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[Bob Pickle]

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

We find that sometimes the wrong conclusion is drawn from 1 Cor. 14:34 and 1 Tim. 2:11, 12 that it is improper and wrong for a woman to speak in the church.

1 Cor. 14:34 reads: "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 1 Tim. 2:11, 12 says: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."

From other passages it is clear that women were permitted to prophesy, or speak, in the churches, for we read so in 1 Cor. 11:5, 16. Moreover, in Acts 21:8, 9 we read that Philip the evangelist "had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy."

What evidently Paul was objecting to in 1 Cor. 14:34 and 1 Tim. 2:11, 12 was the clamorous, mannish, dictatorial women, who sought to "usurp authority" over men. Such women furnish a sorry and indecorous sight anywhere, and especially so in a church. Having such women in mind, Paul rightly says that it would be better for them to "keep silence," or to "learn in silence with all subjection."

Writing upon this subject, a woman worker made, two or three years ago, the following apt comments upon 1 Cor. 14:34 and 1 Tim. 2:11, 12:—

"Now, as to 1 Corinthians 14. As you know, the subject of the chapter from first to last is tongues. The matter of women's speaking is brought up in connection with disorderly meetings in which both men and women were speaking in tongues. I suppose that the women added greatly to the disorder, and Paul insisted upon their silence.

"To me it seems quite certain that these Christian women were making their Christian liberty an excuse for doing in public what no heathen woman could have done and been considered respectable. In that day only courtesans took part in any prominent way in public gatherings.

"The salient point here is the 'being in obedience.' This goes right back to Gen. 3:16. The law does not say keep silence, it says 'be in obedience.' I fear that this is not always observed by those women who are strong on silence in the churches. They do not learn of their husbands at home, but lay down the law to them.

"Now, if we accept from our hearts this decree of God vesting headship in the man, then other things fall into order. There will be no 'usurping of authority,' no 'teaching' in the way of laying down the law to a man, no assertion of the right to teach. All will be under authority.

"We know that there were women in the early church who prophesied. Acts 21:9. It seems that God did not forbid them to prophesy. 1 Cor. 11:5. They were not forbidden to teach men at home. Acts 18:26. That the 'silence' is a matter of yieldedness is shown by 1 Tim. 2:12. It is 'all subjection.' Self-assertion, the defence of one's rights, is the very centre of the self life. 'If any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom.' . . .

"If the elders of your church object to your doing so [preaching or teaching], then you should keep silence gladly. But if they feel that you have a gift that God can use as a blessing in their church, then, I should say, have one of them lead the service and you give the message. Let a man be very evidently at the head. Let it be evident that you are in subjection, and that the very fact of your giving the message springs from your subjection to man's headship."

When a woman speaks or teaches in a church in a decorous or orderly manner, at the invitation of the elders and other officers of the church, or under the organized authority of the church, there can be no objection to her doing so. K.

[Johann]

Is "K" an inspired authority?

[Bob Pickle]

I think you already know the answer to that question, Johann.

These articles demonstrate that for decades and decades, men and women of the Seventh-day Adventist Church highly valued Scripture, and did not use non-biblical and cultural explanations for 1 Cor. 14 and 1 Tim 2. They believed and taught that men should be men and take the lead, and that women could still preach and testify.