esies. . ." Clearly women in Corinth were praying and prophesying during the worship service. There is also the case of Precilla and Aquila described in Acts Chapter 18. Many Commentators feel it is significant that whenever this couple are mentioned in the Bible, Precilla, the women, is mentioned first because of her great knowledge. It appears that they worked together as a teaching team and their effectiveness is demonstrated when they taught Apollos "the ways of the Lord more adequately" (Acts 18: 26). Apollos is described as a learned man who came to Ephesus and began teaching from the scriptures in a knowledgeable way although lacking in one of the fundamental teachings. Another Case in point is a business woman named Lydia who lived in Philippi. She accepted the Gospel message from Paul and Silas while at a place of prayer. After this incident is recorded, a strong church is mentioned in Philippi later in the Bible. We can only surmise that she played a significant part in the growth of this church, since no men were initially converted. These passages all call into question the real nature of the moratorium on teaching and the meaning of no authority mentioned in 1st Timothy. That women were teaching men is obvious, although at times they may have been co-teaching with male teachers. The case of the prophetesses is also compelling because although most churches do not recognize prophecy as being a modern gift, teaching certainly is and this was one of the important functions of a prophet. Some Commentators in discussing women's ministry in the New Testament have brought to light the customs of the day regarding women. Paul's main concern was the spread of the Gospel and that the message could be made attractive in every way. For this reason Paul encourages women in other passages to continue observing social customs such as the wearing of a veil; otherwise people might criticize them as loose or immoral and belittle the Gospel m...
