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1 Timothy 2
2:1-4
What was an “intercession”?
[2:1]
An intercession was a prayer. This was a prayer made to God for a specific person or was asking God to help because a specific thing that was happening to a person.
How did a person live a “peaceful and quiet” life?
[2:2]
Scholars think someone had a “peaceful” life when they were at peace. They were at peace with themselves or had peace inside of themselves. These scholars think someone had a “quiet” life when they were at peace with others. The government did not cause them problems.
What was godliness?
[2:2]
See: Godly (Godliness)
How did a person live with “dignity”?
[2:2]
A person lived with “dignity”(σεμνότης/g4587) when they lived in a way that others respected. That is, Christians and non-Christians thought the things they did were good for everyone.
Why did Paul write that he “desires all people to be saved”?
[2:4]
Many people in Ephesus thought that only the Jewish people were saved from sinning. Certain people taught only the most spiritual people could be saved from sinning. This is not true. Paul wanted Timothy to know God did not save only certain groups of people. God wants all people to be saved from sinning. However, not every person wants to be saved from sinning.
See: Spirit (Spiritual)
How did a person “come to the knowledge of the truth”?
[2:4]
The truth about which Paul wrote was the gospel. People who “came to the knowledge of the truth” were people who believed in the gospel.
See: Gospel
2:5-7
Why did Paul write, “there is one God”?
[2:5]
People thought there were many gods when Paul lived. However, in the Bible there is only “one God.” The Israelites knew there was only one God (see: Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
How is Jesus the “one mediator” between God and humans?
[2:5]
Jesus is the mediator between God and humans because he died for people’s sinning. A “mediator”(μεσίτης/g3316) was a person who helped people with a conflict to be at peace with one another. Because of man’s sinning, God and man were separated. Jesus’ death and resurrection allowed for man to not be separated from God. Jesus was both God and human. This made him the perfect mediator between God and humans.
See: Mediator; Resurrect (Resurrection); Sin; Atone(Atonement)
What did Paul mean that “Jesus...gave himself as a ransom for all”?
[2:6]
Jesus gave himself as a ransom to God to be able to free people from the punishment of sinning (see: Romans 5:12-21). A “ransom”(ἀντίλυτρον/g0487) was a price paid to free someone from slavery. All humans are slaves to sin. That is, they cannot choose not to do the things that do not honor God. God must punish all sin. The price that needed to be paid for sinning was death (see: Romans 6:23). Therefore, Jesus paid this price of sin for every human when he died on the cross.
Why did Paul write, “a testimony at the right time”?
[2:6]
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus served as a “testimony” that God’s word was true. That is, it proved that what Jesus said about himself was true. Paul said this testimony was given “at the right time.” That meant God made a specific time for the gospel to be made known (see: Galatians 4:4-7).
See: Resurrect (Resurrection); Gospel
What was a “herald”?
[2:7]
Often, a ruler used someone to speak for him. This person was a herald. The herod told things to the ruler’s people. Paul wrote that God made Paul speak for God. He told all people the gospel.
What was an “apostle”?
[2:7]
See: Apostle
Who were the “Gentiles”?
[2:7]
See: Gentile
Why did Paul write, “in faith and truth”?
[2:7]
Paul wrote “in faith and truth.” Scholars think Paul meant he taught the Gentiles about the faith and the truth. That is, he taught the Gentiles what they needed to know about Jesus and what was true.
2:8-10
What did it mean to “lift up holy hands without anger or arguing”?
[2:8]
Paul said, “lift up holy hands without anger or arguing.” Some scholars think Christians prayed standing with their arms and hands lifted up in front of them. The Jewish people also did this in the synagogues. These scholars think lifting “holy”(ὅσιος/g3741) hands meant Christians’ prayers were committed to God. They think this also meant that Christians were committed to doing the things that honor God. That is, this made their hands holy. Christians also prayed without “anger or arguing.” They did not want to have arguments and thoughts that did not honor God. They wanted to live a holy life. That is, they only wanted to do the things that honored God.
See: Synagogue
What was “proper clothing”?
[2:9]
Proper clothing meant that a woman wore clothes that were “modest”(αἰδώς/g0127). Paul did not want women to dress in a way that others would be looking at their clothes. For a women to wear modest clothes meant that she wore things that did not upset other people. Also she wore things that did not make men look at her in a sexual way. A woman using self-control in the things that she wore wanted to do the things that honored God instead of worrying about the things that other people thought about her. Advice to translators: When a man looks at a woman in a sexual way, he thinks about having sex with her and wants to have sex with her.
See: Self-Control
How did a woman clothe herself with “good works”?
[2:9, 2:10]
Paul used a metaphor. In the same way clothing is seen by other people, so good works are seen by other people also. Paul wanted women to worry about the things they did for God not about the things that they wore.
See: Metaphor
2:11-15
Why did Paul write for women to, “learn in silence”?
[2:11]
Some scholars think Paul did not allow women to speak when Christians gathered together to worship God. Other scholars think Paul taught women to be quiet while the Bible was being taught. This was so they could listen and learn what was being taught. These scholars think Paul used the word “silence”(ἡσυχία/g2271) in the same way that he used it when he spoke about praying for leaders. That is, so they might live a quiet and peaceful life (see: 2:2).
See: Worship
How did a woman learn “with all submission”?
[2:11]
Paul wanted women to submit to the teaching elders. These elders taught the truth of the Bible and corrected errors being taught.
See: Submit (Submission); Elder
Why was a woman not allowed to “teach or to exercise authority over a man”?
[2:12]
Some scholars think Paul did not allow women to teach men about what the Bible taught while Christians were gathered together. These scholars also think Paul did not allow women to teach men about the things they needed to do to honor God while Christians gathered together. Other scholars think Paul allowed women to teach when Christians gathered together only if they did not try “exercise authority”(αὐθεντέω/g0831) over the men in the gathering. That is, the women did not need to tell the men how to know the scriptures. They did not need to take control of the elders in a gathering.
See: Elder
Why did Paul write women “will be saved through bearing children”?
[2:15]
Some scholars think Paul wrote about a promise made in Genesis. This was the promise that the a descendant of the woman would defeat Satan (see: Genesis 3:15). This promise was a prophecy of Jesus. Other scholars think the words meant that women, in general, would not die during childbirth. Other scholars think Paul wrote that women preserve humans by having more children.