Christian Women: What does this mean?

Question

1 Timothy 2:11-12 – "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."

Kait, if i designed a new corporate structure, saying that men were the only ones allowed to hold positions of power..i'd be labeled a sexist, but it's perfectly fine for god to do this? something seems wrong here....doesn't it?

wow, i guess the 20's don't mean much to some people, "ashley", and "debra"...

have women sought equal rights for nothing? I'm a male and I can see where this is obviously wrong...you demand equal rights everywhere else, but not in the church?

Answer 1

It means the Buy-Bull was written by sexist males.
They also are crazy enough to think a single guy could create life. Where's evidence of that?
lol-I'd like to see Lynn Cheney 'learn in quietness and full submission' to a McDonald's manager..

Answer 2

The author of the letter (some say Paul, some say someone writing in Paul's name, a common and approved practice in the ancient world) was writing to a specific congregation at a specific time. It's likely that the church was being persecuted, and the author of the letter is urging decorum and adherence to the prevailing custom in order to keep the church safe. Others speculate that the women in the church at Ephesus were trampling on the men--speaking out of turn, etc.

Others argue that these verses and similar verses in 1 Corinthians were added later and are not part of the original text.

These verses remain troubling, however, and I (a Christian woman) see them as specific to the culture at the time of the letter's writing. In other places in the Bible, women and their roles in the church and in ministry are upheld and praised.

There is no doubt in my mind that women are given gifts for ministry, for teaching, for leadership, etc., and a few dubious verses in a letter shouldn't stop them from using them.

Answer 3

I'm not a Christian, but I'm just pointing out that this should be taken within historical context, as in at that time in every society in that area there was a strict theme of male dominance.

Also the writer (Paul the apostle. I believe?) says "I do not permit..." so you should question do you believe Paul has the right to tell you how to behave?

Puts into context all those Christians who say "islam subordinates women"...if they interpreted their own religion more literally, they too would subordinate women... Interesting?

Answer 4

It means that the sexist goat herders that wrote the bible didn't consider women to be equal human beings.
Yet another reason why following the bible is foolish.

Answer 5

As a christian woman I have done alot of thinking about that verse and in the end I've decided a few things about it.
1. Men would have a hard time paying attention when a woman was teaching them especially if she was physically beautiful because they struggle so much with lust. God knew this.
2. Men's fragile ego's may not be able to take it if a woman knew more than them. God knew this.

Answer 6

I believe that it means that women are not to preach, etc. to men, or a mixed group. I think that if women are to preach to women, that's ok, but not to men. The Bible says for the older women to teach the younger women. Although men and women were created equal, they were not created with the same roles. Men were meant to be the leaders, and women were meant to follow them. This does not mean that women are lesser beings, but someone had to lead and someone had to follow, and when people start switching those roles, real trouble starts.
:)

Answer 7

There are many sexist verses in the Bible. However, there are many verses also elevating women. The first people Jesus appeared to after his resurrection were women. Mary is revered in Roman Catholicism. There are also verses that state a man must love his wife as he loves his church. When you look at the Bible as a whole if fares much better than just looking at some verses.

Answer 8

We are not to be Priests, Deacons, or leaders over adult males. I am content to remain part of the Heart of the Church and not the Head of it.

Answer 9

That mean that my husband better do his homework, cause I got a lot of Bible questions for him.
It also mean I don't be tellin the men what to do and keep to teaching the women folk.
I got a good husband that loves the Lord and knows how to run his house and I be content with him..

Answer 10

In the church, God assigns different roles to men and women. This is a result of the way mankind was created (1 Timothy 2:13) and the way in which sin entered the world (2 Timothy 2:14). God, through the Apostle Paul’s writing, restricts women from serving in roles of spiritual teaching authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors, which definitely includes preaching to, teaching, and having spiritual authority over men.
God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This is not because men are necessarily better teachers, or because women are inferior or less intelligent (which is not the case). It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership – in their lives and through their words. Women are to take a less authoritative role. Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3-5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching or having spiritual authority over men. This logically would include women serving as pastors / preachers. This does not make women less important, by any means, but rather gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with how God has gifted them.

The structure of 1 Timothy 2:11-14 makes the "reason" perfectly clear. Verse 13 begins with "for" and gives the "cause" of what Paul stated in verses 11-12. Why should women not teach or have authority over men? Because - "Adam was created first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived." That is the reason. God created Adam first and then created Eve to be a "helper" for Adam. This order of Creation has universal application to humanity in the family (Ephesians 5:22-33) and the church. The fact that Eve was deceived is also given as a reason for women not serving as pastors or having spiritual authority over men. This leads some to believe that women should not teach because they are more easily deceived. That concept is debatable...but if women are more easily deceived, why should they be allowed to teach children (who are easily deceived) and other women (who are supposedly more easily deceived)? That is not what the text says. Women are not to teach or have spiritual authority over men because Eve was deceived. As a result, God has given men the primary teaching authority in the church.