Seven contentious New Testament texts in Acts of the Apostles

The seven New Testament texts which the document suggests be dropped from future Catholic Church services are all found in the Acts of the Apostles. Six were written by St Paul and one by St Peter.

They are Colossians 3:18, Peter 3:1-6, Titus 2:4-5, Ephesians 5:22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, I Corinthians 14:33-35, Timothy 2:11-15.

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

Peter 3:1-6: "Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." By St Peter.

Titus, 2:4-5: "Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." Written to Titus by St Paul. (The "they" at the beginning of this excerpt refers to older women, whom Paul exhorts "to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good". Then it continues as above.)

Ephesians 5:22-24: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." By St Paul.

1 Corinthians 11:3-16 "Now I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head - it is just as though her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

"In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also is man born of woman. But everything comes from God. "Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice - nor do the churches of God." By St Paul.

1 Corinthians 14:33-35: "As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. By St Paul. ("Saints" is how he referred to fellow Christians).

1 Timothy 2:11-15: "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety." By St Paul.