LET WOMEN KEEP SILENT IN THE CHURCHES

By W. Frank Walton

"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" (1 Cor. 14:34).

What is the silence Paul enjoins upon women? Is it absolute in every situation or is it qualified in a certain situation? This article will show that women keeping silent is in leading the assembly. The silence is qualified. She is not to speak beyond the point of being in sub­jection to male leadership.

"Keep silent" (Greek, sigao) means abso­lute silence, to hold one's peace, to not make a sound. Yet, women are commanded to sing in the assembly, thereby teaching others (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19). Also, if a woman desires to obey the gospel, she is to make "the good confession" (cf. Rom. 10:9-10), which may be in "the presence of many witnesses" (1 Tim. 6:12). If "keep silent in the churches" is absolutely unqualified, a woman could not sing, nor confess Christ, or even verbally correct her children in the as­sembly. In Acts 5:1-11, we have an example of Peter asking Sapphira to answer a ques­tion, thereby speaking, before an assembly (5:8). (Young men in the audience or as­sembly came forward to bury both Annanias and Sapphira after their fateful lie). Such speaking before an assembly was done while being in subjection to male leadership.

Defined Within Context. The context of 1 Corinthians 12-14 is the exercise of miracu­lous gifts before the whole assembly. "Speak" (14:34) is used in this context of addressing, thereby leading, the assembly (cf. 14:27,29). A male tongue speaker, with­out an interpreter, and a male prophet, waiting his turn, were both enjoined to "keep silent" (vv. 28,30). They were forbid­den to address the assembly in the speci­fied situation. "It is a shame for a woman to speak in church" (1 Cor. 14:35) refers to the specific disruptive example at Corinth. It means women should not speak [in a way] that dis­rupts, controls or leads the assem­bly.

A Qualified Prohibition. "NOT permitted to speak, BUT are to subject themselves" means the NOT phrase is qualified (or modi­fied) by the BUT phrase. We must not put a "period" in the middle of Paul's thought. We must not assert a full, abso­lute negative when God has revealed a qualified negative. The BUT clause modifies the NOT clause.

There are several "NOT...BUT" passages in the Bible that are relative, not absolute, prohibitions (cf. Matt. 6:19-20). For exam­ple, Jesus said, "do NOT work for the food that perishes, BUT for the food that en­dures to everlasting life" (John 6:27). If the NOT clause was not qualified, then it would be wrong to work. Jesus says one must not work for food to the neglect of working for spiritual food. So, "do not work" is a quali­fied prohibition, relative to what the BUT clause enjoins. In another example, Paul said "Christ did NOT send me to baptize BUT to preach the gospel" (1 Cor. 1:17). Yet, Paul said he did baptize a few people (1 Cor. 1:14,16). Did Paul disobey Christ? No, since baptism in context is an act where some thought they were baptized into Paul's name, contrary to pointing peo­ple to Christ. Yet, in due course of preach­ing, Paul may have had to baptize some people per­sonally into Christ. Another ex­ample of the "NOT...BUT" contrast is in 1 Peter 3:3: "Let NOT your adornment be ex­ternal -- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses, BUT let it be the hidden person of the heart." Did Peter absolutely prohibit women from wearing dresses? I hope not! It is a quali­fied prohibition. She is not to be concerned with outward adornment to the neglect of her inner spiritual character.

The Women Causing Problems. "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 14:35). Paul had in mind a certain group of women with husbands. It is most probable that these were the wives of the prophets. The wives were adding to the "confusion" in the assembly (v. 33). They were probably "asking questions" while their husband was prophesying, which was an opening for these "liberated women" to dis­rupt and di­rect the assembly.

The Underlying Scriptural Principle. Note that Paul's divine principle is nothing new. The underlying principle of female subjec­tion is "just as the Law also says." What verse in the OT does Paul have in mind? Since he refers to wives and husbands, he must be referencing God's admonition to Eve: "your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you" (Gen. 3:16). The brazen prophets' wives were speaking be­fore the church, probably interrupting their husband, thereby indicating they were not in subjection.

In the marriage relationship, as well as in the church, God has ordained male leader­ship and female followship. Men have the re­sponsibility to lead and females have the re­sponsibility to submit. God the Father is over Christ, Christ is over man, and man is over woman (1 Cor. 11:3ff). A woman is not to usurp authority over or teach over a man (1 Tim. 2:11-12). Priscilla, in conjunction with her husband Aquila, helped to teach Apollos (Acts 18:26). A woman teaches when she sings, but she is not teaching "over" a man. A woman may make a com­ment in a Bible class, but she is not to speak beyond sub­jection to the male teacher (i.e. dominate or control the class).

Women may take the lead in teaching classes of children or other women (cf. Ti­tus 2:3-4). Women have much God-glorifying work to do in their sphere desig­nated by God. The silence Paul enjoins on women in 1 Cor. 14:34f is when women at­tempt to dis­rupt God's delegation of au­thority and male leadership by taking the lead in the assem­bly. &

 

THE SIN OF DISRUPTING THE ASSEMBLY

By Bob Myhan

In the collective worship of the church we must “let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40). This means no one has a right to disrupt the assemblies of the church.

Worship is a serious mat­ter. For this very reason, Joshua com­manded an­cient Israel,

"Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!” (Josh. 24:14)

Hundreds of years later, Jesus told the Samaritan woman that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). To “worship in spirit” is to worship in sincerity, as opposed to merely going through the mo­tions. To “worship in … truth” is to wor­ship in accor­dance with the word of God, which is truth (John 17:17). The word, “must,” means that such wor­ship is im­perative, if one wishes to please God.

There are five acts of worship authorized in the New Testament—the Lord’s Sup­per, singing, preaching, praying and giving. Each of these is to be done “in spirit and truth.” Each of them is to “be done decently and in order.” Those who act in such a way as to prevent decent, or­derly worship make it dif­ficult if not impossible for others to worship in spirit and are guilty of dis­rupting the as­sembly.

Whether a sermon is being deliv­ered, the Lord’s Sup­per is be­ing served, a prayer is being led, the collection is being taken or a song is being sung, worship is going on and no one—male, fe­male, saint or sin­ner—is to be disrup­tive. In view of the truths pre­sented in the above article by W. Frank Walton, men are to take the lead in the wor­ship as­semblies of the saints. If a woman, in par­ticular, causes disorder by inter­rupting or distracting him who is leading, she dishonors the headship of man, which was ordained by God (1 Cor. 11:3; see also 1 Tim. 2:11-13).

Brothers and sisters let us “worship in spirit and truth” and see that all things are “done de­cently and in order.” &