The truth will out. 1 Timothy 5.

SHYLOCK

As I was reading the last two verses of this chapter, the phrase from Shakespeare, in the title of this post, kept ringing in my mind. It's from The Merchant of Venice, and here it is in context:

LAUNCELOT.
Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the
knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his own child. Well,
old man, I will tell you news of your son. Give me your blessing;
truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man's son
may, but in the end truth will out.

The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, explains the phrase in this way: "One way or another, in spite of all efforts to conceal it, the truth will come to be known." Which is pretty obvious from the phrase itself, and doesn't require any understanding of where it came from.

But I do know where the phrase came from, and perhaps you do too. Knowing about this phrase is a byproduct of "cultural literacy," which is the ability to converse using the idioms, allusions, and informal content of a culture. This can be as simple as understanding road signs, to as complex as picking up the novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway, and having a jump start in understanding the book because you're aware of the poem by John Donne from which the phrase was taken by Hemingway.

The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy was written by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. (something I didn't know without looking it up) as a companion to his book, Cultural Literacy. In the book, Hirsch argues for a return to a high level of literacy built on "traditional history, myth, and literature." To me, this means a pre-college education that includes the Greek myths and literature, the Bible, Shakespeare, and other classic literature, and the history of western civilizations. Until recently, this was the norm in English-speaking countries. Most people with a high school education, assuming they payed a moderate amount of attention, would know that the narrator in Moby Dick, Ishmael, had a Biblical name, and that the name was a clue into his character. Those with somewhat less education might still recognize both Ishmael and "Moby Dick" even if they didn't realize that Ishmael was a character in the novel.

Hirsch's main point in his book, and one reason for creating the dictionary, is that by concentrating on literacy, the educational system produces better learners in all fields of endeavor. Cultural literacy as Hirsch envisions it, fosters broad knowledge, shared knowledge, and communication. That's where the "traditional history, myth, and literature" enter into the picture. The American education system has gone away from this in favor of materials that emphasize skills and relevancy. Take a look at the introduction to the dictionary for a complete discussion by Hirsch.

HOMER

Cultural literacy itself, though, is a description of a phenomenon of culture, not a curriculum. If I say, "D'oh" with a certain inflection, a large percentage of the American populace will know the allusion I'm making. Given the pervasive level of communication in our society, anything can quickly become a part of the cultural consciousness and thus contribute to what is considered literacy within the culture. (IMHO, LOL.) Hirsch would say, I think, that a classic education produces a broader range of knowledge and connections, and a richness in communication that is unmatched by a set of rapidly changing elements of cultural raw material. I would agree with that, especially when it comes to the potential diversity of communication made possible by that approach, crossing boundaries of age, sex, location, race, and class. If you're over 50 it's unlikely the word Krumping means anything to you. If you're under 40 and from the west coast, it's unlikely Chappaquiddick means anything to you. But 100 years ago in America, Jonah, Aphrodite, and Shylock were known by everyone with an 8th grade education.

Knowledge of the literary content of the Bible was an essential element of the education of anyone considered "literate" until just few years ago in Western Europe and the U.S. and Canada. In fact, Shakespeare was probably aware of the truth expressed in chapter 5 of Paul's first letter to Timothy, when he penned the words that Launcelot speaks. Which I think is very cool... Shakespeare became a part of the canon of a classic education along with the Bible, which he himself drew from when he wrote. (I also think it's cool that there's a great deal of humor in The Simpsons, that is only funny when you know the Bible characters and stories the humor is based on. This is exactly what Hirsch is referring to when discussing a literate culture.)

So, here's what Paul wrote to Timothy (in King James to make it closer to Shakespeare's language):

Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid. (1 Timothy 5:24-25 KJV)

In other words, the truth about a person's good and bad works will be in the open, either before or after judgment -- the truth will out. In these words of Paul's, we ought to be hearing the whisper of our conscience, "Best to do the right thing, it will all be known some day." And we also hear truth in these words, a correspondence between what Paul wrote and what we experience in everyday life. From the flagrant behavior of Britney Spears, Mel Gibson, and O. J. Simpson, to the quiet accomplishments of Millard and Linda Fuller who founded Habitat for Humanity, the works are on display for all to see.

Some final words on cultural literacy.
Connections. It's all about connections.

• Shakespeare remains popular, and when I finally went to find a picture for The Merchant of Venice, I discovered that Hollywood was busy doing remakes of a number of Shakespeare's plays during the last decade, including this one. Now I'm going to have to rent the movie to see if the lines I quoted at the outset are in the movie.
• Patrick Stewart, Captain Picard in the Star Trek:STNG series, is filming a version of the play that will be located in a Vegas casino.
• There's a restaurant at our own Orenco Station named "The Merchant of Venice." I didn't see a pound of flesh on the menu.
• The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy has a very minor mention of Ishmael, and definitions for both Captain Ahab and Moby Dick. Patrick Stewart starred in a TV production of Moby Dick as Captain Ahab.
• Better luck in the dictionary when it comes to Aphrodite, aka Venus to the Romans. A definition plus a reference to a painting by Botticelli of "The Birth of Venus." (She's nude, folks.) What makes the dictionary extra relevant is a mention that the painting is often referred to as "Venus on the half-shell." Wonder if they're serving that at the "Merchant of Venice Cafe." Or is that the "Merchant of Venus?"
• If you know about "The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," you've experienced cultural literacy.
  

Timothy or you (or me)? 1 Timothy 4.

Listen to these instructions from this chapter (NET Bible translation).

v. 6 - By pointing out such things [all food is good if eaten in thanksgiving] to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus

v. 7 - reject those myths fit only for the godless and gullible, and train yourself for godliness.

v. 11 - Command and teach these things [what follows].

v. 12 - Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity.

v. 13 - Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

v. 14 - Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have, given to you and confirmed by prophetic words when the elders laid hands on you.

v. 15 - Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress.

v. 16a - Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach.

v. 16b - Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

These are obviously personal instructions and commands given by Paul to Timothy. To what extent do they apply to you? Here's something else Paul wrote:

v. 8-10 - For “physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” This saying [the quote above] is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.

Paul says that the quoted saying is for everyone. Does that mean it holds more authority than for us than the other commands given in this chapter?

How do you decide to apply what you read in the Bible? Randomly? Based on what sounds good? Stick to the generalized commands? By extracting principles from the specifics (and how do you do that)? Do you have a consistent way of approaching Scripture so that when you read these instructions to Timothy you know what God intended for you to do with them?

Most of us are not fully consistent when it comes to applying what we read in the Bible to our lives. I'm not talking about whether we are able to apply it or not, or whether we do live consistent lives or not. I'm talking about whether we are consistent in how we interpret what we read, and consistent in determining what the application should be, whether we're able to live it out or not.

For example, in verse 16a we read "Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach." Is this your train of thought -- 'That sounds like good advice, so God must mean it for me.' How about this -- "So I want the men to pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without anger or dispute."? (1 Timothy 2:8). Is that command meant just for the men? Do you think this way -- 'We don't pray in our culture with hands lifted up, so I'll just worry about praying and the "without anger and dispute."'?

If we look at these two verses in context, the first one is instruction directed specifically and personally to Timothy and how Paul wants him to live. The latter verse (2:8) is also instruction for Timothy, but it is instruction that Timothy is to pass on to others, or to enforce within the church. On the surface, at least, that would sound like that latter instruction is more universal in its applicability than the specific instruction to Timothy, "be conscientious..."

And yet, I'll bet that most of us would tend to apply the specific instruction to Timothy more literally, than we would the general instruction for the church. Why is that? More importantly, in doing so, are there some consistent underlying principles that we do use or could use, to help us figure this out?

I've posed a lot of questions in this post. I'd love for some of you readers to answer some of them in the comments. I'll come back to this issue in 2 Timothy, and provide my own answers and comments.

Acts 2 Church. 1 Timothy 3.

Something we hear regularly in evangelical circles is something like, "we want to be an Acts 2 church." Or, the variant, "we are an Acts 2 church." On occasion I may well have used that phrase too. What's the attraction, and what does it have to do with 1 Timothy? Here's what I wrote when we actually read Acts 2.

From what I can tell, the idea behind what people and churches mean when they say Acts 2 church, is twofold. First, they want to get as close as possible to the practices of the early church as described in Acts 2:42-47.

"They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42-47 NET)

Second, there is a desire to experience the same intense work of God's Spirit in the church that occurred in Acts 2. The implication is that the church will actually seek the Spirit's leading and be completely open to the work of the Spirit -- relying on God's power instead of the people's. This is an expression of attitude, and Paul wrote in 1 Thess. 5:19 that while we each receive the presence of the Holy Spirit when we become Christians (Acts 1:8; 2:38), we are NOT to, "extinguish the Holy Spirit." In other words, God allows us to experience that power (or not) based on our actions and attitudes.

Here are a couple of statements from an organization called Acts 2 Churches that typify what is meant by Acts 2 churches. "Acts 2 (A2) is an association of ministries and churches striving to impact our culture by relating 1st century values to a 21st century life." "The purpose of Acts 2 is to progressively become 'a genuine model of a Christ-like community -- experiencing, demonstrating, and sharing the love of God.'"

Without discounting the values shared by the new church in Acts 2, nor the desires to be faithful churches to those values by modern-day churches, the fact is that in this chapter of Timothy we see another step in the evolution of the early church in the establishment of requirements for two offices -- overseer/bishop (episkopos in Greek), and deacon (diakonos in Greek). This isn't the first or only place we've read about the establishment of structure to the early church. In Acts 6, for example, the first deacons/servants are chosen to take care of the widows. In Acts 14:23, Luke writes that Paul and Barnabas had appointed elders in the churches they had founded. In the letter to the Corinthians, Paul talks about several gifts and positions in the church. But in this letter it's very clear that Paul was laying out a pattern of governance that could used in all the churches. The time of the first-generation apostles was drawing to a close.

In fact, we can't really go back to be an Acts 2-only church. We also have to be a 1 Tim 3 church. And a 1 Peter 2:9 church, and an Ephesians 4:11 church. Most importantly, no matter what form of governance a local church decides on, we have to be Christ's church.

Missing the radical teaching. 1 Timothy 2.

Entire books have been written about this chapter of 1 Timothy. I'm just going to note a few items that I find interesting and try to surface some of the radical teaching of Paul that can be overlooked in any heated discussion of the "proper role" of women in the church.

First things first. Paul has told Timothy that he wants him to remain in Ephesus, addressing the false teachings of others. And Paul says in verse 1, "First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people..." He goes on to point out that these prayers are for the benefit of all, asking for peace in which to share the gospel, and that acceptance of the gospel is God's desire for everyone. Not prayers for some, but for all, even for those in authority, and not like the prayer for Czar in Fiddler on the Roof: "God bless the Czar and keep him far, far away."

And so, Timothy, the men should pray with holy hands, not with anger and dispute. The implication in this admonition is that there was contention, unholy hands if you will, perhaps in the subject of the prayers, perhaps in the object of the prayers, perhaps in the attitude with which the prayers were made.

And, likewise, Timothy, the women should clothe themselves modestly, in good deeds. The implication, once again, is that they were not have been doing so. Remember that men and women are worshiping together, most likely in small house churches. That's radical. And Paul doesn't want that to end, but to be done properly.

Next, Paul says the women are to learn (v.11). Oh hook, you left out the most important bit -- they are to learn in quiet submission, and not teach men! No, I mentioned the learning. Paul is telling Timothy that all are to grow in their knowledge and understanding of Christ, and in the service of the goal of all people being "saved" through their knowledge of the truth of Christ as the intermediary who gave Himself as a ransom for all. Men and women. That's completely radical for the time and for the all the cultures involved - Jewish, Greek, and Roman.

Now the interesting part in what follows is that Paul is telling Timothy something different from what Timothy had already experienced with Paul. Paul's admonition about women learning was simply reinforcement of a practice he had already witnessed. But Paul was associated with women who were leaders and teachers in the church -- Phoebe and Priscilla to name two.

At this point (v.12-15) we need to step back a bit for a couple of reasons. The first is that Paul seems to be contradicting what his practice has been in the past when it comes to the practice of women teaching men. In this same church at Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila had taught/corrected Apollos, described as an eloquent and bold speaker (Acts 18:23-26). The second reason is that the final verse (2:15) is a real puzzler. "But she will be delivered through childbearing, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with self-control." (Delivered could also be translated as preserved or saved.) The footnotes in the NET Bible identify several possible interpretations. The first three are the traditional approaches to the verse, and those footnotes also present the objections to the interpretations. Here they are:

1. "Christian women will be saved, but only if they bear children."
2. "Despite the curse, Christian women will be kept safe when bearing children."
3. "Despite the sin of Eve and the results to her progeny, she would be saved through the childbirth – that is, through the birth of the Messiah..."

The additional interpretations in the footnotes don't hang together for me, either.

And so, as I said, we need to step back. As I wrote at the beginning of this post, Paul asked Timothy to remain in Ephesus to correct false teachings and teachers. We've also discussed in class and on the blog, that the key to interpreting the epistles, is to try and determine the conditions under which the letters were written -- often the problems and questions being addressed in the letter. Paul's already told us/Timothy about the false teachings. Paul has also emphasized, in verse 7, that this message is probably for the Gentile Christians.

If the entire set of verses (2:8-15) are written as a corrective to false teachings and practices, then we have a clue as to their meaning contained within the hints in the text about those practices. We can note at least three practical problems that Paul is addressing. One was already discussed above -- the contention in the prayers of the men. The second is that some of the women were dressing immodestly. The third is that the women were too noisy during instruction. Let's add some possible false teachings that would be hinted at in these verses:

1. The elevation of the woman or the goddess. (Acts 19:23-41 contains the account of the dispute in Ephesus, and the importance of Artemis.
2. A distorted gospel, a consequence of incorrectly stating the creation order. (This would explain the emphasis Paul places on Adam in verses 13-14. In other places, 1 Cor. 15:22, for example, Paul connects Adam and Christ as part of his message of good news.)
3. A distorted view of childbirth. (Paul assures Timothy that any message intended to prevent women from having children is wrong, whether it's the danger of childbirth, or a false warning that women can't be godly if mothers.)

As I stated at the outset, this chapter has caused a lot of heartburn in the last 100 years or so, and one of the issues raised is the actual meaning of the Greek word, authentein, which is used only here in the New Testament. In the NET Bible this word is translated as "exercise authority." In other documents of the time it has a meaning like "independent authority" or "domineer." The more usual word translated as authority is exousia. Why did Paul use this word instead?

Well, that's enough for now. I'll provide a more traditional view of the specific verses about women in another post. Or... in dialog in the comments.

Hello Tim. 1 Timothy 1.

Hello Tim.

It's me, Paul. Even though you're my "genuine child in the faith", I have to say it's me Paul, an apostle of Christ by God's command. Grace, mercy, and peace to you son, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Nothing's changed since we last spoke in Macedonia. You need to stay there in Ephesus, and correct the goofy teaching of others there. And even though I say goofy, it's serious business, because these folks distract from the good new of God's redemptive plan through faith in Christ. Remember that the goal of our instruction is love -- "love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith." Not empty, useless discussion.
....
That's why I need you there in Ephesus, and I want you to remember that you were called to this purpose in prophetic words. Son, be encouraged. Fight the good fight, holding firmly to your faith in good conscience.
....

Paul will continue his letter to his protege, encouraging him to keep to the task he's charged with, and to provide instruction in how to handle the situation he's in. For this day, I can't think of anything more beneficial to meditate on than Paul's description of the goal of instruction in the gospel: love. Love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. I hope you'll spend time doing that. Take it apart and put it back together.

Want to do it with a smile? No trivialization intended, just a reminder that virtue is its own reward.

Dudley Do-Right, Nell Fenwick, Snidely Whiplash, and Horse