CP
So a woman who prays or prophesies while married to an unsaved husband shames
her unsaved husband? This does not make sense, at least in a way that Paul
would object to.
RH
I agree, in the sense in which you cast the problem. However, suppose the
translation is more "dishonor" than shame. Could the sense be that a woman
who evangelizes others when her own husband (or father) is unsaved is
effectually treating her own family as if they are worthless and is wrong to
do so?
Praying and prophesying are inherently good and Paul cannot be saying that a
woman is wrong to pray or to prophesy. One distinction would be distinguish
the rightness or wrongness of the praying or prophesying on the "whom" for
which one gives priority in prayer and the "whom" to which one prophesys
given certain circumstances. In other words, could Paul be telling us that
the woman is to give priority to the care to the salvation of her family
compared to the man who is to give priority to the salvation of the world.