Featured Yes, 12 Disciples were men, but women respected and found empty tomb . . . is this enough so women can be preachers, too?

[Multicolored Lemur]

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, not a direct leader, but more of an Encourager. In fact, a lot like the Apostle Paul!

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

And on a number of occasions, Jesus would break a norm to help a person.

 

[Scooter]

God didn’t forbid women from being surgeons, politicians, astronauts or construction workers. He said they are not qualified to be pastors, deacons nor have any authority over men in His church.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

It seems like a lot of time humans have discovered, or rediscovered, the Golden Rule.

Meaning, neither Christianity, nor Hinduism, nor any other religion has a monopoly on this.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

1Tim.2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence

But then there is this passage...
Titus 2:3-4

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to
teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children

I’m surprised we haven’t discussed 1st Corinthians.

There’s a verse which says when a woman prays or prophecizes in public, she should keep her head covered. Meaning, a woman can pray or prophecize in public.

Later edit — the verse doesn’t actually say “in public,” but prophecies seems like an inherently social act to me!​

There’s another verse which says a woman should stay quiet in church and later ask her husband. Ouch. That’s about as traditionalist, and as men are important/women are not, as can be imagined!

And of course, these 2 verses are contradictory. A person would have to do some major mental gymnastics to say they’re not.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

Jesus helps the tax collector.

He heals the Roman’s daughter.

He forgives the sinful woman who washes his feet (and whose name is never given).

———

At one point, Jesus says the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Yes, “man” is being used as the general noun.

And I’d be interested in other parts in which Jesus is willing to break a norm for the sake of people in general.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

There’s another verse which says a woman should stay quiet in church and later ask her husband. Ouch. That’s about as traditionalist, and as men are important/women are not, as can be imagined!

And of course, these 2 verses are contradictory. A person would have to do some major mental gymnastics to say they’re not.

Completely forgot about that passage. It's 1 Corinthians 14:34-35...
34 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

That passage is much harsher on women than the 1 Timothy 2:12 passage I brought up earlier. You can almost read between the lines to figure out why the author said such things. Seems that he regarded women in a very low way when it came to their ability to think and come up with viewpoints. The reason I like knowing the rationale behind these instructions is because that tells us how this standard is applied, whether it be applied just in a specific time and place (applied only to the women in the Church of Corinth). The letter was addressed to the Church of Corinth afterall and Paul would sometimes write to individual churches to address problems specific to that Church.

Perhaps the women in Corinth weren't educated so this would only apply to uneducated women? I'd be looking for something along those lines and such a rule would not apply today since women go through the same grade school education men go through.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Been looking for a contextual-based explanation like this... regarding 1 Corinthians 14 passage on women being silent...

Taking a closer look at 1 Corinthians 14, we see the overall concern is orderly assemblies
.The church of Corinth was noted for the disorder rampant in that assembly (verse 33).. It seems that everyone in the church service was participating whenever and however they desired. Those with the gift of tongues were speaking simultaneously, and no one was concerned with interpreting what was being said. Those with a supposed revelation from God were shouting out randomly, even if what was said could not be heard above the din, and apparently no one was evaluating what was being offered as prophecy. The meetings in Corinth were characterized by chaos, and no one was being edified or instructed (see verses 5, 12, and 19). To remedy this, Paul instructs a number of groups to “be quiet” at certain times and under certain conditions:

1 Corinthians 14:33-35 appears in a very specific context. Most of 1 Corinthians chapter 14 is a discussion of tongues and prophesy. The immediate context of verses 33-35 is the evaluation of tongues and prophesy. Women are to be silent in that context.

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/women-silent-church.html

The first 2 sentences i highlighted tells me a lot about Paul's thinking and purpose when he wrote that passage about women.

But why more harsh on women? Weren't also men disorderly?
Sadly, the response from the above article doesn't give a good answer, imo. It doesn't explain the double standard of men being disorderly but being allowed to speak, but women get a harsher response. Or maybe i just disagree with the response since I don't see that it's a good one?

More from the above article...

The only roles women cannot fill in the church are ones that involve teaching or exercising authority over men. The evaluation of new revelation given through the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy would involve exercising authority over men. Therefore, when tongues and prophecy are being evaluated, women are to remain silent. Interpreted in its context, 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 is not a command for women to be silent at all times in the church. Rather, it is a command, in agreement with 1 Timothy 2:11-12, that women are not to exercise authority over men in the church.

I'll post from another Christian apologetic source if I find a good explanation.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 11 - New Living Translation

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. Instructions for Public Worship - I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman...

www.biblegateway.com

3 But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. 5 But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. 6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.

7 A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory. 8 For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9 And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. 10 For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.

11 But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. 12 For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.

—————

The underlined parts are in favor of hierarchy of men as more important than women. The boldfaced parts are in favor of equal rights.

Paul really goes back and forth.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

And weird, ironic, and sad

that we’re having this discussion on Mother’s Day.