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QUESTION 9:
There are those that say it is not right for a woman to speak in a church. What does the Bible teach about this?

ANSWER:
In the Bible we read, "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." 1 Corinthians 14:34. Various attempts have been made to get around this; however, it remains the same. One popular explanation is that the women were whispering or chattering. Seeing this would be out of order, they were told to be silent. Another popular explanation of this was that Paul was against women and that it was his idea only. There are those who claimed this only applied to the Corinthian Church. To take any one of these views out of context, is to overlook what the verse distinctly says. It is not the church at Corinth, but churches everywhere. It has to do with the law of the Old Testament which is found in Genesis 2:24 and Genesis 3:16. If the women were merely chattering, then this is what the prophets were also doing; since the same word for speak is used of both. When God made man, and then woman, He had an order of things. The woman (Eve), was to be a "help meet (mate)." "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Genesis 2:18. Women were not supposed to take their authority over the man. "For Adam was first formed, then Eve." 1 Timothy 2:13.This she did in eating of the forbidden fruit. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Genesis 3:6. Man followed her, thus the whole order then became, the present disorder. God is restoring His order of creation in the local church. "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." 1 Corinthians 11:3.

Read 1 Corinthians 11:7-9 for more understanding of this. This does not mean that women are inferior to men. In many ways woman are superior to man, but; what God had placed in order, should, and has to be obeyed. What's most important is our obedience to the gospel. "...what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel? For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17 "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated 5th August 2009, by Shelly Allen