⁸Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

Paul’s command here is to men, that is males. First, the English word “man” he uses here renders the Greek word “andras,” which refers to an adult human male (or husband in contrast to a wife). He does not use the word “anthropos,” as he does elsewhere, which is usually translated as “man” or “humankind” in a gender-neutral sense. There is no ambiguity here. Paul wants the male (“andras”) believers to lift holy hands in prayer.

We must be careful to rightly study the Word of God and not import modern egalitarian perspectives to the biblical text. Paul distinguishes between what the men and the women are to do. In the next few verses, he especially addresses the “gunaikas,” the Greek word for adult human females (also used for wives in contrast to husbands). But why make this distinction, and is this meant to be exclusive or simply to give an emphasis where something is lacking?

Paul, of course, is not implying that women are to refrain from praying “in every place.” That would be an absurd interpretation. We do know that there are times when women are to be silent when the church meets (for example, 1 Corinthians 14:34). Of course, those who have studied these issues in depth know much has been written on how to interpret men’s and women’s roles in the church. Our present passage is key to this debate.

We must not miss Paul’s point, which at this junction is to challenge the male believers to pray with hearts of integrity, with hearts that do not embrace dissention or anger. Those who were teaching the law were causing just that kind of division. But in a broader sense, could Paul be addressing the tendency of men toward competitiveness, seeing in the Christian community a power struggle for prominence with each other, and thus, he addresses men specifically? Holy hands represent hearts given over to God. James commands, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).

It is no secret from simple observation that men struggle with consistent prayer more than women. Paul may be calling out the men to step up to the plate. He didn’t need to say that to the women. Their struggle is on a different level. Lifting holy hands is like extending a handshake to God, expressing the openness of our heart to Him and demonstrating that we are hiding nothing.

Lord, I know I can hide nothing from You, so I want my outward show of holiness to remind me of the need for inward holiness.