MESSAGE ARCHIVE

There is so much confusion over Paul’s instructions about women in 1 Timothy 2:11-15. By examining the cultural and religious context of Ephesus, we can get a broader picture of what he had been trying to say. Culturally, Paul was addressing specific problems arising from the collision between Jewish synagogue practices, pagan Artemis worship, and early Christian communities. The passage about women being "saved through childbearing" is most likely a targeted response to former Artemis worshippers who needed proper theological education and assurance that Jesus, not Artemis (the goddess of midwifery), would protect them in childbirth.

Scripture References: 1 Timothy 2:11-15

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From Series: "Never Read A Bible Verse*"

* Without Context. There are some Christians who say that those who don’t believe the Bible or trust in Jesus, “just need to read the bible,” but what happens if they do and it has the opposite effect? There are many things in the bible that are written that are hard to understand without having a clear cultural understanding of the context in which it was written; many Christians even assume the Bible says things that it does not because we fail to understand context. Cultural changes over time can lead to shifts in the way we use certain words, and this makes a difference when reading/translating texts of the Bible. There are a lot of people who do not know or understand the Bible and yet they claim it is filled with nonsense, it is why study of the Bible is important for us…because as I said ultimately the Bible is about Jesus. It shows us who we are and who He is in His person.

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