Deliverance By Grace Fellowship in The Church The Body of Christ

8 years ago

15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty. The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (1 Ti 2:15). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. +++++++++++++++ 2:15 This is one of the most difficult verses in the Pastoral Epistles, and many explanations have been offered. Some think that it is a simple promise from God that a Christian mother will be saved from death in the physical act of childbearing. However, this is not always true, because some godly, devoted Christians have died in the act of bringing life into the world. Others think that childbearing (literally, “the childbearing”) refers to the birth of the Messiah, and that women are saved through the One who was born of a woman. However, this scarcely seems to satisfy the sense of the passage, since men are saved in the same way. No one could reasonably suggest that the verse means that a woman receives eternal salvation by virtue of becoming a mother of children; this would be salvation by works, and works of a most unusual nature! We would suggest the following as the most reasonable interpretation of the passage. First of all, salvation in this context does not refer to the salvation of her soul, but rather to the salvation of her position in the church. From what Paul has just said in this chapter, the impression might arise in the minds of some that the woman has no place in God’s purposes and counsels; she is reduced to a nonentity. But Paul would dispute this claim. Although it is true that no public ministry in the church is assigned to her, she does have an important ministry. God has decreed that woman’s place is in the home, and more specifically in the ministry of raising children for the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Think of the mothers of the leaders in the Christian church today! These women never mounted a public platform to preach the gospel, but in raising their children for God, they have been truly saved as far as position and fruitfulness for God are concerned. Lilley writes: She shall be saved from the results of sin and be enabled to maintain a position of influence in the Church by accepting her natural destination as a wife and mother, provided this surrender is further ratified by bringing forth the fruit of sanctified Christian character.7 It may be asked at this point: “What about those women who never marry?” The answer is that in this passage God is dealing with women in general. The majority of Christian women do marry and bear children. As far as the exceptions are concerned, there are many other useful ministries committed to them and yet which do not involve public teaching or having authority over men. Note the qualifying clause at the end of verse 15: She will be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. It is not exactly an unconditional promise. The thought is that if the husband and wife maintain a consistent Christian testimony, honor Christ in the home, and raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, then the woman’s position will be saved. But if the parents live careless, worldly lives, and neglect the training of their children, then these children may be lost to Christ and the church. In such a case, the woman does not achieve the true dignity which God has ordained for her. Let no one think that because woman’s ministry is private and in the home that it is any less important than that which is more public. It has been truly said: “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” In a coming day, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it is faithfulness that will count, and this is something which can be exhibited in the home as well as in the pulpit. MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (pp. 2084–2085). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.