But I don't permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.
Another solution that I prefer is this. Paul permitted women to pray and prophesy in Corinth and elsewhere because these activities did not involve exercising as much authority in the church as teaching and ruling did. Teaching involved providing normative instruction from Scripture whereas prophesying in New Testament times involved only sharing something God had brought to mind. In some cases this was new revelation, but usually it was not. [Note: See Wayne Grudem, "Prophecy-Yes, But Teaching-No; Paul’s Consistent Advocacy of Women’s Participation Without Governing Authority," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 30:1 (March 1987):11-23. Cf. Ryrie, pp. 39-40; Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. "prophetes . . .," by Gerhard Friedrich, 6 (1968):854; Harold W. Hoehner, "The Purpose of Tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:20-25," in Walvood: A Tribute, pp. 56-57; and H. Wayne House, "Should a Woman Prophesy or Preach Before Men?" Bibliotheca Sacra 145:578 (April-June 1988):149-54. See also "Women in the Church: Biblical Data Report" that I have included in these notes as Appendix 2.] In every case the prophet was to subject his or her prophecy to what God had inspired previously (1 Corinthians 14:29).