Let Your Women Keep Silence in the Churches

Let your women keep silence in the churches..  here is another admonition of the apostle Paul that has brought about much debate.. I believe that the main reason for this debate is that many women today do not hold to being submissive to men.  Things today are not what they were in the days when Paul wrote these words.  But does this mean that they are not in effect today?  I believe that they are in effect. Even though we have the bible in completed written form, we are still living in bible times, for the Lord Jesus has not yet returned.  It is easy to lose sight of this fact, that we are part of bible times..

Here are the verses in question:

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 "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.  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."
As always, it is not wise to take a verse out of context, we have to look at the whole chapter, and in this case at the reason why Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in the first place.  In chapter one we learn that Paul told this church that they should "all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, ...that there are contentions among you." (chapter 1:10-11)  So we know that this was a church with problems, just as there are many churches with problems today, and so are these teachings not for today also?

In chapter 3:3 we learn that "ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"

This church had some members that were not walking by the Spirit's leading, but, because they were believers, Paul wrote them this letter to teach them the way that things ought to be, that everything be done "decently and in order" (chapter 14:40)

So with this background, this brings us to the verse in question, that of women keeping silence in the church.  What is the appropriate time that Paul tells these women that they are keep silence? The following verse explains it.  (V35) "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."