Bible Reading Challenge #48
Women in Worship
1 Corinthians 14:34–40
34 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.
35 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.
36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?
37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.
38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
40 But all things should be done decently and in order.
What do we do with this difficult statement: “Women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission”?
To understand this verse, we need to place it in both its immediate and larger context.
Larger Context: In 1 Corinthians 11:5, Paul mentions women praying and proclaiming God’s goodness in worship. He also commends women like Phoebe, who served the church faithfully, and Priscilla, who helped teach others the way of Christ. Finally, Paul affirms in Galatians 3 that in Christ there is no distinction in worth or belonging between male and female — even while recognizing distinct roles within the life of the church.
Paul’s teaching throughout his letters makes it clear that he values women as co-laborers in the gospel, so there must be a specific concern he’s addressing here.
Immediate Context: In addition to the many problems already addressed (sexual immorality, improper worship, abuse of spiritual gifts), some women in the Corinthian church were creating disruption or controversy. In that culture, many women had less access to education, so it would have been natural for them to ask questions during worship. Paul encourages them to wait and ask those questions at home for the sake of order in the church gathering.
While some see this as a universal command for all churches, others understand it as a situational instruction meant to address disorder in Corinth. Given the context, Paul seems most concerned with maintaining reverence and order in worship — not silencing women from serving or speaking altogether.
As we have discussed before, God has established distinct roles for men and women to serve for the good of the church. Even when God’s Word challenges our preferences or runs against cultural trends, we are called to humbly submit to it.
