The Ohio Independent Baptist, May 1967

• ' earing • What Does This Mean? By Rev. Lauren Schenck Midview Baptist Church Grafton, Ohio \ , ,lll 1-\ tllt lC!\ h<.'tl()f 1t, lll()lh r )Jl ~1,l\ l 4 lll. it I\ lilll(li! tt) lt)«Jk_ 11.) . ~ 1 ,\.i f ,r a ,, ()rd tt) hra"tian 111t1lhcr~. 111 ""1r,t ~f,111()th, 1 _ : 15 \\C find , tl h a ,, ,rli lh,11 hc41r. tip )t1 n1 th rh d . ~,r t. let ti~ l 01' 1ntt) the i.1terpr tn– lh.' 'l ")(the, r c. \\ ht)lc area f argtt n1ent center. ar(,ttnd the phra e ... he hall h . aved in hildh ar1ng:· T \J hat d e thi '-' JI, att , refer? me find t1pport here for the , ·ie\\ that ~ n1en are pirituall: a\ed b; bearing children. But the \\ h le te timon)' of God i that hoth man a,d won1an are aved b: faith in Chri t. ome would ay that thi refer to the bearing of the a\ i ur. Woman. having been de– ceived in the garden, will be aved thr t1gh the ave:1ue of bearing the God-man. Chri t. However. Paul ,, ould hardly indicate the incarna- 1 io:1 with uch terminology. C uld thi mean that women would be pared from phy ical death in childbearing? We know that women till die in giving birth to children. Then the conditional part of the ver e mu t al o be con idered, "if the)' conti:1ue in faith and love and holine s with obriety.' Does it apply to faithful Chri tian mother only? Certai:11 1 1 there have been godly Chri tian women who h ave died in giving birth. The context determine the inter– pretation. I:1 ver e 1-8. Paul is giv– ing in truction concerni:ig prayer. referring this especially to men (8). But beginning with verse 9, he turn to women. urgi:ig them to be dressed mode tly and to be characterized by good work rather thatl calling at– tention to physical attractivene (vs. 9 & 10) . Then he instructs them to learn in ilence. with the apostolic prohibition of authorative position over me:1 (" s. 11 & 12). This i mainl)· in reference to the local church. but i;icludes subjection in the home. The reason for this is simply tha t a v. 1 oman 1s more easily deceived t ha n a man. as evide:1ced by her per– formance in the Garden of Ede:, (v<;. 13 & 14). MAY, 1967 PAGE 12 \\ ith thi contc t i11 n1intl, one can ptclt1rc the hri t1a, n1other aying. •· hat th n ca11 I clo for hri<;t ? I an1 li111ited in n1 y crvice. I am almo. t t1. cle ." ()W P at1l add in effect, HW n1a,. y tt will be aved from U -- L E .. in the bearing and . piritttal rai. ing or your children, if yot1 will continue in faith and love a:1d anctity with elf re traint. ' Pat1l i giving the major re pon ihility of lhe Chri tia:1 mother . he i to con– tribute to the glory of God by re- pon ible and faithful rearing of her famil)' . Later Paul further tells tha1 "the younger women marry bear children guide the house give none occa ion to the advi ory to speak reproachfully ( 5: 14) .' Thus the apo tle i a igni;ig to the Chri tian woman her highest place in God's ervice, that of beari:1g and raising children to God s glory. Thi view is in harmony with the whole context of the chapter. A Practical Application ow, let u con ider the practical application of thi ver e. There has been a great change i:1 America as to the role of modern woman. She ha been raised to the level of man in almost every way. No lo:1ger does a woman look to merely rai ing a family for her "life work," but rather she may have a career or occupation while taking care of her home dutie . Many women worked for our country during national emergency and remained there after war was over. The natio:1al economy demands that we keep up with the neighbor next door. and often the hu band' income i in ufficient for this. It mea;i either he "moonlights" or the wife goe to work. College education for our children is a goal of many pare:1ts, and often the only way to finance thi i through the working wife. ln addition there hac; come the re– duction of time necessary to keep a hot1c;e i:1 operation. Lahor-savi ng ap- 11Jiunc"s l1nv' r cl11 cccJ tl1" tin1c n c ~ snr 1 l<>r 111 c1nring n,eals. clcnni1g ,,ashing n11cl i1<1ning c l< thcs. tc 1\ 111 c I i ca n won 1 • n ar " t h l ts I ca vi n g tl1cir ho11,es by the tl11t1sands lo lincl lliv 'rsion fro111 fa111ily resp nsi l1ilitiest nn(I c1ftc:1 thi s is pr ·ssccl in 111- l'l I Cl v n t cn t . I t is l h is wr i t cr's vi cw th ,t t t h is j c1 r1c <)f the 111ost scric)11s of ,tll existing 11at ion,ll pr l1lc n1s . . . the abandon- 111c11 l of the hon1e. Many American h n1c 'i arc ::,othing more than a glori– fied motel where people <;Jeep a::,(l cat and then tay away from els n,uch a~ po<;c;;ihle. Home ties are not what the) 11sed to be. Yet the trite proverb i. <;till true, " the hand that rock s the cradle rt1les the w rlct. '~ Btat who i< rocking the cradle? Many Too Materialistic This pirit ha~ affected C'hri~tian homes as well. Many of God, people have yielded to materia]i m and de· ire for financial gain above the real· i tic level of the bu band's regula1 i:1come. Women are leavi:1g the homt to help the finances, to have thing~ they never did in childhood. Ye. Christ taught that a man life doe, not con ist in the abundance of pos· • se ion . All of thi i a clever move o Sata:i. to rob the Chri tian mothe1 of her true place i:1 God program There i no greater contribution r Chri tian woman can make to he Lord and her local church than rai ing her children to God's glory. Anc it j a full~time, 24 hour a day task Yet this lofty peak of female ex perience i often characterized a· drudgery. It i :iot viewed a a privil ege much 1e a respo:1sibility. Man} modern women do not wish to b< " tied down to the home.' They wan out ide intere t to fill their hour . • Chri tian mothers will you evalu ate your service to Chri t in relatiot to your children? God in tituted t ht home fir t, and the duty to rea childre:1 i God' fir t order of busi ne for the Chri tian mother. Eve, increa ed re pon ibi]ities in the loca church that can result in the loss o parental guidance should be shunne< a les than the best. Thi hold tru, for the pa tor and mis io:iary a well God doe not call mothers to for ak, their childre:1 ! In this ver e God has clearly give, the main re pon ibility to Chri tiat mothers. It i your "full time Chri tian ervice!" Only eternity will re veal the true value of di ch2rgi n thi duty. Chri tian mother , do no settle for a:1ything les . THE OHI O INDEPENDENT BAPTIS.