HE WROTE:

These points are reiterated all throughout the Holy Bible, showing that this is indeed the view held by all of God’s inspired agents and messengers:

"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God… For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man." 1 Corinthians 11:3, 7-9

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands." Ephesians 5:22-24

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." Colossians 3:18

"Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives-- when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing-- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening." 1 Peter 3:1-6

 

RESPONSE:

 

The passage 1 Corinthians 11:3-9 is a forgery:

 

It should be noted at she outset that a growing number of New Testament scholars believe that 11:2-16 is an interpolation in 1 Corinthians. Chapters 10 and 11 hold together as a consistent argument without vv. 2-16, and most of the material in 10:1-11:2 and 11:17-34 allude in some way to Israel’s wilderness experience, imagery that is absent from 11:2-16. Verses 2 and 27 of chapter 11 are closely linked by repetition of significant words, and vv. 2-16 contain many words that occur nowhere else in the Pauline corpus or the New Testament. In fact, the closest parallel to 1 Cor. 11:-16 is Eph. 5:21-24, which many scholars take to be Deuterio-Pauline, and 1 Tim. 2:13-15, which almost certainly is. (Bonnie Thurston, Women in the New Testament, p. 43)

 

“…1 Corinthians is a particularly good example how difficult it is to determine Paul’s own prescriptions with regard to Christian women. Other issues are usually in focus, and women, when they are mentioned, are frequently mentioned in passing. In short, Paul has little to say directly to women. (ibid p. 46)

 

 

Many scholars believe Colossians and Ephesians are also forgeries:

 

For a variety of reasons, it is appropriate to discuss Colossians and Ephesians together, not the least of which is that both are addressed to cities in Asia Minor and both seem to come from the same time period and geographical provenance. Whereas Colossians is in form more like a genuinely Pauline epistle and Ephesians is more like a treatise, there is lively debate about the authorship of both, some scholars arguing for Pauline authorship and some disputing it. Both letters exhibit vocabulary, stylistic features, and theological viewpoints that do not occur in the genuinely Pauline epistles. In these and other ways they are more like each other than like other works in the Pauline corpus. Each, for example, is likely to rely more heavily on traditional materials (liturgical fragments, vice and virtue lists, household codes, etc.) than do earlier letters of Paul. (ibid, p. 132)

 

The Ephesian letter presents the interpreter with a number interesting challenges. Like Corinth, Ephesus was a major city of antiquity, the capital of a Roman province, a major trade center, a religious center, and a crossroads. Ephesus is mentioned at least twenty times in the New Testament. Although Paul did not found the church there, he spent about three years in Ephesus and wrote the majority of his extant letters from that city. But it is unclear whether or not Paul wrote the Ephesian letter. According to the letter, the writer, who under arrest, does not know those he addresses (1:15; 3:3) and sends one Tychicus to supplement the letter with oral information (3: 1-2; 6:20-22). That lack of knowledge seems unlikely if Paul had spent three years in Ephesus. (ibid, p. 137)

 

Bonnie Thurston neglects both epistles in her study:

 

In this study Colossians, Ephesians, and the Pastoral epistles have been set side as POST-PAULINE and will be treated as a later development of the church’s thinking about women.

 

The epistle Ephesians was plagiarized from Colossians, the same way 2 Peter was plagiarized from Jude.

 

So here we have two epistles, both forgeries, and passage 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 an interpolation. Most scholars like Thurston agree, that Ephesians and Colossians are not written by Paul.

 

Regarding 1 Peter 3:1-6, very few Christian women follow this verse, the majority of Christian women dress sexually to attract the eyes of men. They lead the man to violate the teachings of Jesus “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28)

 

Shamoun has nothing to stand upon!

 

 

HE WROTE:

Moreover, in light of God’s specific and deliberate design women are not to hold a position of authority and headship in the Christian congregation. The NT Scriptures clearly teach that God appointed male eldership over the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ:

"The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, the HUSBAND [note that it says husband, implying male headship] of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil; moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders, or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." 1 Timothy 3:1-7

"This is why I left you in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you, if any man is blameless, the HUSBAND of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of being profligate or insubordinate. For a bishop, as God's steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and self-controlled; he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it." Titus 1:5-9

 

RESPONSE:

 

As mentioned earlier, the pastorals (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus) are forgeries, so these verses are pointless to discuss.

 

“Some letters traditionally attributed to Paul may have been written by his disciples. The Pastoral epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) and sometimes Colossians and Ephesians are taken to have been written after Paul died, “Deutero-Pauline”. (Bonnie Thurston, Women in the New Testament, p. 32)

 

Shamoun apparently did not study the New Testament canon, or else he would have avoided these verses. 

 

 

HE WROTE:

 

However, women can pray, prophesy or proclaim, sing, and speak in tongues in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, provided it is done in an orderly manner (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:5; 12:4-31; 14:1-25).

 

 

RESPONSE:

 

These verses do not speak of woman; let us quote the 12:1-7

 

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands HIM; he utters mysteries with HIS spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. HE who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but HE who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. HE who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless HE interprets, so that the church may be edified.

Now, BROTHERS if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?

The word “brothers” implies that Paul is speaking to men and not women, because he never uses the word “sisters” like he does elsewhere.

He should have used the word “sisters” in accordance with Jesus’ teachings:

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:50)

Paul considered his followers to be “brothers” and sisters”, as he called Phoebe “our sister” (Rom. 16:1) and Apphia (Phil. 1:2)

Regardless of what Jesus taught (12:50), Paul never mentioned “sisters” because he was only speaking to men.