-tell-eece), “costly.”