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Eternal Women |
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Clarifying what should be obvious, the women of the New Testament church share eternal life with Jesus Christ in the same manner as do the men of the church. They too are highly valued members of the ecclesia of God.
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“….for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 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. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?” (1 Corinthians 14:33-36).
At first glance, the words of the Apostle Paul to the ecclesia at Corinth might appear to diminish the role of women in the New Testament church. However, further examination reveals that was not his intention. Rather than decreasing the role of women, Paul wanted to emphasize the preeminence of Christ in the gatherings of the New Testament church. Biblical Context Women served an important role throughout the Bible. The significance of their role is documented in the Old Testament books of law, history, poetry and prophecy (cf. Genesis 1:27; 2:20-24; 5:1-2; Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:3; Joshua 6:25; 1 Samuel 1; Ruth; Esther; Proverbs 19:14; Ecclesiastes 9:9; Isaiah 8:3-4; Ezekiel 24:15-27; Daniel 5:10-12; et al.). The New Testament also clarifies that women served an important role in the plan of God. It is revealed in the Gospels (cf. Matthew 9:20-22; Luke 7:37-50; 8:1-3; 10:38-42; John 4:7-27), the book of Acts (cf. Acts 1:14; 2:18; 5:14; 8:3, 12; 9:2; 36; 12:12-15; 16:13-15; 17:4, 12; 18:26; 21:8-9) and the Epistles (cf. Romans 16:1-6; 1 Corinthians 11:11-15; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:25-31; Philippians 4:2-3; 2 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 3:7). Book Context The Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is largely corrective in nature. It reveals a number of problems and corrective measures relevant to the practice of the ecclesia in ancient Corinth. Among other things, Paul addressed issues associated with the gatherings of the church in ancient Corinth (1 Corinthians 11-14). The following provides a brief overview: |
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In verses 32 and 34 Paul repeats another Greek word, hupotasso. It means “to be under obedience”, “to be in subjection to” or “to be put into subjection to”. The use of the same word within a short passage is again likely indicative of a connected thought.
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It appears that Paul’s use of words with parallel meaning in 1 Corinthians 14:26-36 are suggestive of continuity of thought between his corrective admonitions. In other words, there is a link between his corrective admonitions regarding the misuse of spiritual gifts (28, 30, 32) and women keeping silent in the assembly (34).
Cultural Considerations “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 Corinthians 14:34). Paul argues his point according to law. Uncharacteristically, however, he does not provide detail of the specific law to which he refers. Therefore, it is possible that the phrase “….just as the Law also says” refers to the rule of law reflected in the cultural norms and traditions of men as opposed to specific Old Testament law. The inequality of the sexes remained a problematic cultural norm in the Middle East during the first century. It was typically the result of the practice of male dominance. In ancient, male-dominated cultures women were uneducated and generally treated as second-class citizens. In both the Jewish and Gentile world they were often considered to be little more than property. Through the advent of the Gospel, however, the women in ancient Corinth enjoyed greater freedom than they had ever before known. Nevertheless, they were not yet fully versed on the meaning of Christian freedom or ordered equality within church gatherings. As a consequence, the Corinthian women were asserting themselves in assembled worship in a manner contrary to both cultural norm and peaceful, ordered assembly. It was disruptive, a poor witness to the non-believing citizens of Corinth and the reason for Paul’s correction. Paul’s corrective measure was for the disruptive women to “keep silent” and “subject themselves”. It is interesting that he did not clarify to whom the Corinthian women were to “subject themselves”. In contrast to subjection to their own husbands (vs. 35), he could have simply meant that the Corinthian women were to subject themselves to the other gifted people in the assembly (cf. Ephesians 5:21). Immediately preceding, Paul had discussed spiritually gifted ministry in which the members of the church body were to subject themselves to one another (vss. 26-32). If they were unwilling, his admonition was for them to keep silent in the assembly. “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). According to Paul, women desiring to learn spiritual truth were not to disrupt the assembly, but to “remain silent” and “subject themselves”. In the same manner that tongues speakers and those with the gift of prophesy were to “keep silent” through self-subjection (i.e., “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets”), women were to “keep silent” and “subject themselves” to the authority of another. The apostolic admonition was for the women to ask their husbands for instruction at home. It can be presumed that single women were encouraged to prayerfully seek a trusted male authority figure from within the ecclesia for instruction during a time outside of the regular assembly. Paul’s admonition for women to remain silent in church gatherings and seek instruction outside could have been related to a number of things. However, it was more than likely related to an absence of formal education for women, their lack of understanding of ordered equality in church gatherings and a resultant tendency to interrupt with well-intended, but disruptive dialogue. In defense of women remaining silent in the gatherings of the ancient church it is first important to note that women were not educated in the Corinthian culture of the first century. Generally speaking, they were not provided with any formal education whatsoever. Therefore, it was likely that when the Corinthian believers assembled together the participating women had reasonable, albeit simple questions about their newfound faith. Paul indicated that church gatherings were to function in a manner that was edifying to all and, therefore, women should be “brought up to speed” through discipleship outside of church gatherings. Second, relative to the context of 1 Corinthians as a whole, it is also possible that uneducated women were somewhat forcefully demanding answers to their questions within the context of the church gathering. As a result, they were effectively controlling the assembly through disruption. Third, the men and women in the church in ancient Corinth likely did not understand the concept of ordered equality. Still in a state of spiritual infancy, they could have insisted on an equal role and corresponding voice within the body. As such, it is quite possible that certain women were effectively directing the focus of the gathering away from the preeminence of Jesus and His ministry to His body. Therefore, the whole assembly would have been distracted from its sole source of edification. Thus, the gathering would have been unedifying and even chaotic. While some might view Paul’s corrective measures for women as restrictive, it is more likely that his advice for husbands to educate their wives at home was motivated by love. “Informed listeners customarily asked questions during lectures, but it was considered rude for the ignorant to do so. Although by modern standards literacy was generally low in antiquity, women were far less trained in the Scriptures and public reasoning than men were. Paul does not expect these uneducated women to refrain from learning (indeed, that most of their culture had kept them from learning was the problem). Instead, he provides the most progressive model of his day: their husbands are to respect their intellectual capabilities and give them private instruction. He wants them to stop interrupting…because until they know more, they are distracting everyone and disrupting church order.”[1] Despite lacking a formal education, women served a major role in the early church. They were critical to its growth and development (Acts 16:13-15, 40; 17:4, 12). Paul specifically referred to women as “fellow workers” (Romans 16:3; Philippians 4:3) and identified many by name (Acts 9:36-43; 16:14-15; Romans 16:1, 3, 6, 12; Philippians 4:2; 2 Timothy 1:3-5). |