1 Timothy 3:2-15 Who Can Serve in the Church?
Paul worked to make sure overseers benefited from all God had planned for them. Even though some had gone astray, if possible Paul wanted them to be restored to ministry. Jesus, the faithful word, was ready to help them in their good work. Not all who had gone astray would be restored to ministry. Paul gave a partial checklist in 1 Timothy 3 to be used for those who could assume the work of oversight in the church once again. Paul is thinking of the women and men under correction in Ephesus from chapter 2 who sincerely wanted to get back into service. Sadly, the tone and content of verse 1 is widely misinterpreted in Bible versions we have today.
The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming · Dr. Joy Fleming, Bruce C. E. Fleming
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Show Notes
In 1 Timothy 2:8-15, Paul recommended appropriate discipline for disruptive and injurious behavior. His recommendations took into account not only the sin committed, but also the heart motivation of the offender. In 1 Timothy 3:1-12 the women and men leaders who had been disciplined were encouraged to aspire to, and to resume, ministry in the church.
In these verses, Paul did not teach any doctrine of “authority-of-a-husband,” or “leadership-by-men” in the church. Instead, he drew a picture of various Christian men and women actively serving Christ, having been made faithful by Jesus, the Word!
How did we get here? Likely, much of what we have just covered is not what you have heard before about 1 Timothy 2-3. We faced the same thing in our studies of Ephesians 5-6 and Genesis 2-3. For me, the findings of my wife’s research into Genesis 3:16 makes all the difference. She found that in God’s eleven Hebrew words in Genesis 3:16 God didn’t curse Eve or limit woman in any way.
God showed love and mercy to Eve in the Garden of Eden. But Satan, the murderer and liar, wants us to think God cursed her.
She unmasked his attack at the tree but he is still the enemy of the woman. He wants us to take as many shots at her as he can get us to!
Sadly, translators and theologians have been tricked into playing on his side. They have mistranslated Genesis 3:16 and they have also mishandled other Bible passages related to God’s words to the woman like 1 Timothy 2-3.
That’s why we have produced these studies. That’s why we have written The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3.
Where they have gone astray Bible translations need to be corrected based on the true words of Genesis 3:16. That’s the challenge of the Tru316 Project: to bring about change in all the passages that need correcting in the light of what God really said in Genesis 3:16.
I invite you to get involved and join the work. You can start at Tru316.com.
The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner