"Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self- control" (1 Timothy 2:12-15).
These are some of the most debated scriptures in America. Our culture taught for centuries that women are less intellectual and of less value than men. Then women's suffrage became an organized movement and women gained the right to vote. Since then women have become leaders in both for-profit business and in government. Each generation gives less and less credence to Paul's exhortation to Timothy.
As we said the last time, we know he cannot be referring to public ministry because of Joel's prophecy and the deaconesses mentioned in scripture and the one female apostle named by Paul in Romans 16:7 (Junia in the original Greek had a female ending). Are we discarding Paul's words? No, Paul is clearly speaking of the marriage relationship. The woman is not to teach her husband, or have authority over him. She will effectively minister to him through her conduct (1Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 3:1-3).
God has shown us a pattern of leadership, not a statement of inequality (1 Corinthians 11:1-6).
