compsimp wrote:Hi Aineo,
There is not a single example in the NT and only 1 or 2 in the OT where women had authority over men.
How about Paul sanctioning the employment of deaconesses in I Timothy 3:11?
What you quoted from the Abingdon Bible Commentary is an interpretation based on cultural norms that are used to interpret the Scriptures.
The Abingdon was copyrighted back in 1929 when the cultural norms were not the same as today (it's an old commentary I found). And, scripture is to be interpreted in light of other scripture. As I pointed out before, immediately following "suffer not a woman to teach" it refers to Adam and Eve husband and wife. Which would be related to the other scripture I pointed out about women being in subjection to their own husbands.
I've also heard from Hank Hannegraf, if you're familiar with him, that in the early church that women would yell across the church to ask their husbands questions. They were out of order. And, these scriptures are referring to the order of worship. Because women are instructed how to pray and prophesy in the context of the worship service.
Do you believe I Timothy 2:11-12 is a exclusive prohibition of women ever teaching men under any circumstance? Like a Bible study for example. It seems there are more Christian women in the church today than men here in America anyway.