What does this mean? (1 Tim. 2:15)

Hi Pastor James,

This passage seems interesting. Can you unpack it for us?

But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. (1 Timothy 2:15)

I can assume that this is not an all encompassing statement that women can only be saved by child bearing. Since interpretations of scripture must be coherent we interpret it agains all the other scripture about salvation.

Thanks!
Bryant

Thanks for raising the issues brought forth by this passage, Bryant!

I did some digging & here is what I found: The Greek preposition (dia) that is translated here as “through” can mean ‘through, for or with.’ Paul uses the same word in 2 Cor. 2:4 to say that he wrote his letter to the church in Corinth “with many tears.” So women are not saved through child-bearing, which would be salvation by works, and incoherent with the rest of Scripture as you have pointed out. Women are saved by grace through faith, just as men and children are. But along with salvation, our Creator God has given to women the specific activity of bearing children, something men and children cannot do.

I hope this helps clarify what is obviously a difficult passage.

God’s blessings,
Pastor James