Understanding Being Saved in Childbearing, 1 Timothy 2:15

Question:

   What does it mean that women will be saved in childbearing, as written in 1 Timothy 2:15?

Answer:

    The thing stated in this verse has perplexed many, and many commentaries and explanatory notes have given various answers to clarify this statement. I am giving here what the Lord has given to me through praying about this and through some teachings given by some men of God. I hope the answer would be acceptable to you. To understand it, some other related things need to be seen and understood first; only then, by putting those things together and in a correct perspective can we properly understand that which is stated in this verse.

    Firstly, being “saved” in childbearing is not that spiritual salvation which has been stated in Romans 10:9-13 and other places in God’s Word. It is common sense and knowledge that not every woman who has given birth to a child is a “saved” woman; nor is it necessary that every saved woman will always have given birth to a child. The confusion and difficulty related to this verse is because of the word “saved” used here. In the original Greek language, the word that has been translated as “saved” here is ‘sodezo’ which commonly means to be ‘delivered’ or ‘saved’. But this is not the only meaning or sense that has been attributed to this word in God’s Word. For example:

·        “made well” i.e., to be healed in Matthew 9:21; Luke 8:50; and Acts 4:9

·        “save yourself” i.e., to be delivered out of a predicament or serious situation, in Matthew 27:40

·        “healed” i.e., restored to health, in Mark 5:23

·        “deliver me” i.e., bring me out and restore me, in 2 Timothy 4:18

In other words, the “saved” written in 1 Timothy 2:15 is not meant to be for spiritual salvation, but is meant to convey being delivered, or brought out of, or made safe from something else, from a particular situation. Therefore now, we need to identify what that particular situation is, that is being alluded to here. This can be done by looking at two related things – firstly, starting with the role of women envisaged and determined by God since the time of their being created in Genesis; and secondly by looking at this verse in its immediate context.

First, let us understand the role of women envisaged and determined by God as made evident in the events related to their creation. The first mention of the need for a woman to be with Adam is given in Genesis 2:18; there God says, “… I will make him a helper comparable to him.” The purpose of God is very clear – the woman was to be one created by God, as comparable to Adam, so as to function as Adam’s helper. Here, in this discussion, it is important to note that even prior to the creation of a woman, when God envisaged about her, since then she was meant to be Adam’s “helper”; and not one who would lord over him or exercise superiority over him. The person appointed as “helper”, is neither supposed to be the “decision maker” nor the one exercising control; rather that person is supposed to work under and be obedient to the one he has been appointed as a helper. For a “helper” to become an independent officer and function as per his own will instead of according to the instructions and will of the person he is meant to help, is to go contrary to his assigned role, and to become disobedient.

Now, this does not in any way mean that the woman was created to be inferior to man and function as his “slave” – Adam was ‘incomplete’ without the woman, the woman was made to make him ‘complete’ and help him (1 Corinthians 11:11). For both, Adam and Eve, God had assigned roles and responsibilities to fulfill; they had to work together, cooperating with each other and fulfill those responsibilities. There was no thought or question of superior or inferior, or of one dominating the other. This differentiation and competition, and one trying to dominate the other came about due to the sin they committed (Genesis 3:16); this differentiation and tendency was not a part of God’s original plan for them.

To understand this, consider an illustration: Every large business company production house has an owner, and under the owner, look after and manage various activities, are various departments and their respective “Directors” – someone to look after the finances, someone to manage the human resources and employees, someone else to look after the procuring of raw materials, someone else to sell the finished products and promote the company, etc. All of these department heads are “Directors”, they are all working for the same owner, and it is only through their collective and collaborative working that the business house will do well, will prosper. None of the “Directors” is ‘bigger’ or ‘smaller’ than the other; they all complement each other. But the moment any one of these "Directors" starts to interfere in the functioning of another department, starts to assert himself as bigger or more important than another, problems start, which will not only cause him harm but will also harm the functioning of the whole business house. Similarly, in His original plan, prior to the entrance of sin into the world, Adam and Eve had their works and responsibilities, and mutually they helped and complemented each other. They were not meant to indulge in being playing 'superior' or 'inferior' but were meant to work and fulfill their responsibilities with each other's cooperation and help - the primary role was of the first created Adam, and Eve was meant to be his "helper"; she was to join with Adam to build a family and home with him; she was to be the 'home-maker' and to nurture the family. Through their working together, they were to subdue the whole earth and have dominion over all other created beings on earth (Genesis 1:27-28). To work in the Garden of Eden and to safe-guard it, to decide which fruit is to be eaten and which is not to be eaten, was the responsibility given to Adam (Genesis 2:15-17), even before the creation of Eve; subsequent to the creation of Eve, Adam's this responsibility was not shared with Eve. This was Adam's responsibility, and not Eve's since the very beginning.

In the committing of the first sin in the Garden of Eden, whose consequences we are still suffering, there was a very major role of Eve taking upon herself a role entrusted to Adam, instead of continuing to fulfill the role and responsibilities assigned to her by God. Instead of remaining as Adam's "helper" she took on the role of being not only the "decision-maker" but also of ensuring implementation of her decision. Getting beguiled by Satan's clever talk (2 Corinthians 11:3), she not only took it upon herself to decide and implement which fruit should be eaten, but also made Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6, 12). Adam's error was that instead of refusing Eve and disallowing her eating the fruit, he too did what she said, and therefore made himself a party to her disobeying God; he too became guilty of the sin of disobedience. Instead of fulfilling God given role and responsibility, putting her hand into the other person's role and responsibility, sin entered and its curse has affected the whole creation (Romans 8:19-23), and to mitigate the effects of this sin God had to leave the glory of heaven, come down to earth to be humiliated and ridiculed, and to suffer the abominable death on the cross. It was because of this sin that Eve and womankind had to come under the subjugation of Adam and mankind (Genesis 3:16) - but this subjugation does not mean she had to become lesser or inferior to man and live a contemptible life as a slave of man. God's saying "Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you" was not stating or bringing in something new; it was only firmly emphasizing and ensuring that woman was to live and function as man's "helper" and not as the "decision-maker" and "controller", as was God's original plan for women.

Because God has asked the woman to be man's "helper", therefore God's Word repeatedly asks women to remain quiet, not to preach to men or in the Church, and to learn from their husbands and remain under his authority (1 Corinthians 11:3-10; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35; Ephesians 5:22-24; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:11-12; Titus 2:15; 1 Peter 3:1-6). This is not to show them as inferior or lesser – because in God's eyes they are not in the least inferior to men, rather, both are equal (Acts 2:18; 5:14; 8:12; Galatians 3:28). But it is to ensure a proper fulfilling of the roles of men and women as envisaged by God; and for them to remain in obedience to God. Since the consequences of disobeying God are catastrophic, therefore if they do not bring themselves under the obedience of God, they will suffer destructive consequences. The work and role, specially the one related to making and building a family, to demonstrating motherly love and care, patience, forbearance etc. the way women can do, is virtually impossible for men to do likewise. Generally speaking, only the woman can teach the family and children to reverence and obey God; but this is a challenging task for men. A man can make himself an example of godly living, but only a woman can teach the children to emulate that example set up by the man. Also, it is not that the women have been absolutely forbidden to preach or minister God's Word to others; they have a very important role to play in the teaching and preaching of God's Word - but to other women and to children (Proverbs 31:26-30; 1 Timothy 5:5-10; Titus 2:3-5); only that in God's wisdom and planning, they have been forbidden from doing this in the Church or to men. Take note, Moses had been brought up in the royal palace, and taught by the very Egyptians who oppressed the Israelites. But in that environment of opposing the Israelites, it was Moses' mother who had been responsible for his upbringing. Consequently, as an adult, Moses did not walk and work like the Egyptians, but considered the Israelites as "his people" and Jehovah as his God, and for this he was even willing to sacrifice his Egyptian royal status and life of luxury (Acts 7:22-36; Hebrews 11:24-26). This is a very important role and function of ladies in a family, for which the men have no alternative solution. Looking at men and women from the superiority-inferiority, major-minor, better-worse perspective only brings problems; but looking at them from God's perspective and understanding the issue as God wants it understood brings peace and blessings.

Now let us look into the immediate context of 1 Timothy 2:15. To analyze and understand anything from the Bible, it is imperative to look at it in its immediate context - along with the verses before and after it; moreover, it should also necessarily be seen along with the other related things given in the Bible. This chapter begins with instructions related to Christian service (vs. 1-8), followed by instructions related to behavior of women in Christian society (vs. 9-12), and the reason for this is also given (vs. 13-14). Because Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, necessarily had to give these instructions to Timothy, therefore it is an obvious conclusion that in the Church where Timothy was an elder or leader and had the responsibility of shepherding it, things were not being done according to God's instructions. Evidently, the ladies in that Church were doing things that were not in accordance with God's Word and Christian teachings. The women, having left their God given role and responsibilities, were involving themselves in the roles and responsibilities of men - were committing the same sin that Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, they were guilty of the sin of disobeying God, and would have had to suffer the deleterious consequences of their disobedience. It was to "save" or deliver them from the harmful consequences of their self-inflicted disobedience and to restore them to their correct positions, that they were told to "be saved in childbearing"; the implication was that by living out their proper role as the "helper" of their husbands and of "home-makers" and other family responsibilities, e.g. proper upbringing and teaching of children and taking care of the family, they will be able to "save" themselves from the consequences of committing this sin - they will thus be "saved" from both, the tendency and its consequences. This "being saved" is not the spiritual salvation that Romans 10:9-13 is talking about. That is why, the second part of this verse says, "if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control." Because whosoever truly 'loves' God, will also 'believe' in and be obedient to God's Word, and will not defile herself by disobedience, rather will remain firm in the 'holiness' of obedience, exercising 'self-control' no matter what the provocation by their natural tendencies or the ways and teachings of the world may be. The implication of the phrase 'childbearing' is to properly fulfill their familial responsibilities and role; and the meaning of this verse is that the women by reverting back to their role of home-makers and looking after their families, instead of getting into the roles and responsibilities given to men, will be able to "save" or deliver themselves from the consequences of disobedience.

Salvation and Deliverance from Sins – What and How?

Salvation, or to be saved means to be saved or to be rescued from the deleterious effect of sin – eternal death, i.e. to be rescued from being separated from God forever, and, after this earthly life, from being cast away into hell fire forever, from where none can ever come back, “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us” (Luke 16:26). To be saved means to be justified before God and for eternity to be reconciled with God through the Lord Jesus “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”; and “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life”” (Romans 5:1, 10). The added benefits of salvation or being saved are that we become God’s children “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13), and a co-heir with Christ Jesus “and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:17).

Every person is born unrighteous with a natural tendency to sin, “What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?” (Job 15:14); and “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalms 51:5).  Unrighteousness and sinfulness is our in-born hereditary tendency because of the effects of the sin of our fore-parents, Adam and Eve, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Just as a drowning person cannot lift himself out of the water by catching hold of his hair and trying to pull himself out of water, similarly a person made unholy and defiled by sin cannot make himself holy and pure by any self-efforts of being righteous, “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Just as that drowning man needs help from someone outside, similarly a person drowning in sin needs the help of someone to be delivered from the sin, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

The Holy and Sinless God can never compromise or keep company with sin – this is contrary to His nature and character, “When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood “; “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear”; “Then they will cry to the Lord, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds” (Isaiah 1:15; 59:2; Micah 3:4). But He also loves His best creation, man, very much and wants to have fellowship with him – even though man has now fallen in sin. Not only is God a loving God, but He is also a just God. He cannot simply condone sin, God's justice demands that the sinner receive and bear the just and God determined punishment for his sin – death, i.e. to be separated from Him, “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die”; “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). If man were to undergo this punishment then he would never be able to return to fellowship with God; but God, in His great love for us, does want to have fellowship with man.

It was God who provided the way out of this seemingly impossible imbroglio, so that His justice could be met, as well as He could have fellowship with men. God was born as a man on this earth, incarnated as the Lord Jesus Christ, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”  (John 1:1, 14), and lived a sinless and spotless even though living as a common man, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin”; “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 4:15; 7:26); “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22); “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). The Lord Jesus never committed any sin; all through His life, He knew no sin. Yet the Lord Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of everyone in the whole world, and by taking up the sins of every person of earth, on the Cross of Calvary He became sin for all the people of the world, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21), and He then bore the punishment for sin for the entire mankind, He suffered death, “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) and separation from God in place of man. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" ” (Matthew  27:46). He knowingly and voluntarily sacrificed Himself on the cross, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:17-18). He died, He was buried, and by resurrecting from the dead on the third day He proved His divinity, “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”; “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 2:23-24; 17:31).

Since it is only the Lord Jesus who has provided an everlasting and appropriate solution for the sin of mankind, therefore salvation for mankind is only through the Lord Jesus, no one else, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Now, the way of salvation by the work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross of Calvary is open for every person of the world, and is freely available for everyone, “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Romans 5:15-18).

Now to receive forgiveness from sins and salvation all that any person needs to do is to believe on the Lord Jesus, ask for His forgiveness for their sins from Him and surrender their life to Him; and nothing more, “So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" ” (Acts 16:31). For everyone, irrespective of their religion (including those born in families professing the christian religion), caste, place, color, education, worldly status, or any other criteria, Salvation is only possible by repentance, i.e. by coming to a heartfelt realization of their sinful status and it's eternal consequences, by acknowledging their sins and voluntarily asking the forgiveness for them from the Lord Jesus and submitting their lives to Him, with a sincere heart, “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38), otherwise not. To be saved is also known as to be Born Again – i.e. to be born out of the perishing worldly life into eternal spiritual life; and nobody can even see, let alone enter heaven, without being Born Again, “Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3-5); “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." ” (1 Corinthians 15:50,53-54). This salvation or being Born Again or being saved is not something that is neither through living according to any religion, nor is it familial, neither is it inherited nor is it hereditary; nor is it possible by any kind of works oe efforts, nor through fulfilling any rituals, nor by observing and following any traditions or custom and manners, it is purely by the grace of God through faith and faith alone in Christ Jesus “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:5-9).

Every person has to be personally Born Again for their own sins. Whosoever believes on the Lord Jesus voluntarily and sincerely, and asks forgiveness for their own sin from Him, surrenders their life to Him, becomes His disciple, and commits to living a life of obedience to Him, only such a person receives forgiveness from sins and is saved from the eternal deleterious consequences of their sin, i.e. is saved, and receives the honor of being a child of God, and of living with Him in heaven for eternity “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)।

This is salvation, or being saved – being delivered from sin and from death i.e. from the terrible and unimaginable pain of eternally suffering in hell, being separated from God forever, simply by believing on the Lord Jesus and thereby entering the eternal life of bliss with God.

So to be saved, do not rely on any thing or anyone else, except the one true, infallible, inerrant, and irrevocable Word of God - the Bible, and take that step of faith outlined above to secure your eternal destiny. By doing so, you have nothing to loose except your sins and eternity in hell, rather, you have everything to gain, for all eternity in heaven. You can do it right now, at this very moment; you do not need the presence or help of any other person to do this. All you need to do to be saved or Born Again is to pray with a sincere heart a simple, honest, and straightforward prayer, something like: "Lord Jesus I believe in you and that you have paid for my sins on the Cross of Calvary. Please forgive my sins, and accept me. I wholly surrender my life to you. Please help me to live a life committed to you and according to your Word - the Bible." That is all, no rituals, no works of any kind, no obligation to any person in any manner, but just entering into a sincere and heartfelt relationship with the Lord Jesus, through simple faith.