A Theology of Woman from 1 Timothy 2:8-10: Gospel-Driven Modesty

By | March 6, 2025
0 Comment
This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series A Theology of Woman

This series is adapted from Sunday School lessons I wrote several years ago for women and teen girls. The goal was to form a “theology of woman” by looking chronologically at all of the major portions of Scripture regarding women and womanhood. What does the Bible say are the roles, duties, challenges, and opportunities that we have as women? 

Every mother and wife concerned about the purity of her son’s and husband’s hearts is likely going to champion modest dress—and rightly so. Yet, the Bible does give further reason for us to dress modestly: Our modest appearance reflects the work of the Gospel in our hearts.

This post will address the aim, attitude, and appearance of modesty.

 The Aim of Modesty: Love for God

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. (1 Timothy 2:8-10, ESV)

Throughout 1 Timothy, Paul is addressing issues within the Ephesian church. Two of the issues addressed here were (1) men causing division and (2) women causing distraction within the church. The men were quarreling, and the women were dressing immodestly and extravagantly. Instead, godliness should have been the aim!

Paul discusses the specifics of modesty in verse 9, then he points to the aim of modesty in verse 10. He says that a modest woman is a woman who professes godliness! A godly woman does good works (v 10) and dresses modestly (v 9) to evidence her godliness.

The aim of a modest appearance is to exemplify that a woman is committed to godliness. Thus, the primary motivation for modesty should be love for God.

A woman who loves God. . .

  • Loves God’s Word.
  • Loves to honor God by obeying His Word.
  • Loves to show others she honors God by her modest appearance.
  • Loves to worship God and share the Gospel message without distracting others by immodest dress or behavior.

So, a woman’s love for God is her motivation for modesty. To be immodest could be a poor testimony to her love for God.

The Attitude of Modesty: Humility and Self-control

 1 Timothy 2:10 describes the modest woman as one who “professes godliness.” She has a godly heart. What are the attitudes of this godly heart?

“How can you discern the sometimes fine line between proper dress and dressing to be the center of attention? The answer lies in the intent of the heart. You should examine your motives and goals for the way you dress. Is your intent to reflect the grace and beauty of womanhood? Is it to show your love and devotion to your husband? Is it to reveal a humble heart devoted to worshiping God? Or is it to call attention to yourself—to flaunt your wealth and beauty? Or worse, to attempt to allure men sexually? . . .  If you are focused on worshiping God, you won’t have to worry about how you dress because your commitment will dictate your wardrobe.”1

An Attitude of Humility

“The Greek word translated “modestly” in verse 9 refers to modesty mixed with humility. At its core it connotes a sense of shame—not shame in being a woman, but shame for in any way inciting lust or distracting others from a proper worship of God.”2

A woman with a godly heart is humble. In this context, a humble heart is reflected in her clothing; she does not proudly draw attention to herself. Rather, she humbly dresses in a way that focuses attention on her godly works and the Gospel message she promotes.

An Attitude of Self-control

Women are commanded to dress with self-control, which can be defined as a “practice of prudence, good judgment, moderation, self-control as exercise of care and intelligence appropriate to circumstances.”3

The ultimate aim of this self-control is godliness, a testimony to the transforming work of the gospel.

The Appearance of Modesty

 1 Timothy 2:9  gives three guidelines for how we are to adorn ourselves:

  • In respectable apparel
  • With modesty
  • With self-control

Adorn (Greek kosmeō) comes from the root word kosmos, which can mean “order.”  Adorn means “to put in order so as to appear neat or well organized, make neat/tidy.”4 Following these principles will ensure that our appearance is in proper order, rightly reflecting how God wants us to look.

Respectable: Is it becoming?

 The Greek word respectable is kosmios, also from the root word kosmos. Kosmios is defined as “pertaining to being proper or suitable in terms of being attractive.”5 Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, described “someone who is kosmios as the citizen who quietly fulfills the duties which are incumbent on him and is not disorderly.”6

One author writing to women gives several questions to ask ourselves as we make our clothing choices. Rather than simply asking, “Do I like it and does it fit?” we can ask ourselves the following questions:

  1. Does it fit with who I am as a child of God?
  2. Does it fit with Christlikeness?
  3. Does it fit and flatter my body?
  4. Does it fit and flatter my femininity?
  5. Does it fit my age and stage of life?
  6. Does it fit my wardrobe?
  7. Does it fit my budget?
  8. Does it fit my needs?
  9. Does it fit the occasion?
  10. Does it fit the place I intend to wear it?7

Modesty: Is it decent?

 Modesty is humility in dress. It is a shame to show off our bodies in order to distract or seduce others. The purpose of clothing is to cover our nakedness. We respect the men around us and aid them in their daily battles against sin by not proudly showing off our bodies.

We also humbly realize the need to honor our Savior. In humility, we place our value on what God thinks, rather than on what we think. This kind of humility displayed in dress is a way we can evidence our love for God.

Self-control: Is it moderate?

 Here, we apply the attitude of self-control to our appearance.

“We ought to rein in our impulses and avoid crazy extremes in fashion, hairstyles, and makeup. We also ought to avoid spending crazy amounts of money or stuffing our closets full of crazy quantities of clothing. We ought to govern our wardrobe choices with a sense of moderation, simplicity, and self-control. If the skirt is crazy extreme, crazy expensive, or if it’s crazy for you to be buying another one, then you ought to pass it up.”8

Immodesty is a timeless problem. In Paul’s day, it looked like elaborately braided hair studded with gold and pearls, distracting the men and distinguishing the wealthy from the poor. In our day, immodesty looks quite different.

However, the principles of modesty are timeless as well. A humble, self-controlled woman whose primary focus is evidencing her love for God will arrange her appearance in a becoming, decent, moderate way so that her good works and godly heart will take preeminence. Her conduct and her appearance support her claim to godliness, and her godliness supports her claim to be a believer in the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ who has eternally changed her life.

____________________________________

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

 

 

  1. John MacArthur, Different by Design, MacArthur Study Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 132. [↩]
  2. Ibid. [↩]
  3. William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 987. [↩]
  4. Ibid, 560. [↩]
  5. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 627. [↩]
  6. Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000), Logos edition. [↩]
  7. Mary Kassian, Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2010), 105. [↩]
  8. Ibid, 107. [↩]

Our Perpetual Praise of God (Ephesians 3:20–21)

By | March 6, 2025
0 Comment

When we learn about God and our salvation in Him, we love Him all the more and live for Him all the better. This statement captures something of the pastoral thrust of Ephesians.

For three chapters (Ephesians 1–3), Paul lays out how God has saved us, united us in Christ, and his role as an apostle in it all. Paul also prays two beautiful prayers that God would empower and enlighten us to understand our salvation and the love of Christ therein (Eph 1:15–23; 3:14–19). Ephesians 3:20–21 is Paul’s praise of God that He is able to do that and more, leading into instruction for the Christian life (Ephesians 4–6).

Ephesians 3:20–21 is a doxology—a word of praise to God. Paul describes the power of God in one verse, giving way to His praise in the next by ascribing to Him glory for this power.

Ephesians 3:20: Here Paul describes the infinite power of God. Paul previously prayed for his readers to “be strengthened with power through His Spirit” for them “to know the love of Christ” in their salvation (Eph 3:16, 19; cf. 1:19). Paul knows that God can answer this prayer and even “do far more abundantly than all we ask or think” (Eph 3:20). This power of God is “at work within us” already, and it is “according to” this power that God will show us power all the more—again, to help us better understand our salvation and, as a result, better live the Christian life.

Ephesians 3:21: With God’s infinite power in mind, Paul ascribes “glory” to Him. Paul also points out who gives God glory (“the church”), how they do it (“in Christ Jesus,” i.e., by union with Him), and how long they do so (“throughout all generations, forever and ever”). He even punctuates his praise with a confirming “Amen.”

We have been bit technical up to this point, so let’s ask some questions to help us join Paul in this praise.

Looking inward—is the power of God at work in you? Has He empowered and enlightened you to understand the riches of His love for you in Christ? Have you continued to grow in your understanding of this love? If so, acknowledge His glory for His power at work in you!

Looking outward—has your God-enabled understanding of the love of Christ motivated you to have a greater commitment to your church (Eph 4:1–16), a godlier life (Eph 4:17–5:21), and a Spirit-filled walk in your home and at work (Eph 5:22–6:9)? Do you find victory in spiritual warfare (Eph 6:10–20)? If so, rejoice that your understanding of your salvation helps you to live in a manner worthy of God!

May God empower us to understand the love of Christ better day by day, and may we praise Him for this power, both now and forever, Amen.

—

Image by lohannaps from Pixabay

Don’t Do Anything! Figuring Out What Makes My Brother Stumble (Romans 14:21)

By | February 27, 2025
0 Comment

What kinds of things should I not do because it would cause my fellow Christian to violate his conscience and sin if he did them, too?

Paul gives many commands to the “strong” in Romans 14:1–15:13 (cf. Rom 15:1), telling the strong in various ways not to cause the “weak” to stumble (Rom 14:13, 15, 16, 20, 21; 15:1, 2). The strong, in good conscience, could (1) eat meat, (2) drink wine (watered down and not equivalent to wine today, I believe), and (3) not observe days (e.g., the Sabbath and other significant days Israel was to observe). In contrast, “the one who is weak in faith” (Rom 14:1) abstained from meat and wine and observed the Sabbath and other days. In spite of these differences, both groups were to glorify the Lord together (cf. Rom 15:6–7).

My question for the moment is this—besides meat, drink, and days, what else might we include in the word “anything” when Paul says, “It is good not to… do anything that causes your brother to stumble” (Rom 14:21)?

That’s a hard question to answer. Perhaps it is best to gather some principles from the context in order to identify whatever “anything” might be:

  1. It is something that the strong person does and the weak person does not, or vice versa.

    Again, the examples are meat, wine, and days. The strong person ate, drank, and did not observe the days. The weak person abstained and observed the days.
  2. It is something that, whether done or not, is unnecessary for salvation and sanctification.

    Both parties were to glorify God together, whether they ate or drank or observed the days or not. Their personal practices were to be kept to themselves (Rom 14:5b, 22a), but whatever each chose to do, it was not to affect their fellowship and worship together.
  3. It is something that, whether done or not, can be explicitly defended from Scripture either way. (However, the strong will have a stronger case, though the weak might not believe so.)Jesus declared all things clean (Mark 7:19). Peter saw a vision to that effect (Acts 10). Paul was among the strong who believed the same (Rom 14:14; 15:1). For the weak, if they thought the meat or wine tainted by idolatry, perhaps they abstained by following Daniel’s example (Dan 1:8). Whatever the case, the apostle Paul clearly put himself among the strong, doing what the weak would not. The strong had a stronger case, and the weak’s case was weaker.

So, while I’ve not given a list of some people’s “do’s” that are other people’s “don’t’s,” I’ve tried to give some guidance for what those things might be. Whatever “anything” includes, may God help us to obey the greater commands in Romans 14–15: don’t be unnecessarily judgmental; don’t push someone to violate his conscience; be willing to forego what you are free to do; and strive for peace and joy in order to glorify God together.

—

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

A Theology of Woman from the New Testament: Follow Your Head

By | February 6, 2025
0 Comment
This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series A Theology of Woman

This series is adapted from Sunday School lessons I wrote several years ago for women and teen girls. The goal was to form a “theology of woman” by looking chronologically at all of the major portions of Scripture regarding women and womanhood. What does the Bible say are the roles, duties, challenges, and opportunities that we have as women? 

Introduction 

“There were two lines of husbands in heaven, one for the dominant husbands and one for the passive, submissive husbands. The submissive husband line extended almost out of sight. There was one man in the dominant husband line. He was small, timid, appeared anything but a dominant husband. When the angel inquired as to why he was in this line, he said, ‘My wife told me to stand here’.”1

We laugh at this story because we see how far it falls short of the true heavenly ideal. As we examine a number of passages, we will see that God’s design for the roles of men and women is male headship and female submission. 

The Role of Men: Headship 

An Example of Headship 

“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior” (Ephesians 5:23 ESV). 

Christ Himself is shown as an example of headship. He is Head over the man (1 Corinthians 11:3), over the Church (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18), and over all authority (Colossians 2:10). In a similar way to Christ’s authority over his Church, so also does the husband have authority over his wife.

The Theology of Headship 

“But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV). 

The relationship between men and women is a reflection of the relationship among the members of the Trinity in two ways: 

  1. Equality in person 

All three members of the Trinity are equal in being. They are each fully God. Similarly, both men and women are of the same spiritual value in the eyes of God, as Peter points out in 1 Peter 3:7:

“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (emphasis added).

  1. Difference in roles 

The roles of the members of the Trinity differ from one to the other. The Father is over the Son and Spirit. The Son is under the Father and over the Spirit. The Spirit serves both the Father and Son. Likewise, though equal in worth in the eyes of God, the roles of men and women are different—men lead and women follow.

The Role of Women: Submission 

We can think of the role of women in submission in terms of the home and the church.

Submission in the Home 

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands” (Ephesians 5:22-24 ESV).

As the Church is commanded to submit to Christ, its Head, so also is the wife to submit to the husband, her head. The word submit means “to place or rank under, to subject.”2 Wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.3 A woman can beautifully picture the relationship of the Church to Christ through her own submissive attitude towards her husband.

Interestingly, in the Greek, verse 22 does not have the word submit. The word has been added to aid understanding, but the idea flows from verse 21: “Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Thus, verse 22 continues with the idea of submission: “Wives. . . [submitting to your] own husbands.”

Some claim that verse 21 refers to a mutual submission in which husbands and wives submit to each other in the same way. Thus, the wife is not required to submit to her husband specifically as one who has authority over her. This false idea of submission is an attempt to negate the biblical command for wives to submit to their husbands.

Rather, Paul begins his series of commands to husbands and wives with a command in verse 21 to “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” This subjection to one another is evidence that one is filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Paul goes on to apply this principle of subjection to one another to child/father relationships, as well as  slave/master relationships (Eph 6:1-9).

One author explains,

Believers should not insist on getting their own way, so there is a general sense in which husbands are to have a submissive attitude to wives, putting their wives’ interests before their own, and similarly parents to children and masters to slaves. But this does not eliminate the more specific roles in which wives are to submit to husbands, children to parents, and slaves to masters (emphasis added).4

Submission in the Church 

A woman’s demeanor

Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head (1 Corinthians 11:4-6 ESV).

During the time of the early church, women were allowed to pray and prophesy publicly in church. The gift of prophecy was unique to the early church and is not applicable today for men or women.

In the Corinthian culture of the day, women wore head coverings to show both their femininity (i.e., their distinction from men) and submissive attitude.

Paul’s point was that women were allowed to minister in the church, but they were to do so in a feminine way that did not usurp male headship.

A woman’s silence 

Two passages explain how a woman shows submission through “silence” in the church.

  • In 1 Corinthians 14:34, Paul says that “the women should keep silent in the churches.” The problem Paul was addressing was the inclusion of women as prophets in the judgment of male prophecy (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35). A woman’s publicly judging a man’s prophecy in church contradicted Paul’s previous teaching in 1 Corinthians 11 that women were to submit to the male leadership.
  • In 1 Timothy 2:11, Paul says, “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.” Paul here commands women not to teach or exercise authority over men, because teaching evidences one’s authority (1 Timothy 2:12). Women are not to have authority over men in the church. 

A woman’s service

Submission to men does not negate a woman’s ministry in the church; it simply guides  it:

Women participated in ministry in the Scriptures, but their ministry was a complementary and supportive ministry, a ministry that fostered and preserved male leadership in the church. Thus the ministry of women in the church was notable and significant, but it never supplanted male leadership; instead, it functioned as a support to male leadership. This view does not rule out all ministry for women. Instead, it sees the ministry of women as complementary and supportive (emphasis added).5

Several examples in the New Testament show how women served in the church under the leadership of men:

  • In Acts 18:24-26, Aquila and his wife Priscilla explained Scripture more accurately to Apollos. Priscilla’s involvement in the private explanation was under the leadership of and alongside her husband.
  • In Titus 2:3-5, Paul instructs Titus to make sure the older women were teaching the younger women. Women can have a teaching ministry to other women in the church.
  • Paul also commends various women for their labor with him, for him, and for the sake of the Gospel (Romans 16:1-4, 6; Philippians 4:2-3).

Man is the head of the woman. In the home, this should be evidenced by a wife’s submitting to her husband in all things. In the church, this should be evidenced by a woman’s submitting to her husband’s leadership (if married) as well as to the male leadership in the church. Women should still take advantage of the many opportunities to minister within the church.

_______________________________

Photo by Will Truettner on Unsplash

 

 

  1. 10,000 Sermon Illustrations: Logos electronic edition. [↩]
  2. Robert L. Thomas, in New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998). [↩]
  3. This never means that a woman must accept abuse from her husband. Any woman suffering from any form of abuse should seek help from her pastor and any necessary law enforcement. [↩]
  4. Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians, vol. 42 of Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, 1990), 366. [↩]
  5. Thomas R. Schreiner, “The Valuable Ministries of Women in the Context of Male Leadership: A Survey of Old and New Testament Examples and Teaching.” Online: https://bible.org/seriespage/valuable-ministries-women-context-male-leadership. [↩]

A Pastor’s Letter of Prayer for An Aging, Dying Saint

By | January 30, 2025
2 Comments

Dear Friend,

What do I pray for an aging saint, longing for heaven above?

What do I pray for this soul on earth, one I so dearly love?

I would pray this…

First, I would pray that you see your situation for what it is.

You could spend your final days, weeks, months, and even years obsessed with diagnoses, remedies, and a myriad of other terms. I know that the hospital is never home, and home is with the Great Physician above. But realize this—for all you’ll learn about the body, its health, and some cures—we only live so long. Moses knew it long ago—“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty” (Psalm 90:10). At some point, our appointment with death will come (Hebrews 9:27). Do not be surprised, whether decline is gradual or sudden.

Second, I would pray that you see beyond your present situation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ died, arose, and lives in a glorious, glorified body. His is the prototype for what you’ll have. In fact, He Himself “will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:21). So, in one venue, Christ uses His power to uphold all things. In another and future venue, He will focus that infinite and overwhelming power squarely on you to obliterate every malady, spiritual and physical, in order for you to be like Him. See beyond the present and hope for what will come. Join Paul to proclaim, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us…. the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:18, 23).

Third, I would pray that you would see yourself as a suffering servant.

Yes, that title right there—the Suffering Servant—belongs properly to Christ. The Father called Him “My Servant” who bore the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 52:13–53:12). But follow His example as you remember His ministry just before death. Even in His sufferings, from the thorns to saying “I thirst” (John 19:28), He served many from the cross. On His way there, He warned the weeping women that greater trials would come (Luke 23:28–31). As He hung and bled, He prayed for the lost to know forgiveness, those who sinned against Him (Luke 23:34). He encouraged a dying man with Paradise above (Luke 23:43), and He cared for his aging mother by charging John to take her in (John 19:26–27). Like Jesus, you, too, can minister words to others, pray your words to God, and serve in many other ways. Do not be so consumed with your difficulties that you miss the ministry that remains. To die is gain, yes, but while you live and even suffer, serve and live for the Christ who you soon so gladly join (Philippians 1:21).

So, my dear aging saint, my beloved dying saint, see your situation for what it is. The wages of sin are death. But see beyond your situation. Your Savior awaits, and glory will be yours. But until then, be a suffering servant, serving until the end. And then, your greatest days will have only just begun.

With all the love that Christ can show through me who loves you so,

Your Pastor

—

Image by bookdragon from Pixabay

The Christian and Civil Government (Romans 13:1–7)

By | January 23, 2025
0 Comment

Our country is presently abuzz with patriotism or despair, depending on how one views the recent inauguration of our forty-seventh president. Whatever opinions we may have about his political stance or personal life, he is our commander-in-chief and the head of our federal government. How do the Scriptures instruct us to interact with a president, or more practically, the government at large?

Several passages could allow for a book’s worth of comments, but we will only focus on Romans 13:1–7. We can at least quickly note in passing that we should regularly pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1–7) and that the NT echoes the teaching of Romans 13 in other passages (cf. Matthew 22:15–22 and parallels; 1 Peter 2:13–17; Titus 3:1). Ultimately, the Father reigns over all, Christ sits at His right hand, and Christ will establish His kingdom one day, handing it to the Father in the end (Matthew 28:18; 1 Cor 15:25–28; Hebrews 10:12–13).

Romans 13:1–7 conveniently breaks into three sections, a command guiding each, telling us twice to obey and, third, to pay our taxes (Romans 13:1a, 5a, 7a). Paul gives us three reasons to obey.

First, we obey the governing authorities because of their relationship to God.

Authorities were put into their roles by God Himself from whom all authority comes (Romans 13:1). An implication of this arrangement is that to resist the authorities is to resist God Himself. Earthly (and divine) judgment come to those who oppose (Romans 13:2).

Second, we obey the governing authorities because of their relationship to good.

However imperfectly, rulers and their judgments induce a fear of doing evil, and, conversely, rulers praise and promote good as well (Romans 13:3–4). Even in our saving grace, this common grace of God is to us for good.

Third, we obey the governing authorities because of our relationship to God.

We obey not merely from the outside-in (fear of judgment) but from the inside-out—“for the sake of conscience” (Romans 13:5b). We obey God simply because we know and desire to do what is right.

In the last couple verses of this passage, Paul becomes immensely practical and talks about taxes. We pay taxes because this practice enables a ruler to exercise the responsibilities of His God-given role (Romans 13:6). These taxes may be direct or in smaller matters (Romans 13:7a), and, whatever moral character a ruler may be, we should at least acknowledge him for his office—giving respect and honor as it is due (Romans 13:7b).

And, yes, exceptions do exist. There may be points when men must choose to obey God rather than men (Acts 4:19–20; 5:29). There is a day coming when the Antichrist will force that choice on all (Revelation 13:7–8). Generally speaking, however, though governments are made of mortal men, we obey them and pray for them as they punish evil and praise what is good.

—

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

Food (Allergies) and Fellowship

By | January 16, 2025
2 Comments

We have probably all heard the jokes that every Baptist fellowship involves food. From my experience I’d have a hard time refuting this. Our church actually eats lunch together every Sunday. Most Sundays each family brings their own lunch, but every month that has a fifth Sunday, our church has a potluck. Besides Sundays, we have extra Bible studies, holiday celebrations, and special events that almost always also involve food.

Although I can’t say where this Baptist tendency originates (and perhaps other denominations regularly do this as well), there is certainly a precedent in Scripture. A quick look at a few words makes it clear that food is pretty important in the Bible. The words food, eat, feast, and bread alone can be found about 1500 times in Scripture.

In the Old Testament, the first sin by humans involved eating a fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (cf. Genesis 3:7). After the flood and especially once God gave the Law, there were many laws about what could and could not be eaten. Most notably, God commanded the eating of specific foods together at specific times, often to accompany sacrifices or as part of feasts. The Passover meal was a meal that was eaten to remember God’s passing over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt (cf. Exodus 12). Leviticus 23 delineates 6 other feasts in addition to the Passover feast that Israel was to participate in. These feasts involved food, worship, and the corporate gathering of Israel.

In the New Testament, Jesus frequently ate meals with people, and these times often involved instruction. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, the eating of bread and drinking of the cup, to be done in remembrance of him (cf. Luke 22:14-20). Paul gave further instructions for this corporate meal in which the church was to partake in 1 Corinthians 11. John tells us of a future feast in heaven that the redeemed will experience—the marriage feast of the Lamb (cf. Revelation 19:6-10).

All this to say, food plays an important part in corporate worship and the fellowship of God’s people. It did in Scripture, and it does so today. So, one of the issues we should perhaps consider is the challenge of food allergies.

While food allergies may seem simply like a personal health issue for individuals, it can also impact that individual’s fellowship with other believers in a local assembly.

Have you ever been on a restricted diet and been invited to a pizza party? You bring and eat your own salad while everyone else has pizza and breadsticks. You drink your water and munch on carob nibs while everyone else indulges in pop, cake, and ice cream. You are there, but you feel—simply by your diet restrictions—that you don’t quite fit in.

Now imagine the individuals who never can join in on any of the fellowships involving food. They can come, but they either don’t eat or always have to bring their own food. Or they have to figure out who made what, quiz the cook on the ingredients, and decide whether they want to take the risk to try the food. Perhaps they even can’t partake in the Lord’s Supper due to a wheat allergy (or they have to bring their own cracker if they remember).

If you have never dealt with allergies before, this may sound silly to you. But in all reality, food allergies truly can be somewhat of a hindrance to fellowship in the body of Christ. My youngest daughter (now 8) has dealt with many allergies almost from birth. She has dealt with allergies to wheat, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, avocado, banana, flax seed, sesame seed, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, and coconut. There is another woman in our (very small) church with almost the same allergies. Others struggle with dairy and/or gluten.

My friend with all the allergies and my young daughter have developed a bond of friendship over sharing very similar and very restrictive food allergies, and this has been an amazing blessing. But these allergies have also restricted fellowship to a certain degree with others.

People are very nervous to invite people with allergies to their homes for meals. This is understandable, but it does affect fellowship. Even going out to a restaurant is often not a possibility for many of these people. Retreats and conferences are often not an option, unless food is brought from home, making the retreat feel more like extra work rather than retreat.

When you have allergies and you do attend an event with food, but are not able to eat what everyone else is eating, it is disappointing to say the least. You feel like you don’t fit in. When someone does go the extra mile to make sure that you have something you can eat—especially if it something everyone else is eating—the love and gratitude felt is overwhelming. You feel like everyone else. The unity is notched up just a bit more, because the person with allergies can fellowship and eat with everyone else, just like everyone else.

Living with allergies has opened my eyes to this important part of fellowship within the church (and society in general). Food has always been one of my “love languages,” and I’m learning that providing food for those with food allergies is a special way to love these individuals and help them enjoy the fullness and unity of fellowship.

Here are some very practical tips to show consideration and love for people with food allergies:

  • If you are making food that they might be eating. . .
    • Send them a picture of the recipe.
    • Send a picture of the ingredients of every item in each recipe. You’d be surprised at what “hidden” ingredients may be in foods, spices, mixes. Trust me, all the texts/emails/phone calls are not inconvenient. In fact, the individual will feel much more at ease seeing all the ingredients for herself or himself.
    • Assure guests that you will not be offended in the least if they tell you they can’t eat something or give a suggestion for an alternative ingredient or recipe.
    • Ask your guests for recipe suggestions that they know are safe to eat. You could even go the extra effort to make a special something that is allergy friendly that would really make your guest feel loved.
    • Make sure that you don’t “cross-contaminate.” Depending on the severity of the allergy, an allergen that comes into contact with a safe food may make the safe food unsafe to eat. So, make sure to cut cheese, for example, on a separate cutting board and knife than the vegetables you are cutting. Don’t stir the gluten free pasta with the same spoon as the wheat pasta. Don’t have cheese and lunchmeat or fruit on the same plate (usually those store-bought fruit and cheese trays are not safe for those with dairy allergies).
  • If you are bringing food to an event where there will be people with food allergies:
    • Consider having a separate table/spot that is nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc.
    • Ask those who bring these kinds of foods to print out a list of ingredients and carefully label.
    • Make sure at least that serving utensils are not mixed up between allergy safe and other foods.
  • If you would like to invite a friend with allergies to eat out:
    • Ask if there are any restaurants that they know are safe to eat at. Often there are only a handful of meals at a few restaurants that are safe. (For example, for most of Gwen’s life, Chick-fil-A’s grilled nuggets and fries were one of her only fast-food options.)
    • If you are going somewhere where food might be purchased, consider bringing snacks or just skipping altogether so that your friend doesn’t feel left out.
  • Don’t NOT invite friends with allergies over simply because you feel nervous about feeding them. You could even work it out so they bring some of their own food. Just don’t allow the food allergies to inhibit the fellowship.

I hope these suggestions are helpful in loving those you may know with food allergies. As with any trial God gives, we must accept allergies as God’s sovereign plan for some of our lives. But may fellow believers be willing to come alongside those with allergies and help them bear their burdens with joy.

__________________________________________________

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay

The Christian’s Code of Conduct: Romans 12:9–21

By | January 16, 2025
2 Comments

Romans 12:9–21 is characteristically Pauline—a large passage of Scripture that denies the interpreter a neat and tidy outline. Multiple reasons exist for why this passage is hard to organize, but, however organized, it is an excellent passage to give us general guidance in order to live the Christian life. Let’s explore how Paul puts it all together.

First, the variety of verbs is striking. By my count, there are 35 verbs in this passage, and perhaps 38 if you supply three verbs that Paul likely assumes. 31 of these 38 verbs function like commands, and 9 of these 31 definitely so as they are technically imperatives. For the other 22 commands, 17 verbs are technically participles (verbs usually translated with the ending –ing), 2 are infinitives (“to” plus a verb), and 3 are assumed, somehow joining adjectives and nouns (e.g., Rom 12:9, Let love be genuine). Even if we forget all of that technical data, the overall force of the passage should strike us as imperatival, that is, full of commands, which is how most translations put it. With this litany of commands, we see a general picture of how the Christian must live the Christian life. But for a pastor like me, if I followed the commands for my outline, I’m sure no one wants to hear me preach a 31-point sermon!

Another reason interpreters scratch their heads at this passage is its overall structure. As nice as it would be to chop our passage into two sections—one dealing with believers (Rom 12:9–16) and the other with unbelievers (Rom 12:17–21)—is that Rom 12:14 also deals with unbelievers. Why does Paul put this verse about how to relate to unbelievers in the midst of a section that is more about how believers relate to teach other? If anything, the verb “seek” in “seek hospitality” (Rom 12:13b) and “persecute” (Rom 12:14a) are actually one and the same (diōkō), each instance translated according to context. So, commentators suggest that a phenomenon like this could be evidence for a number of memorable sayings by the early church that were sometimes hooked together with similar-sounding words. Whatever the case, perhaps the best way to outline the passage is to call Rom 12:9–16 something like “the Christian’s conduct,” and Rom 12:17–21 “the Christian’s relationship to unbelievers.”

A final note—this passage has a range of topics—love (Rom 12:9–10), zeal (Rom 12:11), attitude and activity in trial (Rom 12:12), generous action to others (Rom 12:13), how to treat hostile unbelievers (Rom 12:14, 17–21), and how to relate to others in any situation (Rom 12:15–16). Perhaps one can distill the 31 verbs into a handful of headings if nothing else.

Whatever one does with this passage’s verbs, structure, and topics, it is a “Christian honor code” well worth one’s time and study and memorization. May God help us all to love one another, Christian or not, and to live honorably before Him each day.

—

Image by Rosy / Bad Homburg / Germany from Pixabay

A Look at the Lists: Spiritual Gifts for Today

By | January 9, 2025
0 Comment

A spiritual gift is a God-granted ministry to each member of the body of Christ in order to edify its members. There are a variety of gifts (each member with his own gift or combination of gifts), but this variety is united in purpose—to edify the church. They are granted by the Triune God—the Spirit, the Son, and the Father, and that for the common good (cf. 1 Cor 12:4–7).

A look at six New Testament lists introduces us to these gifts:

  • Romans 12:6–8: prophecy, teaching, exhortation, ministry, leadership, giving, and mercy
  • 1 Corinthians 12:8–10: prophecy, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues, discerning of spirits, gifts of healing, effecting of miracles, and faith
  • 1 Corinthians 12:28: apostles, prophets, teachers, kinds of tongues, ministry, leadership, gifts of healings, and miracles
  • 1 Corinthians 12:29–30: apostles, prophets, teachers, tongues, interpretation of tongues, gifts of healings, and miracles
  • Ephesians 4:11: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers
  • 1 Peter 4:10–11: speaking and serving gifts

It helps to capture the context of each list:

  • Romans 12 commands us not to think too highly of ourselves due to the gift or gifts that we have but to recognize that any gift is for benefit of others in the body of Christ.
  • 1 Corinthians 12 emphasizes using spiritual gifts to care for one another in the body of Christ and not to focus on one gift to the expense of another. Moreover, gifts should be used in love (1 Cor 13) and with order (1 Cor 14).
  • Ephesians 4 emphasizes the generosity of Christ in giving people as gifts to the church for its edification. (The English gift is the Greek doma in Eph 4:8 while the other chapters above emphasize the gracious nature of God in giving each gift—they stem from grace, charis, and are thus spiritual gifts, charismata.)
  • 1 Peter 4 commands us to serve one another with our gifts for the glory of God.

Some “people gifts” ceased with the apostolic era (apostles and prophets), as did their accompanying miraculous and revelatory gifts. Christ definitively spoke through His apostles (and prophets) as promised (John 16:12–15; Eph 2:20; 3:5), and the miracles that authenticated their newly revealed message ended with them (cf. 2 Cor 12:12; Heb 2:3–4).

Using the previous paragraph to cull through the lists above, the “people gifts” Christ continues to give are evangelists, pastors, and teachers (or, pastors who are teachers). The gifts spread among the body include leadership, teaching, exhortation, giving, ministry, and mercy. As ministry is a general term and these lists were likely not exhaustive, there might be other ways to designate how the Spirit manifests Himself through others for the sake of the body of Christ.

May we all be good stewards who serve others with our gifts, whatever they may be, and that for the glory of God.

—

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

These are a Few of My Favorite {Homeschool} Things: Schedule

By | January 5, 2025
0 Comment
This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series These are a Few of My Favorite {Homeschool} Things

One of my favorite choices I ever made very early on in our homeschooling was our yearly schedule. We take a break approximately every 5-6 weeks, sometimes as short as 4, but I try never longer than 6. This necessitates starting our school year in mid-to-late-July, but it is definitely worth it on many levels.

Usually by that time in the summer the kids have already had 6-8 weeks of break, and they are getting a little bit (or a lot) bored. Starting school then allows them to have something to keep them busy, but there’s still great weather to do school outside, play outside during breaks, and even go swimming after school.

But the frequent breaks that come throughout the year. . . These are golden! Even my kids agree that they are worth starting school early. Sometimes we organize our breaks around a planned trip (or re-organize for an unplanned trip!). Often we don’t have anything special planned, but both the kids and I are ready for a break from all the work and the study. The kids will break out play-dough for a day or building a robot, and I will get an extra project done around the house (or simply do laundry and feel amazed at how much time I have to get it done!). Every single break, I comment to my husband on how much I love these breaks! We all usually feel refreshed and ready to go for the next chunk of weeks, especially knowing it’s only about 5-6 weeks!

I plan my yearly schedule right at the end of the school year/early summer break. I start with Christmas break first and work backwards. I plan on the week of Christmas off, then mark the week before that as week 18. I work backwards until Thanksgiving (so usually there are only 3-4 weeks of school between the two holidays), when we have another break. From the Thanksgiving break, I continue to count backwards, making a break week every 5-6 weeks, depending on any plans I know we may have. I keep doing that until I have a start week, usually mid-to-late-July. Then, I plan my “spring semester,” starting in January with week 19. Usually this semester is a lot easier to plan, as we often have a lot less going on. These breaks are usually pretty consistently 5-6 weeks apart, depending on when I want to end (week 36), usually around the third or fourth week in May.

My daily schedule has definitely morphed the most from year to year. I think it’s really important to be flexible here as the number of kids you have change, their needs and subjects change, and as they age. One year, I had to let my son get his piano practice done early in the day as he was more alert then. That same year, I believe, we chose to do art, and we did it early in the morning. We used to do science and history on alternate days at the end of the day, but I realized it was challenging to pull everyone together. So we switched things up and did them both in the morning right after breakfast when everyone was already still together. As the older kids have started doing some more independent work, our schedules have changed a bit more.

I use a simple spiral notebook, a ruler, and erasable color pens to make my weekly schedule. Each 5-day school week is a two-page spread. I draw 4 vertical lines on each page with my kids’ names on top in their color. I write the dates and subjects on the left in black and write each kid’s assignment under the appropriate name in the appropriate color. I do this weekly, and it really only takes a short amount of time. We check off completed assignments in red. This year, I also write out my 9th grader’s assignments for him, so he can take more ownership of making sure he gets everything done himself.

As important as it is to be flexible, I think it’s important to have at least a general structure to a homeschool day. This way, you and the kids both have a general idea what to expect, and things go as smoothly as possible (most days!).

___________________________________________________

Image by yeliao521 from Pixabay