L-1. MUST Women Keep SILENT in the CHURCH? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. L-1. MUST WOMEN KEEP SILENT in the CHURCH? Does the Bible ITSELF teach us that women cannot be teachers and preachers in the church? Does the Bible ITSELF teach us that women must keep SILENT in the church? Well, some pastors are quick to quote some verses of Scripture out of their CONTEXT to wrongly teach that Christian women can NOT be a teacher or a preacher in the church. And one such verse of Scripture is found in 1 Corinthians 14:34,35. So let us read these two verses being taken OUT of the context first, and then we will read the context to learn the TRUE sound Biblical God INTENDED meaning of these two verses. 1 Corinthians 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 says the law. 35. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” Now, as I have said many times, any verse or verses of Scripture when they are viewed ALONE and apart from the rest of God’s word may SEEM to be saying something that they are NOT TRULY saying it the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. For example, in John 5:18, the Jews accused Jesus of making himself equal with God. But in the very next verse, Jesus ANSWERED their false accusation by defending himself. And that is what is happening here in 1 Corinthians 14:34,35. The Apostle Paul is wrongly being accused by Jewish Christians for ALLOWING women to speak in the church, and Paul is defending the TRUTH of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For you see, the Apostle Paul is ANSWERING some QUESTIONS that were written in a letter to him asking him several questions, making comments concerning what he teaches, and even examining Paul as to whether or not he is a true Apostle of Jesus Christ. Let us go back to 1 Corinthians 7:1 so you can see how the King James Bible structures the questions and COMMENTS or ACCUSATIONS that were written in a letter to the Apostle Paul FIRST. In other words, some of the Christians at the Corinthian church wrote to the Apostle Paul FIRST concerning things that they did NOT AGREE with Paul. And then the Apostle Paul wrote the epistle of 1 Corinthians BACK to the Corinthian church. After you know and understand that Paul is defending what he teaches by USING what the Jewish Christians have RETAINED or held onto from the Old Covenant, then you can understand that some of the Jewish Christians were not speaking or teaching the same things that Paul himself was teaching to the Gentile Christians. Now, we do not know for sure “who” wrote to Paul asking these questions and giving their own personal COMMENTS, but we can discern BY the questions and COMMENTS that THEY were NOT in agreement with the Apostle Paul himself teaches. You will see what I mean by this as you continue reading this study in God’s word. But even in just these two verses of Scripture in 1 Corinthians 14:34,35, we can see the wording “as ALSO says the law”. And that tells me that the letter to the Apostle Paul was written by JUDAIZING Jewish Christians. Also, I would like to point out that the law here is NOT the Law of Moses itself, but rather, the law in the phrase “as ALSO says the law” found in 1 Corinthians 14:34,35, is the Jewish law or Jewish CUSTOMS. You will see this truth as you read 1 Corinthians 7:1 where Paul lets us know that he is ANSWERING things that SOME in the Corinthian church WROTE to him FIRST.
1 Corinthians 7:1. “Now CONCERNING the things whereof YOU WROTE unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” First of all, we can clearly see that at the start of chapter 7, Paul is addressing or ANSWERING the questions and comments that some Christians wrote to him in a letter. What they wrote to Paul are things CONCERNING what they heard Paul preach, but they did not understand what Paul actually meant. Also, there are things with which they disagreed as to what Paul was teaching. There are things concerning the Law of Moses contained in ordinances that were being RETAINED or held onto that were WRONGLY being kept by some of the Jewish Christians. And that certain SECT of Jewish Christians were subverting others to keep the Law of Moses contained in ordinances that Jesus ABOLISHED on the cross, according to Ephesians 2:8-15 and Colossians 2:4-22. Also, there were things written in Jewish CUSTOMS that were being imposed upon the Gentile Christians as well. And some things written in that letter to Paul FIRST are outright accusations against the Apostle Paul as to whether or not Paul is a true Apostle of Jesus Christ. So CLEARLY, the Apostle Paul is CORRECTING the Corinthian church in his letters to them. And thus, not every single word, phrase, or verse of Scripture in 1 Corinthians is a teaching of the Apostle Paul himself. Nor is every word that Paul wrote a teaching of Jesus Christ himself. Yes, we all agree that Jesus taught Paul what to teach, but what some Christians have failed to understand is that not every single word in 1 Corinthians are the words of Paul himself. In other words, the phrase “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” is NOT the teaching of Paul. Rather, it is the question being asked by the Jewish Christians that WROTE to him. To say this another way, Paul RECEIVED a letter from some Jewish Christians ASKING Paul a “TRICK” question to trap Paul like the Jews tried to TRAP Jesus. And THEIR question was “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” Then the Apostle Paul ANSWERS their question that THEY WROTE to him in 1 Corinthians 7:1.
1 Corinthians 7:1.
“Now CONCERNING the things whereof YOU WROTE unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”
Or YES, concerning YOUR question that YOU wrote to me, it is good for a man not to MARRY, but allow me to CLARIFY what I mean by my saying that it is BETTER for a man not to marry. Then Paul EXPLAINS why it is not good for a man to touch a woman. That was the first point that I want you to understand, SOME of the “words” Paul wrote BACK to the Corinthian church are actually the WORDS of some of the Jewish Christians QUESTIONING what Paul teaches AGAINST. Secondly, I want you to notice the colon that I highlighted in green. The part BEFORE the colon is what the certain sect of Jewish Christians WROTE TO Paul that may or may not be specifically stated. For example, when I answer an email, I sometimes REPEAT the question or comment that was written to me. But at other times, I simply answer the question and address the comment because the one who wrote to me already knows what they wrote to me. So that is what is happening before the colon. Rather than Paul writing out their QUESTION, comment, or accusation, Paul simply says, CONCERNING what YOU wrote to me. And what follows the colon is usually what THEY stated in THEIR letter TO Paul and Paul is simply REPEATING their words back to them. In other words, Paul could have written verse 1 as follows.
A paraphrased version of 1 Corinthians 7:1.
“Now CONCERNING the things whereof YOU WROTE unto me. The first thing you asked me was about what I preached concerning that it is better for the sake of the gospel that a man considers himself as IF he was not married. And here is what YOU wrote to me concerning my teaching on whether it is better for BOTH men and women to be single for the SAKE of the GOSPEL which you totally misunderstood what I am teaching. YOU said in your letter to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2. And here is MY ANSWER….”
Please understand that the punctuation of the colon does not always mean that the colon designates a question or comment. Sometimes Paul uses words like “Now CONCERNING” to let us know that he is answering a question or comment that was asked of him in the letter sent to him. But at other times it is NOT so OBVIOUS that Paul is addressing what that certain sect of Jewish Christians wrote to him FIRST. But now that you understand what Paul is doing in 1 Corinthians and even some of his other writings, let us take a look at how Paul ANSWERS the second question which is found in 1 Corinthians 7:25 concerning virgins.
1 Corinthians 7:25.
“Now CONCERNING virgins I have no commandment OF THE Lord: yet I give my judgment, (Or while I have no specific commandment or instruction directly from the Lord I can tell you what I have concluded from the knowledge that God has given to me) as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.”
And then Paul answers their question concerning virgins in the remainder of chapter 7. In other words, Paul is simply giving his OWN personal, but yet his godly OPINION concerning VIRGINS in 1 Corinthians chapter SEVEN. Paul’s third question is addressed or ANSWERED in 1 Corinthians 8:1 concerning things sacrificed to idols.
1 Corinthians 8:1.
“Now AS TOUCHING things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies.”
Then Paul answers all of their questions concerning idols in the remainder of chapter 8. But I would like to point out here in verse 1 where Paul says that knowledge puffs up because it will help you understand the TRUE meaning of 1 Corinthians 14:34,35. Paul is saying that they have the knowledge and that he himself has knowledge, BUT their knowledge DISAGREES with the knowledge of Paul. In other words, Paul is saying the SAME thing that he says in 1 Corinthians 14:36-38 only in different words. Paul is saying, do you think that you ONLY have heard from God? Yes, we all have knowledge of what the Law of Moses contained in ordinances teaches. And we who are Jews ALSO know what the Jewish CUSTOMS teach. But THAT knowledge brings BOASTING. However, the knowledge that the Lord has given to me to walk in love does NOT puff up and bring pride and boasting. In other words, the same thing is true among Christians who follow the voice of the Holy Spirit. Have you ONLY heard the voice of the Holy Spirit? Have you TRIED the spirits to see whether they are of God or of Satan? Have you searched the Scriptures to see if what you heard AGREES with the WHOLE word of Almighty God? Or have you taken verses OUT of their CONTEXT to fit what others INTERPRET those verses to mean? Now, in chapter 9, we can clearly see Paul DEFENDING his apostleship. At first it might SEEM like something right out of the blue, so to speak, IF you do not understand that Paul is addressing things that were written in a LETTER TO him FIRST, and that Paul is CORRECTING what THEY WROTE to him.
1 Corinthians 9:1-3.
“Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2. If I am not an apostle unto OTHERS, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of my apostleship are you in the Lord. 3. Mine ANSWER to THEM that do EXAMINE me is this,”
By the context of the whole letter of 1 Corinthians, we can clearly see that there were DIVISIONS in the church at Corinth. We can see that even some of his own Gentile converts were being SUBVERTED by the Judaizing Jewish Christians. Again, keep in mind that Paul already knows what was written in the letter to him BY those who DISAGREED with Paul even to the point of CLAIMLY that Paul was NOT a true Apostle of Jesus Christ. But it is not always crystal clear in every chapter that Paul is CORRECTING what was FIRST written to him in a letter. In other words, Paul does not always REPEAT what was written to him in the letter. But if you notice the words “unto OTHERS” then you can clearly see that those OTHERS were saying to the Gentile Christians that Paul was NOT a TRUE Apostle of Jesus Christ. And that FALSE accusation that Paul is not a true Apostle was being used to subvert the Christians that Paul himself taught to be a disciple. So in the remainder of chapter 9, Paul is defending his Apostleship because he knows that OTHERS in the Corinthian church are subverting the Christians that he himself has led to Jesus. And we can see two main points that Paul addresses in chapter 9 in verses 4 and 5.
1 Corinthians 9:4,5.
“Do we not have the power to eat and to drink? (The first point or Paul’s answer to the ACCUSATION in the letter he received is concerning the receiving of offerings and gifts from those to whom Paul is preaching. But then Paul adds that even though he has every right to receive living expenses for his preaching the gospel, that he does NOT exploit that liberty. Rather, he works to support his own living) 5. Do we not have the power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?”
The second accusation AGAINST the Apostle Paul by that certain sect of Jewish Christians is about WOMEN in the ministry. Now, Paul does not specifically address that issue made against him in chapter 9, but he does so later on in chapter 14. Paul already addressed some issues about women in chapters 7 and 8, which we will cover more in the following chapters. Here in 1 Corinthians 9:1-5, Paul is defending himself as a true Apostle of Jesus Christ and him having women in the ministry by saying that Cephas or Peter has a wife who sometimes travels with him. So why are you accusing me of doing wrong because I have Aquila and Priscilla traveling with me in my ministry. You see Aquila and Priscilla were a husband and wife TEAM who held church meetings in their home. And, as husband and wife, they worked together to make disciples and teach other Christians in their home. They were co-pastors or overseers of a church gathering in their home and Paul was being EXAMINED by Jewish Judaizing Christians on this matter of ALLOWING women to teach the word of God in the church, seeing that it was NOT allowed under the Law of Moses contained in ordinances, or more precisely, it was not allowed in the Jewish CUSTOMS.
Please read Romans 16:3-5.
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4. Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.”
So again, Paul was being EXAMINED by those who considered Paul to NOT be a TRUE Apostle of Jesus Christ concerning his allowing women to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul expounds some more on idols and the eating of meat sacrificed unto idols. And in 1 Corithians chapter 11, Paul starts out by saying to those who do indeed believe that Paul is a TRUE Apostle of Jesus Christ to follow him and to obey the ordinances that he himself taught to them which Jesus himself taught to him. In other words, Paul is teaching the Gentile Christians to NOT FOLLOW what the Jewish Christians were RETAINING from their CUSTOMS and were wrongly teaching them. But rather, Paul is CORRECTING us to follow him as he followed Jesus.
1 Corinthians 11:1-2.
“Be you, followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (Remember that Paul just got through defending his TRUE Apostleship. And thus, Paul is NOT seeking others to follow him so that he could have his own church “denomination”. But rather, Paul desires that we all speak the SAME things as the ONE TRUE church of Jesus Christ) 2. Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.”
Now, keep in mind what we just learned about Paul being EXAMINED by the Jewish Judaizing Christians as we continue to read what Paul is ACTUALLY teaching us. For you see, Paul is NOT teaching that women must wear head coverings at all times in the church and out in public. Please understand that Paul is ANSWERING the matter that was written to him in a letter by the Jewish Judaizing Christians of whether or not Christian women must wear head coverings or not wear head coverings. The Greek word “translated” as “ordinances” literally means the “JEWISH traditions”. Here is how the concordance in E-Sword defines the Greek word “paradosis” translated as “ordinances”.
G3862 παράδοσις paradosis par-ad'-os-is From G3860; transmission, that is, (concretely) a precept; specifically the Jewish traditional law: - ordinance, tradition. Total KJV occurrences: 13.
In other words, Paul is saying CONCERNING the questions that YOU WROTE to me about the Jewish traditional law requiring women to have their heads covered, follow what I am instructing you and NOT what some have RETAINED from the traditional Jewish CUSTOM or tradition. REMEMBER what I have taught you in Colossians 2:14-17 that the things written in the Scriptures are FIGURES and SHADOWS pointing to the TRUE which is Jesus ANOINTED. And in the same way, the covering of a woman’s head is a SHADOW of Jesus being the covering or the protection of the women from the fallen angels. Now, we know with absolute certainty that Paul is still yet addressing the issues in the letter that were written to him. We also can clearly see that Paul CLOSES in 1 Corinthians 11:16 what he himself believes and teaches concerning the argument against him by the Jewish Judaizing Christians demanding that women must have their heads covered. In verse 16 the Apostle Paul settles the contention and strife between the Jewish Judaizing Christians and the Gentile Christians by saying that in the CHURCH we have NO SUCH custom for demanding the women must cover their heads.
1 Corinthians 11:3-16.
“But I would have YOU know, that the head of every man is Christ; (Or I Paul would have YOU KNOW and understand that the authority of leading every person is the ANOINTING of the MAN) and the head of the woman is the MAN, and the head of Christ is God. (Or the authority of leading the woman is also the MAN, Jesus ANOINTED. For the authority of the ANOINTING is of God. In other words, here is what I believe and teach from what I have learned from Jesus. The head over every man is covered all of the time because Jesus Christ is the head over every man. And the head of the woman is always covered all of the time by the SAME anointing of Jesus. That to me, is the core teaching seeing that IN Jesus Christ there is no DIFFERENCE between MALE and FEMALE, according to. But I also teach that the CHRISTIAN HUSBAND is the head or the covering of his wife whether she is a Christians or not a Christian. And a single woman's head who is IN the Lord is always covered all of the time by Jesus himself as being her covering. Then in my following paraphrase, Paul goes on to say, BUT here is what YOU wrote to me examining me and what I teach in your letter to me because of what you were taught under the Law of Moses contained in ordinances and as your Jewish CUSTOM to follow and obey which you wrongly teach and SUBVERT others that they must be kept in the church. Here is what you wrote to me that is Jewish CUSTOM in verses 4 through 6) 4. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5. But every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6. For if the woman is not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. (Then Paul EXPLAINS what he himself teaches in the following verses of Scripture) 7. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 9. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. (In other words, if it was not for the WOMEN, then there would be NO MEN. So get over you Jewish customs and the LETTER of the law and obey the SPIRIT of the law as I have taught you) 10. For this cause, (Or for this reason of a woman given birth to MEN) ought the woman to have POWER on her head because of the angels. (In verses 7-10, we can see Paul saying, yes, I understand all of what you wrote to me about the woman coming from the rib of the man, Adam, and how women are not to have authority over their husband. I know all about the traditional Jewish customs and the Law of Moses. But what about the fallen angels? How can a piece of cloth covering their heads PROTECT them from the fallen angels? How can you not see that the things written in the Scriptures are SHADOWS and FIGURES pointing to Jesus as the HEAD?) 11. NEVERTHELESS, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, IN the Lord. (In other words, it is DIFFERENT under the New Covenant than it was under the Old Covenant and Jewish CUSTOM. And under the New Covenant, there is no longer MALE and FEMALE. Men and women are EQUAL in the eyes of God under the New Covenant, according to Galatians 3:28) 12. For as the woman is of the man, even so, is the man ALSO BY the woman; but all things of God. 13. Judge, in yourselves (Paul has spoken what he believes and teaches in verse 1 and then repeats it in verse 11 and 12. Then BEFORE the colon here in verse 13, Paul says this is something that you must work out between you and God. Then AFTER the colon Paul repeats what THEY, the Jewish Judaizing Christians, wrote in the letter to him): is it comely that a woman prays unto God uncovered? (Then Paul ANSWERS their EXAMINING of him in the letter that they wrote to him by using the analogy of a woman’s HAIR already as being God’s natural COVERING for her head) 14. Does not even nature itself teach you, that if a man has long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15. But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given to her FOR a COVERING. (Then in the next verse Paul plainly states that the church has NO SUCH custom or ordinance that women must wear head coverings) 16. But if any man seems to be contentious, we have NO SUCH custom, neither the churches of God.”
In other words, Paul is NOT teaching that women should never cut their hair and that men must never grow their hair long. Paul is simply saying that a woman's hair NATURALLY grows long and men's hair does not naturally grow long. Personally, I believe that Paul is giving his own personal opinion in verses 14 and 15 concerning the length of men’s hair. And thus, to HIM, he thinks that long hair on men is a shame. And he thinks that women look better in long hair than they look in short hair. But the main point is in verse 16 where Paul specifically states as a FACT with NO interpretation needed to understand that in the church there is NO SUCH custom for women to wear head coverings. And according to the CONTEXT, there is also no such custom in the church teaching that women MUST have LONG hair, and men MUST have short hair. Then in the remainder of chapter 11, Paul moves on to yet another issue in the Corinthians church concerning the taking of communion. And in chapter 12 the subject changes to the things concerning spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:1.
“Now CONCERNING spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”
Now, without getting into long in-depth teaching on the subject of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and why they were NOT just given to MEN ONLY, I want to appeal to your COMMON SENSE by asking you a very simple question. Are WOMEN a part of the body of Jesus Christ? If your answer is a NO, then you are ignorant of the word of God because you are saying that women can NOT be saved. And if you say yes, women can and are indeed a part of the body of Jesus Christ, then the Bible ITSELF teaches us that it is the Holy Spirit who is the one who gives the gifts of the Holy Spirit as HE WILLS.
1 Corinthians 12:11.
“But all these (Speaking of the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit) works that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man (Or every person IN the BODY of Jesus Christ, the CHURCH) severally as HE will.”
And we know from other verses in the Bible that it is indeed God’s WILL to give the gifts of the Holy Spirit EVEN to WOMEN in the body of Jesus Christ. It is even written in prophecy that DAUGHTERS and young maidens would PROPHESY. But again, I do not want to get into a long in-depth subject on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how God is NO RESPECTER of person. I simply want to point out a few verses that will HELP Christian women living in FEAR due to FALSE teaching. I desire that Christian women, who are being lorded over by pompous men in the church, to know the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God which is that those men are wrongly teaching that men are superior to women and that women must keep SILENT in the church. Please notice in verse 22 that Paul is CORRECTING the misunderstanding about women keeping silent in the church.
1 Corinthians 12:22.
“Nay, much MORE those members of the body, which SEEM to be more feeble, are NECESSARY:”
Paul is correcting those Christian men who lord over their wives as being the weaker vessel. And therefore to those who WRONGLY lord over their wives they sincerely but wrongly teach that all women must keep silent in the church. But the Apostle Paul himself is saying that the church NEEDS WOMEN being used by God in the church. The women are NECESSARY for the church and it is the Holy Spirit who places women in the body of Jesus as HE sees fits. Then in chapter 13, Paul is teaching us that walking in LOVE must be our first priority because the gifts of the Holy Spirit do not work the way God intends them to work WITHOUT LOVE. Then in chapter 14, Paul begins to put things back into the right order and how the gifts of the Holy Spirit should be operating in the churches. And evidently, there were some Christians in the Corinthian church who were WRONGLY FORBIDDING Christians from speaking in other tongues in the church. And by the context, we can discern that it was the WOMEN who were being forbidden to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So let us now read those two controversial verses in their CONTEXT after learning about how Paul is CORRECTING his being EXAMINED by those who wrote him that letter wrongly accusing Paul of NOT being a TRUE Apostle of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 14:28-40.
“But if there be no interpreter, let him (Or her) keep silence in the church; and let him (Or her) speak to himself (Or herself), and to God. 29. Let the prophets (BOTH male AND FEMALE) speak two or three, and let the other judge. 30. If anything is revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace. 31. For you may ALL prophesy one by one, that ALL may learn, and ALL may be comforted. (Now, according to 1 Corinthians 12:2-31 we know that not ALL Christians are prophets, in that, we are ALL given the gift of prophecy and therefore the ALL in this verse must be speaking about BOTH the men AND the WOMEN) 32. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in ALL churches of the saints. (Paul is teaching that what we JEWS used to teach concerning Jewish CUSTOM about women being the weaker vessel, but that Jewish teaching was wrong. God is now showing us that we NEED our women. That is what the Apostle Paul teaches. Jesus had many women followers who were his disciples. And that did NOT happen in the Jewish religion. The women were not even allowed inside of the Synagogues. Then in verse 34 and verse 35, Paul REPEATS what was written to him in the letter by those EXAMINING what Paul teaches as being AGAINST the Law of Moses and the Jewish customs. And here is what THEY are saying to the Gentile Christians and in the letter that the Judaizing Jewish Christians wrote to Paul. They were DEMANDING that Paul obey them and their Jewish CUSTOM saying to Paul in their letter to him) 34. Let your women (Or Paul we command you for you to make YOUR women who you are teaching, praying prophesying and speaking in other tongues to) keep silence in the churches: for (Our Jewish CUSTOM teaches us that) it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as ALSO says the law. 35. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. (And in the verses that follow, the Apostle Paul gives his answer to their EXAMINING of him of what he himself is teaching his women disciples) 36. WHAT? Came the word of God out from YOU? Or came it unto you ONLY? 37. If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I WRITE unto you ARE the commandments of the Lord. 38. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39. Wherefore, brethren, (Or for this very reason that there are some among you who choose to be IGNORANT by forbidding women to speak in tongues and to prophesy in the church, I want you to stop listening to THEM and listen to me. For I teach that ALL the members of the body of Jesus Christ, BOTH men and WOMEN, that they ALL should) covet to prophesy and FORBID NOT to speak with tongues. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order.”
In other words, Paul is speaking to the WOMEN who were being FORBIDDEN by the Jewish Judaizing Christians who were KEEPING the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES. In other words, it was the Jewish Judaizing Christians who wanted the women to STOP speaking in other tongues, to STOP giving an interpretation in other tongues, and to STOP prophesying in the church, and to be SILENT and not teach MEN in the church. To say this another way, it was NOT the Apostle Paul who was teaching the women to STOP prophesying and speaking in other tongues. But rather, Paul is teaching the women to STOP being DECEIVED by those false teachers who are compelling women to keep silent in the church and to listen to what Jesus told him to teach to the Gentiles in the church. Now, we know that Paul is teaching us to NOT keep the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES, because in 1 Corinthians 15:1,2, Paul warns us about keeping in memory what he has taught us lest we have believed in VAIN. To believe something in VAIN means that it does not profit you. There is no reward from God. You are doing something that is NOT needed to be pleasing to God. And this is that SAME kind of warning Paul gives to us in the book of Galatians to NOT keep the Law of Moses contained in ordinances. And since Acts 15:24 CLEARLY teaches us that we are NOT to keep the Law of Moses then HOW can anyone believe that Paul is now teaching that WOMEN must keep the Jewish CUSTOMS that are not even in the Law of Moses contained in ordinances? Again, Paul tells us what they wrote in a letter to him about the women keeping silent in the church and then Paul responds back saying WHAT? Are you trying to tell me what to teach and what not to teach? Did the word of the Lord come ONLY to YOU? Jesus has appeared to me many times to teach me what I am to teach to the Gentiles AND to you Jewish Christians as well. BUT if you want to remain IGNORANT then that is between you and the Lord. Can you not see that this whole letter to the Corinthian church is about CORRECTING the questions and the judgmental EXAMINING comments in the letter that was sent to him by the Jewish Judaizing Christians? Can you not see that later on the Apostle Peter WARNS the other Jewish Apostles and the Jewish Judaizing Christians that Paul has some HARD things for the Jewish Christians to bear, but he is RIGHT. Peter said we Jews have been TWISTING the teachings of the Apostle Paul to our OWN DESTRUCTION. Jesus himself told his disciples that he had many more things to teach them but he could not do so because they would NOT have been able to BEAR those teachings as yet. So then, the all Jewish church was yet LEARNING things that were HARD for them to RECEIVE at first. But thanks be to God that Jesus gave the Apostle Paul the wisdom to get through their thick Jewish Judaizing skulls, so to speak, that we as Christians are NOT to keep the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES. And neither are we to keep the Jewish CUSTOMS. Remember that the Greek word “paradosis”, Strong’s number G3862, “TRANSLATED” as “ordinances” in 1 Corinthians 11:2, literally means the traditional Jewish laws or traditions. In the next chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Paul addresses the false teaching of the resurrection being already past and that there is not going to be any future resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:12.
“Now if Christ is preached by us that he rose from the dead, then how come some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”
It is like Paul is saying to them, Do you not believe what I have taught you? You KNOW that I have preached that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. So HOW is it that some of you are overthrowing the faith of others by FALSELY teaching that there is no resurrection for the dead? Then Paul spends the remainder of chapter 15:12-59 CORRECTING their FALSE teaching concerning this matter on the resurrection that THEY WROTE to him in a letter, according to 1 Corinthians 7:1. Then in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, Paul reminds them to have the collection for the saints ready when he comes and then Paul closes the letter that he wrote BACK to them answering THEIR questions, comments, and ACCUSATIONS about him not being a true Apostle of Jesus Christ. So once again, Paul writes what THEY wrote to him, and then Paul CORRECTS what THEY wrote to him. And that is the SOUND Biblical meaning of 1 Corinthians 14:34,35 when those two verses are LEFT IN their CONTEXT. Paul is NOT teaching us that women must keep silent in the churches. Paul is NOT teaching us that women cannot be teachers and preachers. Paul is NOT teaching us that women cannot PROPHESY in the church. Paul is NOT teaching us that women cannot speak in other tongues. And Paul is NOT teaching that women must cover their heads. Paul teaches us that IN the LORD both males and females are ONE. In other words, God sees no DIFFERENCE between male Christians and female Christians when it comes to teaching and preaching the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:26-28.
“For you are ALL the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27. For as many of you as having been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither MALE nor FEMALE: for you are ALL ONE in Christ Jesus.”
Now, some Christians may argue and say what about 1 Timothy 2:9-15 brother Mark? Do not these verses teach that women are to learn in SILENCE and that women are NOT allowed to TEACH in the church?
1 Timothy 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.”
Again, any verse or verses when viewed alone and apart from the rest of God’s word may SEEM to be saying something that it is NOT TRULY saying in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. When these two verses are kept in their CONTEXT, then it becomes obvious that Paul is teaching Timothy to not allow Christian women to usurp AUTHORITY OVER men. In other words, when a woman knows full well that the pastor or some male Bible teacher is NOT teaching sound Biblical teaching, then she is NOT to infringe her belief OVER their teaching. It may well be that they are WRONG and what the woman teaches is the TRUTH. There is a right and a wrong way to correct false teachers. In other words, a woman is allowed to teach or correct a false teacher. But it should not be in front of the whole congregation. And that applies to BOTH male and female Christians. Let us take a closer look at verse 12. The Greek word “oude” that is translated as “nor” ALSO means “NOT HOWEVER”.
G3761 οὐδέ oude oo-deh' From G3756 and G1161; not however, that is, neither, nor, not even: - neither (indeed), never, no (more, nor, not), nor (yet), (also, even, then) not (even, so much as), + nothing, so much as.
So let us read verse 12 using the meaning “NOT, HOWEVER”.
1 Timothy 2:12.
“But I suffer not a woman to teach NOT, HOWEVER, to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”
In other words, Paul is teaching HOW women should be TEACHING in the church. Paul is CORRECTING the WAY in which women SHOULD be teaching in the church. In my own words Paul is saying, “Let the women learn without disturbance by subduing themselves. Moreover, I am saying that a woman should not teach in a way to overthrow the authority of a man, but let her subdue herself to not make a disturbance. Also, another meaning for the word “to teach” is to cause to LEARN or to cause to give correct understanding. In other words, Paul is teaching that women should learn in QUIETNESS and not to cause the male teacher to learn by the women usurping AUTHORITY OVER the MAN or the male teacher. But rather, Paul is teaching the women to respect others and for them to HOLD their tongues and to sit there quietly without DISTURBANCE. And this should also apply to men as well because an open public correction is not being respectful to the leaders of the church. Let us read verses 11 and 12 again with all the different meanings of other words such as the word “BUT” also meaning “MOREOVER” and “suffer” meaning “give liberty to”.
“Let the woman learn in QUIETNESS (Without bustling and gossiping to DISTURB others) with all subjection. (Or without trying to control the teaching) 12. MOREOVER, I do NOT give the LIBERTY to a woman to NOT HOWEVER to teach or give the correct understanding by USURPING authority OVER the man, but to be in silence.”
Now, in the LIGHT of what we just learned from the TRUE sound Biblical meaning 1 Corinthians 14:34,35, which is that Paul CORRECTED what was written to him, then we can see that Paul is NOT teaching for the women to be SILENT in the churches. Rather, it can easily be seen that the women misunderstood Paul and then took his teaching to the EXTREME to start USURPING AUTHORITY OVER the men. And now, Paul is CORRECTING this error of women who are telling the men what to preach and teach. To say this another way, some of the women teachers were abusing the AUTHORITY that they were given as teachers. Also, according to some other sources outside of the Bible, Timothy was the pastor of the church at Ephesus which was a pagan city. And in the temple services in the pagan temples, it was the WOMEN who were the LEADERS. So when pagan women became Christians they were already geared so to speak to usurp authority over the men because that was their pagan custom. So when Paul teaches us that in the Lord there is no more JEW or GENTILE, MALE or FEMALE, he is saying that ALL the CUSTOMS that we once obeyed as a JEW, we are no longer to obey those customs. And the SAME is true for the Gentiles. Whatever PAGAN custom you Gentiles followed and obeyed are no longer to be followed and obeyed. The Lord has taught me what we are to follow and obey so follow me as I follow and obey the teaching that Jesus gave to me to teach to you. All one needs to do is to look at ALL the women in the Bible both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament to see how Almighty God HIMSELF USED WOMEN to proclaim his WORD to MEN. So get off your high-horse men and let the women be USED by God to preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ lest YOU be held accountable on the Day of Judgment for HINDERING the TRUE GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. For further study on this subject of women not being allowed to be teachers in the church, please read all the studies under the heading >>>L-0. CAN WOMEN BE PASTORS?<<< Also, here is a link to a video teaching that I came across in my research on the role of women in the church. It is titled Women in leadership! Must women keep silent? And here is another video showing how women are faced with choosing God over their families misguided beliefs and, therefore, they are faced with LOSING their family. Twisted Scripture - 1 Timothy 2:12. And below are some more video teachings by others. Also, here are some more links to some of the research sources that I used. Some of my readers have been asking for video teachings, so I have been searching for some good sound Bible video teachings by others on the subject that I myself do not yet have video teachings on those particular subjects. And this is one of those subjects that I myself have not yet made any video teachings. Here is the link to the article that I quoted from in some of my studies on the subject of women because it was the most in-depth and unbiased article that I found.
Junia, a Female Apostle: An Examination of the Historical Record
And here are some links to some video teachings on WOMEN in the Bible. In this first video, there are two different men teaching. The first half is from a radio teaching and in the second half, you can see the teacher. The video is around 13 minutes long.
In this second video below, I do not agree with his teaching on the Trinity but what I do agree with is a conclusion on the subject about the abuse of Scripture when it comes to lording over women.
Ephesians 5:22 and 1 Timothy 2:11
The following video is also a short video that teaches us a little about Jewish CUSTOMS and how the Jews viewed women as basically their PROPERTY. I chose this video so that you can see that the Jewish Judaizing Christians did not agree with the teachings of the Apostle Paul and they were EXAMINING Paul as to whether or not he was a true Apostle of Jesus Christ.
Now, this next video teaching is rather long but I believe this man put a lot of research and study on 1 Corinthians 15:34,35 and the other verses that SEEM to teach that women must not be used by God to teach men in the church. Now, while I agree with his research on those verses I DISAGREE with his own personal opinion on women wearing head coverings. He simply failed to do any research on that particular subject of the Jewish CUSTOM of women wearing head coverings. Please understand that there are many good Bible teachers on PARTICULAR subjects BUT on OTHER subjects they may simply “PARROT” what they were previously taught by their church denomination WITHOUT doing their own in-depth Bible studies on those other subjects. Around 18 minutes into the video, he talks about Junia and later alludes to Junia being Joahna but I would listen to the whole video the entire context.
In the following video, I find one of the best explanations and teachings on 1 Corinthians 14:34,35 that I ever came across. But because this video is by a WOMAN I listed it toward the end. For you see, some may wrongly think that teaching about women by a woman might be biased. But in truth, this woman shows the PAIN that some women suffer needlessly because of false teaching. And to me, her teaching is SOUND Biblical teaching on this subject concerning women being used by God as teachers in the church.
In this next video, there is a list of the NAMES of all the women in the New Testament for those who want to do their own Bible study of how God uses women in the Bible.
NAMES of women in the New Testament
And this last video I just added for those want-a-be scholarly type men that like quoting the Greek just to look smart.
Xenophon of Ephesus 5 and 1 Timothy 2
Derived from Greek ξενος (xenos) meaning “foreign, strange” and φωνη (phone) meaning “voice”. That is to say, xenophone means a strange voice.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus. So, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading >>>D-0. THE BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of JESUS!<<< And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading >>>C-0. THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH!<<< This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED!
To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY is according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God. So please read ALL of the studies under the heading >>>N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE?<<< and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father. And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings >>>U-0. VERSES used for THE TRINITY!<<< and >>>V-0. VERSES used to TEACH that Jesus PRE-EXISTED!<<< These two headings have ALL of the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity. I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ! |
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