**For Christian Women** Why did Paul (1 Corinthians 14:33-38) tell women to keep silent in church?

Question

No, i'm not a Christian. But I would really like to hear opinions of CHRISTIAN WOMEN. Thank you.

I often hear of Christians talking about how Islam treats women as lessers. But in my own bible study experience (vast, believe it or not, I was a Holy Roller for years), I find Christianity to be AT LEAST as demeaning to women.

Answer 1

cause men would get boners in church nuff said.

Answer 2

This passage bothered me when I first read it, but the more I thought about it, the more I think I understand it. You could also look at 1 Timothy 2:11-15. I truly believe that God created men and women differently and we have different purposes. I believe that a man should be the head of a marriage (and the verse that gets people flustered is that wives should submit to their husbands... but they forget that it goes on to say that husbands need to love their wives - if you love someone, you will always do what's right by them) and I also believe that men should primarily be in charge at a church. However, in the 1 Timothy passage (I'm not sure about the 1 Corinthians one), this is a specific letter from Paul to Timothy regarding how the church in Ephesus was being run.

The Bible doesn't demean women, it just shows them as different - women have traditionally had the quiet, graceful, composed personality, as opposed to men's personalities. Why is this type of personality a bad thing? When it speaks of men "ruling" over women, it assumes a couple of things: first, that the men are Christians who are knowledgeable in the ways of God and are following God, and second, that the men will be treating women with the same love, devotion, and thoughtfulness that Christ shows to his believers (the church).

I do believe that the roles of women and men have shifted, as women have become more educated and men have become less God-led. Now, if a woman is more educated in Biblical studies and has a deep relationship with God, I don't think it would be wrong for her to teach a man that is not educated in Biblical studies or doesn't know the Bible, etc.

Answer 3

Back then, it was custom for men to run the service to ask questions, etc. Women were in a separate place and so were the Gentiles (non-Jewish believers). They could listen, but to keep things in order, they were not allowed to interrupt service. They were to ask their husbands.

Many men take this out of context just like they take the "submit to your husbands" scripture out of context. There were female prophets in the Bible (Anna) and A female judge (Deborah). God is not a respector of persons and if He wishes to use a female to get the glory, He will. Even in heaven, there will no longer be male and female we will be as the Angels are. In my church, we have a mixture of teachers. At Bible study, if a question is asked a male can answer or a female can.

I don't know any Muslims so I cannot say if their practices are demeaning or not. But I can say that Christianity isn't demeaning to women.

--Peace and Blessings :)

Answer 4

First, let me say that Jesus sent a woman to preach to the apostles, that He was risen. Without the resurrection, there is not Gospel and no salvation. If it didn't bother Jesus, it shouldn't bother anyone else. He really loved and cared about women. The Greek word for "tell" is the same as for "preach". John 20:17-18.

The topic question is answered in the quoted passage, v. 35. He says to ask the husband when you get home. Evidently, the married women were calling out to their husbands. Pretty dangerous at that time, as Roman soldiers were prowling around, seeking whom they could destroy. The church meetings had to be conducted quietly, for the sake of safety. Paul knew that; he used to seek out Chirstians and have them killed.

At that time, and in that culture, women and men sat in separate sections in the place of worship. That still happens in certain cultures today, even in the Christian churches, because that is the CULTURE. Anyway, at that time, the women would call out questions, because they couldn't always hear the person who was speaking. Thank God for microphones.

The other clue is when he tells them they have to be silent according to the Law. That was the law, and custom of the day. There were certain things Paul admonished according to the Jewish laws and customs of the day. He was a former Pharisee (Phil. 3). There were also situations of safety, because of the intense persecution of that time. I don't have time or space to go into a lot of that here, but I am sure those who truly study, will research and find the information.

Paul took a lot of time commending the women who were in leadership positions at the time (Romans 16:7). The people who taught him were Priscilla and Aquila, a husband and wife pastoral team. He usually mentions HER name first, implying, according to the custom of the day, that she was the one who held a leadership position (Acts 18; Romans 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim 4). Some women are called to be leaders, some are not. The same goes for men. Paul noted that there is no Jew or Greek, male or female, bond or free, in Christ (Gal. 3:28). God is no respecter of persons. GOD always uses people who are willing.

People don't really believe women should not speak in churches, otherwise they wouldn't have women doing the announcements, or singing, or any of that. You won't find any Scriptural support for women working in the nursery, cooking for the church, or bringing a pastor a glass of water. Is there any Scripture that tells women to put money in church?

If God intended for men to be in charge of everything, then that would include the nursery, the Sunday School, the kitchen, and everything else the women do. In the home of Martha and Mary, Martha got all involved in cooking for Jesus and His apostles. Now, WWJD? Jesus told Martha that the cooking was NOT necessary, but that her sister Mary had made the better choice, by choosing to listen to the Word instead of cook (Luke 10:38-42). So, Jesus really said "You don't have to cook for us"?

Just another way to discriminate, that's all. It would actually make more sense to say that men can't preach, because men were the ones who crucified Jesus.

My own point is this: No matter who you are, male or female, seek God's face about what He called YOU to do, specifically. Ask the Lord, and do not fear His answer. If he tells you to preach or teach or pastor or minister, or help in some area, get prepared to do that. Like Jesus, you will meet opposition. However, you will also meet Jesus one day, and will have to answer to Him.

Answer 5

Probably because of the culture of that day, some where from the Jewish faith where woman would be seated apart from their husbands and so to ask a question they would have to yell out to him. Therefore Paul said be silent and ask after. I have been a Christian all my life, some 50+ yrs and I have not found the Church to be against woman. Woman have been fighting for their rights for years, the customs of the day also filter through to the Church. I was a deacon in my Church, prayer coordinator and serviced on the Worship committee so I don't buy this poor Christian woman sob story.

Answer 6

That's what God had ordained, read Corinthians chapter11. Just because Paul says that women shouldn't speak in church doesn't mean that he is against women. He is simply stating what God has put in his heart to say. In Christianity women and men are equal but God has called the men to have authority (not a boss, or macho man) the woman because man was born first. In the book of Ephesians the Bible states that " The man is the head of the wife". That word there "Head" in greek means "been equal", not being the "Macho Man",therefore Pual in know way is trying to be prejudice against women. He is just following God's order according to his plan and purpose for women.

Answer 7

Great question and manypeople who have answered the question very well. I was once told that in the day not only were the women asking questions to their husbands across the room but if they heard something that did not agree with their spirit, they also voiced their opinion. I believe that Paul was trying to get some order in the church and felt that women should wait until they got home to ask their husbands to answer the questions. The Bible in no way is racist to women.

Answer 8

I'm a Christian woman. First of Paul was telling the Corinthian women to be quiet because they were sitting on separate sides of the synagogue and yelling the questions to their husbands. It wasn't in keeping with being able to learn. Second it's only told to the church at Corinth, since it wasn't repeated, it's not a pattern for us to follow.
Jesus treated every woman He encountered with respect and honor so how could Christian men do any less. Paul spoke well of the women who helped him like Lydia.

Answer 9

Chapter 11, v 5 talks about women praying and prophesying (yes, with their heads covered; that was a cultural thing). There are lots of female Biblical leaders, even heroes. It must have been a specific directive, toward a specific group of women; it's too bad we don't have more context. Wish I could remember the verse about how in Christ there is no longer distinguishment between Gentile or Jew, slave or free, woman or man. My denomination ordains women, though.

Answer 10

We are to be silent in the sense that we to not teach men or preach. I don't find this at all demeaning. Men are to be the leader in our family, so they are to lead us in church as well. God made us, the female to be the help meet and to be submissive to our husbands. I had a hard time understanding this concept too while I went to the Church of the Nazarene, it also didn't' help my preacher didn't really know or preach the Bible. I started going to an Independent Fundamental Baptist church and whoa a new concept, preaching from the Bible and I got my heart right with God. I understand what Paul is saying.

Answer 11

Here is another time when knowing the culture helps. In the Synagogue in that time women sat separate from men. On occasion a woman would interrupt to ask her husband what something meant. Paul was telling women to wait until everything was finished and ask their husbands to explain then. It wasn't about keeping woman silent. It was about keeping things orderly.

Christianity is not demeaning to women. God assigned women as judges in the Old Testament. The Apostles honored women as leaders in the churches. The Epistles tell men over and over to treat their wives well. Just because some people take things out of context doesn't mean it's what the Bible teaches.