Analysis of 1 Timothy 2-3

 Overall, this is about the type of authority that Paul had, in which he gave Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan (1:20). Paul says (2:7) that he is the non-lying truth teller about these matters by the authority of Christ which God gave him, Paul, that particular man, and, in *that* authority, he wills various particular holy behavior to come from both men and women, and he gives the reasons behind it.

Pauls makes a point of saying that Jesus saved him, even though he was a horrible sinner, and showed him mercy, and that that is a pattern for us all.

Paul was put into the ministry by Christ Jesus our Master (1:12). That's where his authority to say these things comes from (2:7, which seems to me to be very emphatic).

It looks like there's a vital connection between a woman's concern with what she wears and the transgression of Eve by way of her victimization by deception. I might be wrong, but it seems to me that vanity (emptiness) is connected to these things, too. Now, concern with what she wears isn't bad, *primary*, doting, consuming concern in the way of *some* women (you know what I'm talking about) - *that's* deceptive.

Because of the need for good works instead of the vanity of being *primarily* concerned with outward appearance (as so many women have been), and because Eve *was* (in this level of meaning, literally she herself) *was indeed* deceived, which has a connection to having vain things like fashion as *primary* concern, the conclusion Paul makes is that she shouldn't have authority over men, because Adam, that guy himself, was not deceived. I conclude that his transgression was more purposeful, and, therefore, more wrong than the transgression that came from Eve's ignorance, and my evidence is that Jesus, on the cross, requested The Father that His ignorant murderers should be forgiven.

I've heard that women being quiet in the congregation meeting had to do with a cultural proclivity for women to ask their husbands about whatever was being preached while it was being preached. Maybe Paul was alluding to something like that? Cross-reference 1 Corinthians 14:35. Their speech in that circumstance is the same type of shame that Paul says in 1 Timothy 3:3 that the overseer of the congregation should not be greedy for the shameful type of gain.

Women can gain some clarity to step away from the vanity of *primary* focus on clothes and hair, etc., as well as to step away from the *propensity* for being victimized by deception - women can be saved from that through childbearing, *if* they continue in faith, love, holiness, and self-control. Note that 1 Timothy 2:15, especially "she will be" and "if they continue", makes this go beyond Eve.

Adam not only has the authority but also the power to decide action in the face of sin and to see through things and at least to know what's happening, *even* when he makes the decision to sin. Eve transgressed out of ignorance, Adam, *even* in his transgression*, did so out of knowledge, and therefore, Adam has ability to look more directly at things, which is a necessary component of leadership. Self-control is one of 4 things Paul says women need to continue in after child-bearing in order to be saved from Eve's particular attributes that came from the curse. That self-control is repeated (significantly, I think) as a core attribute for the male church leaders.

We know from Scripture that Adam was created out of the ground and Eve was created out of him. This is significant in the fact that Jesus couldn't have been a woman as a representative of the human race, but He could as a man.

Faith, love, holiness, self-control, blamelessness, never divorced, vigilance, good behavior, hospitable, ready to teach, not a drunk, not physically abusive, not greedy for shameful gain, patient, not resistant to change (self-willed; aire of invincibility that has been adopted as an unalterable stance, regardless of reality; cf. Titus 1:7), not covetous - these are all useful qualities for us all, but especially for leaders. And added to this, the overseer of the congregation has to be the overseer of his own domestic domain (the family of his household). He has to do this in a way so that his children obey him due to respecting him (with a naturally ocurring, unfoced, real respect, by the way), not a new convert, so pride doesn't artificially lift him up so that he then falls down into the devil's authority to judge and punish him. The overseer has to be such that the outside world can see his good behavior so their scorn doesn't trap him in a devlish snare.

Middle management (deacons; the overseer's hands and feet; his lieutenants) has to be honorable and not use linguistic trickery to say opposite things. He has to take heed of the dangers of too much alcohol, and, just like Paul said to the overseer, he cannot be greedy for shameful gain. He has to have a clear conscience about his beliefs concerning these things which God has made clear to His own but the World cannot understand. Before taking on this role, he *must* first be evaluated for *these* attributes (you church counsels, were *you* evaluated for *these* things? Don't be condemned if you don't qualify. Step away for your own safety! And also for righteousness among us saved ones, who are God's Church). They can't be divorced and must rule their children well. By doing these things, the congregation trusts these men and they also get a confident openness about trusting Jesus.

The wives of middle management must be honorable, not false accusers, vigilant, and trustworthy.

So, the men are exhorted to various useful and mandatory qualities, including some paticular qualities that their *wives* should have. The onus of having a husband with righteous qualities doesn't limit the woman's salvation from these temporal handicaps, but the husband of a wife who's not righteous in these particular ways is explicitly barred from these offices in the congregation. With authority comes responsibility.

Paul says these things with a purpose in mind. He wants individual Christians to behave right, because they are God's Church, and the Church should be well maintained due to it being the foundation of and grounding of The Great and Mysterious Truth, which is the facts that God was seen with His human body, God's Spirit validated Him to us on the Earth, angels carefully observed Him, He was preached to Gentiles, He was believed on throughout the world, and He was carried up into glorious Heaven!

And *that* is why overseers, deacons, and all of God's Church should be righteous!