“34The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. 35If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. 36Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?”
Probably one of the more difficult passages in Scripture to understand or to apply, this passage has caused consternation. One commentator refers to verses on gender roles like this one as “pesky.” Whatever interpretive difficulties this passage presents, those who write it off as uninspired by God or reflecting Paul’s supposed misogyny fall short of sound scholarship. Indeed, the apostle Peter recognized the scriptural nature of Paul’s writings (2 Peter 3:14). And no reputable scholar who holds a high view of Scripture would make the case otherwise.
The problem is that this passage, on the surface, is completely out of step with our modern, Western, egalitarian culture—and thus it embarrasses many Christians today. How could the Bible possibly censure women speaking in the church? Are we at risk of losing our relevance and witness to the world?
When the world and Scripture conflict, I for one would not want the embarrassment of standing before God and trying to explain why I chose the world! Yet we must live in this world. So what do we do?
First, we recognize that this is not the only place where our faith leads us to conflict with the world. We believe: all are sinners, there is a hell of everlasting punishment, salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ as the only way to heaven, a substitute (Jesus Christ) can pay the penalty for our wrongdoings, marriage is defined as a union between one man and one woman, pre-marital sex is wrong, men are to love their wives the way Christ loves the church, men are to “live with [their] wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman” (1 Peter 3:7), and the list goes on. So our passage is really just one more area where we stand apart from our culture.
This passage may be more or less difficult to accept depending on how important it is to a person not to be derided by the world. But the passage cannot be ignored, marginalized, or winked out as an archaic artifact that should not be taken literally today, akin to giving a “holy kiss” (1 Cor. 16:20). Rather we must each look at this passage as one “approved to God, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 3:10).
Lord, I want to go where Your Word leads me, even if out of step with the world.
Chuck,
This passage is much deeper than modernists are willing to plumb, because it reveals subtle relationships between men and women rarely if ever discussed. A big part is the reticence of men to accept spiritual leadership unless they have the full backing of their wives.
My father who was an Anglican minister, made a point of encouraging men to take on leadership roles in the church. He argued that if men are active in the church, the women and children will always follow. If women become the leaders, some men will follow, but the boys will fall away by age 14, and many will never be seen again.
Mainstream protestant churches who have accepted women pastors, etc. are all dying as a consequence of ignoring these deep psychological principles.
Robert, thanks for your comments. So true. All the more we need to continuously go back to the Word, and be under its authority!