1 Corinthians 14:34-35
the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The ESV's translation "should be in submission" misses a crucial nuance; the Greek word used here implies a voluntary and orderly self-restraint, not a forced silencing. This suggests the emphasis isn't on silencing women, but on maintaining a peaceful and orderly atmosphere in worship by following established societal structures of the time. The verse is less about prohibition and more about how to contribute to a harmonious church gathering.
Paul is addressing chaos and disorder in the Corinthian church's worship services, where spiritual gifts like prophecy and speaking in tongues were being used disruptively. Just before this, he emphasized that all things should be done for building up the church, contrasting orderly prophecy with unintelligible tongues. This instruction for women to be silent is within that broader concern for maintaining peace and proper order during their gatherings.
Paul’s instructions on silence might seem harsh at first glance. But to understand them, we need to see what was happening in Corinth.
A Chaotic Assembly
Corinth was a church with serious problems. People were arguing, taking each other to court, and engaging in behaviors that were causing scandal. In chapter 14, Paul is specifically addressing how worship services should be conducted to promote order and the building up of the church.
The Goal: Edification
Paul's main concern is that everything done in the worship service should be for the "strengthening" or "building up" of the whole community (1 Cor. 14:26). When things are chaotic, with everyone speaking at once or in languages no one understands, it doesn't build anyone up. It creates confusion.
A Specific Instruction
Within this context of promoting order, Paul gives specific instructions about the roles of men and women in public worship. This verse is part of a larger section dealing with orderly conduct.
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Paul connects women's silence to "submission." What does this mean in the context of the church?
Reflecting God's Order
Paul's concept of submission here isn't about inherent inferiority. Instead, it's about reflecting a divinely established order within the church community. He speaks of a pattern where men and women have distinct, complementary roles that, when honored, contribute to the overall health and peace of the community.
Submission as Trust
This submission is rooted in trust – trust in God's design and trust in the leadership and structure He has put in place. It's an outward expression of an inner attitude of humility and respect for the God-ordained functioning of the church.
Understand the original words
hypotassesthesōsan · Greek Verb
The voluntary act of yielding to an authority structure established by God, not because of inferiority, but for the sake of order and obedience to divine design.
nomos · Greek Noun
The Torah or the entirety of God's written revelation in the Old Testament, often cited as the foundation for moral and social principles.
aischron · Greek Adjective
Disgraceful or improper; that which causes embarrassment or violates the moral/social standards ordained by God for the community of believers.
The instruction in 1 Corinthians 14:34 reflects Paul's effort to bring order and godly conduct to a young church in a complex, often socially fluid, Roman city, grounding his guidance in both existing Scripture and the new realities of the Christian community.
c. 450 BC
Deuteronomy Codified
The final codification of the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament, including laws about worship and community order) likely occurred around this time. These laws provided the foundational understanding of God's expectations for His people.
c. 2nd century BC
Septuagint Translation
The Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek, the common language of the Hellenistic world. This ensured wider accessibility but also led to interpretations influenced by Greek culture and philosophy.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The central event of Christianity, Jesus' death and resurrection, inaugurated the new covenant. This event fundamentally reshaped the understanding of God's relationship with humanity and the nature of the church.
c. 48-50 AD
Paul's First Missionary Journey
The Apostle Paul, along with Barnabas, traveled extensively, establishing churches in cities like Antioch, Lystra, and Derbe. He faced various cultural challenges and theological questions as he spread the gospel.
c. 50-52 AD
Council of Jerusalem
This pivotal council addressed whether Gentile converts needed to follow Jewish law. It affirmed that salvation is by grace through faith, not by adherence to the Mosaic Law, impacting church order for all believers.
c. 53-57 AD— this verse
Paul's Ministry in Corinth
Paul spent a significant amount of time in Corinth, a major Roman port city known for its vibrant, diverse, and sometimes chaotic culture. He founded a church there that struggled with various issues of conduct and doctrine.
c. 55 AD
First Corinthians Written
Paul writes his first letter to the church in Corinth to address divisions, immorality, and questions about spiritual gifts. This letter contains the instruction regarding women's speech in worship.
This passage echoes the sentiment in Corinth, emphasizing a woman's quiet and submissive role in teaching or having authority over a man, reflecting a similar concern for order in the church.
Genesis 3:16This foundational passage introduces the concept of a woman's desire being contrary to her husband's and that he will rule over her, which Paul seems to allude to as a divine order reflected in the Law and thus in the church structure.
Ephesians 5:22-24This passage draws a parallel between Christ's headship over the church and the husband's headship over the wife, linking submission in marriage to the broader concept of submission within the community of faith.
1 Corinthians 11:3-16While this passage in 1 Corinthians discusses head coverings and the order of creation, it touches on similar themes of male and female roles and order within worship that provide context for the instruction in chapter 14.
The ESV's translation "should be in submission" misses a crucial nuance; the Greek word used here implies a voluntary and orderly self-restraint, not a forced silencing. This suggests the emphasis isn't on silencing women, but on maintaining a peaceful and orderly atmosphere in worship by following established societal structures of the time. The verse is less about prohibition and more about how to contribute to a harmonious church gathering.
Paul is addressing chaos and disorder in the Corinthian church's worship services, where spiritual gifts like prophecy and speaking in tongues were being used disruptively. Just before this, he emphasized that all things should be done for building up the church, contrasting orderly prophecy with unintelligible tongues. This instruction for women to be silent is within that broader concern for maintaining peace and proper order during their gatherings.
Paul is addressing chaos and disorder in the Corinthian church's worship services, where spiritual gifts like prophecy and speaking in tongues were being used disruptively. Just before this, he emphasized that all things should be done for building up the church, contrasting orderly prophecy with unintelligible tongues. This instruction for women to be silent is within that broader concern for maintaining peace and proper order during their gatherings.
"the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a…" — The ESV's translation "should be in submission" misses a crucial nuance; the Greek word used here implies a voluntary and orderly self-restraint, not a forced silencing. This suggests the emphasi…
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