2:8 Then resumes the call to prayer from v. 1. Lifting … hands is a typical posture for prayer in the Bible (compare 1 Kings 8:22; Ps. 28:2; Isa. 1:15; Luke 24:50). 2:12 I do not permit. Paul writes with the authority of an apostle. He does not simply offer an opinion. This statement is about how the church should operate when assembled together. In that context, two things are prohibited: (1) Women are not permitted to publicly teach Scripture and/or Christian doctrine to men in church (the context