Karen, Paul is not saying a woman can speak in the church. Confusion can set in when we don't pay close attention to the singular and plural in Paul's words. A woman can speak. If she couldn't, she couldn't prophesy.
But "women" plural should not speak among themselves during the service because it's disruptive. It's really not mysogeny as some claim. It's that the men and women sat in different sections, and some women were talking among themselves or asking their husbands in a manner that was disruptive.
Paul probably could have just changed the seating arrangements and had the women sit with their husbands, but they would still need to not be disruptive.
So A WOMAN can speak, teach, preach, whatever to the congregation, but the women as a group should not talk and be disruptive; nor imo, should a woman "teach" her husband in the sense of be his master and he the disciple, if he is not willing. Paul alludes to the law in maintaining a complementarian marital status, but in spiritual affairs maintains equality between the sexes.
This message has been edited by randman, 11-29-2005 05:54 PM
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