Let the women keep silent?

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (NKJV)

34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.

1 Timothy 2:12 (NKJV)

12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

Paul emphasizes that the principle of women not speaking in church services is not local, geographical, or cultural, but rather a universal principle that applies to all churches.

This is God’s order for the church. God has established a clear chain of authority in both the home and the church which includes all those spheres. God has ordained that men act as heads – that is, they have authority and responsibility.

Women were not permitted to speak in Jewish synagogues in the Old Testament, and this principle continues in the New Testament. (This does not mean that women do not have an opinion or a voice, but rather it simply means that the pastoral office is reserved for men).

According to some interpreters, the prohibition of 1 Timothy 2:12 does not apply to the present for three reasons. Paul said this only because Ephesians women were teaching false doctrine; or (2) Paul only said this because the women in that culture were not educated enough to teach; or (3) Paul issued a temporary command only applicable to that culture.

However, if we continue reading, we can see that Paul’s argument was not the result of cultural standards of the day, but rather of God’s original design for creation. In addition, the false teachers associated with Ephesus were men, and there is no historical evidence that women taught false doctrine there during the first century.

Also a number of well-educated women were also present in the area of Asia Minor at that time, as indicated by ancient inscriptions and literate).

Our culture today rejects the idea that there are different roles for men and women, so obeying Paul’s “I do not permit” command is naturally challenging.

However, it is important to view the cultural challenge in its true context – not so much as a struggle between men and women, but as a struggle with authority in general. There has been a radical shift in the way in which authority is perceived in our society today:

• The citizens do not have the same respect for the authority of the government.
• Students do not respect the authority of their teachers as much as they should.
• Women do not respect men’s authority.
• Children do not respect parental authority.
• Employees do not respect their employer’s authority as much as they should.
• People do not respect the authority of the police as they used to.
• Christians no longer respect church authority as they used to.

Our current moral state could be described as anarchy / lawlessness. In our culture, there is no moral authority. When it comes to morality, the only thing that matters is what one wants to do. The broad attack on authority must be interpreted as a direct Satanic strategy to destroy our society and millions of lives.

In order to achieve this, he is using two main attacks. The first is corruption of authority; the second is rejection of authority.

In fact, God’s very being is based on the idea of authority and submission to authority. The Father is the First Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son is the Second, and the Holy Spirit is the Third. Within the Trinity, there exists a perfect relationship of authority and submission. The Son submits to the authority of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, glorifying Christ and carrying out their divine will.

This perfect unity in authority and submission within the Godhead reflects the divine order that God has ordained for creation. Therefore, when we fail to exercise biblical authority or fail to submit to biblical authority, we sin not only against God’s commands but also against His very nature.

The principles Paul laid out regarding women in ministry are not based on cultural biases or societal norms of the time. They are rooted in God’s divine order, established at creation and perfectly mirrored in the relationship within the Trinity.

This is not about devaluing women or limiting their significance in the church, but about honoring the roles God has assigned for His glory and our good.

Our culture’s rejection of these roles is part of a broader rebellion against all forms of authority—whether it is in families, churches, or society at large. This rebellion undermines God’s design and leads to chaos and confusion.

By faithfully following His order, we not only reflect His nature but also preserve the stability and purpose He intended for His people. Just as there is perfect authority and submission within the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so too are we called to live in harmony with God’s divine will, trusting His wisdom and purposes above our own preferences.