“Let your women keep silent in the churches,
for they are not permitted to speak;
but they are to be submissive,
as the law also says.
35) And if they want to learn something, let them ask
their own husbands at home; for
it is shameful for women to speak in church.”
36) Or did the word of God come originally
from you? Or was it you only that it reached?
37) If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet
or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things
which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”
ARE THESE VERSES TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY
OR DO WE NEED TO LOOK BEYOND THEIR SURFACE?
Because of those who interpret these scriptures literally, Anne Graham Lotz, after being introduced as a speaker at one of her denomination’s conferences - in the 80’s - had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a number of men noisily turn their chairs around with backs facing her as she began to speak.
Who was in the wrong there? Should those men’s theology be corrected or should Billy Graham’s daughter not have been speaking to men in public?
In the following is my attempt to answer this and other questions like it.
Any time we interpret and apply a passage of Scripture in a way that contradicts other verses, our interpretation and/or our application must be wrong. In the following are some reasons why I believe those men were wrong and why their literal interpretation of 1 CORINTHIANS 14:34-37 was and is contradictory with other things the Bible says.
While interpreting this passage literally may appear to be loyal to the Scriptures on the surface, if one will study these verses in context with the New Testament as a whole, this approach can easily be seen to be more of a misunderstanding than that of loyalty.
Here is a true example of how taking things literally can lead to a failure to understand.
A few years ago, I went to a Texas Rangers Game with 3 friends. After the 5th inning, one of my friends gave a twenty dollar bill to a younger friend and said, “Go buy us some pretzels.”
A few minutes later, to our dismay, the younger friend returned with $20 worth of pretzels, which was way more than the four of us could handle. He had taken the request literally - as he understood it – thus creating a potentially thirsty situation for us all and leaving our generous friend without any change.
While there certainly is a time and place for taking things literally in life – and from the Bible - this is not always the case. If one should literally apply the first phrase in 1 TIMOTHY 5:23 which says to “Drink no longer water……” it could be misunderstood and then misused to say that the Bible tells us not to drink water, which would contradict the lifestyle of Jesus Christ who asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water.
Another example of our need to sometimes interpret - rather than always to take all verses literally - is found in MARK 16:18; when Jesus talked about believers taking up “serpents” and if we “drink anything deadly”. Those who misunderstand what He said have tragically died from snake handling and/or drinking poison. Another Scripture that deals with the command to not tempt God easily exposes the contradiction that a literal application like this would create.
There are other examples like this we could talk about later, but for now let’s deal with the passage in question and some of the possible contradictions that a literal application of 1 CORINTHIANS 14:34-37 creates.
11 CONTRADICTIONS WITH A LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF 1 CORINTHIANS 14:34-37
.
1. Prophesying was promised prophetically to both genders; which cannot be done silently.
ACTS 2:17-18
'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. (JOEL 2:28-29)
2. In the book of Acts, there are four young women who practiced prophesying. If they were doing this inaudibly, no one would have known that they did such a thing.
ACTS 21:8-9
On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea,
and entered the house of Philip the evangelist,
who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
3. Also found in 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote instructions for prophesying to both men and women, which would have been unnecessary if the women were to always be silent.
1 CORINTHIANS 11:4-5a
Every man praying or prophesying,
having his head covered, dishonors his head.
But every woman who prays or prophesies
with her head uncovered dishonors her head,…
1 CORINTHIANS 14:31
For you can all prophesy one by one,
that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
4. Prophesying involves speaking which is something that cannot be done silently.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:3
But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
(NLT) But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.
(CJB) But someone prophesying is speaking to people, edifying, encouraging and comforting them.
(GNB) But those who proclaim God's message
speak to people and give them help,
encouragement, and comfort.
5. The Law never said that all women should be silent, so this verse requires more than a simple application of silencing every female. This text obviously is pointing to a husband’s leadership with his own wife; which is related to the Law.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:34
Let your women keep silent in the churches,
for they are not permitted to speak; but they are
to be submissive, as the law also says.
Get a good concordance and start digging throughout the entire Old Testament. You will find plenty of talking women but absolutely no commands for them to be silent.
6. If the Old Testament Law did tell women to be quiet, which it did not, Christ would have fulfilled it anyway like He did all the other commands. We are now living under grace and not the Law.
ROMANS 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you,
for you are not under law but under grace.
7. Many who claim to take this “women be silent” passage literally, do not do so consistently, thus making their application contradictory and disobedient to their own stated beliefs. This is often true!
8. It would be impossible for the 2 women - whose names are underlined below – whom Paul recognized as ministers, to minister without speaking and without him having heard them.
ROMANS 16:1-5a
I commend to you Phoebe our sister,
who is a servant* of the church in Cenchrea,
that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner
worthy of the saints, and assist her
in whatever business she has need of you;
for indeed she has been a helper
of many and of myself also.
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
who risked their own necks for my life,
to whom not only I give thanks, but also
all the churches of the Gentiles.
Likewise greet the church that is in their house…..
*diakanos - servant, minister.
9. The concept of totally silent women would have been foreign to Paul himself, because he had godly friendships with women.
ROMANS 16:6,12-13,15
Greet Mary, who labored much for us.
12) Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored
in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.
Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
15) Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister,
and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
2 TIMOTHY 4:19,21b
Greet Prisca and Aquila,
and the household of Onesiphorus.
21) Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens,
Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.
10. Aquila’s wife Priscilla definitely did not follow this literal “women be silent” view.
1 CORINTHIANS 16:19b
….Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord,
with the church that is in their house.
ACTS 18:24,26
Now a certain Jew named Apollos,
born at Alexandria, an eloquent man
and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
26) So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.
When Aquila and Priscilla heard him,
they took him aside and explained to him the way
of God more accurately.
11. Paul’s writing of 1st CORINTHIANS was due in part to the family of a woman named Chloe. If she was silent, her family certainly was not; which would have given her a voice anyway.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:11
For it has been declared to me concerning you,
my brethren, by those of Chloe's household,
that there are contentions among you.
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Contradictions like these are compounded when we try to define what it means to be “in church” - which is where women are told to be silent – that is, if the words of 1 CORINTHIANS 14:34-37 are to be taken literally, as is.
Since we know that – according to the Bible - God does not dwell in temples made with hands and we know that Jesus said, “Where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name” He would be in their midst; it would appear to quite easy for us to be “in church” anytime and anywhere.
Therefore, when can a woman speak outside of her home, with other believers?
When and where can she pray, testify or prophesy? Could it be that cessationism is being used to dodge valid questions like these?
In MATTHEW 16, when Peter verbally recognized Who He was, Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build My church…..” Why should a woman not be able to verbally recognize Who Jesus is, just like Peter did, while being “in church”?
In ROMANS 10, Paul wrote that “with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Why should a woman not be able to fulfill this salvation promise while being “in church” with her own mouth?
I think we have made the point that a literal interpretation of 1 CORINTHIANS 14:34-37 causes contradictions with other passages, thus giving us reason to do some thinking about what the Bible might really be saying here.
Hopefully the following will help our own personal understanding about this matter.
SOME POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS
The Corinthians’ divisive issues - along with their disorderly meetings - may have resulted in Paul bringing this strong word of correction to straighten out their messes; which would have been unique to them at the time of this writing.
Also, because the Greek word for woman also means wife and the word for man means husband, maybe Paul was actually calling Christian husbands to step up their spiritual leadership at home, especially if the women, i. e. their wives, were uneducated.
Perhaps the words, “Let your women (wives) keep silent’ did not mean all forms of speaking but rather that which would be disruptive to public meetings.
Another possibility is verses 34 & 35 might actually be a quotation of something - that Paul did not agree with - from an earlier letter he had received from them. Reading verses 36-38 from this viewpoint gives possible credence to this because Paul questions them about something, that could relate to what he had written..
This is possible because these two verses seem to conflict with his previous words.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:36
Or did the word of God come originally from you?
Or was it you only that it reached?
One or more of these thoughts may be true because this letter was written in response to what they had been writing to him. (Remember “Chloe’s household” in 1:11).
1 CORINTHIANS 7:1a Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: ….
___________________________________________
QUESTION: What about 1 TIMOTHY 2:11-15?
1 TIMOTHY 2:11-15\
Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.
And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.
For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived,
but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing
if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
Remembering that the Greek word for woman also means wife - and the word for man also means husband – can serve to help us see that Paul may have been telling Timothy to instruct wives to begin letting their own husbands teach and lead them and to not try to dominate them.
The story of Adam and his wife is one where - as the husband - he did not teach and lead her like he should have; thus greatly harming them both and us all also.
Adam and Eve’s history may have also been brought up because of a Gnostic heresy in that day; which had their story reversed and misapplied; which would have necessitated what Paul wrote to Timothy.
Taking this particular passage literally can also lead to serious ‘salvation by works’ heresies, with women having to bear their own children in order to save their own souls. If this is true, then barren and single women can not be saved.
Such a view is so nonsensical that it is not worthy of further comment. A look at other Bible versions can help bring better understanding as to what may have been meant by what Paul wrote here about “childbearing”.
(AMP) Nevertheless [the sentence put upon women of pain in motherhood
does not hinder their souls' salvation, and] they will be saved [eternally]
if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control,
[saved indeed] through the Childbearing or by the birth of the divine Child.
(MSG) On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve.
But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness,
gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this.
In other words, the position of women - being condemned for the first woman’s transgression - has been redeemed by Jesus Christ, the child of an obedient woman, who was in God’s plan for reversing the curse of Adam’s fall.
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While I know this brochure has probably not answered all the reader’s questions, I do welcome further discussion about this subject and others. Pastor Alan Latta
817.326.5378
alan@generationspeople.org
Here is a link to this lesson taught in a live setting:
https://generationschurchofgranbury.sermon.net/main/main/2223360
NOTE: Those who object to these thoughts - by trying to use liberal theology and the lgbt movement as their reasons for not seeing the errors pointed out here in this blog - are doing so to the detriment of good sound Biblical understanding for themselves and those they teach.
