Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
In the passages I cited, Paul instructs that women are to be silent and submissive to males. Females do not fare well in these passages as they are clearly viewed as inferior to males.
It is unclear how you view the individual statements of your post as relevant to the above.
For example you said:
"His word that they saints could all prophesy one b clearly states that women are to remain silent. How can they both remain silent and prophesy?
The passages are contraversial. But when all things are considered, and all relevant words are taken as a whole I think a few things occur to me:
1.) Paul was taking about his personal practice - "I do not permit a woman to excercise authority over a man".
Now Paul's personal practice should not be ignored completely. However, I think the balance is to remember that he speaks as HIS personal custom.
2.) I think that not speak must be refering to not authoritatively defining Christian doctrines.
3.) Paul mentioned a female name
Junia as a woman who was noted among the apostles. It is hard for me to believe that she never spoke.
4.) He mentions that the couple -
Prisca and Aquila as being exemplary. They risked their lives for him and the gospel work. Curiously he mentions the woman's name FIRST in
(Romans 16:3).
Paul wrote very purposefully. There must be a reason why he placed the woman's name ahead of her husband's.
5.) We should not consider that whoever speaks in the church has all the authority. TOO MANY churches would have collapsed if it had not been for the fervent and faithful prayers of Christian sisters.
6.) Paul does say that the head of the woman is the man. But he goes on to add that the Head of man is Christ. I take that to mean that Christ is the Head of every human, ie. man = male and female.
Personally, I would rather have the enfluence to move the hand of God and touch His throne in prayer than to speak 100 sermons in a church meeting.
One day well know how much of the will of God was accomplished on the earth because of the powerful prayers of praying women as opposed to the heady sermons of men.
Aside from this if anyone doubts that God used women to teach also in church history they should read a book like
"God's Plan of Redemption" by Mary E. McDonough or some of the early writings of Mrs. Jesse Penn Lewis.