A quality of human character that is worthy of reverence; it implies dignity and inspires and invites honor (see note Phil. 4:8²). Godliness is the expression of God; gravity is toward man. Our Christian life should express God toward man with an honorable character that invites man's reverence.

The faith here refers to the faith in Christ (1 Tim. 3:13; Gal. 3:23-25), and truth refers to the reality of all the things in the economy of God revealed in the New Testament (see note 1 Tim. 2:4^2c). This corresponds with 1 Tim. 4:3. It was in the sphere and element of this faith and truth, not in that of the law, types, and prophecies of the Old Testament, that Paul was appointed a herald, an apostle, and a teacher of the New Testament.

In a local church the leading ones must have a prayer life, as charged in vv. 1-2, to set an example of prayer for all the members to follow by praying always in every place.

See note Luke 1:75^1a.

Hands symbolize our doings. Hence, holy hands signify a holy living, a living that is pious and that belongs to God. Such a holy life strengthens our prayer life. If our hands are not holy, our living is not holy and is not for God; we then have no supporting strength to pray, no holy hands to lift up in prayer.

Wrath and reasoning kill our prayer. Wrath is of our emotion, and reasoning is of our mind. To have a prayer life and pray unceasingly, our emotion and mind must be regulated to be in a normal condition, under the control of the Spirit in our spirit.

Godlikeness, being like God, expressing God. The Christian life should be a life that expresses God and bears God's likeness in all things.

A quiet and tranquil life is one that is peaceable, still, and without disturbance, not only outwardly in circumstances but also inwardly in our heart and spirit. Such a life enables us to have an enjoyable church life in godliness and gravity.

The Greek word denotes an approaching of God in a personal and confiding manner, i.e., an intervening, an interfering, before God in others' affairs for their benefit.

A prayer ministry is the prerequisite for the administrating and shepherding of a local church. Concerning the difference between petitions and prayers, see note Phil. 4:6^2b.

I.e., one who teaches the Gentiles how to receive the faith and know the truth.

A herald is a proclaimer of the gospel of Christ, an official reporter of God's New Testament economy; an apostle is one sent by God with a divine commission to set up churches for God, an ambassador from God to the world for the carrying out of His purpose; and a teacher is a tutor who teaches, defines, and explains the contents of God's eternal purpose and His New Testament economy. Paul had such a triple status and commission for the Gentiles. See note 2 Tim. 1:11².

The fact that Christ gave Himself a ransom for all men becomes the testimony to be borne in its own times. Whenever this fact is proclaimed, it is borne to men as a testimony in its own times.

The Greek word means ransom paid in recompense.

Christ gave Himself for the accomplishing of redemption for all men. This was necessary in order that He might be our Mediator. He is qualified to be the Mediator between God and man, not only in His divine and human person but also in His redemptive work. Both His person and His work are unique.

The Lord Jesus was God from eternity (John 1:1). In time He became a man through incarnation (John 1:14). While He was living on earth as a man, He was also God (1 Tim. 3:16). After His resurrection He is still man, as well as God (Acts 7:56; John 20:28). Hence, He is the only One qualified to be the Mediator, the go-between, of God and men.

A go-between.

Although God is triune — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit — He is still the one God, not three Gods, contrary to what is mistakenly recognized and believed by many Christians.

God desires all the saved ones to have the full knowledge of the truth. Truth means reality, denoting all the real things revealed in God's Word, which are mainly Christ as the embodiment of God and the church as the Body of Christ. Every saved person should have a full knowledge, a complete realization, of these things.

The object of the two Epistles to Timothy is to deal with the church's decline. In the first Epistle the decline crept in subtly through different teachings (1 Tim. 1:3), and in the second it had developed openly and was worsening through heresies (2 Tim. 2:16-18). To deal with such a decline, the truth must be maintained. The first Epistle emphasizes that God desires all His saved ones to have the full knowledge of the truth and that the church is the pillar and base of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The second Epistle stresses that the word of the truth should be rightly unfolded (2 Tim. 2:15) and that the ones who have deviated should return to the truth (2 Tim. 2:25).

We should pray on behalf of all men (v. 1) because God our Savior desires all men to be saved and know the truth. Our prayer is required for the carrying out of God's desire.

Silence. For sisters to learn in silence and to be in all subjection is for them to realize their position as women. This safeguards the sisters from the presumption of overstepping their position in the local church.

The Greek word denotes mainly submission. So also in 1 Tim. 3:4.

To teach here means to teach with authority, to define and decide the meaning of doctrines concerning divine truth. For a woman to teach in this way or to exercise authority over a man is to leave her position. In God's creation man was ordained to be the head, and woman to be in subjection to man (1 Cor. 11:3). In the church this ordination should be kept.

I.e., silence, abstention from speaking.

This brings us to the beginning. God always wants to bring us back to His beginning (Matt. 19:8).

Lit., molded; the verb means to mold (the dust) into a shape (Gen. 2:7).

Disputatious reasoning.

Proper denotes fitting to the sisters' nature and position as saints of God. In Greek the word for clothing implies deportment, demeanor. A sister's demeanor, of which clothing is the main sign, must befit her saintly position.

Lit., shamefastness; i.e., bound or made fast by an honorable shame (Vincent), implying not forward or overbold but moderate, observing the proprieties of womanhood.

Sobermindedness, self-restraint; the restricting of oneself soberly and discreetly. The sisters in a local church should clothe themselves with these two virtues — shamefastness and self-restraint — as their demeanor. So also in v. 15.

The Greek word has the same base as the word for godliness. It denotes reverence toward God, a revering and honoring of God, as is fitting for one who worships God.

Verse 13 gives the first reason that woman should subject herself to man. Here the second is presented.

Eve was deceived by the serpent (Gen. 3:1-6) because she did not remain in subjection under the headship of Adam but overstepped her position to contact the evil tempter directly without her head being covered. This is the strong ground for the apostle not to permit the sisters in a local church to teach with authority and to assert authority over men. Rather, the apostle directed them to learn in silence and to remain in all subjection. Man's headship is woman's protection.

Childbearing is a suffering. Suffering restricts and protects the fallen one from transgression.

Faith is for receiving the Lord (John 1:12), love is for enjoying Him (John 14:21, 23), and holiness is for expressing Him through sanctification. By faith we receive the Lord and thereby please God (Heb. 11:6); by love we enjoy the Lord and thereby keep His word (John 14:23); and by holiness we express the Lord and thereby see Him (Heb. 12:14).

The first two chapters of this book give the practical instructions for having a proper local church:
1) terminate the distraction of different teachings (1 Tim. 1:3-11);
2) emphasize God's economy, making it the central line and goal of the Christian life (1 Tim. 1:4-6);
3) preach Christ to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:12-17);
4) war a good warfare for God's New Testament economy by holding faith and a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:18-19);
5) deal with the heretical teachers and the opposers of the apostle (1 Tim. 1:20);
6) let the leading ones take the lead to have a prayer life, interceding for all men that Christ's redemption may be testified in due time (vv. 1-7);
7) let the brothers follow the pattern of prayer, praying at all times (v. 8);
8) let the sisters adorn themselves in proper deportment and subject themselves to the brothers, remaining in quietness, faith, love, and holiness with sobriety (vv. 9-15).