Thank you for taking your time to respond to my other email, I appreciate this.

I am confused by these scriptures – Read All in Chapter 14 – in first Corinthians Chapter 14, they were talking about prophecy and tongues, how to use spiritual gifts in this chapter – Read verse 34 to 35 – They were taking about that women are to keep silence in the churches – I am confused – why would Paul say this when he was talking about how to use spiritual gifts in this one? These two verses talking about women that are to be kept silent in churches has nothing to do with spiritual gifts. I am confused – Please help?

D____

Dear D____,

Your puzzlement and question is very common to many. It has a very simple answer when one looks at God’s word in its totality. Consider also that in the original scriptures, which were written on rolls of parchment, not bound in easy to use books as we have them today, there were no chapter and verse breaks. Those were man- made additions after the advent of the printing press made it possible for everyone who desired it to have the Bible in their own home in their own language. In the original manuscripts, often the subject of a chapter was started in a previous chapter or continues into the next. Let’s look at the scripture in question as it is translated in several differing versions:

1Co 14:33 for God is not a God of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.
1Co 14:34 Your women in the assemblies let them be silent, for it hath not been permitted to them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith;(Young’s Literal Translation)
1Co 14:33 for God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,
1Co 14:34 the women must keep silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak out, but must place themselves in submission, as the law also says.(International Standard Version)
1Co 14:33 For God is not of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.
1Co 14:34 Let your women be silent in the assemblies, for it is not allowed to them to speak, but to be in subjection, as also the Law says. (LITV)
1Co 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.
1Co 14:34 Let your women be silent in the assemblies, for it is not permitted to them to speak; but to be in subjection, as the law also says.(Darby)
1Co 14:33 For God is not the God of dissension, but of peace: as also I teach in all the churches of the saints.
1Co 14:34 Let women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted them to speak but to be subject, as also the law saith.(Douay- Rheims)

Paul is not changing subject, but clarifying an additional point in exhorting Christians not to allow confusion, disorder, dissension, tumult to be part of their spiritual fellowship. He is in no way continuing the previous dispensation given in the Old Testament, under which women were not to even be allowed to be included in the teaching of the law. The following excerpt reveals the prevailing attitude toward women under the old covenant:

“The rabbins taught that “a woman should know nothing but the use of her distaff.” And the sayings of Rabbi Eliezer, as delivered, Bammidbar Rabba, sec. 9, fol. 204, are both worthy of remark and of execration; they are these: … yisrephu dibrey torah veal yimsaru lenashim, “Let the words of the law be burned, rather than that they should be delivered to women.” – Clarke’s Commentary“]

Under the new covenant, women were not only to be equally taught God’s message, (1Co 11:11 “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord”), but were allowed under specific circumstances to share revelation with both men and women as long as certain protocol was followed. (1Co 11:5 “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with [ her] head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.”) Women were allowed to prophesy under the new covenant (1Co 14:3 This verse shows what prophesying is: “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [ to] edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”), and we are given examples in the New Testament where women did prophesy:

Act 21:8 And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
Act 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

… but 1Co 14:34 has to do with married women:

1Co 14:35 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.

Paul was speaking of women who had a scriptural question, for the sake of not causing confusion, wait and ask their husband when they were at home. If they were to speak out, it would show they were not under obedience (subjection) to their husbands (vs 35). Even though it was previously customary for men to ask questions, even to argue and disrupt; under the New Covenant, such disruptive action was considered tumultuous, sedition in the eyes of God, and not to be thought of as led by the holy spirit:

1Co 14:33 For God is not [ the author] of confusion, but of peace…

This ability and permission for women to prophesy was not to be confused with being given authority to teach men.

1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

This word “teach’ is not the same word as “prophesy.’ They are entirely different functions in the church. While prophesying was for “edification, and exhortation and comfort,” the role of teacher was that of an instructor, and included having authority to teach in the congregation. Not everyone, including women, was given that authority. Said authority is not to be construed as authority over the congregation to rule over them, but of the teaching position itself; similar to graduates today having received their degree, now possess the authority to expound on their given field.

Mat 21:23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Do these scriptures mean women can’t teach at all? By no means. The answer lies in the scriptures. As always these should be our guide.

Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

The more mature Christian woman then should be teaching her daughters, nieces, any other young woman of her acquaintance who is striving to please God in her life. These young women should avail themselves of the wisdom and experience of the older ladies to learn how a Christian wife should comport herself, how she should be teaching her children, how she should be treating her husband, etc. If a woman is really trying to please God, listen to what Peter tells us:

1Pe 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any [ husband] obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
1Pe 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
1Pe 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
1Pe 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Paul ends the discussion of the matter of disorderly conduct, of which women speaking out was merely a part, with 1Co 14:40 “Let all things be done decently and in order.” In other words, don’t use the God given ability to speak other languages willy- nilly (1Co 14:28 “But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church…”), don’t allow everyone to be speaking out disrupting the service (1Co 14:31 “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.”), and continue in the tradition of the women showing their subjection to their husbands (and so to Christ and God – 1Co 11:3 “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”), all for the sake of peace and godly deportment in the assembly.

I hope this clears up the confusion for you. If not, please let me know.

May God bless your understanding,

Mike>