Can’t do it. I can’t be silent. I won’t. And that doesn’t make me less fond of my beloved Savior nor He of me. Nor does it mean the Bible is so full of holes that it’s unreliable or useless. In fact, I’m not even arguing with the truth of it. I’m just not going to do it.
I Corinthians 14:33b-34
As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.
There are certainly cultural and historical bases for this verse (and others) about the roles of women in the church. I understand that.
And yet, on one hand, New Testament women were free to worship and participate equally in the promises of Christ and even perform as leaders (e.g. Lydia & Priscilla) and yet, on the other hand, great limitations were placed on their authority within the church.
Some liberal-leaning Bible historians have explained away this verse by saying it refers to the disorder of the Corinthian church and that women were calling out across the room asking for explanations and the like. Good luck with that one. Maybe so.
And yet, I tend to agree with the more conservative approachs: Paul meant what he said. So be it.
But I cannot keep silent. I don’t cover my head in church and I still wear jewelry and I don’t always “submit” to my husband’s point of view. These things are also part of who I am and I come to Christ honestly.
I have been gifted to speak and even, on occasion, to write well. There have been anointings. The Holy Spirit has flowed through me and I have spoken out of that secret place. I have experienced the pleasure of my God in His creation–me. And although I love the scriptures and all that those words have given to me and revealed to me, I will not allow this verse to condemn me.
So, I’ll wait. And on that great day when we no longer “see through a glass darkly” [I Corinthians 13:12] but understand the greater meanings of our three-dimensional life on this earth, it will all make sense.
I trust God and lean on His grace and that grace is sufficient, even for this intentional rebellion.
Meditations from Zion 
Hello! This is Katie McLaughlin, Dave McLaughlin’s wife. He sent me this blog post to read because he knew I would appreciate this perspective. I have long struggled with how to reconcile some verses in the Bible – rationalize them? Explain them away? Submit to them even when every fiber of my being rejects them? But the way you’ve phrased this – intentionally rebelling with the understanding that I do not understand – really hit home for me. It’s refreshing to read that I can be true to myself and to my God at the same time – that disagreeing (or at least not comprehending) all of the Bible does not mean that my faith is diminished.
Thanks for a great post!
Thanks for reading… and thanks for your comment. I appreciate you “getting it.” I didn’t know where the post would go once I started writing, but by the time I finished, I felt good about letting it all hang out. The power of grace washed over me when I hit that “publish” button. š
Do you think there is any significance in the fact that Paul referred to women, specifically wives in this comment? Especially when it is followed by the fact that they should be in submission. The wording used would not address unmarried women. What about the fact that Paul is referencing obedience to the law, but he was not known for telling gentile believers to follow the Law? Is he referring to the Old Testament law or could it have been a law to that area?
I agree in parts with the conservative approach, but sometimes I think they ignore the cultural aspect in place at the time when deciding what is acceptable. Paul told believers to submit to the rule in place at the time, so even if it was not required by God to follow, it would have been followed out of submission to the authority in place. Just a thought.
I don’t know, but I would assume, since Paul was a Pharisee before coming to Christ that he would be referring to Judaic law. Since he refers to the “congregations of the saints,” these would be both the original believers in Israel as well as the new gentile believers.
I am in total agreement that these role-based descriptions are very culturally based. I’m pretty sure there are lots of examples of these “cultural” points of view.
But will I ever know for sure? Not any time soon. And that’s why I’m figuring I have to balance these Pauline instructions with my own culture and naturally, its bias.
Thanks for coming by to read and comment. I appreciate it.
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