The key to understanding the bible, aside from the obvious, i.e., the Spirit, is to study it in a exegetic manner, which includes the critical discipline of textual criticism, which is the study of historical and cultural backgrounds for the author, the context of the text, and the original intended audience.
So when the poster Grace7x777 writes "...the cultural setting of the day...", he or she could not be more on the money.
I did not yet see the video he or she linked, but I will, and I suspect it is going to speak about, in an expanded form, what I am writing here.
When this was written, woman were not even permitted to attend services.
The writer is actually suggesting a upgrade in woman's equality to men, in the culture they were living in.
If we just do even a quick memory study of the bible, Ruth, and Ester, and Rahab quickly come to mind as woman who are mentioned in a manner who have made important contributions to the history.
Jesus allowed Mary (not his mother, but the Mary that is sometimes reputed to have been a prostitute) to tag along with Him and His disciples. That was unheard of that day.
Jesus also permitted, with joy, the woman, I forgot her name (Mary too) to pour the spikenard oil and wipe it on His feet with her hair. Again, that was unheard in that culture. No Pharisee would have ever allowed that.
Of course Mary would be the ultimate example of God's respect for woman, through the birth of pregnancy and birth of Jesus.
God could have simply created Jesus from however or whatever pleased Him, but obviously He did through a woman.
Many feminists read these verses, and others, such as wives submit to your husbands, weaker vassal, your body is not your own, etc., and come to the conclusion that the bible is anti woman rights.
We Christians realize, through study and prayer and fellowship, that none of the writings above, submit, etc., are in any way hostile to a woman's equality with men.
The weaker vassal means either physically, and/or that generally speaking, woman are more sensitive then men, so err on the side of love in relationships. Body is not your own means don't use sex as a tool to get something you want, just as men are not to use money, or physical intimidation as a way to get what they want.
Submit is something we all need to do, not just wives to husbands, and husbands to wives, and all of us to God. Submit is referring to through the Spirit.
But again, the unsaved, the rebellious deviants of the world, can not see this. How can they? It is a mystery to them, it confounds them. The bible says this would be so.
This is why we are not of this world, only in in it.
Sadly, many of them have no real understanding or insight into the bible, and just use it as a means to a end.
My sister-in-law, wonderful person that she is does this.
And she has a masters degree in English, is a teacher. I have learned long ago, while I respect education, and believe that it is a wonderful and even crucial skill set to have, it can be over rated at times when evaluating a person's openness to new ideas, and insight and ability to think.
My sister-in-law has what I call a Swiss cheese bible mentality.
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