The command of silence and childbearing (I Timothy 2 11-15)

I Timothy 2:11-15
"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.  But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.  For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in  the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety."

Wow....Paul the Apostle has put a lot on women here.  It took two thousand years of world history and over 150 years of  American history to break free from these teachings for women to have a voice in their male dominated cultures. 

First of all, Genesis 1:27 says God created male and female in his own image...all at once...and equally.  At a later point, during a period of patriarchy,  another creation story surfaced about Adam needed a "helper" and God creating Eve as an afterthought from Adam's rib for the benefit of Adam.  For thousands of years men preferred to treat women as little more than a slave for his personal benefit.  Women were "purchased" from the father's for a price.  Women had no power and very few rights, they were born into a man's world dominated by a male religion.  The struggle for equality first surfaced in 1850 in the first wave of the women's liberation movement.  In addition to men, women were some of the most vocal opponents of equality.  Over time the women's movement merged with the prohibition movement and although alcohol was made illegal, women still had not succeeded in securing the right to vote. The history of the women's movement and prohibition is a very interesting study of american history.  A new book called LAST CALL goes into the details of prohibition in america. 

Secondly, Paul the Apostle blames Eve and thus all women for the "fall of mankind" and "disobedience" to God. This is absurd.  This allowed the church to insinuate for years that women just could not be trusted as leaders and the western world was forced into a male dominated and male controlled society that denied women equality, both inside the church and outside the church.   Adam blamed Eve and men have been blaming women for eons.  Paul picks up this rant and uses an old testament fable to insinuate that women are 1. Not equal in intellect or character to men.   2. Women are easily decieved and therefore not qualified to lead and 3.bearing children can somehow save a woman.  Here is why Paul injects something totally new.  Women save themselves  from hell by having children.  Women who are barren, or whose husband's are infertile are given no hope of saving themselves from an everlasting hell by Paul.  This is just ridiculous and a new twist.  The church picked up on this, as have men.  Women have been forced into early motherhood and the burden of motherhood against their will.  Today, the one way to assure a young woman of lifelong poverty is to force her to remain pregnant and bear children at a young age causing her development and educational opportunities to nearly cease. 

Paul states that women can be saved if they have children, continue in "faith" and "give liberally" and remain "sober".  I don't know if that means depressed or free from alcohol or both.  This is quite a  quilt trip on women.  I think women would be well advised to read the teachings of Paul with caution as he is clearly not a fan of women.