“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #172
“Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?” (1 Cor. 14:34–36).
Paul has been addressing the use of spiritual gifts in the church, but his real subject was the need for decorum and order in their worship services. And so here, when he shifts to the question of how their women are to behave in church, he is not really changing the subject.
The prohibition of v. 34 appears to be a flat prohibition, but this is only if we forget what was laid out a few chapters earlier. There Paul required any women in the service who prayed or who prophesied to do so in a manner that showed tangible respect to their husbands (1 Cor. 11:5, 10). Now in order to be able to show respect to your husband by how you pray or prophesy in church, it is necessary to be allowed to pray or prophesy there. It further means that this prohibition here is contextualized—women are to be “under obedience,” as the law required. An instance of what a disorderly speaking might look like is then given—an impromptu Q&A is out, for example.
If anyone is prepared to dispute any of this—and we have lots of people like that in our day—Paul wants to know if they are the source of the Word of God, or if they were the only ones who received it. Since the answer to both rhetorical questions is no, then we see the Pauline refutation of modern feminism long before it arose.
What is the connection of this instruction to its immediate context?
(1) ordering of the speaking of prophets, and of tongues (26-33, 37-40)
(2) judging of prophecy (29)
(3) prophets interrupting prophets (30-31)
Is this instructing women not to speak, or not to engage in ad-hoc prophecy, or not to debate, or something different again?
I too am a bit confused here. I can see fairly clearly why the context means that this is not a flat prohibition; Paul is not saying that female voices defile a church meeting place per se. But what exactly is the requirement-making Law being referenced here? Is he referencing God’s law, local cultural laws of propriety, or both? I can see that he could be referencing both. Is he speaking exclusively of matters of prophecy or tongues, to wit, it is a breach of propriety for a woman to speak up with-and-only-with regard to prophecy, interpretations, etc? Is this… Read more »
The context is the church worship meeting — the place where we enact & re-enact the play — God meets with us.
Some of the boys play the part of God/Jesus — giving out the Word.
The rest & all the girls play the part of the church — receiving meekly.
Women to “contest a prophecy or interpretation publicly“? — sure — just not in the performance of the play.
The play should carry over to and inform the rest of our lives.
Historically, scholars of the church have not been so quick to think 1Cor11 means 1Cor14 can’t be an absolute prohibition:
http://www.bible-researcher.com/women-prophesying.html
If women cannot ask questions, then men can? (I recall an OP “New Horizons” article years back that argued for gender specific silence by women. So: if Paul tells WOMEN to be silent, he is telling MEN we may speak up? Uninterruptable sermons in congregations are sins? [Do they not presuppose the inerrancy, perspicuity and comprehensiveness of the sermon?])
There is a wonderful peace in doing what the Lord asks us to do despite what the current world thinks or says, (especially since it denies God in so many ways). 2 Kings 5 I believe shines a light on much of this. The Syrian captain, ‘Naaman’, who suffers from leprosy eventually, through the coaxing and prayers of people not even named in the chapter, is healed by simply – “doing as God asked him”. There is much to be learned from that chapter but what stood out for me is the fact that Naaman was looking for some sort… Read more »