¹⁵But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

While on the subject of gender roles in the church, we find this verse about childbirth. The word translated “preserved” is translated elsewhere as “saved” (Greek: “sozo”), as the ESV, NIV, NLT, and NKJV render it. Indeed the Greek word has a field of meaning that includes both concepts, and usually, when this happens in translations, context determines which definition is intended. This is not unusual; for example, the English word “trunk” can refer to the nose of an elephant, a suitcase, the main stem of a tree, a section of railway, or the middle part of the body, etc., depending on the context.

We are so used to the word “saved” referring to eternal salvation that a predisposition to that meaning causes us problems with our present verse: Is it saying women’s eternal salvation is tied to their having children? That, of course, would be salvation other than by grace through faith. In other words, women would have a different way of salvation than men. That interpretation of the verse would go against other Scripture that is absolutely clear (e.g., Eph. 2:8–9).

Yet the word “sozo” can mean to rescue someone from dire circumstances. For example, the disciples cried out in a storm-tossed boat, “Lord, save us! We are perishing” (Matt. 8:25). It was used to refer to healing, a rescue from illness, when Jesus said to the woman who touched His garment, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well (‘sozo’)” (Matt. 9:22).

So what does the word “sozo” mean here? Every commentator recognizes the difficulty of this verse and the struggle to find the correct meaning. Some erroneously conclude that since this verse can’t possibly mean a woman’s eternal salvation required having children, the verse must not be inspired, or was spuriously added to Paul’s writing by someone else—or they otherwise discount it altogether. The implication, then, becomes that Paul’s teaching on gender roles is likewise suspect.

There are other interpretations that better fit the context, Paul’s writings, and the whole of Scripture teaching. Why hasn’t God given us more explanation here that would make understanding this easier? No book would be big enough for God to remove all mysteries and explain all difficulties. But the Bible does say, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

Lord, help me understand Your Word, which is way beyond my limitations.