Woman Pastors: Edited 12/8/23.
1 Corinthians 14:34, “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.”
These verses concern women in the Christian church. Paul’s writing supersedes anything written, intended, or implied that may contradict what he now puts forth.
Paul is saying that Jesus Christ has sent me to teach Gentiles the things revealed to me by Jesus Christ; this is to bring the Gentiles into full communion with our Jewish Christian brothers and sisters and to share in the blessings and promises made to them by Jehovah. We Gentiles have been grafted into, adopted into these blessings, and of the future inheritance.
It appears that Paul is addressing the position and circumstances of women in the Christian church. Let’s make this clear: Paul is not speaking of women teaching at home, or outside church services, or to ask their husbands at home any questions, etc. But it is regarding their posture in the church itself.
“Keep silent.” Silence here is the Greek sigao. It means to keep one’s peace or be still. The Septuagint (peace, silence) for Hebrew is “chashah,” as in,
Ecclesiastes 3:7, “A time to keep silence.”
Exodus 14:14, “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
As an intransitive verb that expresses an action that is limited to the agent.
Luke 20:26, “And held their peace.”
Acts 12:17, “Hold their peace.”
Acts 15:12, “Multitude kept silence,”
1 Corinthians 14:28-30-34, “Let your women keep silence in the churches.”
“For it is NOT permitted unto them (women) to speak.” The verse supports and underscores his first instruction to women: why? So, there would be no misunderstanding!
The Greek word here for “Not,” as in “Not permitted,” is “ov,” Hebrew is low, low, or, Ioh. Both the Greek and Hebrew words are negative particles, NOT, No, expressing direct and FULL negation, independently and absolutely, therefore objective. It differs from un (no, or not), which implies a conditional and hypothetical negative and is therefore subjective.
This word “Not” is connected with permitted. Let’s examine the Greek word for “Permit or permitted” without the negative “not.”
Greek is epitrepo. In N.T., to permit means to allow, to suffer, common usage, dative, a term applied to the case of nouns which usually follows verbs that express giving or some act directed to an object; also of persons, and infinitive, or a mode expressing the action of the verb, without limitation.
If “To permit” means to allow, to suffer, then “Not permitted” throws “permit” into reverse because “not” is a complete negation and absolute, we can draw a definite conclusion.
So women are not permitted to do what, speak, teach, or preach! It is modified by the context, where the sense lies not so much in the speech itself but in the adjuncts. Example,
1 Peter 4:11, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.”
Paul writes in the same verse, “But they (women) are commanded to be under obedience, AS ALSO saith the law.”
“Also” means likewise, in addition to! To what, in addition to the Jewish law, Paul’s gospel gave the church the exact instructions the law gave the Jews.
“They (women) are commanded to be under obedience.”
Let’s examine the word Commanded. The Greek is, “paraggello.” To bring or send word near to anyone, as to announce to anyone. In the N.T., it means to direct, command, charge, and forbid, with a sequel to follow. Dative, of persons expressed or implied, the thing commanded being put in the accus. meaning a term given to a case of nouns, on which the action of a verb terminates or falls. Or an infinitive mode expressing the action of the verb, without limitation, also with “hina,” or “that because,” etc.
Commanded to what? “Be under obedience.” To whom, Verse 35, “If they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: For it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church.
There will be those who will reject the above and continue supporting women pastors. These are not my commands, but the Lords. Faith requires obedience, and obedience requires faith.
Phillip Laspino www.seekfirstwisdom.com