Some may consider the debate on whether women should be silent in the Church or not as ongoing. The words of Paul usually champion the argument in favor of women being silent in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (KJV): "Let your women remain silent in the churches: for it is not permitted for them to speak; they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 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."
Let us unpack what is happening here and what Paul is addressing.
In 1 Corinthians 11:4-5, Paul instructs the Church, saying, "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head." This was not an instruction for private prayer or worship but an instruction on how both men and women should pray in the Church.
However, in chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians, Paul told the women to be silent! What happened between chapters 11 and 14 in the Church of Corinth? In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (KJV), Paul instructs women to keep silent in the churches and ask questions at home.
Let us put this in a cultural perspective because I do not believe Paul was contradicting himself but addressing a human issue hindering spiritual growth.
Kenneth Bailey provides, in great depth, a reconstruction of what he believes was happening in the Corinthian Church at the time of Paul's instruction, based on his experiences among the present-day peoples of the area. (See Chapter 4.7 of Bailey's book "Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians") Here is Bailey's conclusions:
The Corinthian Church was perhaps the most diverse in nationalities and economic status – from the rich to the poor.
Persons speaking during worship may have had strong accents of their native tongue, making understanding difficult for some hearers, who may have asked those around them to explain what they were hearing.
Due to their cultural upbringing, women in that era had a short attention span of fifteen seconds. When they were not directly engaged in communication or need help understanding what was being said, they would quickly begin chatting.
It was common for men and women to sit separately. If this was the case, wives may have shouted across the divide to their husbands to ask them to clarify what was being said.
It must be noted that in a predominantly oral culture of the time, the audience began discussing the subjects amongst themselves as soon as the speaker paused. It is their way of learning and retaining information.
Paul's instruction should not be interpreted that women should stop participating, speaking, and leading worship. Paul's teaching was that the women of that time should keep quiet so that everyone could hear what the speaker was saying.
Therefore, the wives were instructed to respect the others in worship, remain silent, and ask questions once at home. Paul's response was necessary for the Church and its spiritual growth at that time.
Paul named several women as his "co-workers in the gospel" and praised women like Priscilla and Lydia, who were leaders of the early Church. Paul's evangelistic ministry was based on partnerships with women.
In Philippi, Paul met a group of women praying. One of them was Lydia, who opened her home to Paul and the converts. In Phil. 4:3, we learn of two other women in the Philippine Church, Euodia and Syntyche, who, according to Paul, "worked with me in the gospel."
When Paul arrived in Corinth, Priscilla and Aquila invited him to stay with them until they all moved to Ephesus. When Paul left Ephesus on his missionary journey, he left Priscilla and Aquila in charge of the Church, which met in their home.
Let's not forget Phoebe, whom Paul mentions in Romans 16:1 as "deaconess of the church of Cenchraea." She brought Paul's letter from Greece to the Romans - a dangerous journey by sea and land. Paul praised her work in the Church of Cenchrea.
Deborah was a Judge in Judges 4, one of the key judges in the narrative of how Israel conquered Canaan. She was the only female judge, the only one referred to as a prophet, and the only one said to be carrying out judicial duties.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:6-8, and Ephesians 4:11, Paul discusses in detail the "spiritual gifts" given to the Church. Paul indicates in these passages that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to all believers for the building up of the Church. In Acts 2:17, it is written, "and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."
How do we reconcile this with Paul's oft-quoted words about women's silence? We do so by examining the context in which the text is set, recognizing text that clearly target particular times and cultures.
Gentle reminder: in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, 11:3-12, 1 Timothy 2: 11-15, Paul is mentoring the church based on what he did not allow; this is not God or Jesus speaking but a disciple whose words must be kept in perspective.
1 Peter 2:9 instructs all believers to declare the excellencies of Christ in their sphere of influence: “You are a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
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