WEBVTT 00:00.300 --> 00:01.900 Grace, mercy, and peace 00:01.900 --> 00:05.900 be unto you from God, our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus 00:05.900 --> 00:06.600 Christ. 00:06.900 --> 00:07.600 Amen. 00:08.900 --> 00:13.700 When I first saw that the text assigned for this day was from 1st, 00:13.700 --> 00:15.200 Timothy Chapter 2. 00:15.600 --> 00:21.600 I was excited because those very first verses of First of Timothy 00:21.600 --> 00:26.000 Chapter 2 are some of my favorite from a Missiological perspective. 00:26.000 --> 00:31.200 In fact, in 1995, I had the honor and the privilege of preaching at 00:31.200 --> 00:36.500 the opening communion service of the Synodical convention here in 00:36.500 --> 00:36.800 St. 00:36.800 --> 00:41.400 Louis in 1995. And the text that was assigned to me was first Timothy 00:41.400 --> 00:44.000 Chapter 2, verses 1 through 7. 00:44.900 --> 00:48.200 And it's a great text full of Missiological significance. 00:48.200 --> 00:53.100 It speaks of God's desire for the Salvation of all the university 00:53.200 --> 00:58.500 universality of the Gospel, but it also talks about the exclusive 00:58.500 --> 00:59.600 dimension of the Gospel. 00:59.600 --> 01:05.099 There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus 01:05.099 --> 01:05.900 Christ. 01:06.700 --> 01:07.600 Missiological 01:07.600 --> 01:11.600 this is significant stuff at stuff that really helps set the tone for 01:11.600 --> 01:13.600 what we do in the mission of the church. 01:15.000 --> 01:18.600 But then I saw that for today the assigned text goes all the way 01:18.600 --> 01:24.100 through verse 15. The end of the chapter, where Paul goes into things, 01:24.100 --> 01:25.000 like, women should be 01:25.000 --> 01:27.900 submissive and keep silent in the church. 01:27.900 --> 01:31.800 And that it was a woman who was deceived and not the man and that she 01:31.800 --> 01:34.500 will be saved by childbirth etc. 01:35.500 --> 01:38.500 Some of these things just seemed odd to the modern ear. 01:39.400 --> 01:40.400 So, hmm. 01:41.000 --> 01:44.300 How to bring it all together in one sermon? 01:45.000 --> 01:47.700 Well, first, I asked the Dean of the Chapel if we could limit our 01:47.700 --> 01:54.900 reading today to just verses one through seven. He wasn't too excited 01:54.900 --> 02:00.000 about that idea, but he did say, he would pray about it, but he never 02:00.000 --> 02:00.800 got back to me. 02:02.200 --> 02:05.700 Then I did a little bit of Internet research and tried to find some 02:05.700 --> 02:08.199 other sermons on this entire pericope. 02:08.199 --> 02:12.000 But I found out that most preachers pretty much avoid the second half 02:12.000 --> 02:12.900 of this text. 02:13.100 --> 02:17.000 The often time preach on prayer, which is obviously a very significant 02:17.000 --> 02:19.000 part of what Paul is talking about here 02:19.000 --> 02:23.700 in first Timothy Chapter 2. Or maybe they talk about the universal 02:23.700 --> 02:27.800 nature of the atonement, which all true also features prominently but 02:27.800 --> 02:31.800 they never really get to verses 8 through 15. 02:32.600 --> 02:36.400 And I thought, well maybe I'll just do it that way too, you know, like 02:36.400 --> 02:39.200 some pastors, they get into the pulpit, they announce their text, 02:39.200 --> 02:41.700 they say, the text for today 02:41.700 --> 02:46.800 that engages our attention is, is the gospel lesson, especially the 02:46.800 --> 02:49.200 first half of the first verse. 02:51.300 --> 02:52.700 Or something like that. 02:52.800 --> 02:57.200 Then I realized that I've always taught and was taught myself that the 02:57.200 --> 02:59.500 task of the preacher really is to 03:00.000 --> 03:03.800 see what ties it all together to preach on the entire pericope. 03:04.600 --> 03:05.900 See how it comes together 03:05.900 --> 03:08.700 and that's what I'm going to attempt to do this morning. 03:09.800 --> 03:13.700 Now, it's clear, as we have sung also in our him already. 03:14.300 --> 03:18.800 It's clear that first Timothy Chapter 2, the central theme really is 03:18.900 --> 03:19.400 prayer. 03:19.400 --> 03:23.500 Everything that Paul talks about here is some way or another related 03:23.500 --> 03:24.200 to prayer. 03:24.700 --> 03:30.600 He talks about what to pray for, who should pray when to pray and why. 03:31.500 --> 03:36.300 For Paul points out that God wants, all believers, all people, in 03:36.300 --> 03:40.200 reality, all people to come to a knowledge of the truth and achieve 03:40.200 --> 03:41.000 salvation. 03:42.100 --> 03:46.400 So let us look at what Paul says about prayer in the life of the 03:46.400 --> 03:47.000 church. 03:48.500 --> 03:49.400 In the first place 03:49.400 --> 03:51.800 and that's the way Paul starts, in the first place. 03:52.300 --> 03:56.700 Paul urges, that supplications prayers, intercessions and 03:56.700 --> 03:59.000 thanksgivings, be made for all people. 04:00.300 --> 04:05.800 That sounds easy enough, although like so many things it's easier 04:05.800 --> 04:07.000 said, than done. 04:07.800 --> 04:11.900 First, our prayers, oftentimes tend to be very self-serving or 04:11.900 --> 04:16.300 self-centered, they have to do usually with a challenge at I'm facing 04:16.300 --> 04:17.899 with the problem that I'm facing with something 04:18.200 --> 04:21.800 that I want or something that I think I need to have something that I 04:21.800 --> 04:23.100 desire for myself. 04:23.100 --> 04:24.100 It's not wrong 04:24.100 --> 04:25.800 of course to pray for those kinds of things. 04:25.800 --> 04:30.000 We are invited to come to God with anything that's in our heart. As 04:30.000 --> 04:33.900 Luther said in the in his explanation of the introduction to the 04:33.900 --> 04:34.500 Lord's prayer. 04:34.500 --> 04:38.800 Our Father Who Art in Heaven Luther said, God would thereby tenderly 04:38.800 --> 04:41.600 invite us to believe that he is our true father 04:41.600 --> 04:45.800 and we are his true children. So that we may ask him with all boldness 04:45.800 --> 04:49.700 and confidence as children ask their dear father. 04:51.000 --> 04:55.800 However, Paul says here, don't pray just for yourself, but pray for 04:55.800 --> 05:00.900 all people. God has given us the honor and the blessing of being able 05:00.900 --> 05:04.100 to bring the needs of others before him. 05:05.200 --> 05:09.600 And yet, as I said, it is, often times easier said than done. 05:10.200 --> 05:13.000 The problem is that sometimes we just don't feel like praying for 05:13.000 --> 05:15.400 others, especially if it's someone who has hurt us. 05:15.800 --> 05:18.700 Someone who has harmed us in some way, someone who is threatened us or 05:18.700 --> 05:21.300 cause us pain, or anxiety, or suffering. 05:22.100 --> 05:25.800 I mean, I've had many people in my Ministry, really question that 05:25.800 --> 05:30.100 statement of Jesus, you know when he said, love your enemies, and pray 05:30.100 --> 05:33.800 for those who persecute you. There like, is that true? 05:33.900 --> 05:34.800 What does he really mean? 05:35.000 --> 05:36.500 I mean, how can that be? 05:37.300 --> 05:40.600 I can see why it is hard sometimes for people sometimes people 05:40.600 --> 05:44.300 have been hurt, very, very deeply, it's not that easy to just get over 05:44.300 --> 05:48.700 it and pray for someone who has caused us harm or some kind of pain or 05:48.700 --> 05:49.600 anxiety. 05:49.800 --> 05:53.300 I can see why it can take time for people to get to that point if they 05:53.300 --> 05:54.000 ever do. 05:54.800 --> 05:58.400 But Paul here says not only pray for all people but he said 05:58.400 --> 05:59.800 specifically pray for 06:00.100 --> 06:07.100 kings and those in high positions. And not only our leaders, but all 06:07.100 --> 06:11.800 those in high positions, who impact, what is going on in the world 06:11.800 --> 06:12.600 around us. 06:13.600 --> 06:16.900 I mean, I know that we regularly pray for our governor and we pray for 06:16.900 --> 06:21.400 our president and we pray for our leaders locally from time to time, 06:21.400 --> 06:25.700 but I don't remember the last time we prayed for Vladimir Putin, for 06:25.700 --> 06:26.500 example. 06:28.500 --> 06:32.100 The Roman emperor during the time that Paul wrote this missive to 06:32.100 --> 06:34.900 Timothy, was the notorious Nero. 06:35.700 --> 06:40.700 Who is known for his treacherous acts, including including accusing, 06:40.700 --> 06:44.200 the Christians of the great fire of Rome, this all had taken place 06:44.200 --> 06:48.300 about one year before, before Paul, wrote this missive to Timothy, 06:48.300 --> 06:52.800 evidently. The great fire of Rome and Nero used the Christians as a 06:52.800 --> 06:57.000 scapegoat and accused them of having caused and then thereby 06:57.300 --> 07:00.800 persecuted them even by burning some of them alive in public. 07:01.300 --> 07:04.500 So, all of this happened just about a year before Paul wrote this and 07:04.500 --> 07:06.000 said, pray for all rulers 07:06.000 --> 07:11.600 all those in high places. Even Nero would be included, would be 07:11.600 --> 07:16.000 included in those for whom Paul is urging prayers. 07:16.600 --> 07:19.800 Paul says it's good and pleasing in the sight of God. 07:20.400 --> 07:25.600 It's not defying or betraying God by praying even for evil rulers. 07:26.200 --> 07:27.100 Paul says it's something 07:27.200 --> 07:29.100 that's beneficial and necessary. 07:29.500 --> 07:33.900 So that as Paul said we can leave a lead, a quiet and peaceable and 07:33.900 --> 07:36.100 dignified and a Godly life. 07:38.700 --> 07:42.500 What we are praying for is that those in high places around the world 07:42.500 --> 07:45.400 would help establish, peace and justice. 07:45.400 --> 07:50.900 So that the cause of the Gospel can go forth without hindrance. Paul 07:50.900 --> 07:53.300 was a great beneficiary of the Pax 07:53.300 --> 07:57.500 Romana, for example. And the gospel was spread around the Roman Empire 07:57.500 --> 08:01.100 because of the pox Romana, which made it possible even though it was 08:01.100 --> 08:07.700 established by Godless rulers. It's because God desires all to be 08:07.700 --> 08:10.400 saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. 08:11.200 --> 08:15.300 It seems to me that the central reason that Paul urges these prayers 08:15.600 --> 08:19.000 on behalf of all people is Missiological. 08:19.500 --> 08:22.900 The universal dimension of the Gospel is clearly stated. 08:22.900 --> 08:28.800 God wants all to be saved. He gave himself as a ransom for all. He died 08:28.800 --> 08:33.600 for all. What a powerful message that we have something that not all 08:33.600 --> 08:34.400 denominations 08:34.700 --> 08:39.500 understand correctly or take it that way. We can proclaim to any 08:39.700 --> 08:45.500 frightened sinner that, no matter the gravity of his or her sins that 08:45.500 --> 08:48.100 Christ died for you. 08:48.700 --> 08:52.000 The gospel of forgiveness is for you. 08:52.300 --> 08:57.500 You can be sure of it. That clarity of the Gospel that it is meant for 08:57.500 --> 08:59.800 all is a powerful message, and it 09:00.100 --> 09:06.400 thing that you can say to any broken sinner. Now, I've run into people 09:06.400 --> 09:10.900 who have doubted that people who feel that their sins are to grievous. 09:11.000 --> 09:15.300 That they've gone too far down the wrong path, that God could not 09:15.300 --> 09:18.900 possibly forgive them. In Spanish 09:18.900 --> 09:22.800 we have a phrase para esa persona no hay ni Misericordia ni perdon. 09:23.800 --> 09:25.400 That means, for that person. 09:25.400 --> 09:27.700 There is neither Mercy or forgiveness. 09:27.700 --> 09:31.000 And sometimes people feel that, that way about themselves. 09:31.300 --> 09:32.400 There's no hope for me. 09:32.400 --> 09:35.000 And maybe you've even felt that way yourself about yourself 09:35.200 --> 09:40.900 at times when you realize the corruption of your heart and the evil 09:40.900 --> 09:43.600 thoughts that sometimes go through your mind, or maybe the ways in 09:43.600 --> 09:48.300 which you have hurt others. Sometimes you might wonder, how can God 09:48.300 --> 09:49.400 forgive me? 09:50.600 --> 09:55.600 The clarity of the Gospel being meant for all is a powerful powerful 09:55.600 --> 09:56.200 message. 09:56.200 --> 10:00.400 It's something that you can say with confidence to any broken sinner, 10:00.700 --> 10:02.500 including yourself. 10:04.600 --> 10:08.800 But here we also see the exclusive dimension of the Gospel as well. 10:09.300 --> 10:15.200 When Paul said there is one mediator between God and men. Or as Jesus 10:15.200 --> 10:18.000 said, I am the way and the truth and the life. 10:18.000 --> 10:22.800 No one comes to the Father, except through me. Or later in Acts Peter 10:22.800 --> 10:27.600 proclaimed, there is no other name under Heaven given among men by 10:27.600 --> 10:29.200 which we must be saved. 10:30.600 --> 10:36.000 This means that proclaiming Jesus as a savior of the world, is also a 10:36.000 --> 10:41.600 critical matter. Scripture in general, and Paul and particular leaves 10:41.600 --> 10:42.000 here 10:42.100 --> 10:45.600 no room for some kind of vague universalism. 10:47.100 --> 10:50.700 This universalism which many Missiologist today is probably one of 10:50.700 --> 10:53.500 the biggest threats to the mission of the Christian Church. 10:53.500 --> 10:57.200 Probably one of the biggest reasons why the mission and evangelistic 10:57.200 --> 11:00.500 outreach efforts of the church in at least in northern Europe 11:00.500 --> 11:06.300 and North America is so anemic is because of this vague universalism. 11:06.300 --> 11:07.200 Are there other ways? 11:07.200 --> 11:07.800 Is it true 11:07.800 --> 11:11.300 that Jesus is the only way. Are there, such things as anonymous 11:11.300 --> 11:15.600 Christians as Vatican II declared? You know, those who follow their 11:15.600 --> 11:16.700 conscience and try to do 11:16.900 --> 11:20.300 what is right and thereby, we can consider them as Christians 11:20.300 --> 11:23.000 also. It's a big issue. 11:23.000 --> 11:25.900 It's being written about a lot, even up to this very day by 11:25.900 --> 11:27.800 theologians even Lutheran theologians. 11:27.800 --> 11:31.700 And if you're not up on how this whole discussion of universalism, how 11:31.700 --> 11:37.000 to deal with it, with nuance and with intelligence and our be able to 11:37.000 --> 11:39.200 articulate it about, you should study up on it. 11:39.200 --> 11:41.900 Because I am sure that when you get into your Ministries, you will be 11:41.900 --> 11:43.500 asked, you will be asked. 11:43.500 --> 11:44.700 What does this mean? 11:44.900 --> 11:46.700 Is it true that Jesus Christ, 11:46.800 --> 11:47.700 Christ is the only way? 11:47.700 --> 11:49.800 What about those who have never heard? 11:49.800 --> 11:51.700 You need to be able to respond to that. 11:51.700 --> 11:58.300 What we do know is that here Paul holds before us to facts. That's that 11:58.300 --> 11:59.500 God's love and forgiveness 12:00.100 --> 12:05.900 are meant for all and that Jesus is the only mediator between God and 12:05.900 --> 12:08.900 men. Between Him and us. 12:11.400 --> 12:15.600 Then Paul goes on to give further instruction on prayer. 12:16.700 --> 12:20.400 And what he is talking about here is not prayer in general. 12:20.400 --> 12:25.000 It really seems that he is talking about not individual prayer, but 12:25.000 --> 12:28.100 corporate prayer in public worship. 12:29.400 --> 12:34.300 The life of the church is to be characterized by times when people of 12:34.300 --> 12:37.500 God come together to offer prayers. 12:37.800 --> 12:44.400 He says without quarreling without anger. This is another aspect of the 12:44.400 --> 12:47.700 text that is easier said than done. 12:48.600 --> 12:53.200 It's so easy to let fear and fear and hurt 12:53.300 --> 12:58.900 turn into anger. And anger into hatred and hatred into quarreling even 12:58.900 --> 12:59.400 in the church. 12:59.400 --> 13:02.900 And here, it seems that Paul is speaking specifically about the 13:02.900 --> 13:08.600 Pastoral leadership of the church who are men, who are to lift up holy 13:08.600 --> 13:09.300 hands. 13:10.100 --> 13:13.000 Who are to lift up holy hands during public worship. 13:13.000 --> 13:16.800 The word that's used here is the word for men, not the generic word 13:16.800 --> 13:20.900 that could be translated mankind, but men lift up their hands in 13:20.900 --> 13:26.100 prayer. And so man lift up their holy hands, which is an expression 13:26.100 --> 13:32.000 that that really demonstrates and shows the both the external and the 13:32.000 --> 13:35.800 internal posture of those praying. Externally 13:35.800 --> 13:39.200 it shows that people are praying to God in expectation that he is 13:39.200 --> 13:42.900 hearing their prayers. In expectation of receiving something from God, 13:42.900 --> 13:46.800 but maybe there's also something even about kind of the sign of the 13:46.800 --> 13:47.500 cross here. 13:47.600 --> 13:52.900 The look of the cross that reminds us, why we can come to God in 13:52.900 --> 13:56.000 expectation of his response to our prayers. 13:56.800 --> 14:01.000 But it's not only it's not only the external gesture that Paul talks 14:01.000 --> 14:03.000 or something internal here as well. 14:03.500 --> 14:08.500 Paul says, we should pray with holy hands, that's an internal matter. 14:09.200 --> 14:14.700 When all anger and quarreling has been resolved through repentance and 14:14.700 --> 14:15.800 reconciliation. 14:16.600 --> 14:20.200 It's not only a matter of the external gestures but it's a matter of 14:20.200 --> 14:20.900 the heart. 14:21.400 --> 14:27.900 It is, it is not purely, the correct actions, but pure motives are 14:27.900 --> 14:29.800 essential in Christian worship. 14:30.500 --> 14:32.800 The kind of worship that Paul describes here. 14:35.100 --> 14:40.100 We all know that all too often conflicts arise in the church, and 14:40.100 --> 14:45.600 those conflicts can in can incur and cause a great deal of damage to 14:45.600 --> 14:48.500 both the flock, the faith of the flock and we've all seen it. 14:49.000 --> 14:52.400 The faith of the flock that is damaged because of conflict within the 14:52.400 --> 14:52.900 church. 14:53.600 --> 14:57.100 It also, of course damages the testimony of the church before the 14:57.100 --> 14:57.800 world. 14:58.900 --> 14:59.800 Conflict in the church is 15:00.000 --> 15:04.900 so prevalent, that many organizations have arisen, which are there to 15:04.900 --> 15:09.700 just try to help churches deal with conflict within. Organizations 15:09.700 --> 15:13.800 like Ambassadors of Reconciliation, for example, that many of us are 15:13.800 --> 15:14.600 familiar with. 15:15.200 --> 15:18.700 I like the way that they put it when they talk about what they try to 15:18.700 --> 15:20.600 do to help churches that are in conflict. 15:20.600 --> 15:24.600 They said they say that we are trying to help God's people lead a 15:24.600 --> 15:27.000 lifestyle of reconciliation. 15:28.100 --> 15:30.200 A lifestyle of reconciliation. 15:31.800 --> 15:36.600 And I'm maybe not in every case but I'm pretty sure that in many 15:36.600 --> 15:37.200 cases. 15:37.900 --> 15:42.100 It's the pastor of a conflicted congregation who also needs to learn 15:42.400 --> 15:46.300 about the lifestyle of reconciliation and that's why Paul is so 15:46.300 --> 15:52.500 insistent, I think on this point. And then Paul begins to treat of the 15:52.500 --> 15:56.300 role in the relationship between men and women in the church. 15:57.300 --> 16:00.800 And there are no doubts and contextual matters going on here that we 16:00.800 --> 16:02.500 could only speculate about. 16:02.700 --> 16:05.400 We don't really know for sure about everything that was going on. 16:06.000 --> 16:10.000 But he says that women should adorn themselves modestly not with 16:10.000 --> 16:13.500 clothing or jewelry, that is too flashy or pretentious, but rather 16:13.500 --> 16:16.000 should adorn themselves with good works. 16:17.300 --> 16:20.000 Again, this is more a matter of what is in the heart 16:20.000 --> 16:23.900 then externals. In today's world, I think, oftentimes, you could 16:23.900 --> 16:25.700 probably say the same thing about men. 16:25.700 --> 16:29.600 When sometimes matter of dress for men has a attend, a tended to 16:29.600 --> 16:33.000 become very ostentatious and overly flamboyant. 16:33.300 --> 16:37.600 Oh, by the way, Luther says that this part about adorning yourself not 16:37.600 --> 16:39.800 with braids and you know, pearls and all of that. 16:39.900 --> 16:41.700 He said that doesn't apply to weddings. 16:41.900 --> 16:44.500 He says it more than once in his commentary on this section. 16:44.500 --> 16:45.800 It does not apply to weddings. 16:46.800 --> 16:50.300 But then Paul gets into things that can sound very strange to the 16:50.300 --> 16:51.200 modern ear. 16:52.000 --> 16:56.400 Certainly what he says is far from the prevailing attitudes of our 16:56.400 --> 17:02.000 society in general. When so and so many people claim in spite of the 17:02.000 --> 17:04.900 obvious differences between men and women. 17:05.900 --> 17:12.300 So so so many people today claim that the idea of gender is merely a 17:12.300 --> 17:14.200 social construct. 17:16.099 --> 17:19.700 Paul speaks about the role and relationship of men and women in the 17:19.700 --> 17:24.099 life and church stating that women should learn quietly. 17:24.099 --> 17:28.099 And they should not take up the Pastoral public Ministry. 17:28.600 --> 17:32.800 And his argument for this is the order of creation and all has also had 17:32.800 --> 17:34.400 something to do with the fall into sin. 17:36.300 --> 17:40.500 Now to many people today these words of Paul sound like the rant of a 17:40.500 --> 17:45.200 misogynist woman hater but I don't believe that that can be true of 17:45.200 --> 17:45.600 Paul. 17:45.600 --> 17:49.000 I do not believe it because of the deep respect that he himself 17:49.000 --> 17:52.800 demonstrated toward women. When he talked about people, like Euodia and 17:52.800 --> 17:53.500 Syntyche 17:53.800 --> 17:58.000 and Priscilla all who he said were his co-laborers. Who labored 17:58.000 --> 17:59.800 side-by-side with him for the cause 18:00.000 --> 18:00.800 of the gospel. 18:01.200 --> 18:04.600 And besides that, it would, it would go against the clear testimony of 18:04.600 --> 18:09.900 scripture, which upholds an honors women and recognizes so many women 18:10.200 --> 18:14.800 who were instrumental in advancing the kingdom of God. And even in the 18:14.800 --> 18:19.200 history of modern missions, women have been exceedingly significant in 18:19.200 --> 18:19.800 their part. 18:19.800 --> 18:24.000 And by the way, I just realized that this year, we are celebrating 20 18:24.000 --> 18:27.800 years of the Deaconess program here, at Concordia Seminary. 18:29.300 --> 18:34.100 Now, without a doubt passages, like this have been misused by men to 18:34.100 --> 18:38.500 subjugate and even make women feel like second-class citizens. 18:39.800 --> 18:44.600 In this regard, I read some statistics recently that six times more 18:44.600 --> 18:50.000 men than women are arrested for drug abuse. 10 times more men than 18:50.000 --> 18:52.300 women are arrested for drunkenness. 18:53.000 --> 19:00.600 83% of serious crimes, in America are committed by men. 25 times more 19:00.700 --> 19:04.400 men than women are in prison or in jail. 19:06.400 --> 19:12.200 So much for the superiority of men, except maybe in criminal activity. 19:13.800 --> 19:16.700 Are men are stronger than women, well, in some ways, yes, 19:16.700 --> 19:19.100 but in some ways women are stronger. 19:19.100 --> 19:23.200 Are men more intelligent than women, maybe in some ways and in some 19:23.200 --> 19:27.200 cases, but in some ways, women are more intelligent than men. 19:27.200 --> 19:33.100 The point is that there is a complementarity between men and women and 19:33.100 --> 19:35.800 the strengths of both are needed. 19:37.300 --> 19:41.100 The order in the church as Paul describes it, here is based on God's 19:41.100 --> 19:43.000 original order in creation. 19:43.300 --> 19:47.500 Paul is not just choosing some random roles for men and women nor is 19:47.500 --> 19:50.900 he simply accommodating himself to the cultural milieu of the day. 19:52.000 --> 19:53.400 Rather he is pointing out 19:53.400 --> 19:57.300 that there is something about the way God arranged things in the 19:57.300 --> 20:00.900 beginning, that makes this kind of order good. 20:01.900 --> 20:05.400 In other words, and I'd like to quote from one commentator, he put it 20:05.400 --> 20:05.900 this way. 20:06.500 --> 20:11.300 True manhood and true womanhood mesh more effectively in Ministry. 20:11.700 --> 20:15.000 They are better preserved and better nurtured and more fulfilled and 20:15.000 --> 20:18.600 more fruitful, because God made it to be this way. 20:19.000 --> 20:21.600 It's part of his gracious design for the good of men and 20:21.800 --> 20:22.300 women. 20:24.700 --> 20:28.300 Now I said I'd try to preach on the whole text. At the very end of our 20:28.300 --> 20:28.600 text 20:28.600 --> 20:32.400 Paul mentions that the woman and he uses singular here and he just 20:32.400 --> 20:33.800 been talking about Eve. 20:35.100 --> 20:37.300 Will be saved through the birth of a child. 20:39.000 --> 20:39.900 In fact 20:40.800 --> 20:44.300 we will all be saved by the birth of that child, 20:44.300 --> 20:50.500 Jesus Christ. The one God and mediator between God and Men. Who 20:50.900 --> 20:57.200 desires the salvation of all people. Who was born into this world. Who 20:57.200 --> 20:59.800 faithfully went to the Cross, to be a sacred 21:00.000 --> 21:01.600 substitute for all sinners. 21:02.900 --> 21:07.000 Now, we have the privilege to serve him together in our vocations, 21:07.000 --> 21:11.000 both men and women to bring prayers, and supplications, and 21:11.000 --> 21:16.500 thanksgiving to Him. To pray for the whole world, which as Paul says is 21:16.500 --> 21:16.900 good 21:16.900 --> 21:21.000 and right in the sight of God our savior who desires all people to be 21:21.000 --> 21:25.200 saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. What a blessed message 21:25.200 --> 21:29.100 that we have. That we can be confident in who we are and we can be 21:29.100 --> 21:31.800 confident in the message that we have to proclaim. 21:32.600 --> 21:37.500 In the name of Jesus, our way, and our truth, and our life. 21:37.700 --> 21:38.300 Amen. 21:39.500 --> 21:40.800 And may the peace of God 21:40.800 --> 21:44.300 that passes all understanding guard, your hearts and minds in Christ 21:44.300 --> 21:44.800 Jesus. 21:45.200 --> 21:45.800 Amen. 21:46.600 --> 21:47.700 Let us stand for prayer.