Sheryl

lol – the quote thing didn’t work for me either 🙂

Swanson seems like the kind that also complains if poor wives don’t work, or blames the poor for having families at all – or just for being poor. Hypocrites. Not everyone can make a decent living.

Rachael, I’m so sorry about your father’s treatment of you; thank you for having the courage to share your story here…praying for God’s healing touch in your life and hoping you will come to see that you are of so much more value than what your father thinks.

The other two links didn’t post either –

“I Do Not Permit A Woman To Teach – The Bible, Culture, and Gender (2007-02-21)”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9145415904370058339

“Thinking About Women In Ministry – The Cultural Backdrop (2007.02.14)”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7303708256038189910

Oh dear – I’ll try again –
“Why A Woman Can’t Preach”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2482202240794922109

I thought you might enjoy this video – “Why Can’t a Woman Preach?” It’s a caution about taking individual Bible verses literally without considering the rest of Scripture:)

(Approx. 45 min. long)

Thanks TL:) It’s a blessing to know that there are pastors that provide women an opportunity to speak! God be with you!

Thank you Cheryl – much appreciation for your insight. I can see your point – there is much that remains unresolved if this view is to be used as an explanation. Another video that covers this view is Chi Alpha at Stanford’s “I Do Not Permit A Woman To Teach” – The Bible, Culture, and Gender (2007-02-21) and “Thinking About Women In Ministry – The Cultural Backdrop (2007.02.14)” I think they help explain how we can determine why certain teachings aren’t applicable to us today, but I’m not certain they provide any more clarification when it comes to bringing it all together.
I’ve found it’s difficult to find credible audio/video teachings on this subject (yours was the first I’d come across – and it’s still the most thorough:)).

“At the last chuch” – “church”, lol!

Thank you – you are most gracious to have listened to it so soon!

If I may, I just want to share a bit of my background – I’ve been what would be considered “unchurched” most of my adult life – I came out of a Catholic church, and while I’ve attended a few since becoming a Christian over 30 years ago, I never formally joined any – there were so many contradictions from what I saw in Scripture, which I studied independently.
At the last chuch, I attended services and womens’ Bible studies; the pastor’s wife told him “this girl (I was 53-54 at the time) has understanding!” The pastor and I also had a few opportunities to discuss the Bible at great length on several occassions and he told me that I knew more about the Bible than anyone he’d ever met, so it came as a shock to me when he said a woman would never speak from the pulpit in his church. I was just stunned. I certainly didn’t have any aspirations to lead, but I would have appreciated being able to speak what God had laid on my heart for the young men and women in the church. When I stop to think of the wisdom of mothers and grandmothers in churches that has been wasted due to the erroneous teaching on women, it brings tears to my eyes.
God richly bless you and your ministry, Cheryl; it is needed now more than ever – please know you are in my prayers as you continue on the frontlines of this issue.

I should say it’s about 73 minutes long – and it does get a little drawn out. He uses the book “I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15” by Richard and Catherine Kroeger.

It is truly sad that the church lost so much of the understanding of the background to this letter – how much have we lost over the years because women were not allowed to use their gifts – or ignored them because they were brainwashed into believing they had nothing to offer? How much have we lost because so many men have been brainwashed into thinking a woman had no authority and hence they did not have to listen to anything a woman said? The loss to the church is staggering; I can’t help but think how much this grieves the Lord – and I wonder if the proponents of patriarchy have ever considered they were quenching the Holy Spirit?

I found another very interesting teaching on the 1 Timothy 2 passage by John Schoenheit – while I have differences with some of the CES/Truth or Tradition theology, I think they have this right. I thought you might find it interesting.
http://www.stfpodcast.com/File/mar_apr_1996_role_of_women_pt1.mp3