True Worship: These verses almost sound like the opinions
of a man who personally promotes a certain practice and excludes women from certain
activities in the church. But is Paul really expressing his own personal preference
in this letter? The answer is a clarion no. He speaks in these verses (vv8-15) as
the apostle and teacher of the nations (v7; Rom. 11:13), and therefore, with divine
authority. Hence, his instructions are given for churches everywhere (“in every
place”). He is their God-appointed teacher, showing them how church life should
be ordered (3:15), namely, how to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).
Instead of the offerings and ceremonies of the old covenant which were a shadow
of the good things to come in Christ (Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 10:1), this redeemed community
(the very first on earth[1]) was to draw
near to God with “holy hands” (v8) and “good works” (v10).
Holy Hands: Men[2] are to lead the church in prayer, presenting to God unpolluted lives (“holy hands”).[3] As those who pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6), they are also to exhibit a spirit of peace and unity, not wrath and discord. The worldly attitude of conflict, controversy, or one-upmanship has no room in the church of God. We are peacemakers who forgive others from the heart.[4] Redeemed men with heavenly wisdom are men of peace.[5]
[1] God intended
Israel to be a spiritually redeemed people (Ex. 6:6-7; 19:5-6), but her time of
a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek. 36:26-27) in the new covenant would come later.
The Gentiles were brought in before her.
[2] “Men” here is males or anēr (ἀνήρ), distinct from anthropos (ἄνθρωπος) in vv1-5 which means humans.
[3] “Holy” here is the Greek adjective hosios (ὅσιος) which means unpolluted, rather than “holy” as in separated, which would be hagios (ἅγιος). Paul speaks of unpolluted hands to point to unpolluted lives for which we were redeemed. “Hands” are a metonym for the whole person as the primary tool by which we act.
[4] Jesus made peace (Eph. 2:14) and called us to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9) like Him, earnestly seeking peace with others (Matt. 5:23-26). Additionally, He taught us to pray with forgiveness in our hearts (Matt. 18:35), because human forgiveness and divine forgiveness always go hand in hand (Matt. 6:14-15; Mark 11:25).
[5] Cf. James 3:17-18; Rom. 12:18; Heb. 12:14-15. Cf. also Prov. 14:29; 15:1, 18; 16:32; 17:14; 29:8.