How Should Modern Christian Women Understand Verses Like 1 Timothy 2:12?

Currently, the theme of women in ministry is a very important one among believers in the body of Christ. We sometimes read passages in the New Testament, that seemed to be saying, "Women shut up and learn at home." The passage in first Timothy, where Paul is calling women to remain silent, taken out of context can basically seem to confirm a real prejudice that the apostle Paul himself had a lot of issues about women. But really when we take the whole Bible, the entire narrative, we begin to realize that every verse has a context that must be understood. For instance, the same apostle that wrote first Timothy two also wrote first Corinthians 11 when he said, "Women are only supposed to prophesied with their heads covered." Well, where do women prophesied but in the church? Where do women prophesize, or hold forth, their understanding of the word of the Lord for the moment, except in the community of men and women together. That's just a good example of how we need to see the whole scripture in a larger context.

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