1 Corinthians 14:26-40--Orderly Worship

1 Corinthians 14:26-40
English Standard Version

Orderly Worship
26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

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As stated yesterday, this passage should not be thought of as disconnected from the passages immediately before it, immediately following it, or in the rest of this letter--don't so can often lead to an improper understanding of the message that Paul is trying to deliver to the church in Corinth and that the Holy Spirit is trying to deliver to the Church at large, even today.

Remember that the Corinthians had an issue with claiming a new nature, but still being very much controlled by their old nature,  That is where we start today's passage--everyone comes and wants what they want and there is chaos and disunity because there is argument and division because everyone wants their way, and wants to be seen and heard for their own gratification instead of using their gifts for the building up and edification of the entire congregation.  Paul says that nothing should be done in the corporate church service setting that is not for the edification of the entire body.  Specifically related to speaking in tongues, only one or two but at most three that should speak one at a time, never concurrently, and that they must each have an interpreter.  If there is no interpreter, then they must keep silent as their message that is given to them is meant to be kept between them and God if there is no interpreter, since it does no good for the Body to hear a message in a language they cannot understand.

Similarly for those speaking prophecy, at most two or three should speak one at a time, and they should stop speaking when someone else is speaking and listen to see if they are in agreement and so that everyone--especially the one to whom the prophecy is being made--can hear and weigh what is being said and be obedient to the Word of the Lord.  There should not be confusion in the messages that come from the gift of tongues or the gift of prophecy, nor should they be a point of contention and division because God is not a God of confusion, but a a God of peace--that clarity and peace will come as we listen to His Word and obey it.  That is not to say that God will explain every little detail to us so that we will understand everything to our satisfaction, but God will always speak clearly enough so that we know that we are supposed to obey what we do understand and trust Him with the part that we don't understand.

​Now for one of the most disliked verses in all the Bible.  Paul gives and instruction not just to the church in Corinth, but to all the churches that women should be silent in church for they are not permitted to speak, but are to be in submission as the Law also says.  Now that's interesting!  Paul just appealed to the Law to teach something about how we as the Church are supposed to conduct ourselves in worship.  We normally don't look at the Old Testament for any such instructions, but here we are.  While this may be connected to teaching, preaching, prophesying or speaking in tongues, the more immediate context seems to be that the women needed to ask questions of their husbands at home when they did not understand something instead of interrupting the service with their questions or constantly whispering to their husbands to ask them to explain things to them.  This passage is strongly debated now that woman are at least as educated as men in most countries, but I don't think it's simply an issue of knowledge here, but a respect for God's created order, and I believe that's the reason why we see Paul appeal to the Law.  For sure there were educated women at that time like those that even helped start some of the local churches and allowed Christians to meet in their homes, and although these women played significant roles in ministry with Paul, they apparently left it to the men to preach and teach in the church and to answer their questions at home in a way that was not disruptive.

Is this a prohibition for women to ever be teachers or to prophecy?  I don't think so as we definitely see the Holy Spirit came upon women in the Old Testament and New Testament--women like Deborah and Miriam and Hannah, and Anna to name a few.  These women all prophesied, but the context of their prophesy was never to stand up in front of the congregation and teach them something or to exercise authority over the Body of Christ, and we'll see a more specific prohibition from Paul later in his pastoral epistles for women to be in the position of elder, though it seems clear they are not prevented from being a deacon as we see that that there were women who were deaconesses in the book of Acts.  This passage in no way says that women don't have something to contribute, but their primary role in teaching is to teach their children at home, and to do so in concert with their husbands who have the primary responsibility for teaching their wives and their children.  God has given the responsibility of leadership of the Church to men like we see in marriage and the wife follows the leadership of her husband.  In the same way the Church follows the leadership of the elders that are following the leadership of Christ.

Now, Paul speaks from an apostolic role in this last part in a way that is a little unusual even for him.  He basically says that he knows that they won't like the instructions that he is giving them, but those instructions are from the Lord and anyone who doesn't like these instructions and refuses to follow them should have no voice in the congregation as they are rebelling against the instructions of God.  We are not to be cessationists that discourage prophecy or speaking in tongues (as long as there is an interpreter), but we need to do everything in a way that is orderly and reflects the nature of our God who is not a God of confusion, but desires for a clear message to be given to His people that they can understand and obey and is done in a way that is consistent with the order that God has set forth in creation.  These are not the words of me, nor simply the words of Paul, but this is the Word of God, not just to the church in Corinth, but to all churches in all places in all times.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.