Ben Witherington hits the spot! On Saturday (Feb 25) he wrote a translation and explanation of that difficult passage in Timothy: I do not allow a woman to teach or hold authority over a man.
He makes the point (which I think is the most important) that in this statement, if it is interpreted as a blanket rule, Paul then contradicts what he says in other places about women speaking in church, prophesying, teaching other women, etc. Since we know that this cannot be the case, why does it appear to be the case?
Ben points out that these verses are a corrective to a problem which already exists in the church, and probably a temporary measure rather than a permanent blanket rule. In a church which exists within a pagan society where women priestesses were powerful and educated, it would be natural for these women to want to take charge and teach, even if they were new converts (which is also forbidden elsewhere).
He talks about the women learning in quietness and submission to the teaching - in the Jewish Law, everyone was to keep quiet and in submission when the Word of God was being read. Paul points out that as a result of incomplete teaching from Adam about the rules of the Tree of Life, Eve was vulnerable to deception. A person not properly instructed is much more easily deceived.
I'll have to take this on faith, not being a Greek scholar, but apparently the form of "do not permit" used by Paul here implies "do not currently permit" rather than "would never permit", implying that when the current problem is resolved, presumably by good teaching and understanding, then at some future time the restriction may be lifted.
The whole childbearing bit seems strange to me, but apparently it is some kind of parallel between the Fall coming through Eve and the Saviour coming through Mary. Reminds me of Paul's section on "through one man (Adam) we fell and through one man (Jesus) we are saved". Very Paul.
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