Sárospataki Füzetek 19. (2015)

2015 / 4. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - Enghy Sándor: Ézsaiás és Jeruzsálem. Jeruzsálem jelene és jövője az Úr szava és az Úr napja tükrében (Ézs 2-4)

van Houwelingen, Rob

apostolic church. Let me mention only the central issue. The stipulation that women ought to be silent in the church is consistent with the accepted and prevailing social situation of those days. In our time, however, this command runs counter to the accepted social situation. We should consider that the instruction of 1 Timothy 2 aims to preserve the established order, both in the church and in society.

Still, the overall message from 1 Timothy 2 seems to be that peaceful living is essential. Therefore, Christians are supposed to live a normal’ life. Church leadership should empower them, without abusing authority and taking into account the male/ female relationship.

Part one: Meaning

0.1 Observations

At the outset, we have to notice that chapter 2 begins with a peace-giving church order for the Christian congregation in Ephesus that belonged to Timothy’s responsibility (verses 1-2). Paul apparently keeps this congregation in mind when he continues to give rules about the male/female relationship. The church stands out as a house of prayer in the world. There one assembles to pray together for all people. Such joint prayers also give peace among the members of the church. Therefore, living peaceful and quiet lives has an external as well as an internal focus; indeed it has a civil as well as an ecclesiastical effect. After giving his instruction pertaining to outsiders, what then does Paul ask of the believers regarding themselves? First he directs the attention to the behaviour of men and women separately (verses 8-10). Then he gives instructions for the mutual relationships between male and female in regard to their conduct during worship services (verses 11-15). When congregation members together draw near unto God, all unrest will disappear from the church. Through such worship the house of prayer will radiate the peace of pure relationships.

As is typical for Paul, he writes that these apostolic instructions apply “in every place” (év Ttavti xÓ7tco; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 2:14; 1 Thess. 1:8). His concern is not restricted to the local congregation at Ephesus. On the contrary, the universal range of prayer presupposes a world-church that can be found in many places. Partly as a result of Paul’s apostolaié, there are now people everywhere in the world who call upon the name of the Lord (cf. Mai. 1:11, cited in Didache 14:1-3). Thus the expression “in every place” means: in every place of prayer, where Christians meet for worship. God s salvation is not only intended for all people but it also becomes public in all places.2

2 Klijn, A.F.J.: De brieven van Paulus aan Timoteüs, Titus en Filemon, De prediking van het Nieuwe Testament, Nijkerk, Callenbach, 1994, 51-52, referring to 1 Tim 2:6 and 1 Tim 3:16: "He found faith in the world."

60 Sárospataki Füzetek 19. évfolyam 2015-4