To understand these first six points you will need to look back a my teaching from Monday through Wednesday:
1. THE DIFFICULT PASSAGES (1 Timothy 2:8–12; 1 Corinthians 13:33-35)
2. PAUL’S VIEW OF WOMEN BEFORE HE MET JESUS
3. PAUL’S NEW VIEW OF HIMSELF
4. Paul’s view of others
5. the overarching principle for understanding God’s plan for the role of women in the Church. “there is no male and female”
6. What changed Paul’s view?

7. THE AMAZING TRANSFORMATION OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Acts 18:1–3 (ESV)
1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them,
3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

Here, we see two men from the same nationality, and the same geographical background. And because they were both from the same geographical area immediately they found they can relate to one another. They also had the same line of work. Not only are they Christians but they have a similar calling to establish the church.

Paul met a Jew named Aquila and, oh yeah, he had a wife Priscilla.

They stayed in Corinth for 18 months establish the church of Corinth. And after being with Paul for those months, Priscilla found her gifting and was released to minister.

Acts 18:18 (ESV)
18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. ……19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, ….

This is unthinkable in Jewish socitey that the woman would be listed before the husband.

Paul leaves Priscilla and Aquila Now look what happens in Ephesus.
Acts 18:24–26 (ESV)
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Notice who was teaching him. It was Priscilla.

So effective was their ministry among the churches that Paul wrote in
Romans 16:3–4 (ESV)
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.

By the way, in his greeting to the church at Rome he mentions no less than 6 women who had ministered by his side.

Speaking of ministering side by side with Paul:
Philippians 4:2–3 (ESV)
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Sad to say, but sometimes even in the church there are sharp disagreement among believers. What ever Euodia and Syntyche’s differences were, Paul says that they can find agreement by focusing on our Lord and the heart of the gospel.

This man who once saw women beneath him now labors along side of them. Only Christ could change the heart of a man like Paul.

But are women allowed to speak in church? We’ll tackle that tomorrow.