What it means for a Woman to “keep silence”

Women hold the same value in the eyes of God as men. People who claim the Bible is misogynistic haven’t read more than a few isolated passages.

Is God a feminist? Not according to the most current definition of that term. Is he patriarchal? Certainly. That’s the rub. To some people this translates as:  “God established a society in which men are responsible for the welfare of women and children; therefore, He doesn’t like women.”

This vein could continue but an earlier post discusses this topic more thoroughly. The point of this entry is to dissect a particular passage in the Bible that tells women not to talk in church.

The Context

“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection” (1 Tim. 2:11)

The Apostle Paul is writing to his young pastor friend, Timothy. The second chapter in the letter talks about prayer. By verse 8, he’s discussing possible postures for public prayer.

Enter our text.