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Daily Bible Studywith SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM

Updated: Monday, 23 November 2009, 14:40 (GMT)

6 September 2008 | 1 Timothy 2:8-15

So, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up their hands in a holy manner, without anger and arguments.

Also, women should wear proper clothes that show respect and self-control, not using braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes. Instead, they should do good deeds, which is right for women who say they worship God.

Let a woman learn by listening quietly and being ready to cooperate in everything. But I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to listen quietly, because Adam was formed first and then Eve. And Adam was not tricked, but the woman was tricked and became a sinner. But she will be saved through having children if she continues in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

Notes

Today's reading has evoked a great deal of discussion regarding a woman's role in the church. Some have decided that this reading means that a woman should be submissive and not take a leadership role in the church. The main thing that we need to remember is that the culture of the day was very different from ours. Women were expected to spend their time in the home and care for the family. Paul was saying that women should learn by listening. This was a radical statement. This was not the norm. Women could start to learn about the faith that they had from people more experienced than them.

What is our response to being able to learn about our faith freely? In some countries it is against the law to be a Christian and people have to meet in secret to learn about the Bible. Some Christians have been taken hostage in the past and haven't had a Bible with them for support. Terry Waite was one of these people. He relied on the scripture and hymns that he had memorised to carry him through whilst in captivity. If we were separated from our Bibles for the next week, would it make a difference to our lives?

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, We thank you for the gift of the Bible. For all that we can learn through it and for the way that you speak to us through it. Please help us to be more appreciative of the gift that we have. We ask that you will give us a new hunger for your word and help us to understand it more thoroughly. Amen.

Today's Writer

The views expressed in the word on the web Bible studies may not reflect the editorial views of Christian Today.