WOMEN Must be SILENT in Church?

Women can't speak in church?

“The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. 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.” (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

Skeptics of Bible and opponents of the Christian faith sometimes make the accusation that the Bible’s teachings are oppressive towards women and/or that they do not support the equality of men and women as human beings.

One of the passages cited to give supposed substance to these charges is 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Many, in reading this passage, believe that it was the apostle Paul’s position that a woman was not allowed to speak a word within the congregational setting.

The context of Paul’s statement that, “women are to keep silent in the church,” is his greater exhortation to the church in Corinth not to abuse or misuse the gift of tongues. Paul’s biggest concern here is that tongues are to be used for the evangelism of unbelievers who speak a different language than the one native to the believer who receives this gift.

The issue that has prompted Paul to give this exhortation is the apparent misuse of this gift in the Corinthian church. Believers were using their gift to, “edify themselves,” (v.4) rather than to edify the church. As such, they were causing confusion and disorder within their church gatherings. Paul recognized the potential outcomes of this type of conduct when he said:

“…if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?” (1 Corinthians 14:23)

Disorder and confusion in the church represents an unnecessary stumbling block to people coming to know Christ. Rather than someone turning away from Christ because of a refusal to acknowledge their sinfulness, someone turns away from Christ because the body of believers they observe looks like an insane asylum. This is why Paul goes on to say:

“…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. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:26-33)

Notice Paul’s use of the phrase, “keep silent.” The context in which he is speaking is with respect to people inappropriately exercising their gift of tongues – inappropriately meaning in such a way that no one else can understand what they are saying, thus causing confusion and dissension among the believers.

Returning to the point of this video, it is in the very next verses that Paul then says, “The women are to keep silent in the churches..."

For the entirety of this chapter, Paul has referenced speaking to the act of speaking in tongues. Thus, when he says that women are, “not permitted to speak,” I believe that the consistent interpretation of this chapter means that Paul is referencing women who are speaking in tongues – just like the male believers he has previously addressed. Paul is not saying that a woman has to keep her mouth closed the whole time she attends a worship service; he is saying that, just like a man who has received the gift of tongues, she must not speak in a tongue out of order or otherwise disrupt the gathering with her gift.

Note the use of the phrase to, “keep silent.” Before Paul uses this to describe the proper conduct of women in the church, he uses it to exhort people inappropriately using the gift of tongues. To, “keep silent,” is never used with respect to any or all forms of speaking – it is used with respect to speaking in tongues, because of the potential for speaking in tongues out of order to cause confusion.

Paul did not believe that women could not have conversations with their friends and family in church. Nor did he believe that women were not allowed to sing songs of worship to the Lord. Instead, he held women to the same standards he held men to not be a source of confusion and disorder in the church.

Rather than being a prooftext for the Bible’s supposed oppressive attitudes towards women, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is predicated upon the equal value women and men have in their ability utilize their God-given gifts for the dissemination of the gospel and the edification of their fellow believers.

[AChristianGuy]

Ladies, what do you think of what Paul said?

[The_Abaddon_]

I wish they included in the Bible he meant the same towards men because there’s so many people who misinterpret this and try to use it as a reason that women are below men, can’t teach, and shouldn’t speak when that’s just false

[zealstoker]

I am preaching on this very subject this Sunday. I found your video to be consistent with the conclusion I have come to in my own studies. 22 times in chapter 14 Paul references speaking, and specifically in the use of tongues, the interpretation of tongues, prophecy and or the judgment of given prophecies. Context is key always! Blessings to you