A WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE CHURCH DURING WORSHIP
August 23
A WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE CHURCH DURING WORSHIP
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As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the 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. 35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. 36 Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. 38 But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly way – 1 Corinthians 14:33-40
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In this letter, Paul teaches the Corinthian believers of a woman’s place in the church during worship. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul established the importance of headship in the church. Paul makes it clear that God has established principles of order, authority, and accountability in this earlier chapter. He says that the head of every man is Christ and the head of every woman is a man and the head of Christ is God. Each one is covered by an authority where they are submitting to. He also mentioned in this earlier chapter that this order is to be followed by the believers in their worship in church.
In this chapter, Paul reiterates this order by reminding the woman to keep silent during worship and need to be subject to their head who is the man. Guzik comments that in the Jewish synagogues, men and women sat apart. But if a woman chattered or called out to her husband sitting far off, she would be dealt with severely. The Corinthian church may have adopted the same kind of seating arrangement, but with many women from Gentile backgrounds, they did not know how to conduct themselves at a church meeting. Paul teaches them how. In the ancient world, just as in some modern cultures, women and men sat in different groups at church. Among the Christians in Corinth, there seems to have been the problem of women chattering or disrupting the meetings with questions. Paul is saying, “Don’t disrupt the meeting. Ask your questions at home.”
In verse 35, he tells the women to go to their own heads who are their husbands if they have questions and not speak freely to disrupt the worship. In our modern world, the order of God during worship isn’t honored by many false churches.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think Paul emphasizes the importance of having order in worship?