hi, welcome to evc.
Paul states in 1 Cor.11,5 "Any women who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had her hair cut off" (women in biblical times who had their hair short were usually less honoured citizens,eg: prostitutes)
the ironic thing about this verse (which will confuse you more) is that deeply religious married jewish women shave their heads. i think it's something about the head-covering requirement, and not seeing hair. some nowadays will observe this ritual, but wear a wig, others just go with the traditional head-covering.
My big dilemma on both of these scripture quotes is that they seem to condradict each other. On one hand it's ok for women to speak out in church if the head is covered, and on the other,they can't talk at all in church!
perhaps paul is saying women should shut up in general? wouldn't suprise me: he doesn't think they should teach, either. but maybe it's only a context issue: in traditional jewish churchs at the time, men would sit in the front, and women had a separate section or second tier. women asking their husbands questions in church would constitute a lot of noise.
Also here Paul states 'as even the law says',yet he writes over and over in Romans that we are dead to the law.
might the difference between The Law and the law. the "law" he's referring to is genesis, where woman is created from man's side, and then condemned to be subordinate upon expulsion from the garden.
i don't think that "dead to the law" means we are to whatever we feel like, either. it just means that for the purpose of punishment for misdeeds, we've already been killed.
This message has been edited by arachnophilia, 11-22-2005 08:02 PM
אָרַח