1 Timothy 2:10

10but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women

I think it is important to realize that Paul here is fighting against the oppression of women, they have a valued role in the church that only they can fill. Paul knows that there is a strength and power that God has given women. This strength is being striped away from them, when we don't believe. It is like stripping the pedals off a flower and telling it that it must be a tree to have worth. Don't underestimate the power of a flower and don't underestimate a woman who is godly, she has the strength to capture hearts and to change the world. God is very clear that He intends a woman to have strength and dignity and influence. When we try to do this in our own wisdom we hinder the beauty that God has given women. In walking in our own wisdom we oppress women, instead of trusting in a God who loves us and cares for us and knows us best.God turns the strength and wisdom of this world over and destroys it with something far greater and more beautiful. He is an amazing God. And His dreams for us or so much bigger than our own. He is truly worthy of our trust.

Proverbs 12:4

Proverbs 12:4

A wife of noble character is her husband's crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

A wife has a huge influence over her husband. The woman is the glory of a man and she can be a crown or she can be a disgraceful wife that causes disgrace and decay to the man.

Proverbs 31:30

Proverbs 31:30

30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Part of a letter I wrote: How does God define beauty? – simply; womanhood. Proverbs talks about womanhood and says, "her worth is far above jewels . . . . Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." We have been lied to. This is the standard of beauty. This is captivating. It is captivating beauty that is far above any other standard of beauty. It is a standard of what should attract us as men as we pursue to find a wife, physical attributes should no longer be the standard. And it is a standard by how we treat other women other then our wife. It is not only our duty to have this as our standard of beauty but it is also our delight and exceeding joy, as God transforms our definition of beauty to His and His passions become our own. Women need this from us, the passion of God through us, declaring to them that they as women are beautiful, more precious then jewels. Oh, how "good and acceptable and perfect" is the will of God and how wonderful is His gifts to us!


If God defines beauty as womanhood, I want to defend this as a man. The world has attacked the integrity and strength of womanhood. A man does not sit back idle while a woman is beaten, but instead steps in front of her and defends her. Women are oppressed in the church by those who will either ignore scripture or discredit the Word and the Word’s power and wisdom. On one side, oppression comes from restricting the role of a woman, till it loses its strength, treating them as worthless and not allowing them to have influence. On the other side, the role of a woman and its strength is all together denied. This picture is contrary to the picture in the scriptures, where the man is the head, but serves her as Christ would serve the church. This struggle has played out throughout history and has even entered the church. One of the most controversial scriptures regarding this is "in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve." What freedom is in this verse for women! It underscores a strength and influence that God has given women. And yet some have used this to oppress women further than what this scripture allows and choked the life out of the Word of God and others have ignored it, and denied the power and strength of womanhood and power of the Word of God.


I will try to explain. Paul writes this because, "For Adam was formed first, then Eve." This was God’s heart before sin entered the world. God created Adam first, because he was to be a man. We as men are to embody manhood. He was created first because he had a role to fill that was specific to a man, to lead out, to be a king, warrior, father, priest, to display the glory of God. The woman was also given strength, power, and influence, but as woman and not as a man. I said the verse in 1 Timothy 2 was freedom for a women. What does it give to a woman? It says, "Let a woman learn in silence with all submission." Our culture, paints a different picture of these words then the scripture. It is a command that provides a woman as much influence in the affairs of the church as a man. Her role is vital to the strength of the church. In 1 Peter 3:3 "Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging of the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." How strong is this gentle and quiet spirit! It is strong enough to change the hard heart of an ungodly man. "Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear." If it has this affect on the ungodly man, how much more so on the godly men. A woman like this will influence the direction of the church and build the church in the Lord and challenge the church to be more. Far from being weak, it is an amazing strength. "God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty" 1 Corinthians 1:27. This is an incorruptible beauty that is very precious in the sight of God. Oh, how indescribable is the wisdom of God! It is in God’s heart for a woman to display His character, glory, majesty, and strength through a "gentle and quiet spirit" and to powerfully influence the church "in silence." When 2 Timothy commands a woman to be in silence, it is not a restriction, but a command to live fully and to influence the church fully. This is a woman’s strength. This is a woman’s power. When the scripture says "in silence" it does not mean inaction, but action. If anything, this truth is more demanding on a woman than any concept of the world. As an example, Proverbs 31 talks about a woman, who had the heart of her husband and children. She was respected and trusted, not only by her husband and children, but also by the city. She was a woman who had strength and influence and helped to shape the course of her family and city, but she did this "in silence" and with a "gentle and quiet spirit". It is obvious from this chapter that this is a call to action. The scripture speaks much more on the role of women and their call to action. This letter would be long if I wrote on all that God has commanded a woman to do. I could go further into theology (I am barely touching the surface with the word of God) and history, and further into all that God has for women. I believe that women have a huge influence in the church. I have seen women turn the tide in situations in a way that no man could. God has given them a strength that we as men cannot imitate well. We need them, desperately. But I am writing this not to defend this so much, but more so to say that want to learn to be a man who encourages women to live fully. As a man I want to defend this beauty and strength that God has given women. I want to stand up when the world tries to come in and oppress her from every direction. I want to defend her honor, her integrity, her strength, her beauty, and her womanhood. And I want to honor God, in honoring my sisters, His daughters, His princesses.


God has called us men to a place of stepping up, this is our role. I want to do that and be an example of a godly man, for our women. Women need us to be men of God. I want to be this. I am writing this because I am weak and I need the support of my brother’s to live this out and I want to express this desire, so they can walk with me in this. I do not believe a man lives alone, but instead goes to battle with his brothers. I am asking you and my brothers to hold me accountable and to demand this from me."

Proverbs 31:16

Proverbs 31:16

16She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

This woman is also industries and intelligent and is able to make financial decisions and take business opportunities that prosper her family.

Proverbs 31:10

Proverbs 31:10

10An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.

A Godly woman is to be valued and honored. She is more beautiful than all of man’s desires.

1 Peter 3:1

1 Peter 3:1

won without a word

A woman has power and strength, dignity and influence without speaking a word.

In our culture, we have forgotten where true power lies.

1 Peter 3:4, beauty

1 Peter 3:4

4but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

This "hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit" that is commanded of women is precious in the sight of God. Women should obey because it is this that the Lord finds beautiful and captivating.

1 Peter 3:1-9

1In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. 3Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; 6just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. 7You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 8To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

1 Corinthians 11:8

1 Corinthians 11:8

8For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.

This verse relates to the previous statement of man being in the image of God and woman being the glory of man. Man was made first and then woman was made from man, for man. God states that His purpose in making the woman is for her to be "a suitable helper for him". This is womanhood. This order in creation was not a random or purposeless thing nor was the fact that the woman was taken out of man, but it was God’s intention and design. God intended the woman to be the glory of man, when He made her. For one to deny this is to deny the purposes of God and His wisdom and His goodness.
After creating woman God said, "And behold it was very good." God’s design is not oppressive to women but a fulfillment of who they are. It frees women to be who they are. This is also not a statement of placing man superior to a woman, later in this passage Paul fights this kind of thinking. No, man and woman are equal and co-heirs. And both are equally important in the plans of God.

1 Corinthians 11:7, "glory of man"

1 Corinthians 11:7

7For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

There is a sense that it is the duty of women to bring glory to men, not in the since as they do to Christ (although in Ephesians it does say to submit to your husband as to the Lord, but even this does not supersede obedience to the Lord), but in the sense of confirming and supporting manhood. In Proverbs 31, it says "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land." This whole chapter is about the woman, not the man, and I believe this verse is about her as well. I believe it is saying this woman is the glory of this man. Her role is to bring glory to a man. Men need this from woman. Yet this verse is even deeper than this. In Proverbs 12:4 says, "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown". This is more than just supporting her husband. She is her husband’s glory. She is a man’s crown. The woman blesses other men. She calls them out to be men. She calls out their dignity and honor.

- At this point I am not ready to make a definitive statement about head coverings, although based on these verses and the context it does seem to be cultural. And I can give a good argument for that. But it is scripture and I don’t want to be quick to explain it away without really listening and hearing from the Lord. However, either way, there are some rich truths in these passages and rich insight into the dignity of the roles that God has for both women and men.

I know that saying that woman is the glory of man is a controversial statement in our culture. However, the biblical concept of what these means does not come near our cultural ideas of what that means. We have to be willing to give up our concepts and come to it as it says in Romans 12:1,2 and allow God to show us His heart and the culture of the Kingdom of God.

Genesis 2:23

Genesis 2:23

23The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man."

The woman was created from the man. This is significant and this was the design of God. Also the fact that man named women signifies his headship as well as the fact that she was taken out of man.

Genesis 2:18, "helper suitable for him"

Genesis 2:18

18Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

The LORD God says that His purpose in creating the woman was that she would be "a helper suitable for him." This is the purpose and design of every woman. This is what she was made to be.

Genesis 2:7

Genesis 2:7

7Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

God created man first. This was not done lightly. This was His design. His purpose for man was to be the head of woman.

Genesis 1:28, co-heirs

Genesis 1:28

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air , and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

The man and woman were made co-heirs in creation. Both were given the command to fill and subdue the earth. It took both a man and a woman to be able to complete this. This is the same with the gospel and the kingdom of God. The great commission to go to all the earth is given to both men and women. It will take both men and women to complete this. Both are also said to have been made in the image of God.

1 Corinthians 14:34, "women"

1 Corinthians 14:34

34The women

In the Greek the word "συ", which is in the genitive case and means "of yours" is used with the word women, so as to say "your women" which is how it is translated in the King James. The NU Greek translation omits "συ”. This “συ” if included could mean women of the church in general or wives. Although in this case it does not seem to change much of the understanding of the verses. It is unlikely that a woman in the church would be treated differently based on whether or not she was married or not, and 1 Timothy 2 and the fact that there is no differentiation elsewhere seems to confirm this.