To promote Christian unity, God presents the church in 1 Corinthians 12:12–27 as a living body. One purpose of the gifts is that “we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). God has given each Christian different gifts, and their exercise in the edification of the church leads to more and more unity. Helping us toward that unity are the gifts of the Spirit. Paul instructs us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). God’s people should be speaking with one voice in glorifying God.Ĭhristian unity comes with Christian maturity, and it is always something that we strive to attain. In Romans 15:5–6, we see another, more general reason that Christian unity is important: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (ESV). When Christians are united in Christ, the world sees two things clearly: Jesus was sent by the Father, and Jesus loves His church. And then Jesus prayed for “complete unity” so that “the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (verse 23). Jesus not only prayed for unity, but He gave the reasons that Christian unity is important: He asked that all believers may be in the Father and the Son, “so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). Obviously, Christian unity is important to our Lord. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one-I in them and you in me-so that they may be brought to complete unity” (John 17:21–23). Later in the same prayer, Jesus asked “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. Women not only have influence through their children they also must live godly lives.Shortly before He went to the cross, Jesus prayed for unity among His followers: “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11). The salvation in this case is that of heritage: women who lead godly lives and raise children are blessed with a special kind of "preservation" in the future.Īccording to Paul, this legacy is not automatic, but conditional. The same is true of Eve, who had an opportunity to leave a legacy despite her sin. The term sōthēsetai, often translated as "save," can also mean "to preserve, to keep safe."īy this account, then, women are not "saved" through children in the spiritual sense, but rather leave a legacy or are preserved through bearing children. Yet, according to this view of Paul's words, Eve can continue her legacy through her generations of children (Genesis 3:16 4:1–3). Eve was then deceived by the Devil (1 Timothy 2:14). This, again, is possible, but also seems unlikely.Ī more likely interpretation is that Paul is, in this first phrase, still referring to Eve when he mentions "salvation." Paul has just referenced the Old Testament account of Adam and Eve. The idea would be that a woman who focuses on godly behavior in the home, as a mother, is "preserved" from the kind of deception and failure Eve experienced. Others think Paul might have been referring to women avoiding the dangers of the world by remaining at home to raise children. This is possible, but seems highly unlikely given the context of both this passage and the rest of the New Testament. That is, that their love and self-control will keep them alive during the dangerous process of labor and delivery. Some readers believe Paul is referring to women being kept safe through the physical process of childbirth. Women are not "saved" in that sense by having children, but by Christ, by grace through faith (John 3:16 Ephesians 2:8–9). There are several ways in which this first statement about being "saved through childbearing" can be interpreted, and a few which are clearly not part of Paul's intent here.įirst of all, this is clearly not a reference to salvation, in the sense of heaven and hell. The Greek of this passage does not provide explicit clarity as to what Paul means by these phrases. This is not surprising, since it is often debated among translators. This verse has often been confusing to readers.
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