Paul’s Conflicting Statements On Female Public Speaking (1 Cor. 11:5) And Silence (1 Cor. 14:34-35) A New Suggestion -- By: Armin D. Baum

Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 65:2 (NA 2014)
Article: Paul’s Conflicting Statements On Female Public Speaking (1 Cor. 11:5) And Silence (1 Cor. 14:34-35) A New Suggestion
Author: Armin D. Baum


Paul’s Conflicting Statements
On Female Public Speaking (1 Cor. 11:5)
And Silence (1 Cor. 14:34-35)
A New Suggestion

Armin D. Baum

([email protected])

Summary

How could in 1 Corinthians women at the same time be permitted to prophesy (1 Cor. 11:5) and prohibited from asking questions (1 Cor. 14:34-35)? Read against their ancient cultural background the two texts reveal a common basic principle which lies behind both of them. According to Paul, female public speaking without male consent was unacceptable (1 Cor. 14:34-35) whereas female public speaking with male consent was tolerable if female chastity was preserved (1 Cor. 11:5).1

1. Review Of Research: The Logical Coherence Of
1 Corinthians 11:5 And 14:34-35

In this paper I am going to deal with Paul’s two well-known commands regarding female speaking and silence in church gatherings in 1 Corinthians:

Any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head—it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved (1 Cor. 11:5).

As in all the churches of the saints, women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate,

as the law also says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church (1 Cor. 14:34-35).

The question I would like to answer in this paper is: How do the permission to prophesy (1 Cor. 11:5) and the prohibition against asking questions (1 Cor. 14:34-35) fit together? How could Paul on the one hand in chapter 11 allow women to pray and prophesy in a church gathering (if they covered their heads) and on the other hand in chapter 14 prohibit them from speaking or even asking questions in a public church meeting? Do these two statements contradict each other? Or can they be reconciled with each other? And if they can be reconciled, how?

In this context, several related questions will have to be treated as well: What kind of speaking is forbidden to women in the Pauline Corpus? Under ...

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