Some Thoughts On “Women Should Remain Silent In The Churches” (1 Corinthians 14:34)

thoughts by Charles P. Schmitt, founding pastor

I just received an email from a listener on our website to our ISOM classes, in which he asks why we haven’t so far addressed 1 Corinthians 14:34 (“women should remain silent in the churches”) in our lessons on the gifts of the Spirit. The following is my response—

Probably it was skipped because it’s not easy to explain. First of all, it runs contrary to what Paul himself just wrote in Chapter 11:5, “every woman who prays or prophecies….” If “silent” means “silent” (and we can assume it does), how can a woman “pray or prophesy” (according to 11:5) and yet “remain silent in the church”? (14:34) Then, as a sidebar, the whole matter in 1 Corinthians 11 of a woman praying or prophesying with her “head covered” becomes an issue. It appears as if Paul is arguing for a separate head covering for a woman, only to turn right around and insist that her long hair is given to her as a covering!” (11:15). I just really wish I knew exactly what the man was talking about in both of these chapters!

But back to 14:34. I have been pondering the following explanation for some while now. In 1 Corinthians it appears as if Paul is responding to a letter the Corinthians wrote to him. Chapter 7:1 evidences this—“Now for the matter you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.” Here Paul mentions their letter and I believe actually quotes from it. I believe “It is good for a man not to marry” is their ascetic statement to him. And Paul then answers them in verse 2, “But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife….”

But back to 14:34. For years I have been puzzled by the seeming “tirade” that Paul goes into in 14:36-38: “Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing is the Lord’s command. If he ignores this he himself will be ignored.” I have been puzzled for years over what it was that Paul was reacting to. Then one day it dawned on me, that the statement about “women being silent” was probably a quote from their letter to him—them actually trying to tell Paul how to instruct the churches under his care, and that this was what triggered his rebuke of them in verses 36-38.

The verse 33 phrase “as in all the congregations of the saints” probably belongs to the early part of verse 33, and verse 34-35 may be the actual quote from them—“women should remain silent in the church….” To their thoughts he pointedly reacts in verses 36-38.

Perhaps Paul’s mode of writing in referring back to their letter helps explain other statements like, “how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (15:12). 8:1 also seems to be a reference to an issue they raised in their letter—“Now about food sacrificed to idols….” In 10:23, the way the NIV puts it, we may also find more quotes from their letter and the way Paul responds to their quotes—“‘Everything is permissible,’ (their statement)—but not everything is beneficial (his response). ‘Everything is permissible,’ (their statement)—but not everything is constructive” (his response). Well, so much for these ponderings.

In the wider picture, women certainly do have a clear ministry call from God in Holy Scripture. According to Micah 6:4, Miriam was part of the exodus leadership team. She was a “prophetess” (Exodus 15:20) as was Deborah (Judges 4:4), one of the rulers of Israel. Other prophetesses also functioned, such as Huldah (2 Chronicles 34:22), and the woman in Isaiah 8:3 (perhaps Isaiah’s wife), Anna (Luke 2:36) and Philip’s four daughters (Acts 21:8-9). The promise from Joel, in Acts 2:17-18 is clear—“your sons and daughters will prophesy … both men and women … will prophesy.”

Concerning the teaching apostolic couple, Aquila and Priscilla, there are times when Paul and Luke do the unspeakable—list her name before his! (2 Timothy 4:19, Acts 18:18; Romans 16:3). And most unbiased scholars are clear that “Andronicus and Junia(s)” are probably a couple—the woman being “Junia(s);” and both are lauded by Paul as “outstanding among the apostles” (Romans 16:7). So it is obvious that God is “an equal opportunity employer!”

To those who have lingering doubts about Paul and his seeming “negativity” towards women’s ministry (1 Timothy 2:11-14), I would remind them that the then current social context plays a role in understanding some Scriptures. How else would we understand Paul’s admonition: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters ….” (Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22) except in the then current social context. But praise God, “the times are a changing,” and women have stepped up to a new social role, and slavery is seen to be a social abomination and outlawed in wholesome societies. (To those who want to extend this understanding to undo the mandates of Romans 1:24-27 to allow for same-sex marriage, I would appeal to the fact that marriage is clearly defined in Genesis, in the beginning, by God, as one man with one woman, for life, and on such moral issues there can be no “societal accommodations”!