# On 1 Corinthians 14 & Women’s Silence in Church



## Quatchu (Jul 18, 2014)

I have a friend who is very much in favor of women in ministry, he brought up a article which brings up what are seen as problems in the traditional understanding of 1 Corinthians 14. I'm trying to think through and provide a response for him and was curious as to how people would respond to the arguments put forth in the following article.

http://juniaproject.com/on-1-corinthians-14-womens-silence-in-church/


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Jul 19, 2014)

Calvin is informative:

1 Cor 11:5
5. Every woman praying or prophesying. Here we have the second proposition -- that women ought to have their heads covered when they pray or prophesy; otherwise they dishonor their head. For as the man honors his head by showing his liberty, so the woman, by showing her subjection. Hence, on the other hand, if the woman uncovers her head, she shakes off subjection -- involving contempt of her husband. It may seem, however, to be superfluous for Paul to forbid the woman to prophesy with her head uncovered, while elsewhere he wholly prohibits women from speaking in the Church. (1 Timothy 2:12.) It would not, therefore, be allowable for them to prophesy even with a covering upon their head, and hence it follows that it is to no purpose that he argues here as to a covering. It may be replied, that the Apostle, by here condemning the one, does not commend the other. For when he reproves them for prophesying with their head uncovered, he at the same time does not give them permission to prophesy in some other way, but rather delays his condemnation of that vice to another passage, namely in 1 Corinthians 14. In this reply there is nothing amiss, though at the same time it might suit sufficiently well to say, that the Apostle requires women to show their modesty -- not merely in a place in which the whole Church is assembled, but also in any more dignified assembly, either of matrons or of men, such as are sometimes convened in private houses.


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## Andres (Jul 19, 2014)

I would like to now read his argument against 1 Tim 2.


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## One Little Nail (Jul 19, 2014)

> THE SECOND PROBLEM
> 
> Paul gave instructions in chapter 11 to women who did prophesy and lead in public worship (11:5). The second problem then is that Paul would appear to be contradicting himself if verses 34-35 of chapter 14:34-35) are interpreted as literal and universal.



I believe the 2nd problem was answered adequately recently in a thread on Headcoverings by Pastor Matthew Winzer in Posts #26 #34 #49 #64 http://www.puritanboard.com/f117/ha...omparing-1-corinthians-11-6-11-14-15-a-83538/


I was going to contribute to the thread but held off, on pondering what Paul meant when he was saying that a woman if 
she would pray & prophesy without her headcovering or with her head uncovered, she should be shorn or "for that is even all one as if she were shaven."

Is not the male shorn or shaven of head & doesn't he not have long hair as a natural covering, so then to be as one shaven is to be basically a man or for the woman, as Paul say, if she were taking the role & function of the male.

also what threw me off was when Paul finishes off the teaching with "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." which seems to invalidate all he said up to this point, but I realised he must 
be referring to women praying & prophesying in Church so he was not then contradicting himself.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Jul 19, 2014)

Andres said:


> I would like to now read his argument against 1 Tim 2.


Commentary on Timothy, Titus, Philemon - Christian Classics Ethereal Library


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