In today's post I will be discussing,
hopefully in some detail, some of those statements made by Paul and
Peter about women – statements that make us scratch our heads. We
have all probably come across these statements, and being humans who
tend to explain away things we don't like to hear, we are like “No,
Paul, you can't be serious. Of course you don't mean that!”
When we read these verses in
context, it becomes most apparent that Paul is indeed serious - Not
that he ever had a habit of messing with us in his epistles. So
then, we start doing the same thing sinners do – suppressing the
truth in unrighteousness. We seek to explain away these verses as
much as possible.
What's just as bad is – there are
those who have taken those verses to the literal extreme, to the
point of becoming legalistic. We don't want that either!
Before I continue, it is important
that we remember that all scripture is inspired, and profitable for
doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in holiness (2 Tim.
3:16). Hence, we must not conclude that only SOME scripture is
relevant to us, but we must look at it as a unified whole wherein God
reveals Himself and His will for His people. Scripture is not open
to interpretation (2 Peter 1:20), nor can we add or take away from
God's word (Prov. 30:6, Deut. 4:2). We cannot feel free to pick and
choose which parts we like, and disregard the rest. There is no
portion of scripture of less value than another.
Having said that, let us continue.
Before we look at these statements, we would do well to look at what
Paul said to the Galatians:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor
female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” -
Galatians 3:28
God
shows no partiality to His own. There is not one child of His which
He regards as any lower than any other. This same principle is
applicable to men and women. God does not, as some have supposed,
love men more than women or hold them in higher esteem.
I
shall now get into the verses themselves.
“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.
And if they will learn
any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for
women to speak in the church.” - 1 Corinthians 14:34 – 35
What? What is this? Did
Paul give them the gospel without any added requirements at first,
only to do damage control later? I hardly think so! Nevertheless,
this seems like a rather difficult verse to understand, in part
because Christians in general don't seem to like it very much and
thus shove it under the carpet, and in part because it seems, upon
first glance, to be contrary to the purpose and import of the gospel.
Or course, it isn't at all, but a single context-free glance at this
verse might convince us that it is.
When attempting to
understand this verse, there are several factors which must be taken
into account. First and foremost, we need to know the context in
which it was written. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is speaking rather
exclusively about spiritual gifts. He is expressing the need that
everything be done 'decently and in order' (v. 40). He shows them the
roles of these spiritual gifts, and the motivation and purpose in
which they are to be used.
Furthermore, why were the
women not to speak? Because the men, being the heads and spiritual
leaders of their respective households, were to do it. If the men
failed to the point where the women performed the man's role, it
meant that the men were obviously not doing their job. The fact that
the women were to ask their husbands at home (v. 35) implies that the
men should be able to answer that which they were asked. (And by the way, 'speak' here does not just mean any kind of speaking. It means speaking in the sense of taking charge, teaching, and usurping authority over the men, which will be discussed later on in this post.) As Christ
is the head of the Church, so men are the heads of their households.
Having said that, let us
look at another passage:
“But I suffer not a
woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in
silence.
For Adam was first
formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being
deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved
in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness
with sobriety.” (1 Tim. 2:12 - 15)
Why does Paul bring up
the fact that Eve sinned first? Would not practically every person
in the world today tell Paul to be nice and not say such a thing,
because many would find it offensive? Perhaps so – but the gospel
itself is an offense to those who are perishing. Go read 1
Corinthians 1 if you have any doubt about that.
The reason Paul brings up
this point (Besides the fact that God told him to) is because it was
Eve who was deceived into sinning, and she in turn deceived Adam into
sinning as well, and thus the curse of sin was inflicted upon the
whole world. Paul warns that if the women are allowed to usurp
authority over the men within the church, bad things will happen. As
for the last verse quoted here (about being saved in childbearing),
it is rather beyond the scope of this post, and I will not go into it
here.
Now I am going to back up
a few verses.
“In like manner also,
that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness
and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly
array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good
works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.”
As for the first verse
quoted above, Paul is merely making a distinction between inward
beauty brought about by the fruit of the spirit and outward beauty
brought about by costly attire, and exhorting that women display the
former, rather than the latter. He is not necessarily forbidding any
of the few things he listed there. If he were intent on entirely
forbidding such things, I am sure he would have gone into a lot more
detail and listed a lot more things which women were forbidden to
wear.
What Paul said above
makes a lot more sense in light Ephesians 5:22-33– it essentially
sums up the Bible's teaching concerning the family.
22 Wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is
the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and
he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the
church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own
husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to
love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth
himself.
29 For no man ever yet
hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the
Lord the church:
30 For we are members
of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause
shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his
wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great
mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let
every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and
the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Furthermore,
Peter says this:
1 Likewise, ye
wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not
the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation
of the wives;
2 While they behold
your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let
it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing
of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of
great price.
5 For after this
manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God,
adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sarah
obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as
ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
7 Likewise, ye
husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto
the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of
the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
8 Finally, be ye all
of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be
pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil
for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing
that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
My conclusion from this
rather lengthy blog post is this – God does not make mistakes. He
did not allow the disrespect for women prevalent in the culture of
that day to invade His Holy Word, as many would suppose. Nor did
Paul contradict himself. Nor does the Bible contradict itself, although those who are predisposed to see contradictions do certainly see them, because they will create contradictions that do not actually exist.
And that sums up my post!
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and if anyone has anything to say
that I missed, or if anyone has a scriptural reason to disagree with
any of the points I made, feel free to leave a comment.
God bless you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment