While others will look at these verses, quickly pronounce that Paul’s words were written for a specific cultural issue and problem that was present in Ephesus at the time of Paul's writing, which are now completely out of touch with current cultural realities, therefore, deeming them out of date, their teaching expired and having no relevant application in today’s church.
However, I believe, that the principles in God's Word transcend the present culture.
In verses 9 and 10, Paul writes "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness."
At the time of Paul's writing, for the Ephesian women, the opposite of modesty was braided hair, gold, pearls and expensive clothing. The city of Ephesus was home to the ancient temple of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation and this temple employed hundreds of temple prostitutes. These prostitutes wore braided hair and gold as part of their working attire. These prostitutes were infamous throughout the Roman world for their elaborate hairstyles and ornate gold jewelry, so much so that you could identify a prostitute of Aphrodite, even from a distance, just by the way she dressed. Some of the Ephesian women were mimicking the hairstyles and accessories of these prostitutes when they met for worship. The Apostle Paul said that Christian women should adorn themselves with good works, which are consistent with their claim to belong to Christ, not in similar attire of these ungodly women.
I believe that the eternal truth in this principle here for women is modesty, modesty. For women to enhance their beauty in modest ways. Modesty is simply not dressing in a way that calls attention to yourself, either through seduction or through extravagance.
I further believe, that is has become quite apparent that there are some serious difficulties with these modern efforts to reinterpret the Word. If we are to allow that Paul’s statement to the men leading in prayer to be universal, then it follows in necessity, that what is stated concerning the role of women among the churches is also to be considered universal. This must be stated as it has become somewhat popular in recent days to argue that he was correcting a local problem in Ephesus. The argument of some feminist theologians is that the situation in Ephesus was an aberration; therefore, the instruction provided in this passage is not to be applied as the normal pattern for the churches of today.
The general considerations of this passage, seems to be as this portion of the Word the sole proscription against women functioning in the role of congregational teachers, it would weigh heavily upon the congregation of the Lord. However, there are other considerations in this matter. There are broad implications of the debate over setting women apart to pastoral leadership. Among the areas of concern that must be raised are questions touching such fields as bibliology, hermeneutics, Christology, trinitarianism and ecclesiology.
I believe that those wanting to subscribe to elevate women to congregational oversight, the Scriptures as translated must be discharged in favor of gender-neutral versions. Otherwise, advocates of women pastors will be continually frustrated by the language employed throughout the New Testament. I admit that this is not a strong argument for rejecting feminist theology, however, it is a consideration which, I believe must not be neglected. Supporters of female eldership will feel increasing pressure to transform liturgical language, seeking to ensure that it is all inclusive. With this mind, it won't be long before churches will be reciting the Lord's prayer as "Our Father-Mother who art in heaven," as an increasing number of churches already refer to God as "She." I simply cannot find nowhere in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible, the Word of God, a single passage or verse that supports that! That's not being misogynistic, that speaking biblical truth. If you are able to find something that speaks to the contrary, of "Our Father," by all means, point it out to me..
What I want to make clear, is that the Apostle does not say that women are not to teach at anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances! He does not say, "Woman are not to teach period!" In fact, Paul tells instructs the older women to teach the younger women.
In Titus 2:3-5 Paul says "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."
There are other cases in Scripture in which women taught men, such as in Acts chapter 18, when Aquila and his wife Priscilla took Apollos aside and instructed him further in the doctrine of Jesus. "and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately."
I believe that they key to this passage is found in verse twelve, it is the Greek word "authentein," meaning "to govern, exercise authority over." It is the word from which we get our English word "authority." It therefore, governs both the teaching and attitude that is to characterize these women. It means "to domineer or to usurp authority." It is not that women are never to teach but that women are not to take over in a church and become the final authoritative teachers. I suppose that now beg the question, "Does this mean therefore, that women are not to be the senior pastor of the church?" I believe that it does. I believe that we only need to look for the answer to that as far as verse 11, "A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness."
The Greek word "ēsuchia," translated "quiet," also occurs in an adjectival form in verse two of this same chapter. In fact, Paul uses the same word in II Thessalonians 3:12, when he says "Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread." Here, Paul is not telling people to work silently but to work peacefully and to not make a big to do about it. It would appear that the overall goal of these was to restore peace in the worship service by placing certain limits on the role of women. Most likely, as a result of the influence of the false teaching, some women having assumed the role of teacher. This step led Paul to invoke a subordination rule; it seems to have precluded women from teaching men, since to do so constituted a wrongful appropriation of authority over men.
I believe the obvious conclusion that one should draw from this is that although, one certainly should not underestimate the importance of women helping and mentoring other women, women are not to take over in a church and become the final authoritative teachers.
Traditional hermeneutics advocates understanding the historical-cultural context of the passage one is reading; the feminist theology introduces a theology of victim-hood.
Feminist theology challenges Christology, and attempts to rescue the atonement from its harsh punishment angle. Many of these women are said to recoil from the idea that God would punish anyone, much less punish His Son, for the sins of man. subscribing to the idea that males shaped the various theories of atonement.
Trinitarian theology is challenged as feminist leaders reject the idea that subordination and equality can be simultaneously true. They tend to think that by accepting a submissive role, this automatically means that a woman does not share an equal status with a man.
However, I would offer that Scripture clearly teaches that the Son submits to the Father and the Spirit submits to the Son. Therefore, egalitarians and feminist theologians are on the horns of a dilemma. I believe that anyone who has read and studied the Gospel of John will see clearly the subordination of the Son to the Father.
Further, I believe that it is significant that Jesus named no women to serve as Apostles. While feminist theologians have repeatedly argued that Jesus was bound by Jewish tradition, it is more evident that He liberated women. It is above questioning that Jesus treated women with the utmost respect; nevertheless, He chose no women, when appointing those who would serve as Apostles. If it is to be considered true that Jesus came to abolish role distinctions, between men and women, wouldn’t the appointment of the Apostles have been the time to do so?
Though the Apostle Paul commended women for participating in various roles in ministry of the churches; he never once suggested that they were to function as elders. One cannot read the statements of the writers of Scripture when admonishing husbands to esteem their wives without drawing the conclusion that consideration and recognition of the worth of a woman is of utmost importance in the godly home.
"For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint."
Why would God make what appears superficially to be an arbitrary ruling based on sex? Paul first appeals to the created order. Referring to the account of the creation of man and woman in Genesis 2, Paul concluded that the order in which Adam and Ever were created signaled an important difference in the respective roles of men and women. This is not the only time he has appealed to this priority in created order.
In I Corinthians 11:8-11, "For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman." The Apostle Paul presents the case that men and women are equal in person, equal in dignity and equal in value; however, he also taught that women have a role that is distinct from the role expected of men. I believe that those who argue otherwise are attempting to impose a view other than the revealed Word of God.
In Closing...
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen