1 Timothy 2: 7-10

This will be a set of verses that will take a lot of explanation. I do not want one hundred women outside my house picketing me. There were issues in this town and it is those issues that were driving what Paul/Timothy said. I will give my best explanation on each one. I will have to use some of the Life Application New Testament Commentary to insure that what I write is correct.  

1Ti 2:7  And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I'm not exaggerating—just telling the truth.

This was stated to reassure the people of Emphasis that Paul was chosen by Christ to be an Apostle. What he would say would be absolutely the truth.

1Ti 2:8  In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. That was a common practice of that day. 1Ti 2:9  And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. 1Ti 2:10  For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.

This is the first statement in this set of verses that address women. He is not saying do not show up in Rags. He is say that if you dress overly adorned for the purpose of drawing attention to yourself then that is wrong. There was an issue what were you dressing up for. Here comes the Life Application New Testament Commentary explanation, please not that the verses referenced will be linked to Bible gateway for reference: 2:9 As the men were to show their right attitudes with “holy hands,” so the women in the Ephesian congregation were to show their holy attitudes with a modest outward appearance. Paul emphasized that their internal character was far more important than their outward adornment. Women’s standard for dress was to be characterized by decent and appropriate clothing. Paul’s appeal here was to good taste and good sense within the culture. Women believers were to “dress” their behavior in a manner that complemented rather than clashed with their character. Women who worshiped in the Christian church should not be given to ostentation, costly attire, and excessive adornment. Neither was seductive or sexually suggestive clothing appropriate. They were not to detract from the worship by drawing attention to themselves. That the Christian women in Ephesus not fix their hair or wear gold or pearls or expensive clothes meant again that their emphasis should not be how they looked, but on who they were.

To understand these instructions, we must look at them in light of the whole Bible. Jesus set women free. He treated them as human beings. He recognized and responded to their needs as human needs. He taught women and included them as his followers. He proved himself to be their Savior, too. The accepted view of women in the time of Christ was as property rather than persons. Jesus personally shattered that conception. The gospel offered to women the gift of personhood—they were worthy of salvation.

Paul’s instructions to the Christian women in Ephesus must be read in both their immediate and larger contexts before applying them. The immediate context was the church in Ephesus, which was suffering from the effect of false teachers who used women as their prime targets (see 2Ti_3:6-9). These women were also affected by their personal experiences within Ephesian culture. They would have struggled as much with cultural conditioning as we do.

The larger context includes what Paul taught elsewhere about the role and place of women in the church. One key statement occurs in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “There is no longer . . . male nor female . . . you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal_3:28). Note also Peter’s speech at Pentecost (Act_2:17-18). Women were not being singled out, nor should these instructions be binding outside of the church. Modesty and self-restraint are for everyone at all times, but these specific prohibitions applied to the church in Ephesus. Possibly, some Christian women in the Ephesian church were trying to gain respect by looking beautiful rather than by becoming Christlike in character. Some may have thought that they could win unbelieving husbands to Christ through their appearance (see Peter’s counsel to such women in 1Pe_3:1-6). In addition, Paul may have been referring to particular styles in Ephesus that were associated with prostitutes in the local temples. Artemis (also called Diana) was the goddess of Ephesus (see Act_19:28). Considered the goddess of fertility, she was represented by a carved figure with many breasts. A large statue of her (the rock for which was said to have come from heaven, Act_19:35) was in the great temple at Ephesus. That temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world. The festival of Artemis involved wild orgies and carousing. Obviously, Christian women should not look like or even copy the styles of the prostitutes in the temple of Artemis.

While there is nothing wrong with Christian women wanting to look nice, each woman must examine her own motives. Today’s world places great emphasis on beauty. Christian women, while they can dress nicely and take care of their appearance, must at the same time not let their appearance become all-encompassing, and they must not enhance their appearance merely for “sex appeal” or attention-getting.

I hope that helps on this part of 1 Ti 2.