An Examination of Apostle Paul’s Instruction in 1 Corinthians 14:33–35 on the Role of Women in Churches

Abstract

The meaning and application of 1 Corinthians 14:33–35 on the role of women in churches has posed a great hermeneutical challenge to Bible scholars. For instance, the statement in verse 34, “women should remain silent in the churches,” has elicited different interpretations. To some, Paul offered a timeless rule forbidding every kind of speech by women, while others see it as a contextual issue limited only to the Corinthian churches. Therefore, a balanced biblical interpretation is necessary to clarify Paul’s instruction regarding the involvement of women in church ministry. This paper explores whether 1 Corinthians 14:33–35 hinders women from teaching, speaking, or leading in the church. To achieve this, the study, first, analyzes critical issues raised by the two opposing camps on the matter. Second, the research employs the grammatical-historical approach to ascertain the author’s meaning in the biblical text. The article argues that 1 Corinthians 14:33–35 does not summarily forbid every kind of speech by women in the church. Instead, it addresses the kind of speech by women that was considered disruptive to order during worship, and disrespectful to their husbands and the church leadership, and shameful within the Greco-Roman cultural norms.