Daily Devotion for Saturday 20th September 2025

1 Timothy 2: 8 – 15

I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;  also that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing, not with their hair braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes,  but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God. Let a woman learn in silence with full submission.  I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.  For Adam was formed first, then Eve;  and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.  Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

Reflection

There is SO MUCH here that feels presumptuous.

‘I desire…’ – but who says your desire is what God requires?

‘As is proper...’ – in whose eyes?

‘I permit no woman…’ – whose permission counts – yours, or God’s?
 
Someone will chastise – “But it’s Paul talking…!” 

Yes… but is it necessarily God talking?  How often do people presume to dictate the lives of others – ‘in God’s name’?
 
Apparently, women – though made in God’s image – are inherently lost. 

‘Yet she will be saved through childbearing…’.  WHAT???  And I’m guessing Paul expects the childbearing woman to be married – so, are all unmarried women lost?  What about women who can’t have children?  Those who choose not to have children?  And supposing it’s the husband who is infertile?!?  (Don’t let me get onto unmarried mothers…!)

Even where women are blessed to bear children (!), their salvation is ‘provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.’… further dictating of women’s lives!
 
But there’s more:  This text presumes a literal understanding of the Creation narrative(s) – already problematic! – but why do we bypass the first account where man and woman are created, and blessed, equally and concurrently (Gen 1:26-28), defaulting to the second version where man is created first, with woman following as his ‘helper’ (Gen 2:4-24)?  How useful for the argument that man’s ‘headship’ is ordained! 

But even in Genesis 2, when God decrees which fruit is forbidden, only Adam has been created.  Surely, then, it is Adam who is subsequently deceived – or is wilful in his wrongdoing – because only he received God’s commandment.  So who is the real transgressor?  And why should ‘the woman’ be required to take instruction from the party who was really at fault?
 
I am certain a more learned person could do the theological backflips to justify today’s text!  But me?  I’m just a woman… with a mind of her own – who cannot believe that any group is God-ordained to be permanently submissive and silent, nor any other to be in charge.
 
Prayer

I wonder, God,
why did you give me intellect
if you didn’t want me to use it?
 
Help me to think,
to reason,
to wrestle –
and to make sense of your word.
 
Give me courage to question,
and humility to listen,
as I journey through life –
and faith –
with you. Amen