mesquite wrote:
I have brought this up before, but I cannot recollect having seen a reasonable explanation for this question.
What law was Paul referring to in this verse?
1 Corinthians 14:
Quote:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Does anyone have any scriptural or historical evidence for such a law? Was Paul just inserting his own biases and attempting to add some authority?
Well, God said to Eve was in Genesis 3:16 "To the woman he said: "I shall greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in birth pangs you will bring forth children, and your craving will be for your husband, and he will dominate you." " Paul wasn't being original, making up his own law in 1 Cor 14:34 when he said "be under obedience".
As for verse 35, my understanding of that is that women would not speak out in such a way that would undermine the authority of the leaders in the congregation. Instead should have a supportive role. BUT, he isn't saying that women should just shut their traps and go to the kitchen and make stew. Women are deserving of respect, and so is their thoughts/opinions. And this verse isn't giving men an excuse to treat their's or other's women like garbage. If a woman has a question, she can ask it more privately. If she has a really good point, she can bring it up, let the leaders of the congregation know what she thinking. If the leaders in the congregation are totally missing something, she can let them know...but going behind their backs, talking to the congregation like she knows best, actually instructing them what to do...=undermining them, is not appropriate, nor respectful....which would be the "shameful" that Paul is referring to.
The book of Genesis is part of the Torah, and the Torah is the law spoken of - what the Jewish people strive to abide by (Jewish High Court of the day were the ultimate religious authority...though have taken laws to more of an extreme, perhaps more so in that day. Eg. talking to a woman too much would mean bringing evil upon yourself...these types of extremes were a huge cause of contention between the Jewish leaders of that day and Jesus himself). Paul, even Peter, were bringing this part of the law to where it was intended to be. Not disrespectful, ridiculous extremes of man-made guidelines/traditions.
Really, who better than Paul to know so much about the Jewish laws, by-laws, traditions, etc. He had been a Pharisee afterall, then known as Saul (found in Acts 13:9, should read starting in chapter 7-ish to learn about Saul). Acts 8:1 states "Saul, for his part, was approving of the murder of him", speaking of Stephen, who was in full support of Jesus. Galatians 1:13, 14 he admits he persecuted Christians.
Hopefully that helps somewhat. If not for the reasoning behind it, at least for that it's not coming outta Paul's ass (or Peter's).
