"In all the congregations let the women keep silent."

by senoj53 40 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • senoj53
    senoj53

    At 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 Paul writes;

    "In all the congregations let the women keep silent, for it is not permitted for them to speak, but let them be in subjection, even as the Law says."

    If in fulfilment of Joel's prophecy God's spirit was poured out on both men and women at Pentecost 33 CE giving them the ability to prophesy, why did Paul say that women should keep silent?

    Steve (Senoj53)

  • Narkissos
    Narkissos

    Many scholars recognise this passage as an addition into 1 Corinthians: it comes after v. 40 in some mss, disrupts the flow of the text (the topic is prophecy, before and after) and contradicts chapter 11 which stipulates howwomen must pray and prophesy in the church (hence not keep silent).

    Otoh, it does reflect the doctrine of the post-Pauline Pastorals (cf. 1 Timothy 2).

  • Uzzah
    Uzzah

    Paul was obviously afraid of women.

  • JosephMalik
    JosephMalik

    Hello Steve,

    He didn't! He was refuting the letter the Corinthians wrote to him as shown in 1 Cor. 7:1. He commented and sometimes quoted from it as he did here. So when you see the personal pronoun "I" in 1 Cor. it does not always stand for Paul. Sometimes it is simply a direct quote from the letter the Corinthians wrote to him. This is hard to pick out unless you are carefully following along and most people get it wrong. Paul wrote just like we do here on this board picking words or phrases to comment on and we should be experienced enough to recognize this. What is really remarkable about this verse is how he kicks their butts with a single letter translated What! Notice: 36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? He therefore takes them to task in no uncertain words. Paul was for women's rights not against them. Hope this helps.

    Joseph

  • Homerovah the Almighty
    Homerovah the Almighty

    An old philosophy that is used in many main stream and not religions to place men in front of the power and control spectrum

    Shameful but true

  • tula
    tula
    let the women keep silent

    I thought all those rules and laws were made simply to prove the point that it would be impossible....

  • JosephMalik
    JosephMalik

    HTA

    Yes and it was the philosophy of many such Jewish Christians in Corinth. So Paul tried to put a stop to it. And their were some Gentile beliefs in the letter as well such as their belief in astrology. We see this in chapter 15. Paul kicked all that in the butt as well but what happened? He gets the blame for teaching what they were actually doing. He did this in other places in this same letter as he covered their remarks commenting as he read along. You will also see that he did this or something similar in nearly all his letters as the problem existed everywhere he taught. This is why he appointed overseers and used men like Timothy to do the same. Letters did not have the same impact as someone appointed so he turned their own lingering Jewish beliefs against them in this way.

    Joseph

  • Narkissos
    Narkissos

    lol @ tula.

  • journey-on
    journey-on

    JosephMalik

    Thanks for this clarification. I'm going to go back and reread Paul's writings. I always got the feeling when

    reading his stuff that he usurped the teachings of Jesus and put a "commercial" spin on them. I always felt

    a bit of irritation in reading his words like he was taking the simplicity of Jesus' message and doctoring it up

    to suit his agenda. Everythings was always, imo, I, I, I, I, me, me, me me. This passage about women

    annoyed me because Jesus was not like that with women. Then along comes Paul and because of some

    personal "problem" decides women are second-rate Christians. I'll reread his writings with a different mindset now

    and see if I can get over my dislike of him.

  • Witness 007
    Witness 007

    I wish my Witness wife would take this council to heart and leave me the hell alone woman!!! Thanks Paul...us spiritual men need to stick together against these female "Satans."

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