Patrick

Hi Cheryl,

Thanks for the clear post layout. It was especially helpful to highlight where you want the people who disagree with you to focus on.
Can i look at Note 1 regarding the change of grammar/topic issue.

Let me tell you a story to help illustrate,

Last weekend was my daughter’s 16th birthday party. She had several friends staying over. Simultaneously her 17 year old brother had several friends over. Our house was very crowded. Being the good father i am i gave the following directives,

“I desire all the men to remain upstairs in the rumpus room. Likewise, i want all the women to remain downstairs in the back loungeroom. I do not permit a women to be upstairs at any time alone with a man. She must either stay downstairs or be accompanied with another…

Now my point is really simple. Given the example above, is the shift from plural to singular grammatically or topically different? Within the context it is clear that the singular still applies to the generic. I don’t see why 1 Tim cannot be any different. This answers your first request to explain the shift.

As for the second issue regarding Paul stopping true teaching i would direct you to 1 Corinthians 12-14. Granted it is not ‘teaching’ per se, but nonetheless, clearly spiritual gifts, although being a good God given gift, were being abused and needed to be reined in. Clearly then, Christians can abuse something that otherwise, in different contexts and circumstances, would be a good ministry.

So the parallel i would draw would be like this. Can a woman teach? Yes absolutely, but within a limited context. Can a person speak in toungues? Yes absolutely, but within a limited context.

Hope you can roughly see my point. I’ll leave it at that.

Blessings