1 Corinthians 14:26

How is it then, brethren? When you come together, every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, and has an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edification. If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge. If anything be revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace. For you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

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 says the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is a shame for a woman to speak in church. What? Came the word of God out from you, or came it only to you? If any man thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

Wherefore, brethren, desire to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.

Father, we certainly need your wisdom. We thank you that you are the one who gives wisdom. We ask, Lord, that you would help us to understand and to know, as we study through this passage, what is your will and your way for us to conduct ourselves as we represent you, Christ. We are your body, the representation of the King of kings and Lord of lords here in this world.

If people are to see you, then they're going to see you in us, or they should. And so, Father, we pray that you would transform us more and more into your image. When our co-workers, family members, friends, or acquaintances who don't know you see us, they would be seeing your life worked out in us. We know that this is a high ideal and not necessarily what we live up to, but, Lord, that is what we desire. So, God, work in us. By your word and by your spirit, we pray. In Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated.

Amen. Paul has been instructing the church at Corinth on how they are to behave when they are gathered together corporately. It's very important for us to remember the context of 1 Corinthians chapter 14, where Paul is speaking to the corporate assembly, the gathering of the body of Christ. The church at Corinth had highly exalted certain spiritual gifts to a position that they should not have held. They had especially prioritized the gift of tongues in their gatherings and fellowship.

Paul has been very clearly showing, through the previous 25 or so verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 14, that tongues is actually more of the bottom rung of spiritual experience and should take a much lower position in corporate worship than, say, the gift of prophecy. The focus, when we gather together as the body of Christ, is supremely the glorification of God, followed by the edification of the body, and ultimately the evangelization of the lost who might be present, or the preparation for the church to do that out in the community.

He now comes to a point where he will give very clear direction regarding the order of the corporate gathering of the church. The church at Corinth was in need of some order. As we've already considered while studying through the book of 1 Corinthians thus far, this was a church that had all sorts of problems. Yes, they were believers, and yes, they were disciples and followers of Christ, but they exhibited far more immaturity in their walk with Christ than they did spirituality.

And yet, they boasted of their spirituality. They boasted of their wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and power. Paul has been seeking to take them out of that place of boasting in who they were or what they were, and rather to boast in Christ, removing their focus from themselves. This is really a characteristic of immaturity, and now he is directing that focus to the Lord.

We come to verse 26, where he says, "How is it then, brethren?" The phrase "how is it then" is the very same phrase that Paul used in the Greek in verse 15 of 1 Corinthians chapter 14. In that verse, he asks, "What is it then? I will pray in the Spirit, and I will pray with understanding also. I will sing in the Spirit; I will sing with understanding also." Verse 15 was an answer to the expected question. Paul was a real champion of anticipating what his readers would say in response to what he was writing, and then he answers that question immediately.

In verse 15, he was speaking just before that about how the person speaking in tongues has unfruitful understanding. They do not understand what they are saying when they speak in tongues, and those gathered do not understand what they are saying either. He anticipates the question, "Well, then why even use the gift?" He responds, "I will use the gift because it is personally edifying. I will use the gift because it is a good way to praise God. I will use the gift because it is a form of prayer." He states, "I will pray in tongues. I will sing in tongues, but I will sing with my understanding and pray with my understanding also."

He anticipated their question in verse 15, and now again in verse 26, he anticipates the expected question. In the previous paragraph, verses 20 through 25, he was speaking about how they were to conduct themselves. He anticipates, "Well, then if we are to gather together, how should it be ordered?" Paul essentially says, "I'm glad you asked," even though they did not explicitly ask. He goes on to explain what it should look like.

When you come together, notice first that he says, "when you come together." We should note here that we ought to come together. Paul taught and assumed that regular gatherings of the people of God were the norm.

And so he says, when you get together as the body of Christ, this is what you are to do. Secondly, we should recognize in verse 26 that when we gather together, we ought to come prepared to give our participation and not just passively receive. That's what we saw last week: when we gather together as the body of Christ, we should be endeavoring to use the gifts that God has given us to benefit the corporate gathering of those who are there.

Paul desired that the Corinthians would mature in their understanding of what church really was and what that gathering was all about. He wanted them to no longer look at their gathering as an opportunity to show off their giftedness and to receive admiration and praise from those present. Rather, he hoped they would see it as an opportunity to come and use the gifts that God has given them to bless others. They should approach the congregation ready, if an opportunity arose, to participate with the aim of edification. The target is building up those who are gathered together.

Notice how Paul words it. He says, when you come together, every one of you has a psalm, a doctrine, a tongue, a revelation, or an interpretation. There are a couple of different ways you could read verse 26. You could interpret it as Paul saying that when you gather together, you are already coming with the aim to use the gifts you have in that way. You are not just there to receive but to actively use what God has given you.

So, you come together with a song to share or a psalm to sing. You have a teaching, a doctrine. Someone has the gift of tongues, and somebody brings a revelation. Paul is saying that when you gather ready to use those gifts, how should you use them? His exhortation is that all things be done unto edification. Your focus and aim should be the building up of the body. The New Living Translation reads, "So we want to build up the body of Christ." We use the gifts that God has given us for that purpose. Therefore, when you come together, be ready.

You come together with something to say. You have something with which you can praise God, instruct someone, or comfort the congregation. You're focused not upon receiving, but on giving. The point should be to build up.

Not only should the use of our gifts be for the edification of the congregation, but Paul goes on to say in the rest of this chapter that we should let everything be done in order. There should be an order to the way that we use our gifts. It is not just some big happenstance thing where we get together for a free-for-all. This, if you will, is the second guideline for corporate worship gatherings.

Number one, we should seek to build up. We should seek to edify. That has been the whole course of chapter 14 thus far. Secondly, we should do things orderly. When we come together to edify one another, how do a bunch of spiritually born disciples of Christ build each other up? They use the gifts that God has given to them for that very specific purpose.

In 1 Corinthians 12, verse 7, Paul says that the manifestation, or the gifts of the Spirit, are given to all believers for the profit of everyone present, for the building up of all. Keep in mind, as we look at the next several verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, that Paul is writing this because of the abuses that were taking place in the church at Corinth.

If Paul says to the Corinthians that God is not the author of confusion but of peace, we can rightly assume that there was confusion in the Corinthian gatherings. If Paul says God requires that things be done decently and in order, it is not a stretch to imagine that what was taking place in the Corinthian church was indecent and disorderly.

Make sense? To get an idea of what the gatherings of the body of Christ looked like at Corinth, just imagine the opposite of everything that Paul says in this passage. You will have a good understanding of what was happening in the church there.

He is going to speak to three different issues in the corporate worship gathering regarding orderly worship. He will talk about the place of tongues in verses 27 and 28, and the place of prophecy in verses 29 through 33.

The place of women, as discussed in verses 34 and 35, is a topic I would really like to skip, but I won't. We need to consider the place of tongues, the place of prophecy, and the place of women within the corporate worship gathering of the church. It is extremely important to keep in mind that all of chapter 14 is dealing with the gathering of the body of Christ. Up to this point, Paul has been specifically talking about tongues and prophecy.

Now, the question arises: how do we use these gifts when we gather together? The answer is given starting at verse 27. Paul says, "If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church." I encourage you to lean over in your neighbor's Bible and circle the words "in the church." We want to emphasize that this is speaking to the church gathering.

If there is no interpreter, the tongue speaker should keep silence in the church and speak to himself and to God. Notice that in verse 27, the very first word is "if." Paul chooses to use this conditional particle on purpose. "If any man speaks in an unknown tongue" indicates that the use of the gift of tongues in the church gathering is not a requirement.

Why is this important? Paul brings it forth, and I highlight it because some charismatic believers feel as though the Spirit has been quenched or that the Spirit of God is not present if the gift of tongues is not evident in a church gathering. However, the Scriptures do not support that view. The Apostle Paul did not hold that perspective, although some may teach it today. It is simply not supported by Scripture.

While charismatic views consider tongue speaking as indispensable, we at Calvary Chapel see it as dispensable in the corporate movement of the church, but not forbidden.

Do you see the difference? There are those in certain places in the body of Christ who say that if the gift of tongues is not exercised when the body of Christ comes together, the Spirit of God is not there. We just don't agree with that because it's nowhere supported in the Bible. Paul, I believe, really brings that out by using the conditional word "if." If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be two, or at most three, and let them do it one at a time.

Now again, use your imagination and consider the opposite of what Paul is saying in verse 27, and you have Corinth. What do you think the corporate worship gatherings in Corinth looked like if he is saying this is how it's supposed to be? It was probably more than two or three, and all at the same time. Paul says there needs to be a decent and orderly way in which the gift of tongues is exercised. If it is going to be exercised in the corporate gathering of the church, Paul has already shown that it's primarily not a corporate gift; it's more for the personal edification of the one who has the gift.

He says if it takes place in the corporate worship gathering, then it should be two, or at most three, and they should each follow in succession, going one at a time. Some of you, I'm sure, have been involved in some churches or attended churches in the past where that was not the case. I know I have been in a number of fellowships where, at a certain point in the worship service, multitudes of people—10, 15, 20—begin to speak out in tongues all at the same time, leading to confusion and chaos. That does not fall in line with the Scriptures.

I think that was really what was taking place in the Corinthian fellowships. People were identified as spiritual if they took part in this practice. You can see that there were individuals who had a genuine use of the gift of tongues, but if there were multitudes speaking out in tongues and they were seen as the spiritual ones, there was pressure for others who did not genuinely have the gift of tongues to pretend that they did. Paul says it shouldn't be that way. If it's going to take place in the corporate gathering of the body of Christ, then it should be two, at most three, and they should do it one at a time.

Not only so, he says that let one interpret. This "let one interpret" implies that it was known, or should be known, who the individuals were that had the gift of interpretation. When we went through 1 Corinthians chapter 12, I know it seems like a year ago, and it almost was, but we identified the different gifts of prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles, healings, and all these different things.

The gift of interpretation is a God-given gift whereby an individual receives revelation from God regarding what is being said or the sense of what is being said by the tongue's speaker. Paul is implying, or at least he asserts, that it would be known who the interpreter was in the congregation at Corinth. Therefore, one is not to speak in tongues unless the interpreter is present.

I think you can begin to see why Paul exhorts that the tongue speakers in the church at Corinth would pray for the ability to interpret, as we saw last week. He says to let it be two or at most three, and that by course, and there must be an interpreter. If there is no interpreter, then the tongue's speaker, Paul says in verse 35, is to remain silent in the church.

To be quite honest with you, this makes the gift of tongues even more difficult as a public form of expression. Unless it is known that there is an interpreter in the church, then there is no tongues speaking in that gathering. In my years of following the Lord and meeting different people who are gifted with spiritual gifts—every believer is gifted—I have never met anyone who has told me they have the gift of interpretation. I do think it is an important gift to pray for, especially if a church desires for the expression of gifts, particularly the gift of tongues, to take place in gatherings of believers.

Make sense? I will be willing to give at least one caveat here to say that the interpreter, the one who has the gift of interpretation, may be revealed by the orderly use.

of an individual or by the orderly use of the gift of tongues by an individual. I'll give you an example. If you're in a home fellowship setting and there's a time of prayer and praise, and someone speaks forth in tongues, there is an unintelligible speech or language that's given. Then, there should be a time of waiting for an interpretation. If no interpretation is given and an interpreter is not revealed, then there should be no more expression of the gift of tongues.

What is the person who has the gift of tongues genuinely to do if they know that there is no interpreter present when they gather together? Paul says, let that individual keep silent in the church, and they may speak to themselves and to God. However, the tongue speaker might say, "You don't understand. I need to speak. I can't contain it. It just comes over me. I have to bring it forth." No, you don't. Paul makes it very clear that you have power over this gift; it does not have power over you.

There are some who insist, "No, it just comes over me, and I can't contain it." This is false. The Scriptures do not support it. It's not found in the Bible; therefore, it ought not be found in our fellowship. Paul indicates very clearly that the tongue speaker has the power to restrain themselves. Generally speaking, individuals who cannot restrain themselves are immature children. So, if you say, "I cannot contain myself; I have to speak forth," you're only proving your immaturity, not your spirituality. It is the child who cannot restrain themselves.

The tongue speaker can speak quietly in tongues to themselves and to God. The great thing about the gift of tongues is that it is primarily given for personal edification. If they pray quietly in the gift of tongues, in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14, verse 4, they are edified; they are built up. Perhaps, if you're in that position, tongue speaker, and you're praying quietly in tongues, you can also pray that God might give you the gift of interpretation so that you can be edifying to the whole.

With the gift that you have, Paul speaks about the place of tongues and the orderly worship gathering. Secondly, he addresses the place of prophecy. In verse 29, he writes, "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge." This seems to indicate that the other prophets should evaluate what is being said. If anything is revealed to another prophet who sits by, the first prophet should hold their peace or be quiet. This allows for all to prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be comforted. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.

As I mentioned before, some commentators replace the word "prophet" with "preacher." They read this as, "Let the preachers speak, and let all judge." However, this interpretation doesn't really fit. Yes, preaching does incorporate prophecy, or it should. Any biblical preaching or preacher should, in some way, be using the gift of prophecy. However, not all preaching equals the gift of prophecy in the New Testament sense.

We have already considered that prophecy, in the New Testament sense, is the ability, as given by the Spirit of God, to speak God's word in a way that aligns with 1 Corinthians 14, verse 3. "But he that prophesies speaks unto men for edification, exhortation, and comfort." Therefore, the New Testament gift of prophecy is the ability, as given by the Spirit of God, for an individual to speak edification, exhortation, and comfort through God's word.

Paul emphasizes that when believers gather together corporately, there should be prophets in their midst. These are not prophets in the Old Testament sense, who declare, "Thus saith the Lord," with doom and gloom. The phrase "thus saith the Lord" is seen in the Old Testament, not in the New. There is a difference between the Old Testament office of a prophet and the individual functioning under the gift of prophecy in the New Testament, as stirred up by the Lord.

When believers come together, there are those who have the gift of prophecy—the ability to speak exhortation, edification, and comfort through God's word to those who are assembled. Now, I'm sure you've recognized this distinction.

By this point, as we read through this passage, we see that the corporate gatherings Paul is speaking about look different from what we do here traditionally on a Sunday morning at Calvary Chapel of Escondido. Traditionally, when we gather together, we have someone come out, open the service with prayer, we stand, and we begin to sing praises to God. Then, someone comes forward to give some announcements and receive the offering. We continue to sing some praise and worship to the Lord, and then one of the teaching pastors comes forth to bring an exhortation, an edification, a comfort, a sermon from the Word of God. Finally, we pray and depart.

The worship gatherings Paul describes here look different and mirror more our home fellowship setting than a Sunday morning worship gathering. In many ways, they resemble something like the Brethren churches. I visited a few Brethren churches when I lived in Germany, and they don't have any staff pastors. They don't even really have a pastor per se. They have a group of mature individuals in the body of Christ, all seen as brothers within the church. They are elders and are given the opportunity to share and give forth God's Word when they gather together.

What we see here is descriptive of something more like our home fellowship setting. We should recognize that in the city of Corinth, there were multiple home meetings of believers because they didn't have what we have: the ability to gather together corporately like we do here on a Sunday morning. This does not mean that the early church did not do what we do, because in the Book of Acts, we see the body of Christ gathered together on the first day of the week corporately whenever they could. In Jerusalem, they did so at the temple. In Antioch, it seems they had some other place to do so. In the city of Philippi, Paul began to gather people at the river. Sometimes they would seek an opportunity to meet in the synagogue until they were kicked out, which generally they were.

Even in Corinth, there seems to be a gathering together corporately, but Paul is speaking here to the multiple meetings throughout the city. When these people would gather together, primarily in homes, there would be certain individuals identified as spiritually gifted. Some of them had the gift of prophecy, and normally there would be several. They would gather together and share from God's Word, providing edification, exhortation, or something comforting to the body. As one would be sharing,

Paul says to let two or three share and let the others judge. The others should weigh what is being said. Is what is being said in line with God's Word? We saw previously in 1 Corinthians that there were some wacky things that people were saying, and some were claiming it must be from God. Therefore, we need to test what is said. In many ways, we need to be Bereans. I trust that you are prudent people. Many of you, most of you, have far more education than I do. So, work these things out, brothers and sisters.

If I teach something on a Sunday morning, take it home and go through the Scriptures, especially if you're challenged by it or if you think, "I don't see that." Go work it out. Look it up in the Bible. You have the same Bible I have. I'm not preaching in Latin and telling you what it is while you have no idea if that's what the Bible says. You've got it in English, probably in five different colors and twelve different translations. Look it up, goodness gracious, and check it out.

There were those gathered who had the gift of prophecy, and Paul says to let them speak, but he identifies that they should do so decently and in order, one at a time, and let the others judge. If anything is revealed to another as one sits by, let the first hold his peace. Paul says if one is speaking prophetically and another identified prophet in the midst says, "I have something I'd like to add to that," then the one who is speaking should defer and say, "Please add to it what you will."

For you may all prophesy one by one, as stated in verse 31. He says every one of you should say what you have to say one at a time. Now, if Paul is telling them they should do it one at a time, what do you imagine they weren't actually doing? I imagine that what was actually taking place was more akin to what is seen on news commentary shows on weeknights in our country—MSNBC, CNN, Fox News. You have five or six different people on a panel, all yelling and shouting over one another to show how smart they are and how great their political view is. At the end of it, you've heard nothing, and every one of them goes away feeling like a winner.

But all the people on the receiving end—that's us—typically just turn down the volume or change the channel, saying, "I have no idea what you just said." That seems to be what was taking place: a group of people would gather together.

Since they're flexing their spiritual muscles, trying to show who's bigger, who's stronger, and who's better, all of them are cutting each other off constantly to demonstrate that they know more than others. The church at Corinth was filled with a personality cult. People were saying, "I'm of Paul," "I'm of Apollos," "I'm of Cephas," because of this very issue.

So Paul says, "Here's the deal: when you gather together, let one speak at a time. If someone else has something to share or add, then the person speaking should defer to them, but all of them should be given the opportunity to teach." Here is the point: why do they speak? In verse 31, the second half states that all may learn and all may be comforted. The focus is on the building up, the edification of all that are gathered. If, therefore, the people leave that gathering unedified, not built up, then at the very least, we should recognize that we could do better.

Paul emphasizes that the ultimate issue is that all may learn and all may be comforted. The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets. Just as the tongue speaker has control over themselves, the person who has the gift of prophecy is not suddenly taking over and saying, "I have to say something." You can restrain yourself. If you are unrestrained, it is evidence of immaturity and not spirituality.

Why? God is not the author of confusion but of peace. You are a representative of God; you represent Him. Since He is not a God of disorder but of order, the way in which you function under the power of the Holy Spirit speaks of Him. Therefore, what do people learn about God by watching you? That thought can be challenging because it confronts us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether we're at church, where we can put on a good show, or at home, or at work, or out on the basketball court, the baseball field, or wherever we are, we are the image bearers of Christ. Created in the image of God, we are supposed to be manifesting His glory here on earth. Am I doing that? Lord, help me.

God is not the author of confusion but of peace. In Romans 15:33, Paul says that God is the God of peace. In 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Paul identifies the Lord Jesus as the Lord of peace. The author of the book of Hebrews, in Hebrews 13:20, also states that God is the God of peace. The evidence of God's Spirit working is, in part, peace. In Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit includes peace as the third one. James tells us in James 3:17 that wisdom that descends from above is peaceable.

Now, let me just make an aside to this. The same word used for confusion, where God is not the author of confusion, is used by James in James 3:16, where he says, "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." Notice that James correlates confusion with the work of the evil one. The enemy, our adversary the devil, is very real, and he seeks to disrupt through confusion. You can identify when God is doing a genuine work by how the enemy seeks to combat that with confusing disruptions.

I’ll tell you, we have been seeing a lot of that here at Calvary Chapel Escondido recently. We could get all flustered about it, or we could recognize that God is doing a work and the enemy is seeking to combat it.

Now, regarding the place of tongues and the place of prophecy, we have all been waiting for it, as well as the place of women. In verse 34, let’s just skip to verse 36: "Let your women keep silence in the churches." Underline "in the churches," for it is not permitted for them to speak. They are commanded to be under obedience, as also says the law. If they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. Now, certainly, the culture of our day counts.

These two verses are often viewed as anathema. This is perhaps the most politically incorrect passage in all of the Bible for 21st-century America. However, this passage seems to receive a lot of attention and generates significant discussion. There are some in our culture today who have completely dismissed the book of 1st Corinthians and the Apostle Paul based on these words. Many claim that Paul was a chauvinist and that he hated women.

We need to consider whether that is the reality and if that is what is being conveyed here. I appreciate what Alistair Begg says about these two verses. He notes that they are the most challenging verses in 1st Corinthians—challenging for men who have to expound them, for women who have to listen to them being expounded, and for husbands who have to discuss them with their wives when they go home.

First, we need to examine these verses in the context of what is being said. Let's try to break this down and unpack it. Paul is speaking about the corporate gatherings of the body of Christ. This is clearly indicated by his use of the word "church" nine times in these 40 verses—specifically in verses 4, 5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33, 34, and 35. Paul repeatedly uses the Greek word "ekklesia," referring to the gathering of the body of Christ.

Secondly, Paul has already established that the corporate gathering ought to be conducted decently and in order. It should not be a place of confusion, for God is a God of order. Therefore, the gathering of the body of Christ represents God. Furthermore, the context of what Paul says about women in verses 34 and 35 flows from what he just said about discerning, weighing, or judging prophecy in verses 29 through 33. Several translations of verses 34 and 35, along with many commentators, believe that these two verses are closely linked and could be read in conjunction with the second half of verse 33.

All the churches of the saints, let your women keep silence in the churches. Many translations and quite a few commentators say that this is how this should be read. There is a question about where the punctuation should be in verse 33. Should verse 33 have a period at the end of confusion or a comma? The King James Version has a comma, but the New Living Translation, English Standard Version, NIV, and a number of other translations actually put a period. So it could be read as, "In all the churches of the saints, let your women keep silence in the church, in the gathering."

Why is this important? This is important because there are many who say that what Paul is instructing here to women is appropriate only for Corinth culturally. They argue that there were problems in the city of Corinth dealing with this, and so Paul is just addressing a cultural problem in that city. However, if it is read as, "In all the churches of the saints, let your women keep silent in the gathering," then he is not just speaking to the culture at Corinth.

Next, Paul directs that women in the church at Corinth are to hold their peace or keep silence when they are assembled in their gatherings. Why? He says it is because they are not permitted to speak. This causes a lot of ladies to put up a wall. Some of you caught that. What is he saying? I believe that the Greek is helpful because that word translated as "permitted" in the King James Version literally means to turn over to or to commit unto. So, Paul is saying that it is not committed unto women to have this position that he is here speaking of.

Now, the question is, what is the position that he is speaking of? What is he saying when he says this should not be committed into the hands of women? The context in verses 29 through 33 is the weighing, discerning, and judging of what is prophetically spoken in the context of the corporate worship gathering.

Is this an issue of first-century Corinthian culture? Some say yes. However, what does the scripture say? It does not seem that this is what it is about because Paul does not point to culture. Notice what he...

Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak. They are commanded to be under obedience, as also says the law. So, he is not speaking about culture here; he actually brings up a command. What command? Most reference Bibles will point you to the first book of the Bible, Genesis, chapter 3, verse 16, where we read in the second half of the verse that the woman's desire shall be unto her husband, but he shall rule over you or he shall have authority.

Notice that Paul doesn't point to just a cultural issue in Corinth. He brings up a command, and not only a command, but he also goes to the creative order of God. We could say that Paul is not instructing this silence from first-century Corinthian culture, as some assert, but rather from God's clear command and God's creative order. To support this, we can look at 1 Timothy, chapter 2. Just jot it down in your notes. I will read to you from 1 Timothy, chapter 2, verses 11 through 14.

Let the women learn in silence with all submission or subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach or usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence. Why? Is this a cultural issue in Corinth and also in Ephesus? Because Timothy was in Ephesus. Verse 13 of 1 Timothy 2 states that Adam was created first, and then Eve. Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in transgression.

So, Paul instructs female silence in the gathered assembly. He goes back to the creative order of God. Here’s what we need to recognize: Paul is not a chauvinist who hates women. In fact, wherever the gospel of God goes, wherever the Spirit of God goes, He has brought rights to women that they never had in their culture or their previous religion. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. He sets people free.

You want to see a clear difference? Look at the culture of America, which has taken women's rights to an extreme. I hope I don't get killed for that one, but it has. However, that is based on a Judeo-Christian principle that all are created equal. Then, consider Saudi Arabia.

Let's just look at it and consider which affords more rights to women: a Judeo-Christian value that says all are created equal or Allah. I'll let you think about that.

So, what in the world is Paul saying here? Remember, every instructive exhortation that Paul gives is in response to what was taking place in Corinth. If he says that the women in the fellowship at Corinth are to keep silence and not speak in relation to the weighing and judging of prophecy, then what do we know about what was happening in Corinth? We know that they had a pretty central place in saying, objectingly, "I think it means this." Paul says that in the gathering of the body of Christ, as they come together and share prophetic words, they ought not to weigh and judge that prophecy.

Why? Is it because they are unequal? No, it is because God has set a creative order. Clearly, God must have a plan in His creative order, even if our culture doesn't like it. In 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 1 through 16, Paul makes it very clear that women do have the equal ability to give forth prophecy, but they need to do it in line with that which God has ordained. Verse 5 states that every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. What Paul is saying, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, is that they need to be under proper authority if they are to speak forth prophetically.

We must interpret what Paul is saying in chapter 14 in line with what he has already said in chapter 11 because we know one thing for certain: he is not contradicting himself. The best conclusion I can come to at this point is that Paul is saying it is not committed to women in the church to weigh and judge the interpretation of prophecy given within the church gathering; that responsibility is restricted to male leadership.

Some people say they don't like that. Why don't we like it? Do we not like it because it's a cultural issue? Yes, we don't like it because of our culture. This restriction has nothing to do, again, with the inferiority of women. In the Bible, more than any other...

Religious text, in the Christian worldview, grants more rights to women than any other worldview. It brings equality between genders. In verse 35, there is a question as well. What does Paul mean when he says to the women in the church in Corinth that if they want to learn anything, they should ask their husbands at home? Paul seems to be saying that if a woman desires to inquire about the meaning of something said within the corporate gathering of the body of Christ, she should ask her husband at home because she is in subjection to her own husband.

Our culture, however, says that she is not in subjection to her husband. If we look at our culture, we find that the primary spiritual leaders in homes today are often women. I suggest that if we followed what God says here through the Apostle Paul, it would encourage men to step up and be more godly. If you want your husband to be a spiritual leader, then submit to him as a spiritual leader. Stop taking the reins and saying, "I got the pants." This is God's word.

I'm sure there were women who were upset about this teaching when it was read in Corinth. Paul asks, "Did the word of God come from you?" In verse 36, he states, "Or did it come only unto you?" If any man thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the commandments of God. This isn't just something Paul made up; he emphasizes that this is the commandment of God.

You should weigh it out. You are spiritual people; you are smart. Consider what the word of God says. But if someone chooses to be ignorant, let him remain ignorant. If he wants to disagree with this, that is fine. He will disregard God's word, not mine, Paul says. J.B. Phillips translates this as, "Do I see you questioning my instructions? Are you beginning to imagine that the word of God originated in your church or that you have a monopoly on God's truth?"

If any of your number thinks himself to be a true preacher or spiritually minded, then let him recognize that what I have written to you is a divine commandment. David Guzik points out that some people think that if they are really spiritual, they don't have to obey God's word on these matters. In their minds, they believe that because they are so spiritual, the rules don't apply to them. However, if they are truly spiritual, they will adhere to God's word and not go beyond it.

Now, there are many in...

Our modern Western culture often claims that what Paul said to women was only relevant for the first century and specifically for the Corinthian culture, suggesting that we are not bound by it. However, as Paul says, it seems some believe they have a monopoly on the truth. Job's words to his friends in Job chapter 12, verse 2 come to mind: "No doubt you are the men, and wisdom will die with you." They think they have it all figured out.

I also think of Jesus' words in Luke chapter 7, verse 35, where He gives a proverb: "Wisdom is justified by her children." What does that mean? The wisdom of an idea or teaching is proven right or wrong by the fruit it produces. So, let's take a moment to step back and examine Western culture and weigh the fruit. It's something to ponder.

Paul finishes verse 39 by saying, "Wherefore, brethren, desire to prophesy and do not forbid speaking with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order." God is not the author of disorder. Therefore, we ought to endeavor in our gatherings to conform to His character. We should desire spiritual gifts, but we should seek those that bring edification to the whole. We are not to forbid speaking in tongues as long as it aligns with what is decent and in order.

If we adhere to these principles, you can almost hear Paul saying, "If you do these things, you do well." I guarantee you will see great fruit in your life, in your marriage, and in your family if you align your life with the rule of God. If you disagree, I encourage you to check it out and try it for yourself. You are prudent people; you can figure these things out. Amen?

Let's stand and pray. Amen. Father, sometimes Your word is hard to grapple with. But Lord, I ask that You would help us, aiding us by Your Spirit to take these things to heart. If anything has been said today that is purely of me, would You cause it to shrivel up and die? We want Your word to stand true and strong in our lives, and I desire that Your word would be what directs us.

My life. So, Lord, help us to submit ourselves to Your Word, Your will, and Your Spirit as we follow You this week. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.