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I Corinthians 14:34-35, Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.  If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

The bulk of this chapter has to do with the speaking of tongues.  Paul is not against speaking in tongues but he is clear that tongues benefits the speaker more than the listener.  Prophecy, on the other hand, benefits the listeners.  This is a passage often taken out of context.  Yes, tongues are a gift of the Spirit and for many people, tongues provide an intimate way to communicate with God.  But within the context of worship, tongues are appropriate only if there is an interpreter.  According to Paul, the question to always ask is “Does this build up the body of Christ?”

Speaking of taking passages out of context, I think our focus Scripture for today has been taken out of context often and misused by many.  Is Paul saying that women need to always be silent in church?  No, he isn’t, as he is supportive of women’s participation in worship in other passages.  Just a few chapters before this, in I Corinthians 11:5, Paul mentioned women praying and prophesying aloud in worship. 

What does he mean in this text? Keep in mind, this is a pastoral letter that is addressing a specific situation in a specific place.  Corinth was a wild, out of control place.  These women have grown up being influenced by this environment.  Don’t get me wrong, the Greek and Roman world was still highly patriarchal and women had little if any rights or privileges.  But in the church, women were valued and had a certain degree of freedom.  They could learn, speak, pray, and work alongside the men in many ways.  Most likely, in this situation, there was confusion and disorder in the church worship and Paul needed to address it. The Greek word used in the text for speak actually is better translated “chattering.” Most likely, these women were interrupting worship with their constant chattering.  Maybe they were asking questions.  Maybe they were talking amongst themselves.  We really don’t know.  The details aren’t available to us.

This leads to an important point.  We cannot pick certain Scripture verses and pull them out of their contexts, trying to force an application today.  What’s important is to look at what the whole Biblical narrative says about a certain topic.  Does the whole Biblical narrative insist women be silent in worship OR do we see women lifted up by Jesus, involved in the ministry of the early church, and working as effective prophets, leaders, and teachers (often praised by Paul)?  When one or two verses seem out of place, contradicting the rest of the Biblical narrative, then there is probably a deeper meaning behind them.  The key is go deeper, study, learn the context and background, and try to discern the author’s original intention.

Let’s pray…Lord, Help us better understand and discern your Word.  For your Word is authoritative, powerful, and life-changing.  Give us wisdom as we read it.  Meet us on the pages of Scripture and help us be transformed.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.