Careful: What did Paul also say?
Was not Paul also the one who said that there is no more male or female, for we are one in Jesus Christ? Yes, that's what I thought. These verses do not contradict that; they really support the claim.
But unfortunately, here's another case of English-speakers poorly translating Greek. Looking at the Greek more carefully, this isn't about silencing women; it's actually saying that men should let women learn (and while they're still learning, they should not be allowed to incorrectly teach and negatively influence men who already have more learning than they do). Context is important. Paul is actually empowering women here because at that time, women were not even allowed to learn (much less teach), and as a result of their lack of learning, they were more easily deceived and thus had the potential to deceive their husbands (eg. Adam and Eve).
Paul is changing the game, saying that women should learn quietly, just as men have been doing. Once they're educated, of course they can speak up and teach, just as men can. But the focus here is on the starting point: allowing them to learn to begin with.
Created 7 months ago
