ATTENTION: Please note that this is The Adult Sunday School Lesson, Worship Guidelines aka Instructions about Worship, on 1 Timothy 2 for the 3-6-11 International Sunday School Lesson. You will find the 2-27-11 lesson, Jesus is Coming Again aka Coming of the Son of Man, directly beneath this message and on the right side.
Jed
Worship Guidelines
or
Instructions about Worship
1 Timothy 2
International Sunday School Lesson
March 6, 2011
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
I love you! I really do. You don’t know me, but if you could just think of me as if you did, would you please let it make a difference. You see I don’t want you to read my commentary today and shut down and leave or worse yet, never visit this site again.
You know we will be in an area of the scriptures that people tend to avoid because of disagreement and next week will be the same. We can get through this together, remember we love each other.
I think it only fair to say that the reason that I did that little bit of pleading with you is because I know that from my point of view it is easier to take the scriptures, all of them, than it is for some of you. I really honestly feel though that just as I don’t want you to flee from me and go find a voice that is in total agreement with you, we shouldn’t pick and choose the scriptures we like or don’t like.
Some of us that follow the International Sunday School Lesson or Uniform Series as some of you know it, will be studying 1 Timothy 2:1-6; 3:14-16 while others of us will study all of 1 Timothy 2 and you don’t need me to tell you why that is.
Paul had this to say to Timothy about these Instructions about Worship otherwise known as Worship Guidelines, “I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” 1 Timothy 1: 18a-19.
Unless you have had your conscience seared, those words have got to mean something to those of you that do not hold with, like, follow, obey or believe the scriptures that you are not following. All I would pray is that you prayerfully consider that our God who does not change, who always has been, knows just as much today as He did when these inspired words were given to us, just as He had a plan once long ago that was not followed in the garden.
Well, enough said, please see the expanded thoughts for discussion below.
For Discussion:
1. This will certainly be an interesting class for some this time around and I would urge all to consider the feelings of all parties involved and yet still be true to the scriptures.
2. Discuss how we need to remember all authority in our prayers whether they are in the church, school, work or government at any level and whether we agree with them or not.
3. As if there weren’t enough tough scriptures in today’s passage, discuss verse 4 in light of Romans 8:28-30 or Ephesians 1:4-5.
4. Consider verse 5 and the fact that without Jesus as our mediator we would find out what Hebrews 10:31 means by, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
5. All, regardless of sex, should be expected to lift up and not tear down the Apostle Paul who was appointed by Christ and not by us.
6. Note that in verse 8 according to the NIV Study Bible, “The Greek for this word does not refer to humankind but to male as distinct from female.”
7. Societally and culturally times can change how we view things, but what is key to note is that we that are men are not worthy of mention but the splendor of women’s beauty can bedazzle the senses and why modesty is a good idea.
8. Why do you think that God would want this order between the sexes as described in verses 11-14?
9. What was a woman’s place in religious education in Jewish society as compared to Christian?
10. Too often when considering verses 11 and 12, the very necessary 13 and 14 are left out.
11. Do you think that Paul and those in his day knew something with regard to verse 15 that is lost on us today? I would only be guessing.
Join me in the weeks ahead for the following International Sunday School Lessons:
3-13-11: Leadership Qualities (Qualifications of Worship Leaders) 1 Timothy 3:1-13
3-20-11: Leadership Priorities (Prepare for Leadership) 1 Timothy 4:6-16
3-27-11: Compassionate Service (Worship Inspires Service) 1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-22
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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