Sarah

I think that it is VERY important to use a hermeneutical approach to this. It is very important to read the introduction that Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Tim 1:

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

His purpose of the letter is to comment of what CERTAIN people are teaching. Note that in all of his letters he is very careful to not put to shame publicly those that are in fellowship (notwithstanding those he has already kicked out of fellowship). All of the letters were read aloud in the gatherings. It would have been very embarrassing for a particular person to be outed publicly for offenses that were not necessarily worthy of removal from fellowship. You can see this same tactic in 1 Cor 5 when Paul speaks of ‘an immoral brother’. People knew who this person was but Paul was not one to publicly embarrass people knowing that the letters were circular. He is writing to tell Timothy what to do with this ‘certain person’- in this case ‘a woman’- and her teachings of female idolatry/origination/or Artemis keeping women safe during childbirth.

Also if this was not the case and all women are to keep silent in the church, why then does Paul allow women to pray and prophesy publicly and out loud in the church (1 Cor 11:5)? This does not make sense.

It is important to understand who the epistle is written to and what the reason for writing it is. Epistles should never be read as if they are verse for verse applicable to every gathering of believers. This is why all letters to all churches were different depending on the particular issue or praise.