Sunday we’ll be continuing our exploration of the 1st letter to Timothy – reading chapter 2:8-15.

This passage continues Paul’s encouragement from the first part of the chapter – challenging both men and women to carry themselves differently from what the cultural expectations are. Paul does this a lot in his writing – and he cleverly subverts the norms of this broken world to show how the values of the Kingdom can operate even within the fallen culture.

This passage also contains a very difficult passage – one that’s stirred much controversy over the years. As we said at the outset of our teaching, we have to be good tourists when we come to these letters. We have to factor in the culture and historic setting and all of the influences that would prompt Paul to write the things he does to this ancient church. Our challenge will be to piece together a picture that can help us understand his words without forcing him to be contradictory to other parts of his writing.

It’s not an easy task – and I’ll warn you that we’ll spend a good amount of time exploring a handful of verses – but my hope is, it will be worth it and that we’ll all find it encouraging and freeing. Hope you can join us this Sunday at 10 am!