The authority Paul refers to is expressed through the teaching role of the elder (5:17) and he is saying that a woman should not exercise that authority over a man by assuming this role. Instead ‘she is to remain quiet’. He does not mean that women are prohibited from praying or participating in public worship, but they should not teach the Word of God. ‘Learn quietly’ (v. 11) and ‘remain quiet’ (v. 12) are translations of the same Greek word. This word does not always mean to be ‘silent’ but can