Saved by childbearing

A wonderfully popular scripture for woman these days is 1 Timothy 2:15

Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

Which understandably raises eye brows among bible believing types thinking, “eh, are there now two ways to be saved?!”. Among church as fashion types there is a embarrassed groan “Oh no, another verse to try explain away so we can continue to try look cool”, and in our feminist saturated culture there is general horror and rolling of eyeballs on par with offering whale meat on a menu.

Well interestingly there are even more ways to be “saved” lurking in 1 Timothy, like for instance devoting oneself to doctrine and preaching (cf 4:16) and apparently even just hearing such can be a ticket too! The level headed among us should needs conclude that this is not an attack on justification by faith alone, nor in fact is it some kind of strange cultural manifestation of the early first century that we should attempt to ignore (tactfully). No, simply stated, these are manifestations what being “saved” will look like while it is being worked out in a saved person; in a married woman it will look like childbearing, in a man called to eldership it will look like doctrinal study and preaching. Both are saved by faith alone, but both have different roles and callings. Now of course we are used to our noble elders being saved by preaching and teaching doctrine, we are far less comfortable with woman being saved by childbearing. So come let us repent of this ungodliness and restore childbearing to a the noble calling of a married woman. By it she will testify that she is indeed saved and being saved in fulfilment of God’s high calling on her life.

Be blessed and fruitful, may you have many, many children and may your husband praise you in the gates and children rise up and call you blessed!