“The play is under review.” With those words, the game on the field comes to a halt and we wait for a ruling from the replay booth. Did the ball carrier step out of bounds in his TD run down the sideline? That’s the question.
Here in Paul’s letter to Timothy, the play is under review. In this case, the play is what’s infamously become known as the Fall. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if hey continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (v13-15). The apostle wants us to watch the replay closely. Instead of running down the middle of the field, Eve chose to tip toe down the sideline of sin. Upon further review, she’s out of bounds. WAY out of bounds.
We need to get something on the table right from the get-go. There’s stuff here in these verses that folks with more degrees than Fahrenheit have been trying to figure out since the apostle’s ink was still drying on the parchment. His buddy Peter even said that some of the stuff Paul wrote made his head hurt (2Pet 3:15-16). This seems to be the kind of thing Pete’s talking about. So please don’t base your interpretation on these verses on what you read here. We’re going to do a little digging in the original Greek. I think it will help us try to unpack what Paul is saying. But understand, the following is worth what you paid for it.
What we can be sure about is the purpose of the passage. Paul is explaining why church leadership is structured as it is. Men should stop fighting and start praying (1Tim 2:8). Women need to quit worrying about image and wardrobe and start doing good works that never go out of style in God’s eyes (1Tim 2:9-10). He then goes on to explain that the reason men teach and lead in the local church goes back to the original created order. He wants us to check the replay of Genesis 1-3 to see why.
Call it distant replay. We need go back to the opening pages of the Bible. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (v13). Paul reminds us that God is our Creator and we’re His creation. Yahweh formed Adam from the dirt (Gen 2:8) and then crafted Eve from Adam (Gen 2:18, 22). The apostle wants us to see the craftsmanship and care God uses to create our first parents. He uses the verb “formed” (Gr. plasso), which describes molding, shaping, and crafting like a potter. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly how its used the only other time it shows up in Scripture. “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder (Gr. plasso), ‘Why have you made me like this?’” (Rom 9:20).
Upon further review, we see how God created the combo of Adam and Eve in the image of the Triune God (Gen 1:26). There’s no reason for guys to get cocky here. Adam doesn’t have more of this divine image because God formed him first. And Eve doesn’t get Adam’s leftovers. TOGETHER they carry His image as a team. “Male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27). What happened at the fall had nothing to do with any kind of male superiority. Get that out of your head right now.
As the replay rolls on, we see that “Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived” (v14). The Greek word translated “deceived” here is apatao, which means to cheat, beguile, fool, trick, mislead, or outwit. This term only shows up four times in the entire Bible. Two of those are here in these verses. One of the other appearances is in another letter from Paul to the very same church at Ephesus where Tim now serves as pastor. “Let no one deceive (Gr. plasso) you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Eph 5:6). The other mention is by Jesus’ kid brother James. “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives (Gr. plasso) his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26).
Adam didn’t fall for the lies of the satanic serpent, BUT he was standing right there and didn’t do anything to stop it! His passivity led directly to Eve’s rebellion of God’s goodness. As her husband, he completely failed to lead her and protect her. Adam wasn’t duped, but he was totally accountable and clearly responsible (Rom 5:12-21; 1Cor 15:21-22). Adam failed to man up and consciously ate the sinful fruit salad. His wife may have sinned first, but his failure to be her protector dropped a nuke on God’s relationship with the human race.
Guys, that’s REALLY what it means to be the husband and spiritual head of the home. You are responsible and accountable for leading, guiding, and protecting your wife. We’re to mirror what Jesus did for His bride (Eph 5:23, 24-32). It’s time to come in from recess and be the husband God called you to be and your wife needs. For too long, many of us (me included!) forced our wives into a leadership role they didn’t want. Sacrifice for her. Serve her. Love her. Lead her. Protect her. It’s what Jesus did for His wife.
Eve may have been snookered by the slimy one (v14) but she knew the forbidden fruit was out of bounds (Gen 2:17; 3:3). WAY out of bounds. It was then that she “became a transgressor” (v14). Paul doesn’t use the usual word for sinner but the Greek word parabasis. It pictures someone overstepping the boundary with intent, a purposeful deviation, or willful disobedience. It’s a compound word that literally means “near (para-) stepping (-basis).
Picture a ball carrier streaking down the sidelines for the score. The replay shows that he stepped out of bounds. While the replay can’t see his intent, God can. He knows Eve’s heart and sees that she didn’t just run too close to the boundary and step out accidentally. It’s not like Urkel who would famously make a mistake and drop his signature line, “Did I do that?!?” Upon further review, Adam’s wife stepped out of bounds on purpose.
That’s what happens when play to close to the sideline of God’s rules. In sports, defenders want you near the sideline. They almost invite you to get the ball to the edge of the playing field or court. They use the boundary as to their advantage. The closer we are to where we shouldn’t be, the more tempting it is to step over the line. That’s why the best place to break down a defense is often right down the middle!
Eve intentionally stepped out of bounds and we stayed there rebelliously. That’s why Jesus had to come. He never even close to the sideline of sin and disobedience. God’s law “was added because of transgressions (Gr. parabasis)” until our Savior came to our rescue (Gal 3:19). According to the writer of Hebrews, Jesus “is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions (Gr. parabasis) committed under the first covenant” (Heb 9:15).
As if understanding Paul’s teaching here isn’t tricky enough, he writes a line that theologians have been trying to figure out before his ink was even dry on the parchment. “Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness” (v15). What the what?!? Clearly we’re not saved through childbirth. Well, at least I hope not. Fifty percent of the human race is in big trouble if that’s the case. No, clearly God saves us by His grace through our faith in who Jesus is and what He has done for us (Eph 2:8-9).
Let me take a stab at what the apostle is trying to get across. PLEASE don’t hold me to this. I’m just spitballing here. Part of the problem with this verse is that the pronouns are all over the place. First Paul’s talking about “she” then he suddenly writes about “they.” Who “she”? Who “they”? Kinda sounds like chant you’d hear at a New Orleans Saints game. (Are you getting the idea that every analogy I have comes back to sports?)
“She” is Eve. By giving birth to her own children, she is first in a long line of moms who will eventually give birth to the baby Jesus. When the time was absolutely perfect, “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” as our Savior (Gal 4:4-5). Throughout history God promises that He will bless the entire world through His Seed or Offspring (Gen 3:15; Gen 12:7; 13:15; 2Sam 7:12; 22:51). It’s through childbirth that God sends His Son into this world.
The apostle goes on to say “if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (v15). The “they” of which Paul writes would seem to be every who has a mom. If you’re scoring at home, that would be all of us. We’ll experience a saving relationship with God when we realize three things. First, continue to trust in what Jesus has done for us. Second, be firehoses of love to both God and people. In other words, we fulfill the Greatest Commandment Jesus mentions (Mt 22:37-40; Mk 12:29-31). Third, we pursue holiness by joyfully and willingly doing what the Lord tells us to do. All of this is under the heading of self-control. In other words, we experience the abundant and overflowing life God intends for us (Jn 10:10) when we live our lives focused on these goals. Trusting in Jesus. Loving God and others. Doing what He tells us.
Let’s take one last look at the replay. God created Adam and then Eve. We jacked up His perfect universe when our first dad neglected his wife and she willfully stepped out of bounds. WAY out of bounds. But it was through her role as the first mom that started the progression that led to the birth of the God-Man who never went anywhere near the sinful sideline. His score counts when ours was called back.
Upon further review, the ruling stands as called. We sinned. Jesus saves.
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