生命之道

Category: 提摩太前书

  • What must you do to be a good servant of Christ Jesus?

    What must you do to be a good servant of Christ Jesus?

    Preached on November 8, 2022 in Dallas Theological Seminary.

    Introduction

    In 1967, a young man graduated from DTS at age 26. He returned back to his hometown to teach in a bible college for a few years. And then, he was called to be the pastor of a Baptist church in Chicago. It was a large church. After a few years of ministry, he became weary of the many details and responsibilities expected of a pastor. His wife thought they were too young and unqualified for the role.

    Pastoral ministry is tough. You are expected to teach and preach weekly in various situations. If preparing for three sermons is tough in a preaching course, think about how much tougher it will be to prepare for sermons, or bible study or devotion every week. You are expected to work with, learn from, and care for the elders, the deacons, and various ministries leaders. You are expected to shepherd the people under your care, be it a small group, a man’s group, a youth group, or even the entire congregation if it is a small church. No matter how much you try to do your best, somebody will criticize you for not doing enough.

    Pastoral ministry is tough. The Barna group, the famous evangelical polling firm, had a survey and March 2022 on pastors with this question, “Have you given real, serious consideration to quitting being in full-time ministry within the last year?” 42% answered yes. Up from 29% in 2021. And then, the survey asked, “what is the reason they considered quitting full-time pastoral ministry?” 59% answered, “the immense stress of the job.” The survey also asked the pastors who have not considered quitting full-time ministry this question, “what is the factor that has negatively impacted your ability to lead at the church?” The number one reason is “the immense stress of the job.”

    Pastoral ministry is tough, and it is even tougher when you are young and inexperienced in life and ministry. They are many needs in the church that will demand your time and energy. There are programs to run, events to host, marriage issues to counsel, sick people to visit, children to care for, church politics to navigate, and senior pastors and elders to submit. Are you worried? Will you be frightened? Will you be able to handle the pressure? Are you prepared? What do you need to focus your energy on as a pastor?

    The subject I want to talk to you about is “What must you do to be a good servant of Christ Jesus?” Again, “What must you do to be a good servant of Christ Jesus?” Why do I choose a good servant of Christ Jesus? Because that is what a pastor is, a good servant of Christ Jesus. Because it was what Paul told the young Timothy to be in 1 Timothy 4:6. Looks at 1 Timothy 4:6 with me. “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus.” Therefore, I will be sharing with you what I learned by studying the two letters from Paul to the young preacher, Timothy, when I was preparing for this sermon. We will be looking at three texts today. All of them are in 1 and 2 Timothy. They are 1 Tim 4, 2 Tim 2, and 2 Tim 4. We will look at three principles of how to be a good servant of Jesus Christ based on the two letters from Paul to Timothy.

    Body

    First Principle: Receive your strength by grace in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 2:1)

                First thing first. What is the most important principle for a good servant of Christ Jesus? It is to receive strength by grace that is in Christ Jesus. I get this principle from 2 Tim 2:1. Please look at 2 Tim 2:1 with me. It reads, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

    The first thing this verse tells us is our strength ought not to come from ourselves but from the Lord Jesus Christ. Pastoral ministry demands a lot of strength from us. If you serve with your own strength, you will be weary eventually. If you serve with your own power, you will eventually feel powerless. If you serve by drawing from your own well, you will eventually be dry as the desert. If you serve by drawing from the deep well of Christ, you will never be dry. You need to be constantly connected to the power source, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you serve with your own strength, you will be like mowing a lawn with a small manual hand-push lawnmower. If you serve with the strength from Christ, you will be like mowing a lawn with super powerful diesel power, riding lawn mover. Our strength ought not to come from ourselves but from the Lord Jesus Christ.

    The second thing I learned from this verse is we need to be strengthened by Christ continuously, all the time. Paul used a present passive imperative here. Present tense means we not only need Christ’s strength on Sunday when we preach, we need Christ’s strength on Monday when we rest. We need Christ’s strength on Tuesday when you prepare the next sermon. We need Christ’s strength on Wednesday when we visit the people under our care. We need Christ’s strength continuously, all the time.

    The third thing I learned from this verse is we need to be in a posture to receive strength from Christ by grace. The verb “be strengthened” is a passive verb. Christ is active in this power-generating process. Christ wants to empower you to serve Him! All you need to do is to be in a posture to receive strength from Christ. If Christ wants to empower you, it does you no good when you are not in a posture to receive His strength. It is by grace. It is not something we earn but something we receive from Christ. A good preacher knows how to be in a posture to receive strength from Christ by grace.

    Where did Paul get his enormous strength to preach, to serve, and to face challenges faithfully in ministry? Paul knows how to be in a posture to receive strength from Christ. Look at 1 Tim 1:12 with me. 1 Tim 1:12 reads, “I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service.” Paul thanks the Lord Christ Jesus because it was Christ who supplied the strength to Paul so that Paul could be faithful to his calling. Now I want us to look at the end of 2 Timothy. 2 Tim 4:17 reads, “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” Again, Christ is active in the strengthening process. Paul knew to be in the posture to receive strength from Christ by grace.

    A young preacher who was mightly used by God in the mid-19th century Scottland is Robert Murray M’Cheyne. Although young, he preached powerful sermons and lived a godly life for Christ. His biographer, Andrew Bonar, wrote this about M’Cheyne, “he must first see the face of God before he could undertake any duty.” The young Robert Murray M’Cheyne knew to be in the posture to receive the strength from Christ by grace to serve His church.

    How about you? Are you in a continuous posture to receive strength from Christ by grace? No matter how busy you are, you need to make your relationship with Christ your first priority in life. If you developed the habit of drawing from your own strength to write sermon outlines and manuscripts now, to do research, to crank out papers, what is preventing you from drawing from the same power in ministry? I read an article today. If you want to care for your aging parents, you need to care for yourself first. If you want to provide soul care for others, you need to care for yourself first. If you constantly draw from your own strength, you will grow weary in ministry, and you will be burned out. The air plan safety emergency plan always tells you to put on your oxygen mask first before you can help others. The Lord Jesus is your oxygen mark. Jesus is your spiritual air supply. Without air, you will die very quickly. You need to slow down in seminary. Take a deep breath. Spend some quiet, quality time alone with the power source. Make sure you see the face of Christ first before you see the face of man. Learn from Paul, Timothy, and Robert Murray M’Cheyne. Be in a continuous posture to receive strength from Christ by grace.

    Second Principle: Live the Word Faithfully (1 Tim 4:6-8)

                Once you are in the continuous posture to receive the strength by grace from Christ, you will have the power to live the word faithfully. The second principle of a good servant of Christ Jesus is to live the word faithfully. Please look at 1 Timothy 4:6-8. 1 Timothy 4:6-8 reads, “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

                Paul instructed Timothy in order to be a good servant of Christ Jesus, he needs to focus on training himself for godliness. It means to live a godly, sanctified, holy life. It means to live the word that he preached. It means to apply the Scriptures first to ourselves first before we apply to others. John Calvin said, “It would be better for him to break his neck going up into the pulpit if he does not take pains for him to first follow God.”

    Paul gave the reason why preachers need to train for godliness. It is because God gave premises to godly people in this life and the life to come. As a preacher, we do not only preach the word faithfully; we need to live the word faithfully. We are not only called to deliver the word of God with our mouths; we are called to deliver the word of God with our life. Your life is to be an example for the flocks of God. Please look at verse 12 with me. 1 Timothy 4:12 reads, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Do you see this, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example!”.

                How do you live the word faithfully? We need to train for godliness. Paul used this illustration of bodily training to help us to understand this spiritual truth. He compares spiritual exercise with physical exercise. In the physical realm, if you want your weak bicep to be stronger, you train for it. You go to a gym, you lift weights, starting from lighter weights. You break the bicep muscle down so that it can be rebuilt into stronger muscle. And then you add more weight to your training. It is similar in the spiritual realm. If you want godliness in your speech, you train for it. You speak edifying words to your classmates. And then you add more weight to your training. You speak encouraging words for your friends and family to lift them up, to point them to Christ. If you want godliness in your love, you train for it. You start to pay attention to the needs of the people God has put into your life. And then you add more weight. You can show the love of Christ by sincerely asking how they are doing and offering to pray for them. If you want godliness in your purity, you train for it. You start to take an inventory of movies that you watch or websites that you visit that are affecting your purity for Christ. And then you add more weight. You can make a commitment to Christ that you will keep your purity for your future spouse for the glory of God. Think about one weak area in your spiritual life, and train for it, starting now.

    I read an interesting article lately. It says some people are addicted to exercise. But I think the issue for most people is not addiction to exercise. The issue for most people is we do not exercise enough, physically and spiritually. We like to parse the verb for apagao, but we don’t want to train to love our neighbors. To be a good servant of Christ Jesus, we need to train for godliness.

    Third Principle: Preach the Word Faithfully (2 Tim 4:1-5)

                Living the word faithfully will give you the ethos, or the credibility, to preach the word faithfully. The third principle of being a good servant of Christ Jesus is to preach the word faithfully. When I hear preach the word, my heartbeats rise up. I think you all may feel the same as me. After all, this is an advanced preaching course. You do not have to do this, but you choose it. After all, this is why we are here at DTS, right? What is the motto of DTS? κήρυξον τὸν λόγον, preach the word! This verse is from 2 Timothy 4:2. Let go there with me. I like to read 2 Timothy 4:1-5 for us. “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

    A full exposition of this passage will require another sermon. I just want to point out one thing, some people do not like sound teaching, they have itching ears, and we will be tempted to preach to please men instead of to please God. Alistair Begg said this in his recent sermon, some people will come to church with this thinking, “tell me lies, tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies.” Chuck Swindoll said something like this at the most recent chapel. He was fired up in the sermon, “there is a famine in the land, and people are hungry, feast on the word and lavishly serve the banquet of God’s Word to God’s people.”

    You will be tempted to water down the word of God. You will be tempted to focus on other things in ministry. Commit to κήρυξον τὸν λόγον, preach the word! Write it down in your bible. To be a good servant of Jesus Christ, you need to commit to preaching the word faithfully.

    Conclusion

                The young DTS graudate in 1967 was Erwin Lutzer. To prepare for this sermon, I read his autobiography, “He Will Be The Preacher: The Story of God’s Providence in My Life.” It was a fascinating read. When facing pressure from pastoral ministry, he received his strength from the Lord by grace, lived the word, and preached the word faithfully. The testimony of his life is that God used him mightily as senior pastor for the Moody Church for 35 years. Imagine if you faithfully obey these principles from the Word of God, how you can be a good servant of Crist Jesus, and how God will mightily use you for His glory in your life and ministry.

  • 提摩太前书概要大纲

    提摩太前书概要大纲

    主题

    一个神的仆人在神的家中当怎样行

    分段

    1. 引言(一1~2)
    2. 教会中的真假工人(一3~二7)：
      1. 假工人的危险(一3~11)
      2. 真工人的见证(一12~17)
      3. 真工人劝勉青年同工持守信心和无亏的良心打美好的仗(一18~20)：
    3. 教会的正常生活、行政和见证(二1~三16)：
      1. 为万人和一切在位的祷告(二1~8)
      2. 姊妹的见证(二9~15)
      3. 教会正常行政所该注意的人选(三1~13)：
        1. 监督的资格(三1~7)
        2. 执事的资格(三8~13)
      4. 教会正常见证所该有的光景(三14~16)
    4. 如何作基督的好执事(四1~六21上)：
      1. 防备离弃真道的人和鬼魔的道理(四1~5)
      2. 要在敬虔上操练自己并教导别人(四6~11)
      3. 要在言语、行为等各方面作信徒的榜样(四12~16)
      4. 要懂得如何劝勉、教导各种不同的人和情况(五1~六10，17~19)：
        1. 对不同年龄和性别的人(五1~2)
        2. 对寡妇和她们的家人(五3~16)
        3. 对长老和传道人(五17~25)
        4. 对作仆人的(六1~2)
        5. 对传异端和贪财的人(六3~10)
        6. 对富足的人(六17~19)
      5. 要为真道打那美好的仗(六11~16)
      6. 要保守所托付的真道(六20~21上)
    5. 结语(六21下)

    背景

    1. 保罗第一次在罗马被监禁两年后，约于主后62年便获得释放，随即到亚西亚一带看望教会。可能经过革哩底再到歌罗西，而后到以弗所，发现当地的教会已如他所料(徒二十29～30)，有人作教师，却有许多错误的教导，导致教会有不正常的情况出现：
      1. 有人来传异教(一1）
      2. 讲说荒渺无凭的话语、和无穷的家谱(一3)
      3. 对律法有错误的教导（一8）
      4. 弟兄忽略了祷告（二8）
      5. 姊妹过于注重外表，忽略了生命的见证（二9）
      6. 教会有不合神心意的长老和执事（三章1~13）
      7. 有人离弃真道，听从引诱人的邪灵和鬼魔的道理(四1)
      8. 有人禁止嫁娶，又禁戒食物(四3)
      9. 这些人自高自大，一无所知，却专好问难和争辩言词(六4)
      10. 甚至有人以敬虔为得利的门路(六5)
    2. 所以保罗把提摩太留下来处理这些问题，自己继续前往马其顿(一3)，并且在那裡他写了这封信，教导年青的提摩太在神的家中当怎样行。

    钥字

    1. 真道、正道、纯正的道理、善道、信仰(提前一10，19；二4，7；三9，13；四1，3，6；五8；六10，12，20，21)
    2. 敬虔(提前二2；三16；四7，8；六3，5，6，11)
    3. 教义、善道、教导、教训、道理（一9~10，四6，13，16，六1，3）
    4. 嘱咐（一3，5，11，18，四11，五7，21，六13，17，20）

    工人、长老和教会

    1. 早期教会的组织非常简单，使徒作信徒的带领
      1. 他们天天同心合意恒切的在殿裡，且在家中擘饼，存着欢喜诚实的心用饭，讚美神，得众民的喜爱。主将得救的人，天天加给他们。(徒二46-47 )
      2. 因为人人将田产房屋都卖了，把所卖的价银拿来，放在使徒脚前；照各人所需用的，分给各人。（徒四34-35)
    2. 后来因为教会人多了，事物繁多，而且使徒应该专心以祷告和传道为事，所以拣选了七个执事
      1. 「十二使徒叫众门徒来，对他们说：我们撇下神的道，去管理饭食，原是不合宜的。所以弟兄们！当从你们中间选出七个有好名声、被圣灵充满、智慧充足的人，我们就派他们管理这事。」(徒六 2-6)
      2. 执事必须有好名声，被圣灵充满，就是有美好的品格，能够见证主的生命（提前三8~13）
      3. 主要是在事物上服事主
    3. 除了圣徒，圣灵也兴起了执事腓力出去传道，圣经称呼腓力为传福音的
      1. Act 8:4  那些分散的人往各处去传道。
      2. Act 8:5  腓利下撒玛利亚城去，宣讲基督。
      3. Act 21:8  第二天，我们离开那里，来到该撒利亚，就进了传福音的腓利家里，和他同住。他是那七个执事里的一个。
    4. 除了使徒和传福音的，圣灵在教会里也兴起了先知和教师传达神的心意，把真理教导给门徒
      1. 在安提阿的教会中，有几位先知和教师，就是巴拿巴和称呼尼结的西面、古利奈人路求，与分封之王希律同养的马念，并扫罗。（使十三1，参使十一27）
    5. 之后圣灵呼召和差遣保罗和巴拿巴出去作工（使13：2）
      1. 圣经称呼他们为使徒，意思就是差遣出去的（使14：14）
    6. 这些圣灵特别差遣出去作工的，得了基督量給他们的恩赐，是神话语的执事,是神的工人
      1. 但我们要专心以祈祷、传道为事(使六4）
        1. 『传道』原文是话语的职事
      2. 他所赐的，有使徒，有先知，有传福音的，有牧师和教师(弗四11)
      3. 我为此奉派作传道的，作使徒，作外邦人的师傅，教导他们相信，学习真道。我说的是真话，并不是谎言。（提前二7）
      4. 我为这福音奉派作传道的，作使徒，作师傅。（提后一11）
      5. 你当竭力在神面前得蒙喜悦，作无愧的工人，按著正意分解真理的道。（提后二15）
    7. 使徒们传福音后一段日子后，就回到各教会选立长老（使14：23）
      1. 其实长老是圣灵设立的（使二十28）
      2. 神的工人用他们属灵的眼光看见圣灵已经显明了的弟兄来印证圣灵的工作
      3. 每个教会应该有超过一个长老
      4. 长老必须在家里、教会和教外有美好的见证（提前三1-7，多一5~9）
      5. 神给他们的托付是牧养当地教会神的羊群（使二十17，27~28，多一5、7，彼前五1~4）
      6. 他们是神的管家（多一7）
    8. 每个基督徒都是祭司
      1. 彼前二5-9；启一6，五10，二十6
      2. 每一个信徒应该都根据神赐的恩赐彼此配搭服侍主，各尽其职，建立基督的身体（罗十二4~8，弗四12）
  • 1 Timothy Introduction

    1 Timothy Introduction

    Author

    Paul identified himself as the author on 1:1. Paul wrote a total of 13 letters in the NT, all the letters were addressed to local churches, except 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, which were addressed to an individual.

    Some modern liberal scholars suggested these three letters were written by not by Paul, but by a Paulinist one or two generations removed from Paul. For me it is pretty clear that it was Paul of Tarsus who wrote these letters. The introduction of all three letters clearly tell us that it was Paul who wrote to Timothy and Titus, their relationships were clearly documented in Acts.

    Date

    The following is a short timeline of Paul’s ministry:

    48-56 AD

    Paul three missionary journeys. Wrote Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians in 51/52AD. Wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians in 55/56AD

    56-60 AD

    Paul in Jerusalem, Caesarea and finally arrived in Rome

    61-62 AD

    Paul under house arrest in Rome. Wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon in 61/62AD

    63-66 AD

    Paul was released from Rome and traveled to Ephesus and Create. He left Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Create. He wrote 1 Timothy and Titus in 65/66AD.

    67AD

    Paul was imprisoned the second time in Rome. Wrote 2 Timothy, the last letter by Paul.

    Recipient

    Timothy was the son of a Greek father and Jewish mother (Acts 16:1).

    His mother Eunice and grandmother Lois were both known for their sincere faith (2 Tim 1:5).

    Paul first met Timothy in Lystra on his 1st missionary journey (Acts 14:6;16:1)

    Timothy already knew and believed the OT, thanks to his mother and grandmother (2 Tim 3:15), and Paul took him on a a promising protege.

    Paul became like a spiritual father to Timothy, referring to him as “my true son in the faith” (1 Tim 1:2) , and my dear son (2 Tim 1:2; Phil 2:22)

    Timothy became Paul closest coworker. Six of Paul’s epistles include Timothy in the salutations (2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Thes 1:1; 2 Thes 1:1; Philemon 1).

    Timothy has become so dear to Paul that in the apostle’s last message was a touching appeal for Timothy to join him in his final days (2 Tim 1:4;4:9, 21).

    After Paul was released from the Roman’s prison the 1st time. He revisited the churches in Asia minor, including Ephesus and left Timothy there to provide leadership to the church. Then after an internval Paul wrote Timothy this letter.

    Timothy may have been by nature somewhat passive, timid, easily intimidated (2 Tim 1:7). Thus Paul repeatedly spurred him into action (1 Tim 1:3; 4:11; 5:7; 6:2;2 Tim 3:14). He was to let nothing, including his relative youth ( 1 Tim 4:12) stand in the way of his performance of duty (2 Tim 2:1-7). Like a good soldier he was to fight the good fight (1 Tim 1:18), protecting the truth and propagating the gospel using his spiritual gifts ( 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6).

    Key Topics in Each Chapters

    Chapter 1

    1. Warning against false teachers, protect the glorious gospel
    2. The grace of Jesus has changed Paul from a persecutor of Christians, a blasphemer, a violent man to a servant of Christ
    3. Hand over those who rejected faith and good conscience to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme

    Chapter 2

    1. Instructions concerning prayers (2:1-7)
    2. Instructions concerning men and women (2:8-15)

    Chapter 3

    1. Instructions concerning elders and deacons (3:1-13)

    Chapter 4

    1. Warning against deceiving spirits and demons
    2. Spiritual Training
    3. Life and Doctrine are both important for a minister of Christ

    Charter 5

    1. Concerning various age-groups
    2. Concerning widows
    3. Concerning elders

    Chapter 6

    1. Concerning salves and masters
    2. Concerning false doctrines and greediness
    3. Concerning man of God
    4. Concerning the rich
    5. Guard what has been entrusted to your care.

     

  • 1 Timothy 4

    1 Timothy 4

    v4: Everything God created is good.

    However in today’s world, we human have created many food and polluted our food chain so drastically that a lot of what we called food are no longer the food originally created by God. I am referring to highly processed food, genetics modified organic, hormone given our animals and extensive pesticides. May the Lord gives us wisdom in choosing the food created by Him and partake the food with thanks giving heart.

    v7: train yourself to be godly

    For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things. Many people spend hours in physical training, but completed ignore spiritual training. Just like our body needs training to be strong and healthy, our spirit needs training to be strong and healthy.

    v16: Watch your life and doctrine closely

    Two most important things when we want to be teaching others about spiritual things. First is our life, second is our doctrine, or our knowledge of God’s truth.

    Our life needs to reflect the likeness of Christ. We need to know the word of God by studying and meditating of His words on daily basis.

  • 1 Timothy 2

    1 Timothy 2

    Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all men (v6)

    Ransom means redemption price. It is a price paid to release a slave from his master.This verse does not mean all men and women are saved, because the rest of the bible clearly teaches that only those who believes (John 3:16; Rom 10:9) are saved.

    What this verse means is Jesus’s death is sufficient as ransom for all mankind. God loves all men and thus sent Jesus to die for all men, however only those who believes that will be saved. In another word, Christ’s death is unlimited in its sufficiency, but limited in its application. Christ’s death is sufficient to cover the sins of all men in all human’s history and future, however only those who responded will receive the redemption.

    I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayers, without anger or disputing (v8)

    Few principles we can learned from this verse.

    First, men (aner G435) is a specific word referring to men. Everywhere means all meeting places. Paul is teaching that man, instead of woman should be the spiritual leaders in public worship.

    We work with our hands. Holy hands mean our works should be separated from the world. In another word, our live should be holy and separated from the world for God. Paul is calling men to live godly life, so they can lead God’s people to come before God, which is what prayers are. The condition of our heart is the key, not the outward form of raising our hands in prayers. Although we can surely lift our hands while praying, but make sure are heart are holy for God before we lift our hands.

    Without anger or disputing are towards other people. If we are in anger or in dispute with others, it does not matter how high we lift our hands in prayers. Jesus said: “leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brothers; then come and offer your gift.” (Matt 5:24).

    I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent (v12)

    Men should be the spiritual leaders at home and at church. This is that arrangement of God. Men symbolize Christ and women symbolize His church. Christ should be the head, not His church. “…the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” (11 Corinthians 11:3)

    Paul taught the same principle earlier in his life when he wrote to the Corinthians church (1 Cor 14:34).

    However it does not mean women cannot exercise their spiritual gifts at home or in church. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head – it is just as though her head were shaved.” Women can pray or teach, but they ought to do that with their head covered. Not physically, but spiritually. In their spirit must acknowledge and submit to God’s principle in His church, which is glorify Christ.

    The most appropriate environments are sisters to exercise their spiritual gift in teaching is at home with her children, at church with the children, and in sisters’ meetings.

    Women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety (v15)

    This is a very difficult verse to interprete. Here is my understanding. If a woman has no faith, has no love, and does not live a holy life, even if she give birth to many children, she would not be saved.