I suppose that, relative to every truth, there are extremes. The truth given by God contains no extremes; but man has interjected them. Man's failure to correctly understand and teach God's word is the product of numerous things. Some who have preconceived ideas only use the Bible to provide support for what they already believe. Others approach the Scriptures with attendant poor study habits; and some deliberately set out to distort God's word (Matthew 13:15; 2 Timothy. 2:15; 2 Peter 2:1). Admittedly, it is also true that some verses are difficult and require extra care in effecting the correct exegesis (cp. 2 Peter 3:16). One passage that has certainly endured its share of abuse is 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. The passage reads as follows:
"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 saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
On one end of the spectrum, there are those who teach that women today may serve as preachers and elders in the Lord's church (cp. 1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Timothy 3:1ff). The antithetical position says that women are not permitted to even speak in the assembly. We are told that the passage in 1 Corinthians 14, verses 34-35, precludes speech on the part of godly women who are in the assembly.
Some present 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 in a way that manifestly contradicts what Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11:4-16, taught regarding the prophetesses and how they were to "pray or prophesy." One view is that after telling the prophetesses (in chapter 11) how to do what they were doing in public places, Paul decided to change his teaching and tell them to be completely silent in the assembly. Some have introduced these two texts as an example of ambivalence and indecision. Others, based on 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, have concluded that public places such as the assembly were not included in the text of 1 Corinthians 11:3-16. If this be the case, how could there have been the doing of the same thing, and under the same circumstances, that occasioned the need for the head covering enjoined by Paul in the case of the prophetesses (1 Corinthians 11:4-16)? Could it be that 1 Corinthians 11:4-16 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 address entirely different people and circumstances? We shall attempt, by careful exegesis, to ascertain exactly what Paul was, and was not, teaching when he penned 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.
"Let your women keep silence in the churches." The original is, "Let the women in the churches be silent" (sigatosan ai gunaikes en tais ekklesiais). The King James translators infer "your" from the idea that the Corinthian women were being addressed. However, it is evident that the women being addressed are not limited to Corinth. I say this based on the plural "churches" (ekklesiais, see also vs. 36). Through his use of the word "churches," Paul showed that he was writing to the local churches. More precisely, "in a church" (en ekklesia, vs. 35) refers to the assembly, as opposed to "at home" (en oiko).
The regulation given by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14 pertained especially to the assembly. The use of spiritual gifts, especially tongues and prophesy, had a special utility and function; therefore, Paul was stressing how they were to exercise these miraculous gifts. As a consequence, we read such language as, "in church" (en ekklesia, vs. 19, 28). Paul wrote "the whole church be come together in one place" (he hole ekklesia sunelthe epi to, vs. 23).
Spiritual gifts, such as prophesy, were designed for the edification of the church and were used in the assembly to edify the saints (vs. 3, 5, 22). Hence, we read, "But if all prophesy, and there come in..." (vs. 24). To "come in" (eiselthe) means to enter the assembly where some were prophesying. Paul was delineating the protocol and order for the exercise of spiritual gifts in the assembly (vs. 26-32). It was, therefore, in the assembly that these women were told to "be silent."
"Silent" is from the Greek sigao and means, "to be silent" and "to keep silence, hold one's peace" (Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words and Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, respectively). Sigao is used nine times in the Greek New Testament and always with the idea of silence, as opposed to sound (in Luke 9:36, "kept it close," KN, is from sigao). In fact, sigao is used twice in the context of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Paul wrote, "But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church..." and, "If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace." (vs. 28, 30) "Keep silence" (vs. 28) and "hold his peace" (vs. 30) are translated from sigao.
"...For it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." Paul, with this explanatory injection, stated the reason why these women were to keep silent in the church. The applicable teaching to which Paul alludes probably looks to Genesis 3:16 as its inception. These women were doing something that violated this general law of submission.
"And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home..." All were to learn and be edified, but there was a circumstance in which Paul told these particular women that they should ask their husbands at home. The original is literally, "...let them question at home their own husbands" (eperotatosan en oiko tous idious andras). Hence, these were women at Corinth who had "their own men" and had, therefore, the opportunity to question their own men at home (because they lived together as husband and wife).
"...For it is a shame for women to speak in the church." Paul ended with another statement of explanation, as suggested by the introductory word, "for" (Greek, gar). The question remains, who were these women, and what were they doing that constituted a violation of submission and resulted in shame? The answer, "... they were speaking" is simplistic.
It is obvious that 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 demands qualification and stipulation. In the first place, using this passage to teach that women are not permitted to speak in the assembly negates the general command Paul gave when he wrote, "speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..." (Ephesians 5:19) This verse necessarily infers qualification of the passage in 1 Corinthians.
Also, as mentioned earlier, insisting that women--all women in all circumstances--be completely silent (without sound) in the assembly makes Paul contradict his teaching relative to the prophetess (1 Corinthians 11:4-16). Consider the following statement from The Pulpit Commentary regarding the prophetess being the obvious exception:
"...At the same time, it is fair to interpret it as a rule made with special reference to time and circumstances, and obviously admitting of exception in both dispensations... The writer then referred to different prophetesses, (Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; Nehemiah 6:14; Luke 2:36). (The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 19, pg. 460, exposition of 1 Corinthians 14: 34-35)
Having engaged in an exegesis of the passage, let us now look to the context for additional meaning.
1 Corinthians 14 (vs. 5,6,9,16,19,23,26-31) is replete with instruction regarding how Christians must conduct themselves to avoid and obviate confusion. Paul plainly and cogently informed them (vs.32) that they--even those who possessed spiritual gifts--were to be in control of themselves. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is sandwiched between verses (33,40) that forbid confusion and disorder.
I, therefore, submit that what these women were doing was asking their husbands questions (the specific speaking) in the assembly, in such a way that they were both precipitating confusion and also exhibiting lack of subjection to their husbands. These women were not all the women at Corinth, but they were married women. The passage also implies that their husbands, of whom they were to inquire at home, and not in the assembly, were in a position to provide the answers to their questions. Moreover, it is highly likely that their husbands were the prophets to whom the immediately preceding verses pertain. Hence, these women were to remain silent, or without sound (as opposed to speech), IN THE MATTERS (confusion and lack of submission to their husbands) being discussed in the context. As to other regulating teaching that is broader in its scope, we must look to such texts as 1 Timothy 2:12-15.
While 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is characterized by specificity, women today (by speaking out in a similar way) can also create confusion in the assembly and be guilty of not being in subjection to their husbands. This is the paramount lesson taught in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. However, to simplistically, arbitrarily lift verses 34 and 35 out of their context and contend that they contain a blanket requirement for women to remain completely silent in the assembly is to defeat and ignore Paul's original application of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. It also causes a collision between this passage and a number of others.