Deep Creek Anglican Church Blog

Here’s a short post on a really helpful section at the very end of:

Chapter Eight: Life Between the Cross and the Coming.

Graham Cole highlights three ‘commissions’ that Christians are to obey, as we live for Jesus in the world:

1. Creation Commission (Gen 1:28).  Our exercise of dominion is one of both care and control (eg. Gen 2:15).  I would put it this way: care for the environment is one aspect of being a follower of Jesus and a citizen of God’s Kingdom.
2. Discipling Commission (Matt 28:18-20).  God calls His people to make disciples – of all nations.
3. Moral Commission (Matt 22:37-39).  The Creation and Discipling Commissions are “to be shaped by love of God and love of neighbour.”  Indeed, as Graham rightly concludes: “Without love, creation care and discipling others become vacuous.  We gain nothing (1 Cor 13:1-3).”

Chapter Twenty Two: 1 Timothy 2:15: Salvation through “the Childbirth”

¹⁵But women will be saved through childbearing-if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” (NIV)

How should this verse be understood, coming at the end of 1 Tim 2:11-15?  It has generated some amazing interpretations, and not just by so-called ‘liberal scholars.’  The author of Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul’s Letters, Philip Payne, tackles this challenging verse in the same way he has done throughout the rest of the book – with very detailed exegesis (with focus on immediate context, broader context of book and author, and canonical context), careful and close scrutiny of alternative views and an eye to historical interpretations.

Key points include:

• Verse 15 stands in direct contrast with the negative statements about woman’s deception and transgression in verse 14
• “be saved” refers to spiritual salvation with God as the agent of salvation.  Its future tense points forward beyond Eve to the Promised Saviour
• Eve is treated as representative on women in general
• Salvation from the fall (appealed to in v15) is that same salvation through the seed of the woman identified in Gen 3:15b
• “The terrible consequences of Eve’s deception highlight the seriousness of the deception of women in Ephesus.  Yet the story of Eve also offers women hope and dignity.  Although women experience pain in childbirth as a result of the fall, a woman gave birth to the promised Seed who will destroy Satan and overcome the fall.  Not only was woman the vehicle for the entry into the world of sin, dearth, and the power of Satan, she was also the vehicle for the entry into the world of the Savior who delivers people from sin and death.” (422)
• “though childbearing” (NIV) is literally “through the childbirth”: ‘through’ indicates the means, instrument, agency through which salvation came; ‘the childbirth’ refers to a specific childbirth – that of Christ.  Payne comments, “Paul evidently chose the particular expression “the childbirth” (as opposed to simply “Christ”) in order to highlight the positive role of woman in salvation and to counterbalance his immediately preceding citation of her negative role in the fall.” (437)
• v15 is not simply a call to a role; it is a call to the Saviour.
• v15b shifts to the plural – Eve’s descendants, to experience the salvation that Christ provides, must abide in faith, continue in love (defining mark of a Christian) and holiness (inevitable result of the work of the Holy Spirit).
• Paul is not advocating legalism to the women of Ephesus: bear children, be good.  Instead he is pointing them to ennobling life in Christ, who alone saves.” (441)

Chapter Four: Foundations and foreshadowings

Having established important context – the character of God and the multifaceted problem posed by sin – Graham Cole, in chapter four of God the Peacemaker, focuses in on God’s project: to bring shalom to His creation.  And in so doing, our author examines the foundations and foreshadowings of God’s loving provision in Christ.

This chapter is good solid biblical theology.  Prior to embarking on a journey through Scripture, Graham highlights the triune God’s loving motivation in providing atonement, summed up in John 3:16 – a statement expressing the universal character of God’s love, its sacrificial nature and its eternal purpose.

We are then taken on a journey from Gen 3:15 (the so-called protoevangelium) where God promises that the serpent will lose conclusively, crushed by the seed of the woman.

We get greater specificity as to who the male offspring will be in the call and promises made to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) – a son of Abraham will be a blessing for the sons of Adam.  In Graham’s brief interaction with the Abrahamic framework, he quotes from The Drama of Scripture by Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen.  This is a first-class book that we have used widely at Deep Creek, both in one-on-one discipleship and also in a six part seminar series.  Highly recommended.

Chapter Four is rounded out with an excellent overview of God’s dealings with Israel.  The sacrificial system is put in its correct perspective – ‘allowing’ a righteous, holy and loving God to dwell in the midst of an all too flawed nation.  Read this chpater to get an insightful coverage of the significance of the Passover and the Day of Atonement.

If, like me, you love the section of Isaiah from chpaters 40 – 53, then you’ll benefit from our author’s tight summary of the four servant songs and the connection between the Suffering Servant of Isq 52:13-53:12 and the messianic child of Isa 9:5 who will be a ‘Prince of Peace.’  The faithful in OT Israel looked forward to a time of shalom - and in our next post on Chapter Five, Graham focuses in on ‘The Faithful Son.’

Chapter One: Backgrounds to Paul’s Teaching Regarding Man and Woman

Payne begins Man and Woman, One in Christ with an examination of the various influences on Saul / Paul:

• his Hellenistic and Jewish cultural context, including Gamaliel his early teacher
• the Scriptures
• Jesus.

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Hellenistic Culture: There was considerable variety in the treatment of Hellenistic women across the various regions.  Women had more freedom in the western portions of the Hellenistic world and in Egypt.  In 1st century Hellenism, women were generally treated as their husband’s property.  There were strong social conventions so as not to give the appearance of an adulteress or prostitute.  During Paul’s lifetime, women began to assume new roles.  But most women lacked formal education.

Gamaliel and contrasting Jewish culture: See Acts 5:34; 22:3.  Rabban Gamaliel I was held in high esteem.  His sayings in the Mishnah indicate a favourable attitude toward women in sharp contrast to the rabbinic tradition as a whole.  Payne notes that with few exceptions, the overall picture of Jewish tradition from around the time of Paul is fairly consistent in its low view of women – as witnessed in the writings of Josephus, Philo and Sirach.

The Scriptures: The OT was a key influence on Paul, and in relation to women, especially the OT account of creation and fall.  Gen 1:26 reveals that God’s image is not restricted to the male, nor does the text imply any difference between the image of God in man and woman.  Gen 1:28 shows that God’s blessings encompass both man and woman and highlight intimate personal relationships.  The text of Gen 2-3 shows the equal status and mutual responsibility of man and woman.  Payne notes that a counter position is argued by some, viz. man is in a position of authority over woman and hence it is Christian duty for women to be subordinate to men.  Payne considers eleven arguments by such proponents, as follows:

1. Man was created before woman and therefore should have authority over woman. Payne however notes that woman was created second highlighting man’s need for a partner – Gen 2:18-20 does not imply that man has authority over woman.
2. Gen 2:18 stresses woman as ‘helper.’ Payne however states that the relevant noun is translated throughout the OT as ‘help, saviour, rescuer, provider.’  He concludes, “Only with her is he able to fulfill his command to multiply and fill the earth, and together they “rule over all creatures.”"
3. Man has authority because he has more active roles. Payne responds: God is the active creator.  At the crucial point of the creation of woman, man is entirely passive.
4. The woman is morally inferior. Gen 3:6 does not support this contention.  It simply tells us that the man was with the woman and he took the fruit from her.
5. Eve usurped the man’s headship. Again Payne notes that Gen 3:6 does not support this argument.  The sin is disobedience (Gen 3:11).
6. Gen 3:9 implies that man is God’s appointed head. Payne – both man and woman are called to account together by God
7. The man is responsible for religious decisions. Response: nothing in Gen 1-3 implies Adam’s religious or social leadership.
8. The prophecy to the woman in Gen 3:16 is a command ie. ‘he should rule over you.’ Payne in response quotes Claus Westermann: “the domination of the husband and the consequent subordination of the wife is seen as something which is not normal (hence as punishment).”  Man’s rule over a woman is a consequence of the Fall, and is not something good to be fostered.
9. Gen 3:17 implies that Adam abandoned his headship because he listened to his wife. Payne notes rather that Adam was fully culpable for eating the fruit and God’s rebuke highlights both his disobedience and his refusal to take responsibility.
10. The woman is not told that her curse flows from her deed.  Adam, as the head, was finally responsible. Payne comments that Gen 3:13 shows that God does care about the woman’s deed, and God’s statement of consequences for the woman precedes the consequences for the man.
11. God naming the human race ‘man’ in Gen 5:2 implies male headship. Payne – ‘man’ in Gen 1:26f and 5:1 refers to ‘man and female.’

Payne then lists twenty statements in Gen 1-3 that depict man and woman equally.

Having considered Gen 1-3, Payne looks at a woman’s marital position in Scripture.  He notes that in Prov 31:10-31 the “excellent wife” has a broad range of important responsibilities.

In considering a woman’s social position in Scripture, Payne notes those who held political leadership – Miriam  (Mic 6:4); Deborah (Judg 2:16, 18; 4:6); Esther (Esth 7:1-10).

The author then considers a woman’s religious position in Scripture.  He notes that in the OT there is no command for women to be silent in religious gatherings, indeed note Isa 40:9; Ps 68:11.  The prophetess Huldah is consulted by the priests (2 Kgs 22), when both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were available.  See also Joel 2:28f.  Payne postulates that the reason that women are not recorded in the OT as holding the office of priest is the association of priestesses in some heathen cults.

Jesus Christ: Jesus treated women as persons equal with God.  Against the culture He accepted a woman’s testimony (John 20:14ff).  He gives “no hint that the nature of God’s will for women is different than for men.”  But what about the choice of only men as His disciples?  Payne comments that women travelling with Jesus for three years would have raised legitimate suspicion, with the gospel undermined.

Comment: This is a helpful introductory chapter, examining the various influences on Saul / Paul.  The historical data on Hellenistic and Jewish attitudes to women is quite extensive.  The section on Gen 1 – 3 would have been assisted by verse-by-verse exegesis (at least the verses relating to the topic) rather than responding to somewhat disjointed objections.