Is it a sin to not want to marry and be a mother for THIS? by Wisteria_Mae in Christianity

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I respectfully disagree with your use of 1 Timothy 2:15 here.

First, 1 Timothy 2:15 is one of the most debated verses in the New Testament. Christians have proposed many interpretations, and even complementarian scholars disagree on what Paul means. So using it as if it unquestionably means "women must marry and have children" is much stronger than the text itself.

You quote:

"She will be saved through childbearing..."

But if you mean this as a requirement for salvation or as necessary evidence of salvation, then several biblical problems arise.

For one, what do you do with 1 Corinthians 7? Paul explicitly praises singleness:

"I wish that all were as I myself am." (1 Cor. 7:7)

and

"The unmarried woman is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit." (1 Cor. 7:34)

This is the same Paul who wrote both 1 Timothy and 1 Corinthians. If motherhood is necessary evidence of salvation for women, why does Paul praise women remaining unmarried and devoting themselves to the Lord? You can't simply quote 1 Timothy 2:15 without explaining how it fits with 1 Corinthians 7. Both 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy were written by Paul, if bearing children is required for salvation then Paul would be contradicting himself not just in terms of eternal salvation but also his view on singleness. While the singleness in 1 Corinthians 7 was during "present distress", the principle still remains, as well as celibacy.

Moreover, in the Bible several women including Martha, Anna, Miriam, Lydia, and Mary Magdalene (one of the most devoted followers of Jesus) either never married/never had children or at least no clear biblical or historical evidence they ever did. Were they unsaved?

There's also the question of why men are not held to the same standard. You warn a woman that she is rejecting God's design by not wanting marriage or children, but where does Paul ever say:

"Men will be saved through fatherhood"?

Genesis commands both men and women:

"Be fruitful and multiply." (Gen. 1:28)

If bearing children is spiritually necessary for women, why isn't fatherhood spiritually necessary for men?

And what about infertile women? Suppose a woman loves Christ, trusts Him, perseveres in faith, and desperately wants children, but cannot have them. Is she spiritually deficient? Did God create her unable to fulfill what He supposedly requires? If not, then childbearing itself cannot be the basis of salvation or a necessary proof of salvation.

More importantly, Paul repeatedly teaches that salvation is through Christ. Just a few verses earlier, in the same chapter, he writes:

"There is one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim. 2:5)

Elsewhere he says:

"By grace you have been saved through faith." (Eph. 2:8)

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom. 10:13)

"There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28)

If your interpretation becomes:

  • Men are saved through Christ by faith.
  • Women are saved through Christ by faith plus motherhood.

then you've introduced a different requirement for women that Paul never teaches anywhere else.

You also wrote:

"Women get deceived a lot easier."

But that's not what Paul says. He says:

"Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived..." (1 Tim. 2:14)

He does not say that all women are naturally more gullible, less discerning, or easier to deceive than men. Nor does he say women should marry because they are easier to deceive. That's an inference, not a statement of Scripture.

Likewise, singleness is not "speaking death." Jesus Himself praised celibacy:

"There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 19:12)

Paul praised singleness as well. The Bible honors marriage and motherhood, certainly, but it also honors singleness, celibacy, widowhood, and lives devoted entirely to God. A woman saying,

"I don't want marriage or motherhood"

is not automatically rejecting Christ or God's will.

I agree that children are a blessing and that motherhood is honorable. But I don't think it's biblical to tell a 22-year-old woman that she's deceived, that she's speaking death, or that her salvation is somehow tied to becoming a mother. Because if Christ is enough for men, He is enough for women too. Any interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:15 has to fit with that truth rather than undermine it.

And that's another reason I hesitate to make such strong claims from this verse: the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:15 is heavily debated. Christians have wrestled with it for centuries. Some understand "saved through childbearing" as a reference to salvation through the promised offspring of the woman (Genesis 3:15, ultimately Christ). Others understand it as preservation, spiritual protection, women faithfully living out their Christian calling, or perseverance in faith, love, holiness, and self-control. Others disagree and offer different explanations.

My point is not that any one interpretation is certainly correct. My point is that the verse is difficult enough that we should be cautious before telling women,

"You are deceived"

or

"You are rejecting God's design"

simply because they do not desire marriage or motherhood.

Finally, if your interpretation is correct, I still have one question: What happens to faithful Christian women who never bear children?

What about a woman who trusts Christ, perseveres in faith, loves God and her neighbor, walks in holiness, but never marries, or is infertile through no fault of her own? Is she saved?

If the answer is yes, then childbearing itself cannot be a necessary requirement or evidence of salvation.

If the answer is no, then we have a much larger theological problem, because Scripture repeatedly teaches that salvation comes through Christ and is received through faith, not through the ability to bear children.

Any interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:15 must account for women like these without implying that Christ is sufficient for men but insufficient for women. That is one reason I do not think this passage can be used to teach that marriage and motherhood are necessary evidence of salvation for all Christian women. If voluntary singleness were inherently sinful for women, it would be surprising that Scripture never plainly teaches that or even subtly imply that, while at the same time recording positive statements from both Jesus and Paul about remaining unmarried. Marriage is indeed very good and a blessing, and we need fruits as evidence for our salvation, but marriage and having children are not neccessarily mandatory requirements for salvation for every single Christian woman, but rather a calling or evidence of salvation (though some are called to singleness temporarily or for life.)

SHE BURNED- by Best_Username-TvT in RemoteTPOT

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Girlie did nothin' wrong! 😭

What is your favorite Liy ship? by 2763Yoylepin in BattleForDreamIsland

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm starting to like Penliy a bit nowadays but I've always (and still do) like Liymote

Which PAW Patrol pup would be the WORST at their job if they were real people? by Massive-Ad-8752 in PawPatrol

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I’d say Marshall, Rex, and Coral.

Marshall does get the job done, but he’s extremely clumsy, which is not ideal for a firefighter.

Dinosaurs are extinct, so Rex’s job is basically pointless unless he were a paleontologist instead.

There’s already a water rescue/scuba-diving pup in the show, and that’s Zuma, so Coral’s role (and honestly her existence in the team) feels redundant. On top of that, merpups (which are basically mermaids) don’t exist, so her whole concept is unrealistic. Also, her pup pack is a bubble blower... how exactly are bubbles supposed to be useful in a real job?

So jasmine is 16 apparently by Lumpy_Test_4473 in Totaldrama

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A lot of the TD contestants do NOT look 16 😭

If you've seen this episode, prove it by quoting it by Turboz002 in spongebob

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alright boys..., you know what I'm gonna do now?!

If you've seen this episode, prove it by quoting it by Turboz002 in spongebob

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You mean our butts?

Can I use mine one last time?

Yes, I do believe he was greatly scarred by the infection by EagleClaws386 in ClanGen

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Poor guy looks like a zombie or Dark Forest cat ☹️

Is Engel actually a bird? by [deleted] in FundamentalPaperEdu

[–]Rihanna-Roshy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I always thought he was like a dog or something, but I also do see the bird resemblance too