As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
There has been many times on the street which I have been preaching and I have quite a few good hecklers. I also have bad hecklers who barrage me with different questions before I can answer the previous question. More often than not I can use some simple teaching techniques I learned in my first career to be able to get the questions done in order.
As I was studying today in this passage, I envisioned the same going on in a church. While the preacher is opening up God’s Word, exhorting and instructing the saints, a bunch of people stand up with their own things to say. They may be valid points, they may be good things, but none the less they are a distraction to what should be going on in the church meeting: saints being built up and equipped by the preaching of the Word.
What is appropriate and acceptable on the streets for the purpose of Evangelism is not acceptable in the house of worship. I also imagine that this was what was going on in Corinth with both men and women. Everybody was so excited about the use of their gifts of the Spirit that utter chaos ensued. Everybody wanted to manifest their gift at once and no one could be built up or equipped because of the chaos that was happening. Throughout the book, we see a bunch of former pagans that have been converted, but they bring their old pagan manners and pagan practices into the church. When it comes to the Lords Table, it is a free-for-all. When it comes to prophesy and tongues, everybody wanted to do it at once. There was no sense of order, no sense of propriety, indeed no sense of worship.
For the purpose of this current discussion, however, there are those who would want to pull this verse right out of the direct context in which it appears. They do this to their peril, and do damage to the Word of God in the process. There are some things that we can agree on that the scripture teaches: In the context of the church and church government the line of authority is
Jesus Christ~>Elder/Pastor~>Husband~>Wife.
Single women simply replace husband with father, or have direct authority under the Pastor/Elder. In the Home, we have
Jesus Christ ~> Husband~>Wife~>Children.
Wives are under the authority of their own husbands. From the time of the curse, women have had desire for the position of their husband, that is, his God-given authority. This can cause problems in the church as well as in the home. This is likely what was happening in the church at Corinth. The relationship of authority outside of the church is that a married woman is under her husbands authority, protection, and care wherever she goes. She is not under the direct authority of any other man once she is married.
One more thing that we can make very clear from the Pastoral epistles and from the created order is that in the context of the church and the home women are not to be in the position of Eldership/Leadership within the church. While Paul clearly allows a woman to prophesy (teach, refute, reprove, admonish, and comfort) within the church, he does not allow her to be the authority. I believe that this means that a woman can minister in the context of the church while she is under headship of the Elder/Pastor and her husband. The greatest downfall of a woman in this position is the desire to usurp authority, so the Elder/Pastor and Husband must help her to keep this desire in check.
Being careful to understand that Paul goes further into church hierarchy and roles in 1 Timothy and in Titus, we will take these verses in their context to understand what the instruction is. That being said, this verse is a clear and shocking verse if you pull it out of context. It seems clear by pulling it out of context that Paul is restricting the speaking of women at any time under any circumstances in the context of the church. First, what is the church? The Greek term ἐκκλησία ekklēsia means either (i) The entire community of all who are called by and to Christ. (ii) The NT Churches as confined to particular places; every church in which the character of the church as a whole is repeated. We must assume (ii) in this context. Paul is speaking about the churches as confined to particular places, in this case, Corinth. He is also giving a principle to the larger church. The principle is to be found in verse 40:
40But all things should be done decently and in order.
That is not what was happening in Corinth. Let us look to the entire passage so that we can get context.
What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.(1 Corinthians 14:26-40, ESV)
The issue here that Paul was addressing was the gifts of the Spirit and their use within the church. He was even discussing the more excellent way- that of love. In the manifesting of the gifts in Corinth, it seems, there was a bit of pride and one-upmanship as there was also at the Lord’s table. It was not just a Pastor or an elder at the front giving a sermon; everyone who had a hymn, or a tongue, or a prophesy seemed to want to share simultaneously. What transpired was confusion. People were not being edified or built up, they were being confused. This was not of God. ( we see the same ridiculous behavior in many charismatic churches today). What Paul suggested here was that people would go one at a time, and that the prophets who were not speaking would measure what the others were saying. If one got a clear word from God, the others were to defer. That if one wanted to speak in tongues that there had to be an interpreter or the tongue speaker was to remain silent. In other words, it is not just the women that were to remain silent. All things decently and in order.
There was another spirit at work here; there were women who were asking questions aloud and in doing so were being disruptive. In the direct context, they may have been speaking up and judge prophecies. Both activities were done in a way that seemed to subvert male headship, specifically questioning prophesies. This command was to be followed for the service of worship. Note again Paul is talking about the meeting together of the local church fellowship. This principle of submission to the God- ordained authority in the fellowship and/or to her husband was required.
So does this supersede the instruction in 11:5 and 13? Did God through Paul change his mind? Certainly not. The key is location and authority. In the formal meeting of the church, in the service of worship as it were, the woman is not to speak. The men are to speak, but decently and in order- submitting one to another out of love for Jesus. Does this idea preclude the woman teaching Sunday School? Many good God-honoring and Bible-believing people fall on both sides of this issue. Should women be restricted to teaching other women and children? Each local church should decide according to their reading of the scripture. However it is clear that in the main meeting of the church there is not to be women speaking. If they want clarification on what is being said, she should ask her husband at home. This means, husbands, that your job is not done when you walk out of church on Sunday. You are the minister of the home and responsible for the spiritual education of your wife and children.
This scripture has nothing to do with women evangelizing – even if that means preaching in the open air. This is written to the assembly of local believers- the church manifested locally. When the word of God is proclaimed in the church, it is meant for the edification and the building up and equipping of the saints. The reason for being done decently and in order- with the women remaining silent- is that this is the food of those who are born-again and are walking in the Spirit. All the gifts are to be used for the glory of God, in love, for the building up and equipping of the saints. In the open air, there is a different audience and a different purpose. The gospel call is a command for lost people to repent and to trust Jesus. It is a call for all Christians to go, and in our going, go- with the goal of fulfilling the great commission by making converts that become disciples that are baptized (immersed) into Christ, and taught all things that Jesus has commanded us. This commission is for all Christians, regardless of sex, age, race- regardless. There is no prohibition in scripture for anyone to evangelize.
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