1 Corinthians 14:33-40 God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. 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. Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
In the above focus we see Paul once again advocating order and peace within the church of the living God. He wanted the Corinthian church to be an evangelistic church, winning the people of Corinth to the Lord. In the Greek community women were to be quiet in general assemblies. In the Jewish societies the same behavior was required of women. From the very beginning, women were considered more or less as adjuncts to the welfare of men. Eve was added to Adam for his benefit, not for Eve’s. However, God mirrors himself through the image of both men and women as one. We see in the above focus the concern of Paul about the image of the church to the secular world. Women in the Greek society and within many societies in the ancient world, were viewed as merely an adjunct to man’s existence. In many of the cultures, men could marry a number of women so that their lives would be happier and more fulfilled, so Paul is saying to the Corinthian church, Women should remain silent in the churches. For women it is acceptable and expected for them to talk in other surroundings, such as the marketplace, or in the home, or in the neighborhood, but not in the church. For them to talk in the church would be considered inappropriate or unacceptable. Of course, that is exactly what inquirers from the local community would believe if they saw women functioning on an equal basis with men in the church. They would be shocked by such an aberration of their social mores. For the Corinthian Greeks the church would be a very unattractive gathering of people. For them, women speaking openly in the church would be the same as if everyone in the church was simultaneously talking in tongues without interpretation of any kind. The inquirers from the community would consider this church gathering as a group of crazy people, functioning outside of a sane world. Also, the normal understanding of the weaker sex was their limited understanding of deeper things, such as religious or philosophical matters. Consequently, they should ask their own husbands at homeabout any clarification they needed on what was spoken in the church. But just as today, clarification about a speaker's presentation should not be discussed openly while the speaker is talking. Such a thing would be too disruptive in the service. Assumptions about the abilities and roles of the sexes has been evident throughout history. Men in general are stronger and usually take leadership roles. They are necessary in defending the community. Women are in general considered nurturers of society. They carry the young in their wombs. Their bodies provide for the survival of the fetuses; they breast feed the infants once they are outside the womb. The women are more sensitive to the needs of the young as they grow up. Their physical stature is a benefit for them in some areas but detrimental in some other areas that require more masculinity. The sexes have had natural roles and prescribed roles from the beginning of time. Today we see these roles somewhat blurred because of the technology of our present existence. Even the protection of a community, a nation, a people can be carried out with equal aplomb by women as well as men through the use of technology.
Women’s role in the church of the living God has always been a disruptive topic. Different groups have distinguished themselves from others based partly by the role of women in their congregation. We do not wish to disrupt that perception of the role of women in their communities. Paul’s words are very direct and precise about the role of women in the church. But, we will also explore the role of women in the age of Joel’s prophecy. In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18) This part of Joel's
18 prophetic word cannot be carried out by secular people, or the roles of the unredeemed man or woman. These old roles existed from the beginning in the likeness of Adam, a living spirit. All of society historically functioned in the raiment of Adam and Eve. All roles of the sexes were programmed within them so they became one in unity. But now in the New Testament we see a different group of people emerging. Jesus called them the born-again people. These people inherit a new kingdom, a forever world. Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8) God is doing a new work in the people who accept his call of salvation. They are the people who will prophesy and do marvelous works for the living God. Their focus will be on Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. These born-again people will reflect the image of God to the world. When Jesus’ time on earth was short, He calls out to a crowd of people, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (John 7:37-39) Jesus does not designate who should accept his call. No, anyone who hears his voice, both men and women, should come to him and drink of the living water. They are all treated equally in the call. Anyone who has ears, let him or her hear this clarion call for living water. As with Joel’s prophecy, both sexes are open to the infilling of the Holy Spirit, both men and women are being beseeched to be immersed into the Spirit of the living God. Both sexes can receive the promise of eternal life, and both can be in a familial relationship with God. Jesus called the woman with an issue of blood, daughter, God’s daughter, not a daughter coming in the likeness of man, but a daughter in God’s family with her unique characteristics and attributes, coming fully in the veil of a woman. Jesus calls the paralyticman, son. He comes to God as a man, but inherits the name son, a full-fledged member of God’s family. Jesus reveals clearly this autonomy of men and women in heaven in his answer about whose wife would be a woman who has had seven husbands. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you,‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (Matthew 22:30-32)In the condition of everlasting life, women and men will be separate entities known as sons and daughters of the Most High. They will be equal in status.Paul's mission given to him by Jesus is to redeem the Greeks through faith in Jesus. He did not want the dictates of the flesh or the role of women in a society to hamper the message of JESUS SAVES. Disorder such as tongues being spoken without interpretation or a myriad of tongues given simultaneously interfere with the Good News. He did not want women to step out of their fleshly roles assigned to them by their society. If such things happen, the message of the Good News would be hampered. But the message of Jesus saved turned the world upside down. What was, was no more. A new beginning for men and women had begun. Women were no longer considered just as an adjunct to men’s well being. They were no longer just collateral in the spoils of war. They were considered daughters in the eyes of the Lord. In Paul’s travel home to Jerusalem, he stays in the house of Philip the evangelist. Philip has seven daughters who had been given by God the gift of prophecy. They did not do this in their closets; they prophesied openly so people would know the words of God. Paul knew it; he knew this gift of prophecy was active in the home of Phillip and in the surrounding areas. Men and women heard this inspired speech given by the Holy Spirit through the lips of Phillip’s daughters. Why did they prophesy? God wanted people to hear words from his throne room through the unction of the Holy Spirit. We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. (Acts 21:7-9)Roles are important and necessary at times. Old traditions and mores might should be followed if necessary. Scripture should never be changed for the benefit of mankind. But we must also consider Jesus' words at the well of the Samaritans. He is talking to this woman about living water, a depiction of the Holy Spirit in people. This living water is eternal and satisfying. All people have access to this water through the blood of Jesus. Because of the Spirit inside of people, all things become new, old ways are done away with if not necessary. Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)Jesus was attacked viciously for working on the Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath holy distinguishes Jews from the secular world. Even though he said that David and his men had violated the Sabbath in ancient times, they still castigated him for working on the Sabbath. They wanted to kill him; his healing on the Sabbath was an excuse for them to murder him. Jesus worked on the Sabbath because the Father is always working. In the church of the living God, the Father is always working through his Holy Spirit. Yes, let things be done appropriately and in order in the church, but be careful of frustrating the work of God in his community. Today, hear and obey the voice of the Spirit and be led by him.
