What to do with this:

What does a person, in today's society, do when they read a passage like this?

1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

The first part is understandable. Prayer is a vital part of our life in Christ. Without it, nothing happens. God works through our "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings." And we need to make them for everyone we can think of and then some. We need to pray for our leadership, we need to pray for those in authority. We NEED to do this. Especially for our church leaders. If we don't pray for them, then how will they be sustained when temptations come their way? The failure of a mirade of church leaders is partially our fault as well if we don't pray diligently for them. Through prayer we can lead peaceful and quiet lives which are godly and dignified. Prayer does much.

3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Prayer pleases God. It leads us to live our lives in such a way that we are pleasing aroma to him. God is our Saviour. God wants everyone to know him in saving way. For this reason he sent his son, his very own son, to die for us. He wants us to know that truth. Truth is he is God, there is no other God, just the one, and HE gave his son for all as a ransom (he paid the price for us).

7For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

For this reason, we are to evangelize to those around us. We need to teach them the truth that we know.

But what we do with this part?

8I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10but with what is proper for women who profess godliness--with good works. 11Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15Yet she will be saved through childbearing--if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

In today's society women don't want to be silent or submissive or wear clothes that show a godly demeanor. Women don't want to admit that they were created second, and that they sinned. Women don't often want to admit the importance of family and of having children. They don't.

But then, men often don't want to pray. They don't want to "lift holy hands". They don't want to take a leadership role in church. They don't want to see the importance of their being created first. Is this the result of the feminization of the church or are men just being lascidasical about their relationship with God and just blaming it on women??

So do we ignore this passage or do we actually consider it seriously?

I'd prefer that latter to be frank. As hard as it can be at times, learning to be quiet and let the men talk is far more edifying than taking over the conversation (particularly when it comes to bible study). I am learning that submission has many forms...and that, when women learn to be more submissive, it allows men to be the men that GOD wants them to be. This edifies the church. It's amazing sometimes, when men stand up and be men, and women sit down and be women (as God wants them to be) the church is changed. It's remarkable.

Submission isn't me-centered. Submission is other-centered. By the grace of God this can be learned.

Women have to stop and consider what they are doing, and this passage points me and other women, to steps that we can take in order to be what God has called us to truly be. We are NOT the center of the universe. :)

I could really go on here, but I think this post is getting long enough. :) More another day perhaps.