Female priests
1 Timothy 2:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 are frequently used in the still ongoing debate against women serving in pastoral or priestly roles, with some interpretations suggesting a so-called 'prohibition' against women teaching or exercising authority over men in church settings.
However, alternative interpretations exist that emphasize the specific context of these verses and the broader biblical view of women's role. It's thus yet again much more complex. If faced with any issue I'd take the more complex answer, even if it's basically at first reading too easy to be true.
Concerning these particular Bible passages some scholars argue that St Paul's instructions were specific to the cultural and social context of the Ephesian (and Corinthian) church at the time, particularly addressing issues of false teaching and disruptive behavior in worship.
The writings of St Paul are afterall also in a different tradition than many other Bible authors and he viewed his letters himself as mere instruction and not as scripture. Compare any of his instruction to Luke's Magnificat and you'll hopefully notice the difference.
St Luke was indeed writing in a similar tradition but with an eye on the Gospel Message. There's little doubt that his writing of The Magnificat is indeed the strongest statement about love and justice in the entire Bible. Keep remembering that the actual words were from a simple woman and mother-to-be.
Moreover, other passages in the New Testament from St Paul, such like for example Galatians 3:28, emphasize the actual equality of men and women in Christ, suggesting that Paul's restrictions in 1 Timothy 2:12 might indeed not be a universal ban on women in leadership.
Taking a closer look at 1 Corinthians 14, we can see that the overall concern there and then was rather 'orderly assemblies'. The church of Corinth was particularly noted for the disorder in the sense that everyone was seen and heard whenever and however they desired.
In fact, there are so many women mentioned in the New Testament, with 180 references to women. Of these [45 named, 94 unnamed, 14 fictional] 45 named women we get over 30 of them that were positive female disciples.
When St Peter wrote that husbands are to show honor to the woman as the 'weaker vessel' he doesn't mean that women are inferior in personhood, or that they are inferior spiritually or intellectually. He is merely pointing out the obvious that physically women are not typically as big and strong as men.
Ultimately, the interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 and the role of women in church leadership remains a complex and debated issue within Christianity but one can't use only that to be against one and be for the other. To do so goes against the primary principles of being a follower of Christ in the first place.
Finding nothing from Leviticus in the New Testament against female priests points straight to it not being an argument against it in the first place. That book doesn't forbid women from being priests, but it does establish strict requirements for who can be a priest
However, alternative interpretations exist that emphasize the specific context of these verses and the broader biblical view of women's role. It's thus yet again much more complex. If faced with any issue I'd take the more complex answer, even if it's basically at first reading too easy to be true.
Concerning these particular Bible passages some scholars argue that St Paul's instructions were specific to the cultural and social context of the Ephesian (and Corinthian) church at the time, particularly addressing issues of false teaching and disruptive behavior in worship.
The writings of St Paul are afterall also in a different tradition than many other Bible authors and he viewed his letters himself as mere instruction and not as scripture. Compare any of his instruction to Luke's Magnificat and you'll hopefully notice the difference.
St Luke was indeed writing in a similar tradition but with an eye on the Gospel Message. There's little doubt that his writing of The Magnificat is indeed the strongest statement about love and justice in the entire Bible. Keep remembering that the actual words were from a simple woman and mother-to-be.
Moreover, other passages in the New Testament from St Paul, such like for example Galatians 3:28, emphasize the actual equality of men and women in Christ, suggesting that Paul's restrictions in 1 Timothy 2:12 might indeed not be a universal ban on women in leadership.
Taking a closer look at 1 Corinthians 14, we can see that the overall concern there and then was rather 'orderly assemblies'. The church of Corinth was particularly noted for the disorder in the sense that everyone was seen and heard whenever and however they desired.
In fact, there are so many women mentioned in the New Testament, with 180 references to women. Of these [45 named, 94 unnamed, 14 fictional] 45 named women we get over 30 of them that were positive female disciples.
When St Peter wrote that husbands are to show honor to the woman as the 'weaker vessel' he doesn't mean that women are inferior in personhood, or that they are inferior spiritually or intellectually. He is merely pointing out the obvious that physically women are not typically as big and strong as men.
Ultimately, the interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 and the role of women in church leadership remains a complex and debated issue within Christianity but one can't use only that to be against one and be for the other. To do so goes against the primary principles of being a follower of Christ in the first place.
Finding nothing from Leviticus in the New Testament against female priests points straight to it not being an argument against it in the first place. That book doesn't forbid women from being priests, but it does establish strict requirements for who can be a priest
