Paul sent Timothy to deal with false teaching, and everything in this chapter connects to that. Paul wants the churches in Ephesus to be orderly, and led in a way that can stamp out the false teaching.
He instructs prayer. Prayer for the lost, and for those in power, even if they are against the Christians. It is important for us to remember these verses, that we pray for everyone as reflection of God’s love for everyone.
He instructs men to pray without anger with hands lifted high. In these verses and the ones that follow there are universal truths and also lessons that only fit the Ephesian culture. Men should pray today without anger. Lifting hands is wonderful, but not required today. Women should let their beauty come from godliness. This is very important teaching for our culture that is so image driven. It is fine in our culture, though, if a woman chooses to wear gold (it is on our wedding rings!).
Paul instructs the Ephesian women not to teach the Christian men, because they were being deceived by the false teaching, as Eve was deceived long ago. This does not mean women can never teach, only that those who had more learning need to do the teaching. In Acts 18 Priscilla and her husband taught Apollos. In their culture women were rarely educated, but the Christians followed Jesus and taught women. Christianity greatly elevated the status of a woman in the ancient world. In the first generation, though, few women were ready to teach, and in Ephesus at this time, Paul is telling Timothy that no women should teach. Those who have fallen to the false teaching should not be teaching.
These verses help us understand how to stay strong for Christ, even when the world around us does not understand us. These verses remind us of the importance of prayer, it is so powerful. These verses remind us that what we believe is important, do we must beware of flawed teaching. And these verses remind us that how we act matters, if the world sees Christians who are full of anger and vanity, we have dishonored the Name we bear.
