To Lori 1 Timothy 2:15 is about women's suffering: Biblical Manhood and Womanhood P/13

                                                     Read Part One HERE

For a long time I have wanted to have a conversation with someone who has a similar view on 1 Timothy 2:11-15 as Professor Wayne A. Grudem but who, unlike Professor Grudem, does include verse 15 when interpreting this passage. However, I never managed to have such a conversation.... until the other day....

In this post I will begin to share my online conversation with a bible teacher Lori Alexander, whom I realised has a similar view on 1 Timothy 2:11-15 as Professor Wayne A. Grudem so I decided to get in touch with her to find out if she would be willing to share with me her view on verse 15.  I did not tell her who I was, nor my view, because I knew that if I did she would, very likely, not answer me. I simply put myself in her shoes and wrote to her in a way that would be acceptable to her in order for her to be willing to engage with me in conversation in the hope that she would share with me her view of verse 15.

I wrote to her as follows:

Dear Lori,

I am a little confused about a certain verse. Perhaps you can help me understand it better. My problem is as follows:
In 1 Timothy 2:12 we read
I (Paul) do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, she must be silent.
The wording is so clear and cannot possibly be misunderstood: Paul is saying that a woman cannot teach a man.

Likewise verses 13 and 14 are very clear and easy to understand as well as to his reasons why women cannot teach for we read in these verses:
For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
The fact that Adam was formed first and the woman second, is the reason for Paul that he does not allow women to teach.

And Adam was not deceived, it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
Moreover, from this verse Paul makes it clear that the fact Eve was deceived is another reason why women cannot teach men.

All three verses are very clear and easy to understand.                                                                          My problem is related to 1 Timothy 2:15 where we read
But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Here Paul is saying that we are saved through childbearing. I find that very confusing because I know that at other places Paul teaches us that we are saved through Christ as we know from Romans 3:23-24. So am I saved through my childbearing or am I saved through Christ?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Blessings,
Loes Tam

Lori's reply was as follows:

This means that childbearing is God's role for women. This is where they will learn more about Christ and being a servant than everywhere else. They will learn about suffering and sacrifice. It's God' perfect will for women.

I will continue my sharing of our online conversation in  the next posts.

 

Read Part Fourteen HERE