Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
I don't begrudge Paul's "women should be silent in the church", or "let the woman go home and ask her husband", or "I do not permit a woman to teach". If you look at the times, those statements were in keeping with cultural norms. The societal norms didn't permit christian slaves to rebel in the name of freedom, or women to vote, and Paul was recognizing and reinforcing that. But society has thankfully changed. And I argue that any group that tries to hold to the letter of Paul in not permitting women to function equally, when they are able, is cutting off one of its legs and then trying to win the race. Not a good move. You have all those Christian experiences, waiting to be used, and you say, "Silent". Not a bright move.
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In the Roman empire in Paul's day, society was tiered, and women were just one step up from slaves. Everyone else, was considered above them. That is a sad commentary, but that was the environment Paul operated in.
Paul was actually pretty balanced. His saw and taught women's equal value before God. His exhortation for husbands to love and cherish their wives was probably a bit radical for the day. This is one reason Christianity was so attractive to women. They simply were treated better in the church.
However, Paul's commands to restrict women's teaching seems to have been largely cultural, not absolute. How can we assume this? One way is by observing the Lord's blessing on the ministries of female preachers like Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore and many others.