There are various forms of a demographic that regularly circulates the internet, of the "umbrella of authority."  It will show that God is the top, as the biggest umbrella, and the husband is under that covering, wherein the husband has an umbrella, and under his authority and covering is the wife, and wherein the wife has an umbrella, and her children are under her.  This teaching originated from a possible cult leader who has been accused of allegedly sexually abusing many girls under his "authority," because they were entrusted to him, and they were told they had to do what he said.  Whether abused by this man, or men like him, women don't speak out, because they are taught that the Scriptures say:

"Let your women keep silence in the churches:”
and
"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."

These Scriptures are from 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and 1 Timothy chapter 2 in the King James Bible.  Many of the women and girls in this situation and situations just like this in churches all over the world, but especially in the Southern United States, keep silent and endure the abuse, because they've been taught that the above Scriptures mean that they have to be quiet, and they can't tell their predator abuser "no," because that could be seen as having "authority over the man," which they are taught is a sin.

Some of these abused women and girls go to their leading pastors about what happened to them, seeking help, and the leading pastor quotes the following to them from the Bible:

"If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die. But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her."  -Deuteronomy 22:23-27 KJV

The pastor or church elder will then ask the woman or female child if she "cried out."  Of course, she says "no," and then she is put under church discipline for being a "temptress" to that "poor man," and not "crying out" during that man's "moment of weakness."  The man usually gets very little to no church discipline.

Meanwhile, the woman or girl is left confused, wondering how in the world she "tempted" that "godly man" to violate her, and wondering how she could have "cried out," because if she did, she'd be put under church discipline for breaking "but I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence" from the KJV 1 Timothy 2:12.  There is NO way for the abused woman or girl to "win" in this situation.  They will always be the one who was somehow "in the wrong."

Does this seem farfetched to you?  If so, count yourself lucky that you haven't come across this very common occurrence.   

Let's straighten up these misused and abused Scriptures.  The quote from Deuteronomy 22 clearly states that BOTH the man, and the willingly participating woman in the act were to be punished, not just the woman.  Second, if they are going to follow this Scripture, then both that man, and that woman or girl should have received the death penalty.  Third, don't forget that the woman in the above scripture was engaged.  Was the woman or girl who was abused engaged to someone at the time of the abuse?

Why doesn't the church follow the mandate of Deuteronomy 22:23-27 today, in stoning people?  Because that was a cultural law at the time, and is no longer culturally significant for our time, nor does it fit under the New Covenant, as Jesus cancelled the Law for us:

"He {Jesus} canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace."  -Ephesians 2:15 CEB

As for the 1 Corinthians 14 passage that says that women are to be "silent" in church, verses 34 and 35, the "silence scriptures," was Paul QUOTING a teaching by Cato the Elder, which the Corinthian church was trying to bring into the church.  After quoting this in verses 34 and 35, Paul goes on to REFUTE it, and teach that instead, women are just as much allowed to speak in church as men are.  The Montgomery Translation properly shows Paul quoting someone else, and then refuting what he quoted:

~~"In your congregation" you write, "and in all the churches of the saints, let the women keep silence in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. On the contrary let them be subordinate as also said the law. And if they want to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church." What! Was it from you that the Word of God went forth, or to you only did it come? ... So, my brothers and sisters, desire the g i f t of prophecy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.~~ - 1 Cor. 14:34-35 and 39 updated Montgomery Translation

Note: "the law" in the above scripture was referring to an old cultural law called the Opian Law.  It was not referring to any law in the Bible.

Recall the 'women be silent in church' Scripture we are looking at was in Corinth. There was a woman church leader of a Corinthian church that Paul commends!  Her name was Phoebe, and she was a minister and leader of the church in Cenchrea, which was a port of CORINTH.

"And I commend you to Phoebe our sister -- being a minister of the church that [is] in Cenchrea -- that you may receive her in the Lord, as does become saints, and may assist her in whatever matter she may have need of you -- for she also became a leader of many, and of myself."  -Romans 16:1-2 rYLT 

Why would Paul tell the church in Corinth that women aren't allowed to speak in church, and yet he commends a woman preacher and church leader right there in Romans 16?  Paul was quoting Cato the Elder, and then correcting it.  He was advocating FOR women speaking in the church, not against it!

What about 1 Timothy 2:12?  First off, in the Greek, the word that means "authority" is NOT in 1 Timothy 2:12.  1 Timothy 2:12 has the Greek word 'authenteo,' which means murder, or in this case, spiritual murder. Second, the word translated as 'quiet' or 'silent,' is NOT the Greek word that means cessation of verbal speech.  The word literally means to be peaceful, or calm.  This is such a hard verse to translate into English, that if you look in different Bible translations, you'll see it translated various ways, such as the following:

 1 TIMOTHY 2:12 IN VARIOUS TRANSLATIONS

I don’t allow a wife to teach or to control her husband. Instead, she should be a quiet listener. CEB

Moreover, in the area of teaching, I am not allowing a woman to instigate conflict toward a man. Instead, she is to remain calm.  ISV

I don’t advocate that the newly converted women be the teachers in the church, assuming authority over the men, but to live in peace. TPT

I'm not saying that women should teach men, or try to dictate to them; rather, that they should be left undisturbed.  N.T. Wright Translation  

I do not permit a woman to teach that she is the originator of man, rather she is not to cause a disturbance.  REV 

This verse cannot be saying that women aren't allowed to be preachers or church leaders, and are not to teach men, because Paul commended Phoebe for being a minister of a church, for being a leader, and even for leading him himself - a man.  

Further, 1 and 2 Timothy was written to Timothy for instructions when he was leading the church in Ephesus.  In Acts chapter 18, while in Ephesus, the woman Priscilla taught the man Apollos.  Some would say "yes, but her husband was with her."  He sure was, but her name is mentioned first, and that means SHE was the more prominent teacher, not him.  This is called "Order of Prominence."  In the Bible, when 2 or more people or groups are mentioned, unless context dictates differently, the more prominent one is mentioned first.  If women aren't allowed to teach men, and must be "silent," then why was it shown as a good thing in the Scriptures that Priscilla was teaching a man, and it was IN EPHESUS, where 1 Timothy 2:12 was written to?

Further, the woman Priscilla went on to pastor a church, as we read about in Romans 16:3-5 and 1 Corinthians 16:19.

What of 1 Timothy 2:12, then?  Well, in Ephesus, where this was written to, there was a HUGE temple to the false goddess Artemis, and women were the priests in the Artemis temple.  Paul didn't want Artemis priest women to teach Artemis worship in the Christian church.  Instead, they were to calmly listen to the teachings of Christianity, so that they could learn the truth.  This verse is about not bringing FALSE TEACHINGS into the church.  Other places in both 1 and 2 Timothy mention men who were also bringing false teachings into the church. The whole theme of 1 and 2 Timothy was that of purging and preventing false teachings in the church.

An example of a false teacher would be the female Pastor Jezebel from Revelation chapter 2.  She was not reprimanded for preaching to the church, but instead she was reprimanded for WHAT she was teaching, as she was bringing false teachings into the church. She is to be contrasted with the godly woman pastor named Kyria, of whom the book of 2 John is addressed to.  (Kyria's children were her congregants, just as Jezebel's children were her congregants, just as people who followed Paul's teachings, Paul referred to as his children.)  Take a look at Pastor Kyria, a godly woman pastor:

"The Elder to the choice Kyria, and to her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those having known the truth"  -2 John 1:1 YLT

"To: That dear woman Cyria, one of God’s very own, and to her children whom I love so much, as does everyone else in the church." -2 John 1:1 TLB 

What about the Scriptures that supposedly specifically goes into headship and authority?  1 Corinthians 11:3 says:

"But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ."  -1 Corinthians 11:3 NRSVue 

There's no mention of "authority" in this verse, but we'll get to the verse that does mention "authority" momentarily.  Meanwhile, let's look at the word "head."  "Head" here is being used symbolically, as we recognize. What does it symbolize, though?  If you said "authority" or "leadership," you are gravely mistaken.  Yes, it means this in our modern English, but in the Greek, "head" - Greek - kephale - didn't take on the common meaning of "authority" until about 300 years after Paul.  At the time Paul was writing this, "head" meant "source," "beginning," or "origination."

Is the above verse then saying that men are the origin of women?  NO!  Look again. It says "the man is the head of the woman."  This is a specific man and a specific woman - not all men and women.  This is referring to another origination - Adam and Eve.  Adam was "the man," and Eve was "the woman."  Adam was the source of Eve, because Eve was made from Adam's DNA (side).  Adam is "the man," and Eve is "the woman."  Keep reading, and we see it then changes to "any man," and "any woman," no longer referring to Adam and Eve.  Verses 4-9 are Paul Quoting what the Corinthians told him in a previous letter they sent to him.  Paul gives his response after these verses.  The Corinthians thought that since Adam came before Eve, and Eve came out of Adam, that men should have authority over women, and women should have men's authority as their covering.

Paul corrects them in verse 10, where he says:

"It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels."  -1 Corinthians 11:10 NIV, 2011 

This verse is the only place in this whole chapter where we get the word "authority," and notice this verse teaches us that a woman's headcovering is her having "authority over her own head." It is NOT any man having authority over her.  She has authority over her own head. And why?  Because of the angels. Why doesn't Paul expound on this thing about angels?  Because he just mentioned angels a little bit ago in this same letter.  Take a look:

"Do you not know that we are to judge angels, to say nothing of ordinary matters?"  -1 Corinthians 6:3

Women and men will equally be judging angels when the time comes.  Therefore, Paul reminds us of this in 1Corinthians 11:10, where he says women have authority over their own heads, because they will be judging angels.  If women will have authority to judge angels, then surely they also have authority over themselves!

As for the Corinthian church thinking that since Eve came out of Adam, men should have authority over women, Paul quickly corrects that false assumption in verses 11 and 12:

"Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man or man independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, but all things come from God."  -1 Corinthians 11:11-12 NRSVue  

Paul reminds them that only one woman came from one man, once, but since then, every single man came from a woman.  Therefore, if one wants to argue that the head - kephale - source should be in charge, then women should have full authority over all men, because every man since after Adam, came through a woman, thus women are literally the source - kephale - of men.  This means if we want to play the headship game, women are literally the head of men.

Paul mentions head - source again in Ephesians chapter 5.  Paul also uses the word "subject."  Paul defines the type of subjection in Ephesians 5:21, where it says:

"being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ."  -Ephesians 5:21 NRSVue

What type of subjection? -Mutual subjection to one another.  The next verse says in most Bible translations the following:

"Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord"

 Yet, the most reliable manuscripts of the Bible do not have the word "subject" in this verse!  This verse is more accurately translated in the Tree of Life Version:

"wives to your own husbands as to the Lord."  - Ephesians 5:22 TLV

The verb "be subject" is to be carried over into verse 22, as defined by verse 21.  This means verses 22-24 are telling wives how to be subject to their husbands, and verses 25-31 are telling husbands how to be subject to their wives. They are to give of themselves for them, and to serve them, as Christ did the church, during His earthly ministry.  

The household code of Colossians chapter 3 is an abbreviation of this one in Ephesians 5.  Both the churches in Colossae and Ephesus received both letters of Colossians and Ephesians.  It was a given that the mutual subjection of Ephesians 5:21 was also for the household code in Colossians chapter 3.

As for the household code in 1 Peter chapter 3, Sarah didn't actually obey Abraham, but Abraham obeyed Sarah!  This is clear if you read the Genesis account. The Greek word translated as "obeyed" in 1 Peter 3:6 also can be translated as "answered," as translated in other places in many Bible versions.  The word translated as "Lord" in this verse by some Bible translations is also translated as "sir," in other places in the Bible in many Bible versions. Thus, this could be translated as "thus Sarah answered Abraham and called him sir."  Now THIS actually matches the Genesis 18:12 account!

1 Peter 3:7 starts with the word "likewise," or the phrase "in the same manner," or similar, depending on which Bible version you are reading.  This word or phrase is supposed to call us back to the main verb or topic at hand, which in this portion of the chapter was the word "submit" Therefore, some Bible translations carry the verb over to help it make more sense in the English.  The CEB Bible does an excellent job of this, and translates 1 Peter 3:7 as thus:

"Husbands, likewise, submit by living with your wife in ways that honor her, knowing that she is the weaker partner. Honor her all the more, as she is also a coheir of the gracious care of life. Do this so that your prayers won’t be hindered."  -1 Peter 3:7 CEB

Now back to "head."  In Ephesians 5:22, we saw that the word "submit" isn't actually there in the Greek, but was carried over from verse 21, where "submit" was defined as mutual submission.  Verse 23 says:

"for the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior."  -Ephesians 5:23 NRSVue

Notice this verse specifically says "the husband," and "the wife," while later in this chapter, it will change to husbands and wives in the plural.  This is because verse 23 is referring to Adam and Eve, just like 1 Corinthians 11:3 was.  The husband - Adam, is the head - source of the wife - Eve, just as Christ is the head - source of the church.  This verse is not talking about authority, but about source, or origination.  This is comparing how Eve came from Adam to how the church came from Christ.

Verse 24 says:

"Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands."  -Ephesians 5:24  NRSVue

This verse sounds intense, but not if we understand what "subject" means.  The Greek word behind what is translated as "subject" has two meanings.  It has a military meaning, and a non-military meaning.  The military meaning means to arrange troop divisions under a leader.  The marriage is not a military, so we use the non-military definition, which means to cooperate with someone, be devoted to someone, or to support someone.

We just saw in verse 23 that Christ is the source of the church, symbolized as a head, and that the church is the body.  Your physical body supports your head.  Just as the body supports the head, wives are to support their husbands, and as per verse 21, so also husbands are to support their wives.  Some Bible translations translate this verse in a more accurate, understandable way, such as the following:

 "In the same way the church is devoted to Christ, let the wives be devoted to their husbands in everything."  -Ephesians 5:23 TPT

Many churches and well-meaning people think that the Bible teaches that the husband is the spiritual head of the wife, and perhaps even the head of the home.  However, as you've seen from the above, no Scriptures teach that.  Ephesians 5:23 is teaching that the original husband, Adam was the source for the original wife, Eve, as an example of how Christ is the originator of the church.

Therefore, both wife and husband have the same head - Christ, and Christ is God, and God created all.  God is our source/originator:

"For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, but all things come from God."  -1 Corinthians 11:12 NRSVue 

Eve came from Adam, but since then, all men come through women, but all things - women and men, come from God.  God is our source, thus God is our spiritual head - not any human being.