People have written BOOKS on these chapters. BOOKS. I do not wish to write a book today. I also do not wish to haggle over the “women silent in the church” passage. I’ll address it, but my goal is to make today’s post more reflective than explanatory. If I can. It’s doubtful.
I’m going to try to keep it short.
I won’t succeed but I will try.
And I’m sure that no matter how I handle these chapters and in particular, 1 Cor. 14:34-35, I’m guaranteed to disappoint or offend somebody. So just know, if you’re the lucky winner who happens to be disappointed that I did not address all 15 possible interpretations of 1 Cor. 14:34-35, or that something in today’s post offends you, just know that I didn’t do it on purpose. I’m writing from my own experience and perspective.
Chapters 12-14 should never be studied apart from each other. It’s a single unit.
Chapter 12 begins a new section addressing yet another question brought to Paul by the Corinthian church:
“What about the spiritual?”
😐 What about the spiritual WHAT?
Just “the spiritual.” In the Greek, the word for gifts (charisma) does not exist. It’s just this word:
They’re asking about the supernatural aspect of the Christian life. Supernatural gifts are of course implied, but the question is broader.
From the outset of this letter, Paul has been addressing the divisions in the Church. There are the tribes that have picked their favorite Apostle and the tribe that says “You’re all wrong. I just follow Jesus.”
There are the divisions that need to happen to get the phony Christians who are living in sin and rebellion out of the congregation.
There are the divisions between the offended parties who are dragging each other to court to settle disputes.
There is a major battle of the sexes goin on.
There is a division between the ones who think that eating idol food isn’t really a problem and the ones who think it’s a huge problem.
There are class divisions between the rich and poor, slaves and free.
This is the picture. It’s a church full of people in competition. They have formed little cliques and alliances. And it would seem from what Paul writes in 12-14 that the competition and comparison has also infected the exercise of the various gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
Who is better? A person who can heal the sick or someone who speaks in tongues?
Remember how we noticed the Corinthians were asking the wrong question? This one:
What will benefit ME? What do I want?
Once again, the Corinthians are asking the wrong questions about the supernatural abilities given by the Holy Spirit. They’re asking “Which gift is the best?” What they should be asking is “Am I using my supernatural gift to build up the whole Church?”
Before I go further, just in case it’s not already abundantly clear from past posts…
- I believe that the Lord continues to show up through supernatural gifts for the edification of the Church IF the saints desire to exercise those gifts.
- This is an area that has always been prone to clumsiness, misunderstanding, and fleshly abuse. That does not mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.
- I have experience in nearly all of these gifts; either observationally or personal experience. I don’t write about them as a theorist.
The point of chapter 12 seems to be to restore unity in the exercise of the spiritual gifts. They don’t come from different spirits. They all come from God. They’re not given to divide the Body of Christ but to bring us together as we minister to one another.
A NOTE ABOUT TONGUES
I pray in tongues. And I sing in tongues. Not like every day but I have exercised this gift since my late teens and I’ve been around a lot of others who “pray in an unknown tongue” as well. And I have found what Paul says to be absolutely true, “He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself.” I have no idea HOW it happens, but I know without a doubt that it DOES happen. If I’m weak and need “building up,” praying in the Spirit does that.
I know there are some groups within the Church that view “tongues” as meaning someone like a Polyglot. That’s a person who has a knack for learning languages and can speak several fluently. But polyglots speak known languages and they know what they are saying when they speak. Paul says these are languages that are not understood, even by the speaker. He says in 14:14 that when praying in this language, his spirit is praying but his “understanding is unfruitful.” His intellect is not involved. It is bypassed.
You may have seen the ABC News report from several years ago on the phenomenon of speaking in tongues; technically known as glossolalia [gloss-oh-lay-lee-ah]. The brain scans show that the brain is not processing language. The people interviewed say the same thing as Paul. The understanding is unfruitful. “We’re not in control.”
Now, in my personal experience, I often have a pretty good general idea of what I’m praying about even though the language is not exactly under my control. (Though I am never “out of my mind” or anything weird like that. It’s not a trance. And I could switch back into English if I chose.) I think this awareness may be because I have also experienced the ability to somehow – no idea how – to completely understand what is being said in a language I do not comprehend; what Paul calls “the interpretation of tongues” in 12:10. It’s like being able to hear someone’s heart. It’s not the words you understand, it’s the ideas, the thoughts. It’s really hard to explain.
It’s not something I have a ton of ability in, but I have experienced it and been able to interpret a message given in an unknown tongue, and other times to verify that another interpreter in the room was correct in the interpretation they gave because I also understood it; or, at least the gist of it. I have not really developed this gift. The whole idea of people having the supernatural ability to pray in a language they have never learned, (and is probably not even an earthly language), is amazing. There is no way to describe it except miraculous.
Not all instances of “tongues” are unknown. I know of an instance that happened at my Bible College where a young woman was praying in tongues and a student from India understood every word because it was in her unique native dialect; almost unheard of outside of her region. And here was an American, who was not bilingual, praising God in her obscure language. That’s like the tongues on the Day of Pentecost.
But I have often wondered if some “prayer languages” are in fact, real human languages, but perhaps no longer spoken – like an ancient dialect of a tribe somewhere. Or perhaps a mix of languages. That’s what it often feels like to me. As if the Holy Spirit took a whole stack of dictionaries from different languages, and threw them in a blender and when I pray a line of 20 words, there are up to 20 different languages involved. Sometimes praying in tongues is called a “prayer language.” The idea is that it is not a language that has ever existed on earth. It is heavenly in origin. Paul is probably referring to unknown tongues in Chapter 13, when he talks about speaking in “the tongues of men and of angels…” And why not? The LORD, who invented languages at Babel is not confined to those languages. He can invent new languages all day long without breaking a sweat.
When people laugh or mock and say “It just sounds like a bunch of gibberish,” I always think of this scripture:
“for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.”
Isaiah 28:11 KJV
Like an infant learning to speak, a prayer language does not typically start out fully formed and fluent. For many people it begins as one or two syllables; just like a baby saying ma-ma and da-da. There is an utter giving of oneself (in faith) that needs to happen for this gift (or any gift) to show up. As I heard one Pentecostal preacher say, “The Holy Ghost isn’t going to grab your tongue and start wiggling it up and down. You have to obey Him and yield your tongue to Him when you hear the words forming in your Spirit.”
A NOTE ABOUT PROPHECY
Most of the prophecy we have seen so far in the Bible is the foretelling kind. And we’re not done seeing that kind of prophecy in the book of Acts. Foretelling is the key idea of prophecy but it is also forth-telling or inspired speaking. The word inspire means to breathe in. In-spirit. In-spire. Prophecy in the NT Church is when a person speaks as directed by the Holy Spirit.
Paul names 3 purposes for Christian prophecy.
“On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”
1 Corinthians 14:3 ESV
So, along with foretelling, we have Spirit-directed speaking that builds up, encourages and comforts. But Paul goes on to describe an example of prophecy in the church and it involves revealing secrets.
“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.”
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 ESV
The secrets of a person’s heart being disclosed could possibly refer to those times when you feel like the preacher wrote the sermon about you. But it may also be referring to what Paul calls in 12:8 “the word of knowledge.”
A “word of knowledge” cannot mean just being intelligent. Sinners can be highly intelligent. Sinners can be eloquent speakers and powerful singers. Those are not spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift is not a talent or a skill. It’s a miraculous ability only made possible by the active work of the Holy Spirit. That’s why I do not believe that the gift of healing is someone being a talented doctor or nurse – as valuable as that is. Plenty of unbelievers who do not have the Holy Spirit are phenomenally good surgeons and nurses. Spiritual gifts are spiritual. They are supernatural, not natural.
So the “word of wisdom” and the “word of knowledge” cannot mean normal human wisdom or knowledge. It has to be talking about supernatural wisdom or knowledge. What is supernatural knowledge? It is knowledge that it would be impossible for a person to naturally have or know. In charistmatic circles this may be called “a prophetic gift.” And it’s kinda weird when it happens.
I remember being on a ministry tour and praying for a young woman who had come up for prayer at the end of a service. She didn’t say what she needed prayer for but I started praying anyway. And as I did, I saw a little scene in my head. There was this path that sloped off on either side. This girl was walking on the path. And then there were these people trying to pull her off to one side where it was kinda dark. That was it. And it happened in an instant. I paused in my prayer. Then I said, “I don’t know what this means but I just saw something.” And I described to her what I had seen in my head. And she started sobbing. And I’m kinda standing there like, “well, it must’ve meant something.” After a few kleenexes and regaining her composure, she told me what it meant. She knew exactly. It was a caution from the Lord about some friends in her life that were pulling her away from Jesus. It was proof to her that God knew every detail of her life and cared so much that He sent a total stranger from a completely different state to “disclose the secrets of her heart.”
That was supernatural knowledge. There’s no human way I could’ve known that information about a complete stranger’s personal life. I didn’t even know her name. But God did. And that’s all that mattered.
MORE ABOUT PROPHECY IN THE CHURCH
I know that 12:1 uses the term “brothers” but the word in the Greek text is the plural adelphoi, which is grammatically masculine, but gender-inclusive.
- Adelphos – brother
- Adelphe – sister
- Adelphoi – brothers and sisters
The exercise of the gifts is not gender-exclusive. We just read about women praying and prophesying in chapter 11. And to the whole congregation of brothers AND sisters, Paul says..
“For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,”
1 Corinthians 14:31 ESV
Before anyone can attempt to grapple with the verses about “women keeping silent” they need to grapple with all the verses that come just before that give instruction on women speaking and the heaps of other texts that have women praying, prophesying, witnessing, and teaching. We cannot take these two verses in isolation.
Why would Paul tell women they can pray and prophesy in chapter 11 and then tell them they can’t in chapter 14? That suggests that the “silence” is not sitting there mute but something else. If women are never supposed to ever open their mouths and are only permitted to learn by asking their husbands questions when they get home, what’s the point of women coming to the meeting at all? Why not just have a men’s only meeting? There has to be more here than a simplistic “women can never talk” interpretation.
Also, there are 2 other groups commanded to keep silent in verses 28 and 30. It’s the exact same Greek word each time.
- Those who speak in tongues are to hold their peace and be silent if there is no interpreter present in the gathering. Does that mean they cannot say anything else ever?
- If a prophet is speaking and the Lord reveals something to the prophet that is listening and judging, then the speaking prophet is to hold his peace and keep silent in deference to the other. Does that mean that they can never speak again?
In neither of these instances do we take the text to mean that these people are never to open their mouths at all. It has to do with restraining speech for a specific reason.
The specific reason with the women in Corinth – the ones who were in the battle of the sexes with their husbands, removing the equivalent of a wedding ring; (the veil that showed they were married), and withholding sexual intimacy in the name of sprituality… – those women… the opposite of their speaking is to be “submitted.” Which suggests to me that they were getting quite pushy and out of line with their speaking just like they were getting selfish and out of line with their other behaviors.
And some of their speaking has to do with asking questions. It’s coming right on the heels of the part about prophets judging the word of another prophet. It’s possible that some of these women were cross-examining other prophets or questioning (as in casting doubt upon or undermining) something that another prophet shared. It could also suggest that she is asking some other woman’s husband to explain something spiritual, as if her own husband is a loser and this other fella is a spiritual superhero, And y’all, I’ve seen that kind of stuff lead to adultery.
I’m very happy for the men in the church to take the initiative and carry the weight of authority and responsibility. And I thank the Lord for them. I for one, will not fight about speaking or not speaking. Whatever ministry any of us have has to come from the Lord. It’s not like we can do it without Him.
The most important thing about any of these gifts or ministries is the middle chapter, 13, LOVE. It is love that builds up the Church. Not knowledge. Not miracles or supernatural gifts. LOVE. Paul has been banging this one drum for this entire letter.
We choose to LIMIT our LIBERTY out of LOVE.
The two verses about women tend to so dominate this part of First Corinthians that we can miss the much bigger description of what the earliest gatherings of the Church were like. And they were quite different than the typical gatherings of the Church for many centuries since then. Paul describes:
- Multiple supernatural gifts in use (12:4-11)
- People in recognizable roles of leadership like Apostle (sent one/church planter/missionary), Prophets (inspired speakers), Teachers, and those who perform miracles, healing, help (relief/aid), directing, and tongues. (12:28)
- Encouragement and opportunities for members to “prophesy.” (14:1-5)
- Tongues and Interpretation of the message (14:5-19, 39)
- Participation by the whole group in sharing various gifts (14:26-31)
We know from earlier in the letter that this gathering also happened in the context of a shared meal with Communion and we know they were meeting in homes.
So… a gathering in a home for a meal and Communion where every person actively contributes and participates, using divinely-enabled gifts to edify the whole group, and where leaders maintain order and correct problems without stifling or forbidding the exercise of the gifts.
That’s the picture I see.
And it may raise some questions about why we do church the way we do now. That is the theological subject of Ecclesiology (study of the Church). And I think it’s something that we all need to think and pray about. A good place to start would be to ask ourselves:
- Do I attend church to receive? Or give? Or both?
- Am I being a participant, or just a spectator? Even in a small group, do I ever interact, comment, volunteer to pray, or ask questions? Or am I allowing fear of looking foolish to stop me from being an active participant?
- What Holy-Spirit-endowed gifts do I have? Have I ever “desired spiritual gifts” (prophecy in particular) and earnestly prayed for God to grant them? (12:31, 14:1)
- Is what I’m doing when I gather with other saints edifying the whole group?
- How is my love for the body of Christ showing up in a tangible way?
There is SO much more that could be said on this topic, but I’m going to stop here.
See you in the final chapters.
