Women Saved through Child-Bearing

Question regarding 1 Timothy 2:15: Some teach that the only way a married woman could be saved is through the bearing of children and that if you are married and do not have children (by choice) you are sinning.  They are saying that salvation for married women is only given through childbirth, while continuing in "faith, love, sanctity, with self-restraint." 

Answer: I think those who teach this are sorely mistaken about this passage. For one thing, if it teaches salvation through childbearing for a married woman, it teaches it for all women. Nothing in the context says "married." To be consistent, one would have to say that since it applies to all women, then all women must get married, then bear children if they have any hope of salvation. But that misses the point contextually.

I think the context answers the question, and vs. 14 is the key. This goes back to the garden, where the woman, "being deceived, fell into transgression." As a result of the sin, curses were placed on the serpent, the woman, and the man. Of particular interest is the statement/prophecy of Gen. 3:15, the first reference to the "seed" (offspring, childbearing) promise. While there is a great deal about this passage that is significant, I'll just make a couple of observations. The "seed" of woman here, in its first stage is a reference to the people of God. That is, through woman would come offspring that would defeat the devil. These offspring compose all of God's people, but are ultimately represented by Christ.

I would draw special attention to the last part concerning the seed of woman who would crush the head of the serpent. Not only would the people of God corporately fight the devil, but ultimately this is a prophecy of the Christ, as you know, who would destroy the works of the devil through his death and resurrection. This first seed promise, carried out through woman, was refined in Abraham (Gen. 12), and ultimately brought to fruition through Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16). It is through this seed that all nations are blessed by means of forgivenenss of sins (Acts 3:25-26). In other words, it is through the seed of woman that salvation has come. And even today, those who are God's people are the "seed" of Abraham (and, going back to Gen. 3, the seed of woman; Gal. 3:25-29. See also Rev. 12 for references back to Gen. 3 and the identification of the seed of woman).

Now look back at 1 Tim. 2:14-15. How is the woman saved after she was deceived? Through the bearing of the seed: the people of God and ultimately the Christ. In other words, even though she was initially deceived, her preservation (salvation) comes through God's plan in which the seed of woman brings redemption, as per Gen. 3:15. The "woman" here is not just one woman specifically, but representative of all women. Women took their part in the plan of God, and now all women are saved through the seed (Christ) if they continue in faith, etc. He is not saying that the salvation of a particular woman is based upon the ability to physically have children, married or not. But women, corporately, are responsible for bearing the children who become God's people through Christ. I also find it interesting that immediately after the curse on the serpent in Genesis 3, the woman is cursed with regard to the pain of child-bearing. Yet it would be by this means that salvation would come.

Notice, also, how Paul shifts from the corporate idea of women ("woman") to the individual concept: "if they continue in faith..." What is required of individual women is faith, love, sanctity, and self-restraint.

My point is that, based on the context, I believe Paul is simply giving a brief reminder of Genesis 3. Woman certainly has a favored and important role in the plan of God because it is through her that God's seed comes. Think how serious of a responsibility it is, then, to bring up children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord so that they are truly the seed of God and not the offspring of the devil (cf. 1 John 3:7-10)!

Doy Moyer