Analysis of Biblical texts inherently involves examinations into issues of morality and behavior according to Christian doctrine. The Apostle Paul, whose writings are a major focal point of much of the New Testament, addresses these matters with a series of letters to Christian congregations as well as to particular individuals to whom he has entrusted to progress of his churches. Within these letters he confronts the challenges posed to the development of the Christian faith and proposes solutions to each individual obstacle faced by followers. In doing so, Paul speaks to the broader social and religious implications of the growth of Christianity.
[...] Yet, perhaps the most profound representation of gender roles in Christian life as depicted in First Timothy is the author's discussion on the qualifications of Bishops and Deacons. In both cases, a candidate must be respectable and serious, demonstrate moderation and temperance, be strong in faith, and most importantly, be a man who can manage his “children and household well for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?' Timothy 3:12, 3:4). [...]
[...] The question of women's participation, and imposed silence, in church is another point of contention, both between the two letters and within First Corinthians itself. As Paul explains the necessity of women's heads being veiled in church, he proclaims woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled disgraces her head” Corinthians 11:5). Prophesying entails speaking out loud, and Paul never denounces a woman's ability to do so in this particular passage. Yet, in chapter 14, Paul states that women are not permitted to speak in church, a view that is consistent with First Timothy as the author orders women to learn in silence and refrain from teaching. [...]
[...] The emergence of the philosophical differences engendered in these conflicting theories thus transcends simple social hierarchy and the roles of men and women in the church. While First Corinthians directly targets a particular population, the First Letter of Paul to Timothy Timothy) is a series of instructions and recommendations dictated by the author to Timothy, a colleague. Timothy is to espouse and enforce that which is dictated to him among the people of Ephesus. Almost immediately, the author expresses his expectations and commandments. He suggests that every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument” Timothy 2:8). [...]
[...] The most simple interpretation of this practice indicates that it not only serves to assign authority to the role of men, but is a symbol of the inferiority of women in respect to men, and furthermore in respect to Christ, as man was not made from woman, but woman from man, neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.” Yet, this concept of “Christ above man, man above woman, God above while emphasizing a stratified social structure in which women are inferior to men, nonetheless operates in a broader context, namely the power of God. [...]
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