When Women Speak

In all the congregations of the saints, 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. Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?                                                                    I Corinthians 14:34-35

 

The role of women in the church has been a long debated topic in the church throughout the generations. In this passage, Paul uses what appears in some of our English versions to be strong language to put women in their place. However, when we look at the original Greek meanings of two key words in these verses we see a bit of a different picture.

 

The Greek word translated as silence in verse 34 is sigaō. Based on the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the meaning of this word can be “to keep close (secret), to hold peace.” It is no secret that women can sometimes be really bad at keeping secrets. Gossip is one of the most dangerous habits a Christian woman can engage in. Yet nearly every church seems to have no shortage of busybodies who seem to relish discussing every aspect of other people’s lives and sometimes destroying the reputations of other Christians. Gossip can bring shame to the Gospel, and anything that brings shame to our Lord and His Church is to be avoided.

 

Yet Paul’s mention of “shame” in verse 35 has a deeper meaning as well. The Greek word used for shame in this verse is aischrŏn, which can mean “indecorum”. In the context of this chapter wherein Paul is dealing with the topic of orderly worship, this section implies that the women in the Corinthian church were not conducting themselves in a peaceful way. Throughout his writings, Paul often spoke of the behavior of women in the church and one common exhortation he had for women was self-control (I Tim. 2:9-15; Titus 2:3-5).

 

The Apostle Peter also speaks to women about the gentle and quiet spirit that is very precious in God’s sight. He says it is the hidden person of the woman’s heart that makes her beauty imperishable (I Peter 3:1-6). The virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31 opens her mouth with wisdom and teaches kindness (Prov. 31:26).

 

When Christina women act in these righteous ways, their voice in the church builds the Kingdom of God rather than bringing shame to it. Women who hold the peace bring order, compassion and love to the family of God.

 

I love the way The Message version of the Bible translates these verses.

 

Wives must not disrupt worship, talking when they should be listening, asking questions that could more appropriately be asked of their husbands at home. God’s Book of the law guides our manners and customers here. Wives have no license to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking. Do you – both woman and men – imagine that you’re a sacred oracle determining what’s right and wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you?                                 I Corinthians 14:33b-36

 

So ladies, we don’t need to be silent in church as long as we follow Paul’s encouragement from Philippians to let our thoughts and speech be fixed on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” (Phil. 4:8).