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NASB | 1 Corinthians 14:34 ¶ 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 14:34 ¶ the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not authorized to speak, but are to take a subordinate place, as the Law says. |
Bible Question: Do denominations that permit women to speak in church, or even to become pastors, follow the Bible? How shall we interpret this verse, if not literally? |
Bible Answer: I think we should interpret the passage literally. However, we have to understand what it means to "interpret the Bible Literally." Please read Gorden Fee's book, "How to read the Bible for all its worth.: Now, your question. I find this passage of scripture a tough one to deal with. It def., in my mind, should belong in one of those "Hard sayings of the Bible" books. The reason is many-fold. 1.) Just two chapters prior (1 Cor 11)to the passage you are citing, Paul encourages women to Prophecy! I will admit there are some qualifications BUT if all the qualifications are met, Paul gives women free reign to "prophecy" in church. Now the problem...Can someone prophecy (proclaim) and not speak? No. (I don't think they had sign-language back than.) So, what did Paul mean in chapter 14? Or was Paul senile and forgot what he wrote a couple of pages back? 2.)What about Galatians? Paul seems to destroy the very barriers that divide us in Christ (Gal 5 T"Here is neither Male nor female, circumcision nor uncircumcision..."). If God sees us as one in Christ, why can’t women speak in church? Are women inferior to men? Why are social barriers ripped down only to erect new ones? 3.) In the book of Acts it records that Stephen had 7 young daughters that...Prophesied. I believe to prophecy you have to be able to speak. (I have many more examples, but I will rest at just three.) Now, some would say they were allowed to "prophesy", but they couldn't do it in the sancturary. I have a couple more questions for that line of reasoning. 1.) Did the early church meet in a nice church building, or someone’s house? If they met in someone’s house and worshipped in their main-room, would the wife of the house be prevented from talking in that room even if a service was not going on? If not, what makes 11:00 am on Sunday morning so special? 2.) Why does NO church faithfully practice this teaching? Even the Southern Baptist church allows women to be missionaries. Are we in America so holy that we can't have women preachers, but people overseas can? Looking at the list Americans are number 1 at, I find that statement hard to believe. 2.) What makes the "sancturary" of 1st Christian church in Plano, Tx more holy than a Sunday School classroom located in the same facility? Are we not the real sancturary? Do I have the answer? No. But I do have an idea what Paul was talking about. Yours in Christ |