Women speaking in the church

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

skipp

Senior Member
Mar 6, 2014
654
7
0
#21
Among biblical scholars the authorship of this particular passage is heavily disputed. It seems like most people gravitate toward those scholars which affirm their preconceived ideas about women teaching/speaking in church, so I doubt the fact that the authorship is a point of contention resolves the matter for anyone, but it seems to me worth mentioning either way.

On a different note, it is possibly important that none of Paul's other letters to churches give the same directive or really even hint at his stance on the issue one way or the other. That is to say, this doesn't seem to be a matter of great importance to Paul generally, but rather a matter that became important to him specifically in the Corinthian context. So the question I feel I must ask is: Why does Paul suddenly address this issue to this congregation at this point in time? It is clear in chapters 12-14 that Paul feels the need to emphasize that the church gatherings should be orderly. Speaking for myself only, I find this a little odd given that at this point in time (ca. 50-60 AD) the church was still a largely egalitarian (in this case I use egalitarian in the sense of non-hierarchical rather than male/female equality) assembly of believers who met in homes and practiced Spirit-led worship rather than previously determined orders of worship. To put it more directly, the early church seems to have practiced worship that was not "organized", even if not entirely disorderly. So again, why is Paul concerned about orderly worship HERE and "NOW"? In the broader context of 1 Corinthians, I find the most satisfying answer to be that the Corinthian church was experiencing tremendous upheaval because of the presence of warring factions who were seeking to exert their spiritual "superiority". These factions were subverting the real purpose of the gatherings, hence Paul's emphasis on orderly worship and, especially, on the need for the church to function as a unified body of interdependent parts.

If these verses are in fact part of Paul's original letter to the Corinthian ecclesia, then it seems likely that Paul singles out the women as one of the factions that had been seeking to establish their spiritual superiority. This would help to explain why Paul addresses this topic to the Corinthian gathering while he was silent on this issue with all of the other gatherings for which we have his letters. It certainly places these verses solidly within the larger context of 1 Corinthians better than many alternative explanations that I have seen.
This makes a lot of sense.
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#22
Why can they not speak in church? I understand that you will probably say 'because the the bible says so' but why does it? I'm not trying to be argumentative I'm moreso just wondering
35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
36 Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? 37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant

because it is spiritual principle and the commandment of God. bottomline. the word is quicker and sharper than any twoedged opinion of the attitude of the heart. hebrews4:12
we can all wonder about spiritual principles. there are other mysterys in the bible that are based on spiritual principles such as two people becoming one flesh. but we don't wonder to say, ok because i don't really understand it i'm just not going to apply the word of god to my life in this area.
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#23
They can speak, this was my point earlier...

1 Corinthians 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

See, they do speak. See post 2 for fuller explanation.
you missed what i said earlier...

they cannot speak in the church setting... period.

so with that knowledge thanks to Paul, we can assert that outside of the church they can speak. if they cannot speak in the church, then to pray and prophesy outloud in the church would contradict what paul said. therefore we conclude that it is outside of a church setting that the women must wear a covering (her long hair if she has it) when she prays or prophesies.
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#24
Ok, some have no sense of humor. Mind responding to...

1 Corinthians 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
Proverbs 26:18-19
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,707
3,650
113
#25
Revelator can't answer this but only casts insults.

1 Corinthians 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

Obviously there are times in a service when women speak.
A commentary may help you, after all God has placed TEACHERS in his body the Church.
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#26
This makes a lot of sense.
Instructions to Women
12But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.… --1 timothy 2

paul didn't just write to the corinthian church, he wrote to timothy with the same exact [spiritual] principle. that women are not allowed to speak.

and it is not a cultural thing as bible scholars and commentors claim. notice where paul told timothy it was because adam was form first then eve. this alone stands as an order thing, not cultural. not only that, but paul explains further beyond the order thing of man being first before women, that adamn wasn't the one deceived.... the devil knows the weaknesses of women as well as those of men. that's why the enemy targeted the women... it has something to do with her make-up so to speak.
 

DaveTheRave

Senior Member
May 28, 2014
125
8
18
25
#27
I'd just like to say that God loves men and women equally and he doesn't favour one over the other. :)
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#28
Revelator can't answer this but only casts insults.

1 Corinthians 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

Obviously there are times in a service when women speak.
A commentary may help you, after all God has placed TEACHERS in his body the Church.
Now you're trying to ruin my crediblity by falsly accusing me of insulted you when i did not. you just don't want me to be right, period. i believe what you believe and will not change your perspective. i never insulted. you mocked me, which was an insult/offense on your part. and i called you out on it by showing you your sin against me. i gave you scripture from proverbs to help you see what you did by throwing a dart at me and then saying "i don't have a sense of humor" basically you were trying to say "i was only joking". but you weren't joking when you mocked me. you meant it. from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#29
I'd just like to say that God loves men and women equally and he doesn't favour one over the other. :)
You're completely 100% CORRECT. He isn't a respecter of persons. but he has an order in the church. and the order is simple, written in plain english for us to comprehend. just as pual says "first are apsotles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles..." in 1 cor 12... there is also an order.

god gave dominion to the man, to adam. not to the woman. the authority and responsiblity of a man is greater than his helper, eve. the man is the head of the body, the woman is the body of her head. the head/brain gives commands to the body, the body moves. the head has a mouth in its face, the body doesnt have a mouth to speak. this is not chuvanistic. this is not i'm better than you. this is not men are greater. it's just on a spiritual level, based on the princples of God, men have a certain power, and with that comes a specific responsibility. women have a different kind of power, and a different responsibility.
 

DaveTheRave

Senior Member
May 28, 2014
125
8
18
25
#30
Insults are definitely not the way to go about debating topics...
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#31
Insults are definitely not the way to go about debating topics...
ive noticed a theme on here. that when people can't get their thoughts through to me, or when they don't agree with me on something, they end up just getting over emotional by being mockingly about it. i don't mock other christian's because there is a disagreement. so it's not me reaping what i've sown. so i know it's coming straight from the heart. i can't believe that a christian would have the nerve to mock another christian. to me that's hateful
 

DaveTheRave

Senior Member
May 28, 2014
125
8
18
25
#32
ive noticed a theme on here. that when people can't get their thoughts through to me, or when they don't agree with me on something, they end up just getting over emotional by being mockingly about it. i don't mock other christian's because there is a disagreement. so it's not me reaping what i've sown. so i know it's coming straight from the heart. i can't believe that a christian would have the nerve to mock another christian. to me that's hateful
Unfortunately that is just the way people are sometimes. but that comment ^^ sounds quite patronising Revelator. Just because someone is a Christian doesn't mean they are perfect. I am talking to myself included when I say this. I think that this website ( and the world in general) would be better if we realised that we were all on the same team!
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#33
Unfortunately that is just the way people are sometimes. but that comment ^^ sounds quite patronising Revelator. Just because someone is a Christian doesn't mean they are perfect. I am talking to myself included when I say this. I think that this website ( and the world in general) would be better if we realised that we were all on the same team!
We are not perfect because we are still in these earthly bodies. But we are called to perfection in terms of loving one another with the love of Christ. i pick fruit from christians and taste to see whether they are spiritually minded or not. i test the spirits as john said to. when a brother hates on his brother, he is stumbling in the darkess and cannot see where he goes. thelove of God has not been made perfect in him, but it should have been as John wrote. doers of the word in terms of character, this is the one thing thatshould be in every christian. we can see who really follows christ by the love he shows. when hate is obvious in another, it means the love of the father is not in him. this is scripture, no? yes, us christians all come in the name of the Lord, but not all christians come in the love of the lord. i have been given false prophecies by those who come in the name of the Lord. 'lord lord have we not prophesied in your name... i never knew you!" to know God means to be known by him. we are on the same team if we all live in the knowledge of the Most High. i don't think i was patronising. otherwise youwould have to call James patronising to the entire body of christ, because he set the bar so high! a christian should be perfect in that he loves his brother. there is no exception to the rule when it comes to love. that's just my perspective. you don't have to take me at it.
 
R

Revelator7

Guest
#34
Unfortunately that is just the way people are sometimes. but that comment ^^ sounds quite patronising Revelator. Just because someone is a Christian doesn't mean they are perfect. I am talking to myself included when I say this. I think that this website ( and the world in general) would be better if we realised that we were all on the same team!
John wrote, those who hate his brother and claim to be in Christ are liars. So there has to be a level of perfection when it comes to abiding in the commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself.
 

DaveTheRave

Senior Member
May 28, 2014
125
8
18
25
#35
I don't thimk that the reason people on this mock one another is because they actually hate each other it's more commonly that they are simply annoyed at you. It'san an almost natural reaction for some people to insult others when they annoy them. Also just because you judge someone to be not spiritually minded, as you say, doesn't mean they aren't
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#36
I do know Jack Van Impe proved that, in the Bible, there are no women in heaven,

Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
 

DaveTheRave

Senior Member
May 28, 2014
125
8
18
25
#37
I do know Jack Van Impe proved that, in the Bible, there are no women in heaven,

Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
I'm sorry but I dont see the connection between your statement and the bible verse. Also, if that was the case, then why did god even create women??
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#38
I'm sorry but I dont see the connection between your statement and the bible verse. Also, if that was the case, then why did god even create women??
You're kidding, aren't you? Nothing registered? You're going to have to ask somebody to explain it to you. How insufferable...
 

DaveTheRave

Senior Member
May 28, 2014
125
8
18
25
#39
You're kidding, aren't you? Nothing registered? You're going to have to ask somebody to explain it to you. How insufferable...
No, I'm not joking. Yes, nothing registered. I asked you to explain it to me. And yes I am a 16 year old insufferable maggot.
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,707
3,650
113
#40
Now you're trying to ruin my crediblity by falsly accusing me of insulted you when i did not. you just don't want me to be right, period. i believe what you believe and will not change your perspective. i never insulted. you mocked me, which was an insult/offense on your part. and i called you out on it by showing you your sin against me. i gave you scripture from proverbs to help you see what you did by throwing a dart at me and then saying "i don't have a sense of humor" basically you were trying to say "i was only joking". but you weren't joking when you mocked me. you meant it. from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Could you please answer 1Cor 11:5? I've asked about four times with no answer.