I agree, men should preach and teach in the majority of positions in the church, but that God can use women to both preach and teach. I think, Paul understands that,too, for Paul never says 'A woman can NEVER preach or teach men' anywhere in his epistles written by God's inspired instruction.
Paul says that he does not permit a woman to preach or teach over a man.
Now, the word 'permit' needs analyzed, I guess, but to me, 'permit,' or, even 'suffer,' means that Paul does not give authority of a woman to preach or teach over a man.
But, someone else, besides Paul, who is in authority of a different church gathering, could, indeed, give a woman an opportunity to preach or teach over a man.
God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts, Isaiah 55 tells us.
Paul does not allow a man or a woman to preach or teach a man, that is clear in 1 Timothy 2:11-12, but, there are women in the New Testament that had positions of an esteemed calling, namely, Phoebe, who Paul speaks of in Romans 16 as being a 'deacon' or 'servant,' depending on which version you read.
So, that said, Phoebe appeared to be with more of a role than your average servant, that is, someone who was serving behind the scenes in the church. She seemed to be a presence that did things in more active ways of leadership, like duties underneath the main minister. That being the case, although Phoebe was not a minister, or, priest, she was 2nd in the hierarchy at her church in Cenchreae. A 'deacon' is a someone who has some authority in the church.
That said, it is easy to say that a woman may not be able to preach or teach in Paul's missive to the Corinthinans as said in 1 Timothy 2, but, in Romans, backing up a few books of the bible, indeed, a woman can be of a powerful hierarchy position in the church.
The word 'servant' is oft discussed, what does a servant do in a church, what roles do they fulfill? I think, if you think that 'servant' means serving the potluck only and what I'd call honey-do things, then, you are sadly mistaken. This 'servant' role in the church back in Phoebe's time was in a spiritual leadership role as a teacher. Now, the bible does not say specifically but Phoebe may have only been a teacher for the women of the church in Cenchreae.
dea·con (d
k
n)
n.1. A cleric ranking just below a priest in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches.
2. A Protestant layperson who assists the minister in various functions.
I also think a'woman should learn in 'quietness and full submission' of 1 Tim. 2:11 is a follow-through verse of Paul from the book before
Ephesians, where Paul says that women
(NOT women who are pastors of a church, or teachers, these ARE laywomen) should submit to men 'in everything,' which I agree with, but, again, a woman is not to keep submitting to a man who is abusing her. There are exceptions to the 'majority rule.'
The Lord leads. His Spirit will lead us all to the Truth He gives us from this most controversial of topics in the bible's 66 books.
Here is Ephesians 5 for perpsective, not to mention, Truth, of what I speak in MY words, I pray are from Him
Ephesians 5 :
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
