UPPERROOM NOTES

Jan 28, 2024

Women: Part 2 I Corinthians 14 “women remain silent”

Affirmations and Clarity

1. I believe that women and men compliment each other 100%.

a. Biblically Accepted
i. Egalitarian
1. Equal in Christ. equal in roles
2. Mutual Submission
3. Unlimited Inclusion
ii. Complemntarian
1. God created man and women for unique roles
2. compliment one another in those roles
3. Limited Exclusion (vary degrees of application; ie: “soft”
complementarian)

Craig Blomberg, NT Scholar at Denver University

“I could be wrong” I respect the right of fellow evangelicals and

evangelical churches to come to different conclusions and I will cooperate
with them rather then combat them for the larger cause of Christ and his
kingdom, which is so desperately needs such unity”

2. Review of Women’s Design Last Week (Creation Account)

a. Ezer - aid or help; Ezer is a word that indicates military help. Attributed to
God 16 of the 21 times, and the times where it is not referencing to Eve,
it’s referencing military aid or support in a time of conflict. Outside of Eve,
the context is military help/aid in battle.

b. My conviction from Genesis 2 is that Eve was not created to serve Adam,
but to serve with Adam. This precedent was established in Genesis
1:26-27

Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according
to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and
over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the
earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” 27
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He
created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed
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them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill
the earth, and subdue it; and rule over

Focus Text: Church At Corinth

1. Read 1 Corinthians 14:34-35

”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. If they desire
to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is
improper for a woman to speak in church.“

a. Cultural or Transcultural: know context for any text.

b. cultural (specific to a people)

● greet each other with a holy kiss - 1 Cor 16:20
● head coverings - 1 Cor 11

ii. transcultural
● what is a universal truth applied to all
● this is where the challenge often comes from

2. Paul wrote these two letters.

a. messy bunch
i. division of teachers (Paul, Apollos, Cephas), incest (5),
lawsuits(6), sexual imoorality/prostitution, (6), singleness and
marriage (7), eating food offered to idols, head coverings, lord’s
supper (rich/poor,drunk), spiritual gifts/pride, denying the
resurrection,
ii. critical thing at stake was Paul’s apostleship
● 2 Cor 15 - super apostles
● follow Paul, Apollos, Cephas.
● Teachings $ gifts

3. 1 Corinthians 12 - 14
a. Gifts Operating in the Church
i. Gifts of the Spirit (no gender delineation)
● When talking about gifts and calling – never once does
he mention gender – not even when discussing “pastor,
teacher or evangelist” (1 Cor 12:4-31; Ept 4:11) – The
principle he hits on calling – 1 Cor 12 – that God allots
gifts and calling according to the Spirit – whoever He
wants.
ii. Spirit of the Gifts. Love. (Authority)
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iii.
Language of the Spirit
● Speaking Gifts (tongues and prophesy)
● 1 Cor 14 is addressing order in the meeting
a. edification, peace, order
b. Examples 14:5 “church receive edification”
c. 14:12 “seek to abound for the edification of the
church”
d. 14:16 “people won’t know what you are saying”
e. 14:19 “in the church speak five words with my
mind so that I may instruct others than 10,000
words in a tongue”
f. 14:23 “if the whole church gathers (everyone is
speaking in tongues) unbeliever will think you
are crazy”
Focused Section (prohibitive to Women is 1 Cor 14:26-40.

14:26 - let all things be done for edification.

14:40 - let all things be done in a decent order.

1 Corinthians 14:26 “What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble,
each one (gender neutral) has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue,
has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
- Inclusion Remarks
- verse 5 - wish all spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesy.
vs 31. You can ALL prophesy.
- this ALL means all. everyone assembled.
- verse 25 “each one” means the members of the body referring to 1 Cor
12 - gifts of the spirit which are not limited in gender
- Let all things be done with Edification

- Framework for the concluding verses: three groups: tongues, prophesy,

women.

I. Tongues: 1 Corinthians 14:26-27

1Co 14:27-28 If anyone speaks in a tongue, by two or at the most three, and
in turn, and one is to interpret; 28 but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep
silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God.
1. Tongues spoken by two or three people (in turn) order
2. One gives the tongue. One is the interpret the tongue
a. 1 Cor 12:10 “to another various kinds of tongues, and to
another the interpretation of tongues”
b. One gives a corporate tongue (addressed to the people)
c. another person will interpret the tongue
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3. VERY IMPORTANT: VERSE 28

a. IF THERE IS NO INTERPRETER
b. HE IS TO KEEP SILENT.
4. RESULT: Edification and Order in the church.

II. Prophesy: 1 Corinthians 14:29-33

1Co 14:29-33 29 Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass
judgment. 30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the
first one is to keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all
may learn and all may be exhorted; 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject
to prophets; 33 for God is not [a God] of confusion, but of peace.As in all the
churches of the saints,

1. Prophesy is to be spoken (again) by two or three people.

2. It is to be judged (not sure who the others are - could be elders,
leaders, but it is certainly to be judged
a. scripture; God’s nature, etc.
b. NT prophesy should be weighed
c. vs 30 if a revelation is made to another who is seated (holy
spirit revealing something)
d. the first person (first prophesying) needs to be silent.
e. ORDER
i. two or three prophets - First One given the prophecy is
to stop talking
f. verse 31 - you can ALL prophesy (all means all)
i. prophecy and tongues - all
g. RESULTS: Order in Prophesying: SILENCE to the first
prophet. so that all may LEARN and may be exhorted.
reiterated in verse 33 for God is not a God of confusion but
of peace, as in all the churches of the saints

III. Women: 1 Corinthians 14:34-36

1Co 14:34-38 34 the women are to keep silent (same instruction for prophesy and
tongues) in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject
themselves, just as the Law also says. 35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask
their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

1. VIEW one: universally women are not to speak in church ever.

a. Paul says it right here: this is what he means and he means what he
says.
b. This is not a cultural only instruction, but a transcultural truth that we
must apply to any assembly of believers.
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i. Women speaking then: if it’s transcultural and you take it out of
the current context - then when can women speak?
ii. How does this apply to all churches?
1. should they speak ever? greeters? singing is
speaking? greeting is speaking? just
preaching…okay but that is not spoken here?

iii. But women did prophecy according to 1 Cor 11:5 “but every
women who has her head uncovered while praying and
prophesying disgraces her head..”

iv. I find this argument lacking - and so do most in the middle lane
of this conversation not just for this reason but one’s I’ll
present shortly.

2. VIEW number two (of many out there): they are not allowed to
authoritative judge prophesy or interpret the tongues role for
elders/teachers/authorities.
a. more plausible than the first.
b. you need to arm yourself with a few other verses to make this case
from others scriptures; but this more addresses the roles in which
women can speak (authoritatively), not necessarily them speaking
in church.
c. Not necessarily women speaking but what they are speaking into.
d. yet, the context is women learning (not teaching).
i. Women could easily read WIVES. This could be I don’t allow
wives to speak,
ii. if they desire to learn anything
iii. ask their husbands at home.
iv. this specific context is learning and women not subjecting
themselves to proper order (given the context of the pericope)

3. VIEW number three: Paul was addressing a specific problem in a

specific culture to establish order.
a. Women learning in the church.
i. Antiquity setting: Grecian, Roman, Jewish influences,
syncretism.
ii. In all cultures: women were oppressed; but specifically in the
synagogue/Jewish religion.
iii. In Jewish a settings;
1. Hear the Torah but not study it.
2. no doubt second class citizens in the realm of
education especially regarding the Torah.
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3. “….for they are not permitted to speak, but are to
subject themselves, just as the Law also says. 35 If
they desire to learn anything..”
4. Often times a dividing wall between women in men.
5. Mitchnah - In Orthodox congregations, men and
women are not permitted to sit together during
prayer services. The height of the mechitzah varies,
and it can be a curtain, screen or even shelving or
plants
6. Western Wall Today. Men and women are separated.
iv. Question for this: was Corinth influenced by Jewish customs
and practices?
b. Jewish Setting: this was a true (argument is that Corinth was not a
Jewish context but a Grecian one with Aphrodite being the main God
(temple) Yet, I ARGUE this church was VERY JEWISH.
1. Paul in Acts 18:7-11 rejected by the Jews but he went to
Titus home (next to the synagogue) 8 Crispus, the
leader of hte synagogue, believed with all his
household, and many Chronthians when they heard
were believing and baptized” (beginning of church)
2. Gallio was proconsul of Achia (Achia was broader than
just Corinth but included it and the proconsul is a
government official similar to a governor or mayor)
3. verse 17 Sothenes, the leader of the synagogue, was
then blamed and beaten up.
4. Look at 1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called an apostle of
God, and Sostenes our brother…”
5. two leaders of the synagogue BOTH became believers in
Jesus under the leadership of Paul.
ii. Jewish Influence: women asking husbands questions across the
isle is very viable.
iii. RESULTS: Women are to be SILENT - for the ORDER and
EDIFICATION in the function of the church gatherings at
Corinth.
iv. 100% cultural not transcultural is my understanding of this
passage..

c. ALSO - Look at the Broader MakeUp of Women in the Church at

Corinth
i. Pricilla and Aquilla
ii. Acts 18:1 “After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth,
and he found a Jew named Aquila and Priclla…they were tent
makers.
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iii. This is a POWER COUPLE. Contend they are the model for
ministry in the church: husband and a wife; tent makers
together and they planted churches.
iv. thought to be apart of the 70 Jesus sent out…
v. First meeting, but very involved in not only planting the church
in Corinth, but Ephesus
1. undoubtedly they helped plant the church in corinth
2. Acts 18:26 Apollos in Ephesus; speaking outside of the
synagogue there, but when Priscilla and Aquila hard
him, they (THEY) took him aside and EXPLAINED to him
the way of God more accurately.
3. They were inseparably linked together in ministry. Of
the seven occurrences, twice (28.6%) Aquila's name
precedes Priscilla's (Act 18:2; 1Co 16:19) as was the
custom among Romans when speaking of a married
couple. Contrary to the norm, Priscilla's name
precedes Aquila's in the remaining five (71.4%)
passages. This frequent juxtaposition is elsewhere so
rare in antiquity, it most likely indicates that in their
ministry team,
4. Priscilla was the more prominent member. Thus, when
Act 18:26 says that together Priscilla and Aquila "invited
[Apollos] to their home and explained to him the way of
God more adequately," it is probable that Priscilla,
whose name came first, took the lead in teaching
Apollos the gospel. Benefitting from this discipling,
Apollos went on to have a powerfully anointed ministry
in Corinth and elsewhere
5. Arguing about Paul or Apollos - Pricilla’s work
vi. Chloe: 1 Cor 1:11 Chloe household is mentioned; leader of a
house church

vii. Pheobe: Romans 16:1-3

viii.[Rom 16:1-3 NASB20] 1 I recommend to you our sister Phoebe,
who is a servant of the church which is at (SIN-cree-A)
Cenchrea, 2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner
worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter
she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a
helper of many, and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila,
my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
1. She brought the book of Romans to the church at Rome
from Corinth.
2. Cenchrea - was a suburb of the Corinthian Church- 7
miles
d. Women Were Prominent wihtin the church at Corinth
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4. WOMEN PROPHESYING in the BROADER CORPUS

a. in Corinth - prophesy and tongues (1 Cor 14)
i. LOOK at 1 Cor 11:5 “but every women who has her head
uncovered while praying and prophesying disgraces her head..”
ii. it was that they were speaking, but HOW they were speaking..
iii. cultural trappings
iv. Acts 21:8-9
‘...and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the
evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9
Now this man had four virgin daughters who were
prophetesses.”
v. Acts 2 - women were apart of the 120
Acts 2:17-18
‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all [p]mankind;
And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
And your young men will see visions,
And your old men will [q]have dreams;
18 And even on My male and female [r]servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days,
And they will prophesy.
- southern steps on the temple; they were preaching.

b. Woman Prophesying at Tyratia (negative example)

i. Revelation 2:18:21
1. jesus could have shut the conversation down - he could
have stop women from speaking in the church there
2. He doesn't, it's what she is saying.
3. Not a positive example, but an example

5. IN CONCLUSION:
i. Ends this SECTION affirming his apostleship.
ii. 1Co 14:36-40 36
1. Or was it from you that the word of God [first] went out?
Or has it come to you only? 37 If anyone thinks that he is
a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things
which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. 38
But if anyone does not recognize [this,] he is not
recognized.
2. AFFIRMING HIS APOSTLESHIP TO CORRECT - bring
order and peace and edification: see first Cor 15:9
iii. CONCLUDES THIS SECTION WHERE HE STARTED
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39 Therefore, my brothers [and sisters,] earnestly desire to
prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all
things must be done properly and in an orderly way.

Appendix:

THREE TIMES HE SAYS TO BE SILENT in 1 Corinthians 14:26-40

1. tongues
2. prophesy
3. women

NASB
▪ Tongue speakers “keep silent”
▪ The prophets “keep silent”
▪ The Women “keep silent”

NIV
▪ Tongue Speakers “should keep quiet” (vs 28)
▪ The prophets “should stop” (vs 30)
▪ The women “should remain silent (vs 34)

KJV
● Tongue speakers “keep silent”
● The prophets “hold their peace”
● The women “keep silent”