Interpreting 1 Timothy 2:11-12

Does 1 Timothy 2:11-12 mean that women should not do anything but keep house?

Here’s what the verses say:

1 Timothy 2:11-12 – Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

This is a tough passage to interpret as we have a very different culture than the one Paul was in, so it’s hard to know exactly what he meant. One of the most important things to do when trying to understand a confusing passage is use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Study other passages that talk about similar things and see if you can get a good, comprehensive understanding of what the Bible teaches on something.

In this instance, a place you might go to for understanding what the Bible thinks of women is to look at Proverbs…