Lessons #509 and 510
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New American Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
+ 4. Text is based on 1984 edition of the NIV +
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Silence of women in church (1 Cor 14:33b-35)
33. ... As in all the congregations of the saints, 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
The passage before us, to say the least, has generated so much debate among scholars because of what a surface reading of the text implies. Some scholars who have a problem with what the passage teaches deny that verses 34 and 35 are authentic in that the apostle did not write the passage but that they were later added to this epistle. Some of those who accept the authenticity of the text have problems with at least two things. The first is the placement of the passage in this fourteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. Some take the view that the verses should be placed after verse 40 while others accept that the placement as we have in the NIV and our English versions is indeed correct and so reflects the original writing of the apostle. The second problem is with what the apostle taught. This is evident in that some indicate that the passage emphatically endorses the authority of women to speak in the public congregation and others take the opposite view. It seems to me that some of the interpreters who accept the authenticity of the passage inadvertently deny the passage was inspired because some of these individuals take the view that it is regrettable the apostle wrote what he did. It is not our intention to dive into the scholarly debates about this passage as such, but we will reference some of the issues, when necessary, in the course of our study of this passage. That said, we approach the passage as being authentic and placed in the right order as it came originally from the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul.
The apostle was still concerned with the issue of orderly worship in a local church in keeping with the message of the previous section of 1 Corinthians 14:26-33a that is: All worship activities in a local church should be orderly. Apparently, the local church in Corinth had problems with their worship that were not present in other local churches as implied by the fact that some of the problems the apostle addressed with them were not discussed in the other epistles of the apostle to other local churches. One of the problems seemed to be that women in the local church in Corinth were being disruptive through unauthorized form of speaking during worship. This being the case, the apostle provided an instruction that is intended to stop that kind of unauthorized speaking during worship service in a local church. In effect, the apostle was not concerned with inspired speech, that is, prophesying but with an unauthorized form of speaking in the local church during church meeting.
Apostle Paul’s message is a simple instruction which is that women should be silent in church meetings. But before the apostle stated this instruction, he made a statement that indicates what the women in Corinth were doing by speaking in the church in an unauthorized manner was unique to them, so to say. Thus, the apostle wrote the last phrase of 1 Corinthians 14:33 As in all the congregations of the saints.
There is a question as to whether the last phrase of 1 Corinthians 14:33 should be taken as ending the previous section or beginning the current section that we are considering. There are several reasons given by those who take the first interpretation that phrase is a part of verse 33. One of the reasons for the first view is that the apostle has used this same appeal (what is done in the churches) three other times in 1 Corinthians (4:17, 7:17, and 11:16) and in each instance the phrase concludes its sentence rather than begins a new one. The second view that the phrase is associated with verse 34 is equally supported by several reasons. One of these is that the first sentence of verse 33 is a fitting conclusion to what the apostle instructed about the use of tongues and prophecy in a local church that it is not necessary to have the phrase attached to verse 33. In considering this question, we should bear in mind that verses as used in the English versions were not in the original but introduced by scholars to help easy use of the Scripture in that we can quickly locate a sentence in a given book. Thus, it does not always mean that where the scholars ended or began a verse is infallible. Our present clause is a case that we do not believe the verse was correctly ended. By this we imply that we believe the second interpretation of the phrase being part of verse 34 is more appropriate as what we will discuss shortly regarding the phrase As in all the congregations of the saints will indicate.
The word “as” used in the phrase we are considering is translated from a Greek word (hōs) that may mean “as” or “like’ used in a comparative way to mark the manner in which something proceeds as Apostle Paul used the word in comparing his state as a matured person to that of a childhood as we read in 1 Corinthians 13:11:
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
The word may mean “as” as a marker that introduces the perspective from which a person or activity is viewed, or function or character is understood. Thus, it is used to describe the expected character of those who are God’s children in Colossians 3:12:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
The word may mean “so” used to mark a point of comparison as it is used to assert how people viewed Jesus’ lineage as we read in Luke 3:23:
Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli.
The word may be used as a marker of result with the meaning “so, so that, therefore” as it is used to convey a result of God’s anger towards Israel of exodus generation as we read in Hebrews 3:11:
So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
The word may be used as a marker of reason or cause hence may mean “because” as it is used to describe Moses’ rejection of the privileged life he had in Egypt as an adopted member of Egypt’s royal family to identify with the people of God as we read in Hebrews 11:27:
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 14:33b the Greek word is subject to at least two possible interpretations. It could be interpreted as a marker of result implying that the instruction given in verse 34 is a result of the first sentence of verse 33 that is concerned with God’s nature. This means that the phrase As in all the congregations of the saints could be read so in all the congregations of the saints . In effect, it is because God’s nature does not permit disorder that the instruction that the apostle is about to state should apply to all local churches. Another interpretation of our Greek word is to take it as a marker of comparison implying that the instruction of verse 34 is in agreement to what obtains in all other local churches. Both interpretations make sense in the context but that of comparison seems to be what the apostle had in mind since his focus in this epistle is the local church in Corinth although eventually the instructions of the epistle are for the universal church of Christ. Furthermore, the question of the apostle in verse 36 that implies that the Corinthians were not the only local church that has received the word of God supports taking the second phrase of verse 33 to be part of verse 34. So, the apostle would more likely be comparing the church in Corinth with all the other local churches. Regardless of the way one interprets the word “as” in last phrase of 1 Corinthians 14:33, it still makes sense that the phrase should be considered as beginning verse 34 and not ending of verse 33 and so should be a part of verse 34, implying that verse 33 should have ended with the first clause of verse 33.
Be that as it may, we contend that the apostle is concerned with the practice of all the other local churches of God in Christ because of the phrase in all the congregations of the saints. The word “congregations” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (ekklēsia) that may refer to a group of citizens assembled for socio-political activities and so means “assembly, gathering.” The word is used predominantly in Scripture to refer to people with shared belief and so the word is often given the meaning “church” in our English Bibles. However, the meaning “church” is used in different ways in relation to believers. We have in the past examined the different ways the word is used in our Scripture. For example, on the one hand, our Greek word translated “church” is used to designate the totality of believers in Christ, living and meeting in a specific locality or larger geographical area, but not necessarily limited to one meeting place. On the other hand, our Greek word translated “church” is used to designate the global community of believers or the whole body of those who have believed in Christ regardless of where they are located. In verse 33 that we are considering, the Greek word is used in the sense of a congregation or a local assembly of believers in Christ so “congregation” as used in the NIV in the phrase we are considering refers to each assembly of believers in Christ that meet in various geographical locations although in the time of the apostle they referred primarily to the Gentile churches that he helped found.
We are certain that the apostle meant the assembly of believers in the phrase in all the congregations of the saints because of the word “saints” he used. Before we get to the Greek word used, we should note that the phrase the congregations of the saints could be unpacked to read either “the congregation consisting of the saints” or “congregation, that is, of the saints” so that there is no mistaken that the apostle was thinking of a special or unique assembly of people that are believers in Christ that he called saints.
The word “saints” is translated from a Greek word (hagios) that pertains to being dedicated or consecrated to the service of God and so means “dedicated to God, holy, sacred.” The word may pertain to being holy in the sense of superior, moral qualities, and possessing certain essential divine qualities in contrast with what is human so means “holy, pure, divine.” It is in this sense that the word is used to describe God whose holiness believers are to imitate, as stated in 1 Peter 1:15–16:
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
When the adjective is used with a definite article in the singular, it refers to “the holy” whether of a thing or a person. Thus, it can be used to refer to that which is holy as it was used in Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:6:
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
The description what is sacred may alternatively be translated what is holy. In this meaning of “the holy,” the Greek word is used in the NT for Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit but never of an individual believer. It is used to describe Jesus Christ several times in the Gospels and in Acts as the Holy One. Demons addressed Jesus as the Holy One in Mark 1:24:
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Peter used our word with the definite article to describe Jesus as recorded in John 6:69:
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Again, when Peter addressed those who witnessed the healing of a crippled beggar, he described Jesus as “the Holy One” as recorded in Acts 3:14:
You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
Our Greek adjective is used in the singular with the definite article for the Holy Spirit in John 14:26:
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The examples we cited indicate that when our Greek adjective is used with a definite article in the singular, it means “the holy” but only in reference to deity. There is no single passage in the NT where the Greek adjective is used to describe a human being or any single individual.
The situation is different when the Greek adjective is in the plural and used with the definite article. When the Greek adjective is used with the definite article in the plural, the meaning is “the holy ones.” The phrase “the holy ones” most often rendered with the word “saints” in our English versions is one that is used in the Scripture to describe God’s people, that is, those in a covenant relationship with Him. In the OT, the psalmist used it to describe God’s people in Psalm 16:3:
As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
Daniel used the word “saints” for God’s people in Daniel 7:25:
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
In both passages of Psalm and Daniel, the word “saints” from the Septuagint literally reads “the holy ones” because the plural of the definite article and plural of our Greek adjective are used. In the NT, the combination of the plural of the definite article and our Greek adjective is used primarily to describe believers in the Lord Jesus Christ where, the Greek phrase is commonly translated “saints” in our English versions.
The very first use of the Greek phrase translated “saints” to describe believers in Christ is given in Acts 9:32:
As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.
Apostle Paul used the phrase the saints to describe believers in Romans 12:13:
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
The phrase God’s people is literally the saints. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 14:33, it is used to describe God’s people or loyal followers of Christ as those dedicated to God. We have established that the apostle referred to believers in Christ, meeting in various local churches in the phrase in all the congregations of the saints, so we proceed to consider the apostle’s instructions specifically addressed to the Corinthians that are applicable to every local church.
The first instruction given to women in Corinth and so all believing women in all local churches is to be silent in the local assembly. It is this instruction that is given in the expression of 1 Corinthians 14:34 women should remain silent in the churches. This sentence on a surface reading conflicts with the fact that women could prophecy as the apostle stated in 1 Corinthians 11:5 that we will read later. Because of this, two general ways of interpreting it have been followed by commentators. A first general approach is to take that this expression is not an instruction for women not to speak in the local churches, but it is a part of a quotation of what some men in the church at Corinth were asserting that the apostle later refuted in verse 36 to imply that women are not forbidden to speak in the church. If anything, they are authorized to do so. A second approach is that the instruction is one that forbids women from speaking in the church either absolutely or in a specific kind of speaking. A more popular interpretation is that women are prohibited from participating in the sifting or weighing of the prophecies of others especially if wives were cross-examining or challenging their husbands about the speech and conduct which supported or undermined the authenticity of a claim to utter a prophetic message. A problem with this interpretation is that it is difficult to limit the questioning of prophetic message to men only in the congregation when there are women with gift of prophecy that should then be qualified because of such gift to evaluate a given prophetic utterance. Anyway, it is our interpretation that the instruction is for women not to teach in a local church and not to participate in discussions regarding the affairs of the church, especially since teaching is an activity that involves exercise of authority by a teacher. Our interpretation would become clearer as we examine the words used in the instruction women should remain silent in the churches and the second clause of verse 34. The need to examine the Greek words used is because there seems to be problem regarding the use of the words “women,” “silent,” and “speaking” in the verse we are considering.
The word “women” is translated from a Greek word (gynē) that generally means “woman as an adult female person” as it is used in the instruction of how believing women, without any reference to their marital state, should dress themselves in 1 Timothy 2:9:
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,
In some contexts, where a man is mentioned, the word means “wife.” Thus, the context makes clear that the apostle used the word in the sense of wife in several passages because either there is a reference to a man or a husband so that it is clear that the woman in view is a wife. Take for example, where a husband is mentioned or implied in 1 Corinthians 7:14:
For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
Take another example of where the context makes clear that the Greek word means wife because a man is commanded to love his woman, meaning his wife, in Ephesians 5:33:
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
The expression love his wife is literally love his woman. The context indicates that his woman refers to the wife of a man. In a handful of passages, the Greek word has the sense of “widow” as it is used by the Sadducees who quoted from the OT concerning levirate marriage to use it to argue against the doctrine of resurrection as we read in Luke 20:28:
“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.
The expression marry the widow is literally take the woman, that is, wife since the context indicates it is a deceased brother’s wife that was in view. The word may mean “bride,” that is, a woman at the time of her wedding and for a short time thereafter as it is used to describe the church in Revelation 19:7:
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 14:34, it means “woman” as an adult female person as opposed to a man. Although the word is used generally for an adult female, it is probably the case that there is emphasis on wives as those who should not speak, considering the instruction given later about the women directing their questions to their husbands at home. This does not mean that unmarried women were to speak in the church meeting since they would be viewed as dependent on either fathers or brothers who were members of the congregation. This we deduce from the fact that unmarried woman, unlike, a widow or divorced person is seen as dependent on the father as we may gather from how the vow made by an unmarried woman should be handled as we read in Numbers 30:3–5:
3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s house makes a vow to the LORD or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the LORD will release her because her father has forbidden her.
The point is that if married women were not to speak in church meeting, certainly an unmarried woman would not either. Anyway, the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul is women should remain silent in the churches.
The expression “remain silent” is translated from a Greek word (sigaō) that the apostle had used previously in verses 28 and 30 of this fourteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. It has two general meanings. The first meaning is “to be silent” in the sense of to say nothing as the word is used to describe the response of the church to the report by Paul and Barnabas regarding what God did during their missionary trip to the Gentiles as we read in Acts 15:12:
The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
Under this first meaning, the word could mean “to stop speaking” as an instruction to someone already talking as the word is used by the crowd to demand that a blind man that shouted to Jesus should stop it as we read in Luke 18:39:
Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
A second general meaning is to keep something from being known, that is, “to keep secret, hide” as the word is used by Apostle Paul to describe God’s secret that was hidden in the past but revealed through the preaching of the gospel as we read in Romans 16:25:
Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 14:34, the word has the sense of “to be silent” so that no sound comes from the one who is silent.
The place where women were to be silent is given in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 14:34 in the churches. This phrase supports our assertion that although the instruction for women to be silent in church meeting is directed to the Corinthians that the instruction is for the universal church of Christ. In other words, it is a rejection of God’s instruction to argue that the instruction of the Holy Spirit through the apostle is limited in application to the Corinthians. This is because of the word churches being in the plural refers to all local churches of God in Christ. The plural “churches” is used by Apostle Paul to describe all Gentile local churches as we read in Romans 16:4:
They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Of course, the apostle used the plural to describe group of local churches in a specific area in Asia as we read in 1 Corinthians 16:19:
The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
Thus, the phrase in the churches of 1 Corinthians 14:34 should be understood as referring to all local churches of God in Christ so that the instruction is a universal one for the church of Christ.
The instruction for women to be silent in the local churches raises a question as to what the apostle meant since he had implied that women could prophesy which will normally take place in a local church as we read in 1 Corinthians 11:5:
And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved.
Because of the confusion that may arise because of what the apostle wrote, it became necessary for him to clarify what he meant in the instruction for women to remain silent in the local churches.
It is our assertion that the apostle provided an explanation to the instruction he gave about women remaining silent in the local churches because the next clause in the Greek of 1 Corinthians 14:34 began with a Greek conjunction not translated in the NIV and a handful of our English versions although many others translated the Greek conjunction with “for.” The word “for” is translated from a Greek conjunction (gar) that has several usages. For example, it can be used as a marker of inference with the meaning “so, then, by all means” or it can be used as a marker of cause or reason for something in which case it may be translated “for, because.” It can be used as a marker of clarification or explanation so that it may be translated “for” or “you see.” It is in the sense of providing explanation that the word is used in our passage. In other words, the apostle wrote the next sentence of 1 Corinthians 14:34 They are not allowed to speak to explain what he meant by the first instruction women should remain silent in the churches of the verse.
We should be clear before we examine what the explanation of the apostle means that he was being emphatic in the sentence They are not allowed to speak. His declaration is not subject to discussion or critiquing by scholars, so to speak. There is no room to wiggle around what he said. He slammed shut any door that would subject what he said to any exception. We say this because the word “not” the apostle used is translated from a Greek negative particle (ou) that is an objective negative, denying the reality of alleged fact fully and absolutely in contrast to another Greek negative (mē) that is a subjective negative, implying a conditional and hypothetical negation. Thus, the apostle states strongly what women are not to do in a local church in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 14:34 They are not allowed to speak.
The word “allowed” is translated from a Greek word (epitrepō) that means “to allow someone to do something,” hence means “to allow, to permit.” It is in the sense of “to permit” that the word is used in the prohibition of women teaching men in a church setting as Apostle Paul used it in 1 Timothy 2:12:
I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.
It is with the meaning “to allow” that the word is used to describe the kindness of the Roman centurion, Julius, showed Apostle Paul in allowing him to visit his friends while the ship taking him to Rome to stand trial docked at Sidon as we read in Acts 27:3:
The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians14:34, it is used with the sense of “to be permissible.” The thing that is not permissible is given in the verbal phrase of 1 Corinthians 14:34 to speak.
The word “speak” is translated from a Greek word (laleō) that may mean “to make a sound” by inanimate objects, as it is used for the blood of Jesus Christ that speaks more effectively than that of Abel in Hebrews 12:24:
to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Literal blood does not speak, so the sense here is that blood communicates or makes a sound. Of course, the human author of Hebrews indicates that the death of Christ communicates truth that is more effective than the death of Abel. The word may mean “to speak” with various nuances but let us consider few of these. To speak may mean “to express oneself” as the word is used to describe what Jesus would not permit evil spirits to do as recorded in Luke 4:41:
Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.
To speak in some context may mean “to preach” as the word is used by Apostle Paul in describing the effort of the Jews to keep him and others from preaching the gospel to the Gentiles as he stated in 1 Thessalonians 2:16:
in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
Speaking to the Gentiles is not merely chattering with them but presenting the gospel to them so it may mean “to preach.” The word may mean “to teach” as the word is used in the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul to Titus about his pastoral duty as we read in Titus 2:15:
These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Thus, our Greek word is used for communication of God’s word but in our passage of 1 Corinthians 14:34, it is used in the sense of “to speak,” that is, “to express in speech.”
The interpretation that the word “to speak” has the sense of “to express in speech” in our verse of 1 Corinthians 14:34 enables us to understand the explanation of the apostle regarding what it means for a woman to remain silent. He meant primarily a woman should not teach in a local church and should not say anything during any discussion of church affairs. This is in keeping with the known practice that Hellenic women did not participate in public deliberations. In fact, the standard Greek English Lexicon (BDAG) referenced what was stated by Pluto, the Greek philosopher, that reads “a woman ought to take care of her home and be quiet; for she should either converse with her husband or through him.” It is entirely reasonable that the instruction of the apostle regarding women being silent in the churches would agree with the established practice among the Greeks or Hellenic women of not participating in discussion of the affairs of cities in public deliberations. This is because the Christian faith does not teach things that would upset divinely established order. We say this because Apostle Paul had taught there is such thing as hierarchy in husband-wife relationship as implied in 1 Corinthians 11:3:
Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
So, it is entirely reasonable that the apostle would be careful under the guidance of the Holy Spirit not to contradict the principle of hierarchy in husband-wife relationships. In effect, he would not have written an instruction that goes against the concept of hierarchy as established by God or God given function in such relationship. The Christian faith is concerned with status of a person before God that is contrary to any given society status. Thus, the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul taught an earth-shattering doctrine at that time that indicates there is no difference in status of those in Christ, that is, there is no difference between men and woman in that respect or between slave and free as we read in Galatians 3:28:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
The point I am making is that the apostle agreed with and applied to the church the established order that required women not to participate in public discussion of the affairs of city-state since that is based on the concept of divine established hierarchy between husband and wife. It is probably because of the concept of hierarchy in men and women relationships that the Holy Spirit directed the apostles to recommend to the early church to choose only men to run the affairs of the church as implied in Acts 6:3–4:
3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
That aside, it is often the case that local congregations that have rowdy meetings is often because women are allowed to participate. Of course, this does not mean that men do not cause problems but that women are more commonly known to stir up problems in such congregations.
Be that as it may, we have focused on women not participating in the discussions regarding the affairs of a local church as part of the instruction of the Holy Spirit through the apostle regarding women being silent during church meeting but of more important is the fact that they are not permitted to teach in local churches. This interpretation may appear not to be supported by the context of the instruction because the speaking that the apostle had been dealing with in the fourteenth chapter had involved speaking in tongues and prophesying. However, we should note that the apostle did not abandon the idea of teaching because he focused on speaking in tongues and prophesying. We say this because teaching is part of worship service as we may gather from what the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:26:
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
The expression “word of instruction” is translated from a Greek word (didachē) that has the basic meaning of “teaching”, so it is more likely that the prohibition against speaking the apostle had in mind involves primarily the teaching of the word of God. Furthermore, that the apostle would have meant that women were not permitted to teach in a local church is supported in the passage that the Holy Spirit through the apostle conveyed clearly that women are not to teach God’s word in local churches. I am referring to the declaration in the passage we cited previously, that is, 1 Timothy 2:11–12:
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.
The verbal phrase must be silent of verse 12 is literally to be in quietness. Thus, it will be easier using the literal translation to recognize that it is the same Greek word (hēsychia) used in verse 11 that is used in verse 12. The word “submission” in 1 Timothy 2:11 is translated from a Greek noun (hypotagē) that is related to the Greek verb that we will get to later that is translated “be in submission” in 1 Corinthians 14:34. The similar concepts found in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 and in our passage of 1 Corinthians 14:34 support our assertion that part of the apostle’s explanation of what he meant by women being silent in the local churches includes their not teaching in local churches.
In any case, the apostle continued his explanation using a statement that contrasts with what he had already stated by beginning the next clause with the word but in the NIV of the last clause of verse 34. The word “but” is translated from a Greek particle (alla) that primarily is used to indicate a difference with or contrast to what precedes. In effect, it is used to express contrast between an immediate clause and the one preceding it so it may be translated “but, rather, on the contrary.” The word may mean “indeed” to indicate a contrastive emphasis between what follows and what preceded. Thus, Apostle Paul used the word when he proceeded in his communication to the fact that the Corinthians were not ready to receive advance doctrines since the time, he taught them fundamental Christian doctrines as we read in 1 Corinthians 3:2:
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
When the word is used in connection with a command, it may mean “now, then” as the word is translated in the instruction given to the wife regarding her husband in Ephesians 5:24:
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Some English versions began verse 24 with the conjunction “but.” Interestingly, the translators of the ISV began with the word “indeed” which is a permissible translation of the Greek word when a contrast is to be made in an emphatic manner or a strong alternative is being suggested. This aside, in our passage of 1 Corinthians 14:34, the apostle used it as a marker of emphatic contrast since the preceding sentence They are not allowed to speak involves a strong emphasis because of the Greek word we indicated is a strong negative. To leave no doubt that the apostle contrasts what he said next with what preceded, we may translate our Greek particle as “on the contrary.”
To be sure the readers understand that the apostle meant that women should not ever speak in terms of teaching and participating in public discussions regarding church affairs during church meeting, the apostle indicates no action is to be expected from the women in the conditions he specified so he wrote next in 1 Corinthians 14:34 but must be in submission. Literally, the Greek reads but let them be subjected, as the law also says. Anyway, there is more to the sentence of 1 Corinthians 14:34 and if the Lord wills, we will examine further the sentence in our next study but let me end by reminding you of the simple message of the section we are considering which is that women should be silent in church meetings.
04/07/23