A Publication
of the
Vol. 8, Issue
12
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(KJV) 1 Cor.
14:34-35: 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. [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.
(NASB) 1 Cor.
14:34-35: Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not
permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says.
[35] And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at
home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. (NASB)
A
textual consideration,
The
KJV says “your women” (See bold face which are mine above.), and the NASB says
“the women.” The NKJV says “your women” with “your” being italicized and a
marginal reference which says, “NU omits your.” (NU stands for variations found
in the Critical Text. You can read about that in the preface to your Bible. It
is part of the New Testament Scholarship that makes up the science of New
Testament textual criticism.)
The textual rendering of “your women” has led some to
think that Paul has the wives of the prophets who are speaking in the
assemblies in mind. And the textual rendering of “the women” has led some to conclude
that women cannot speak under any circumstance in an assembly or in a bible
class.
Women
are to keep silent in the churches,
The definition of “keep silent” from Strong’s Help: sigao, see-gah'-o;
from Greek 4602 (sige); to keep silent
(transitive or intransitive) :- keep close (secret, silence), ... hold peace.
Why
are the women to keep silent?
Answer: “...for
they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the
Law also says” (NASB). The women are “not permitted to speak.” This is one of
those “not” - “but” passages where the “but” qualifies the “not.” If you ignore
the “but” qualification then it forbids a woman to speak at all. Singing is
“speaking”! (Ephes. 5:19). The negative is qualified by “but let them subject
themselves.” They are to remain “silent” (hold their peace) because they are to
subject themselves. It is often emphasized that this is not the same word as
“silence” in 1 Tim. 2:11-12,
“Let the woman learn in silence with all
subjection. [12] But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over
the man, but to be in silence.”
To learn “in silence” simply means in “a
quiet fashion” (see NASB Dictionary Help). The NASB says, “Let a woman quietly
receive instruction with entire submissiveness. [12] But I do not allow a woman
to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”
If this means women can’t teach men at all
then what are we to do with Acts 18:26? There Priscilla acted with her husband
in instructing Apollos. And again, when women sing they teach and
admonish the men present through the words of the songs (Col. 3:16).
I see little difference between what these
two passages ( I Tim.
Our passage under consideration in I Cor.
“And let two or three prophets SPEAK, and
let the others pass judgment. [30] But if a revelation is made to another who
is seated, let the first keep silent.” (NASB)
Also, compare the “speaking” in a tongue in
1 Cor. 14:27-28,
“If anyone SPEAKS in a tongue, it should be
by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret; [28] but
if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him
speak to himself and to God.” (NASB)
All of this is predicated on 1 Cor. 14:26,
“What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm,
has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an
interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”
You’ll notice that some of these speakers (the tongues and
prophesies) have “silence” enjoined upon them as well but it is qualified by
the circumstances. For example, in verse 27 those with the gift of tongues were
limited to two or three at the most, each in turn, and one was to interpret. If
there was no interpreter then Paul says “let him keep silent” (verse 28). With
regard to the prophets there were to be just two or three who spoke and others
were to judge. Verse 30 says, “But if a revelation is made to another who is
seated, let the first keep silent.”
Along with these injunctions Paul says, “Let
the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to
speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says.” According
to I Cor. 11:5, some women who were in the church at
What
then is to be made of verse 35?
The point of discussion usually turns here
to Paul’s statement about women asking their own husbands at home. From “Let
your women” (verse
34) it is assumed that only the wives of the prophets are under
consideration. And so these wives of the
prophets are said to not be holding their peace by speaking out, and asking
questions impulsively, thus interrupting the assembly. If so then Paul took
care of something that the husbands should have!
While it appears that there was “something” going
on here I cannot determine the exact thing itself. Since Paul has already told us in Chapter 7
that they had those not married, those married to unbelievers, and also widows
in the church, it does suggest a point of “disorder” on the part of wives with
husbands. Whatever it was they were doing in their desire to learn something it
violated being in subjection. Their desire to “learn” must never over-ride
their authority to teach “only” under qualified circumstances; that desire is
not a license for them to not be in quietness. (I Tim. 2:11-12)
There have many suggestions (speculations)
about what the disorder might have been. Some think that women were answering
women’s questions at the same time the others were speaking. In view of verses
34 & 35 following closely upon the injunctions to those who were permitted
to address the assembly that does appear to be a possibility. If it was that
kind of thing it certainly violated the rule of doing things “decently” (I Cor.