In 1Co 14, Paul continues to provide guidelines for control and order in worship services, as God is a God of peace and harmony not disorder. To contradict God’s own character in worship does not honor Him. When a Christian assembly is in tune with the Holy Spirit, there will not be disorder but harmony and peace that pleases God and edifies His people.

In Greek culture, the place of women was very low. Unless they were very poor or had loose morals, they led a secluded life. The Jews had an even lower idea of women and had many sayings that belittled them, such as “to teach the law to a woman was to cast pearls before swine.” The Talmud lists among the plagues of the world “the talkative and the inquisitive widow and the virgin who wastes her time in prayers.” Women were discouraged from speaking in public and not allowed to confront or question men publicly; consequently, they didn’t receive formal religious education as the men did. With the introduction of Christianity, many of these cultural ideas were changed and respect and dignity was restored to women as the Lord originally ordained. However, in most of the meeting places, men and women sat apart from each other in worship service, and women, with this new found freedom, would call out questions about the word to their husbands, bringing confusion and disruption. That is why Paul gives the women the command to have their questions answered by asking their husbands in the privacy of their home as “…if they learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” (1Co 14:35)

In 1Co 11:5, we see the following principle, “…but every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head…” that is a clear word showing that women can pray and prophesy in public worship under the anointing. In chapters 1Co 12-14, it is clear that women are given spiritual gifts and are encouraged to use them. We see that Phillip’s daughters prophesied and, of course, Peter quotes the famous prophecy of Joel (Ac 2:17-18), “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: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:” Therefore, when Paul says that women should keep silent in the church he does not mean for them to be excluded in the worship or in the moving of the gifts, but rather he means that the woman has not the God given authority to speak by way of teaching or public instruction. This is the basis for the scripture we see in 1Ti 2:12, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” The principle of this scripture says that the woman should not, under any circumstances, be out of submission to the man and take away his authority. This would apply to the husband/wife relationship, in the church it applies to the husband, and the Elders/Pastors.

Going back to our text in (1Co 14:34-35), Paul reinforces the principle by saying, “as also saith the law”, here Paul again appeals to the Old Testament to convince the Corinthians. The scripture he cited was probably Ge 3:16, which is referred to as the ‘Genesis 3 curse’. “Unto the woman he said I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” In short, the Fall caused the woman to rebel and the man to dominate. It caused the woman to be put under the dominion of her husband and since the man sinned also, he did not rule with wisdom and love and she did not obey with humility and meekness. As we stated above, the scripture in 1Ti 2:11-12repeats this restriction. The scripture plainly states that women are not to teach in a man’s capacity and women are forbidden to usurp the authority over the man, but to be in silence. Why? Because of Eve’s transgression and also the scripture says, “For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (1Ti 2:13-14) There are; however, several passages of scripture which do show that the Lord can and does use women to further the gospel, both in and out of the church setting: Ac 18:26 Aquila and Priscilla; Ac 21:9 Phillip’s four daughters that prophesied; Ro 16:1 Phoebe the church deaconess; and Php 4:3 the women that labored with Paul in the Gospel. Consequently, in making these prohibitions, Paul had uppermost in mind the outspoken, out of control women in the church who were causing confusion by their questions and disruptive talk, and according to church history their desire to get into a teaching mode, which is forbidden.

Paul’s admonishment therefore, in 1Co 14:34-35, to the women, was for the sole purpose of pleasing the God of Order and Author of Peace, the Head of the Church, and the Lord Jesus Christ, that the coming together in worship should be done with reverence. When done in this manner, the Holy Spirit can move upon the saints to the end that the whole church would be instructed, edified, and built up in love.