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Clearly Paul has authority, but it seems weird that Paul has to justify why he can make these bold declarations. However, we tend to forget at this time, he was not the most quoted man who ever lived.  It wasn’t until after he died that the real worth of his life was realized.  Paul understood it was only because of Christ he was able to write letters and spread the Gospel (Romans 15:14-20).  He needed to give the glory to God. I am positive if Paul were writing today, he would still give God the glory.  

Some of us nowadays write like we know everything about scripture; we write like we know exactly the message that God was trying to relay to his people.  We act like we know precisely what is going to happen at Armageddon or the role woman should play in the church. My point in all of this is that Paul didn’t think so highly of himself.  Over and over again, he humbled himself and wrote down what the Lord revealed to him.  Paul’s authority came from God and God alone.  If Paul had to justify his authority and give the glory to God, then all of us should follow suit.  I am sure when Paul was getting revelation about a woman’s role in the church, he was taken aback.  It was not exactly the norm in first century society.  

If we look at Phoebe, Prisca, Mary, Junia, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Persis, and Julia we see the role of women.  Women are to be workers of Christ and servants of the church.  Some people hold to the notion that just because Paul talks about women being silent in church, (1 Corinthians 14:34) they are to be quiet and support their men. People forget to take everything in perspective and they get stuck on scripture talking about the woman submitting to her husband; forgetting that man has an obligation to love his wife (Ephesians 5:24-25).  What about 1 Corinthians 7, where Paul revolutionizes the role of woman?  Paul puts her on par with men over and over again. Many women, in this time, were slaves to their husbands; their sole purpose was pleasing the man and taking care of the household. God never intended life to work that way; both sexes were made in his image and have authority over the earth together (Genesis 1:27).  That being said, what was the role of the woman? Are woman supposed to be deacons? I think so.  I know that they have a role, and they are co-servants of the kingdom.  

I believe, that we as Christians, should hold fast to the essentials and study the non-essentials, but not put them ahead of the clear and direct revelations of God. All of our studies are to be gifts to God’s glory and not our own.  Paul would tell you these were not his ideas, they were God’s, and he had the burden of writing them down.  We have the same burden to study God’s word and to listen to what He is trying to reveal.  And when it is all said and done, live a life to His glory.