Silence and Submission- pt 1

            A friend came to me the other day with some questions about a passage in 1Timothy. (9-15)  As soon as she told me the passage, I knew exactly what questions were coming, because they are a lot of concerns that I have had to and continue to work through.

“Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.  And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.  For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” 1Tim 2:11-14 nkjv

“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 1Tim 2:11-14 NIV

When I was younger, I honestly thought I would never fit into the church, because I had no desire to be a quiet submissive woman.  I thought that Christianity called for a woman that I couldn’t actually be: A woman who didn’t have her own opinions, who implicitly trusted, who never questioned, who was seen and not heard (unless she was with children, because it was definitely her job to lead and instruct them.)

            This is a super hard section of scripture for me to read, (especially out of context) and I wont even pretend to be an expert on these matters.  But I will share with you what God has been teaching me.

            Out of context, I’d take (and have once taken) that passage to mean- 1) Women should be seen not heard. 2) Women aren’t capable of teaching men. 3)Women aren’t good or strong enough to lead men. 4) All of the above are true, because women are weaker than men and more susceptible to being deceived.

            I will never be a woman who will accept those things as truth!  I am strong, intelligent, independent, and more than capable.  I had to grow up and start taking care of myself at a very young age. Because of that, I have never felt like the “weaker” sex. And if I believed God cared for me less because I was a woman, I wouldn’t call myself a Christian.