1 Timothy 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
Many preachers use this verse to come down hard on the women in their church and keep them all tied up. Just as the woman is to stay in her place, so a man and their children are to stay in their place also.
The word "suffer" as used here is written because of what Paul was doing prior to his conversion. Paul was going into churches and dragging women out into the streets, stripping them and beating them even to their death. It didn't matter to Paul prior to his conversion or any of those ordered by the high priest what they did with the ladies that would preach the Word of God.
Paul knew the suffering that anyone that taught the Word of God would receive at the hands of the Kenite priests and religious leaders, and he did not desire that to come on the Christian ladies of the church. This was a dangerous time to teach the Word of God, and Paul's intent was that the men should take the stand, have the backbone and preach the Word with all the risks that were present.
[FONT="]Paul knew those risks to those that he taught, for he carried the letter from the high priests, those sons of Satan, that had no respect for women in any manner. In fact, he was carrying the letter when he was on that road to Damascus to do just this to the men and women that were preaching and teaching God's Word. It was very embarrassing to the ladies, and even caused many of their deaths. Paul is now saying here that "I give you the liberty and the authority to not do it, to not teach and preach, and cause you to be placed is such danger.
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[FONT="]There were women prophets, which is to say teachers in Paul's day and this upsets some of the menfolk. Those that take this verse center on the word "not", and skip over the word "suffer", and they continue in their clouds of confusion and bigotry, for it makes them feel very manly to wheel their force over women, and in many cases the women have more knowledge and understanding than the menfolk that is over them.[/FONT]
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Paul was trying to protect all woman from the kind of treatment that was expected in those days to give anyone that preached or taught. As far as silence goes in the church, no matter who is speaking during a church service, no man woman or child should be allowed to speak and carry on when another is teaching the Word. Paul gave the woman the liberty to keep still and not teach if she did not want to, for this sake.
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Acts 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
Philip had four daughters, and now pay special attention what these daughters did.
They prophecied (taught God's Word). Today many say that there is no way a woman is to preach in a church, they are supposed to keep quiet in the church.
Well, Philip was one of the chosen by the Apostles, that walked and talked with God, and was to be one of the administrators of the Church from the beginning, and has taught all four of his virgin daughters the Word and they prophesy through the Holy Spirit.
God used those four women, and God will use whomever He pleases, and directs them to speak to people where ever He leads them.
If a man chooses to ignore a prophecy from God, that will be his loss.
Women should pay attention to these scriptures where God favors His servants, especially when they are direct to the ladies. Then when some old duffer tries to put you on a trip, prod him a little with the Word of God. God gives gifts to different members of the body of Christ, and He is not a respecter of persons.
He knows who can get His job done for Him, and who will waste those gifts.
And, if we take a close look into the church world today, we will see that much of the work that needs to get done is done by the ladies.