Welcome back to the podcast. Well, in all your emails to us over the years, a lot of emails, Romans 922 is the most asked about text all time. It's a hard text. So there's no surprise that it raises so many questions in our minds. But our second most asked about text

all time is 1 Timothy 212. We read it this week in our Bible reading and it's on the mind of

at least one woman listening to the podcast right now and probably many others as well. I bet.

Dear Pastor John, thank you for APJ. In 1 Timothy 212, Paul writes, I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. Rather, she is to remain quiet. I'm trying to understand exactly what Paul is forbidding here. Does this mean women should never teach men even in Bible studies or classrooms? Is he only referring to the formal role of pastor or elder?

What about women sharing insights or asking questions in small groups' discussions?

I know women are praised for prophesying in both the Old and New Testaments.

And then she gives these verses of Exodus 15, 20, Judges 4, verses 4 and 5, 2. 2, 2nd, 2nd,

2, Isaiah 8, 3, Luke 2, 36 to 38, Acts 21, 8 to 9, and 1 Corinthians 1115.

So how do we reconcile these realities to Paul's prohibition in 1st Timothy 212?

And how can I faithfully live out this teaching in a way

that honors God's design for men and women in the church? So here's the key text that we're all

more or less concerned about and rightly so. First Timothy 2, 11 to 14, let a woman learn quietly

with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to

exercise authority over a man. Rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first and then

Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

Now, there are not many passages in the Bible more out of step with modern culture than this one.

That's one of the reasons why we get so many questions about it. This text raises at least 50 questions, which is why Wayne Goudam and I

tried to synthesize our big blue book about manhood and womanhood into a little book called

50 crucial questions about manhood and womanhood, less than 100 pages. And I recommend it

because that's my, and his best shot at

putting in a small compass 50 kinds of questions people can ask about this issue. So seriously,

I would love for people to get it. And just remember, I don't get any royalties from these

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