What did Saint Paul mean when he said this?

Question

In 1Corinthians 14: 34-35, St. Paul says:

"Let women be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but let them be in subjection, just as the Law says. If they want to learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church."

Does anyone know what this means?

Answer 1

Taken literally, it means a woman is not permitted to teach in church.

Answer 2

The context of this passage, and much of 1 Corinthians, is the order and structure of the church. The Corinthian church was noted for the chaos and lack of order that was rampant in that assembly (v. 33). It is interesting that no elders or pastors are mentioned, and the prophets were not even exercising control (see vv. 29, 32, 37). Everyone was participating with whatever expression they desired “whenever” they desired. This included tongues and prophesying by women who were taking the lead in the services instead of being submissive, as God’s Word makes clear (1 Tim 2:11-15). Apparently, certain women in the Corinthian church were out of order in disruptively asking questions publicly in the chaotic services. It is not coincidental that many modern churches that have tongues-speaking and claim gifts of healings and miracles also permit women to lead worship, preach, and teach. Women may be gifted teachers, but they are not permitted by God “to speak” in such a manner in His churches. In fact, for them to do so is “shameful,” meaning “disgraceful” (v. 35).

The context of 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 is talking about interpreting and understanding the gifts of tongues and prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:26-32). Therefore, 1 Corinthians 14:34 is not commanding women to be absolutely silent in the church all the time. It is only saying that women should not participate when tongues and/or prophecy is being interpreted and tested (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 1 John 4:1). This is in agreement with 1 Timothy 2:11-12 which says that women should not teach or have authority over men. If women were involved in deciding whether a prophecy was truly from God, they would be disobeying what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 2:11-12. Therefore, Paul tells women to be silent when tongues and prophecy are being interpreted so that they will not be disobeying God’s Word.

Recommended Resource: Women and Men In Ministry: A Complementary Perspective by Saucy & TenElshof.

Answer 3

It has to do with headship.
1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want YOU to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God.

By reason that man was created first, and the woman second, and the fact that the commandmend regarding the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden was given to the man, and not the woman, was to support th pattern that Paul wrote about here in 1 Corinthians.

Other than a woman teaching here male children about God, women are not to have authority over a man in the congregation.

Answer 4

This is based upon one of the clearest doctrines in the Bible. It means that God has ordained an functional order between man and women that is based upon the Divine order with in the God head.

(1 Cor 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."

Meaning that just as the Father is the positional head over Christ, and Christ is the head over the church, so the man is the head over the women. This is not based upon cultural considerations, as some erroneously assert, but upon distinctions instituted after the Divine order.

In a similar passage the context relates to leadership:

(1 Tim 2:12-14) "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. {13} For Adam was first formed, then Eve. {14} And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

Women are not to be in any position of authoritative leadership over men, except temporarily due to necessity, such as the lack of a man who can and will lead. When a church or society places women on authority over men then it is ultimately to the detriment of both the man and the women, with the men failing to be what men should be and women seeking to act like men, and producing an aberrational and weak church and society.

As for the silence part, "speak" (G2980) does indeed always mean speak (cf. 1Cor. 14::29), and this means being quiet, and not making any interruptions in the service, and waiting until afterward to ask questions of their husbands at home. And outside of that it shows that that the women should, at the very least, always givedeference to the man in leadership and conversation.

This doe not means that men and women are not essentially equal spiritually in Christ (Gal. 3:28), but that God is a God of order (v. 14:10) and wisdom (Rm. 16:27), and has both placed Christ over the church and women over men.

You can see more on this at http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/WOMENPASTORS.html

Answer 5

At that time, only men were allowed to speak in the Jewish synagogues. Paul evidently felt the same should be true in the early Christian faith community, as well.

This was simply part of Paul's overall teaching on how men and women should properly relate to one another.

Women being generally submissive and supportive, and men being generally protective providers and leaders.

The tradition remains largely unchanged in the middle east today, except for parts of the more secular states.

All of this was done out of love, of course.

Answer 6

I think it was the times in which Paul lived. It was cultural custom that women lived through their husbands/fathers. They had no power, no "permission" to speak their thoughts/beliefs on spiritual matters, and had to submit to the "master" in order to live and have children. It was a way to strengthen the family, I guess. Maybe to put pressure on the man to take religious leadership.?

Answer 7

+PAX

St. Paul also goes on to say that women are to have their heads covered, such as mine is right now.

It used to be women covered their heads in the presence of the Lord out of respect for him. Now they come in flip-flops and shorts. Our parish has to actually remind people to remember to dress correctly in the bulletin each week.

It pushes my buttons to see some Catholics haphazardly genuflect toward the altar rather than the Tabernacle. You bow toward the Altar and Genuflect toward the Tabernacle...which is no longer behind the Altar and hasn't been for years.

Very sad.

Benedicite,
J

Answer 8

Saint Paul makes use of the metaphor for his on an huge-unfold basis meditation - the technique wherein the spirit / holy ghost (soul) leaves the physique to realize as much as his father (the writer) for ideal union with Him whilst the physique parishes. This on an huge-unfold basis prepare , who do meditation , additionally observed as via Saint Paul as Unceasing Prayer, leaves the full physique numb (what actually take place on the time of exact loss of existence of this actual physique), and so as that they get so used to the skill of loss of existence on an huge-unfold basis that the phobia of the actual loss of existence now not concerns with the aid of fact the practitioner is regular with for nicely that he will finally merge with the superb Soul, the daddy. there is an exceedingly alluring mystic e book via the call " the way of pilgrim" , yet another via Thomas Kaminski " Imitation Of Christ" and yet yet another via Brother Lawrence which will help the readers to appreciate the mysticism used in each notice in the Bible.

Answer 9

In this church he was writing to the women
were causing problems.

Answer 10

"Paul is writing concerning congregational matters and he is saying that women should not openly dispute, debate or wrangle over a matter and thus challenge and disgrace the man’s position of congregational headship."