Today’s Daily Word Study is an abridged excerpt from Chaim Bentorah’s newest book: Does The Bible Really Say That? 20 (Seeming) Biblical Contradictions Explained. Click here to learn more.

Seeming Contradictions in the Bible: Women Are to be Silent in the Church

I 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. (35) And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”

CONTRADICTION: Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

If Jesus Christ makes no distinction between men and women, then is not Apostle Paul contradicting himself by forbidding women to speak in churches and teach men? The usual answer is that Paul was clearly affirming the equality of men and women in Salvation and not prioritizing men over women in the Church. After all, it was a man who was created first and then a woman, and then only as a helpmate.

Let me first ask a very basic question that goes to the very root of the issue. Other than the roles assigned to men and women and the alleged differences in temperament etc., how do we distinguish between a man and a woman? When looking at a newborn at birth or even viewing a sonogram before a baby is born, how do we determine if a baby or fetus is male or female? Right, you look for the genitalia. Now let me ask you this: if only one human being existed, what would be the purpose of genitalia? There would be no purpose. And without genitalia, how would you define this first human being? Would it be male or female?

Well, you say, the Bible clearly calls the first human a man and gives it a male name, Adam. In Hebrew, Adam is built on the word dam, which is the word for blood and properly defined by the Analytical Hebrew and Chaldean Lexicon by Benjamin Davidson as “a human being irrespective of sex.” In other words, a human being is neither male nor female. Now, it is true that the word adam in Hebrew is grammatically in a masculine form, but keep in mind there is no neuter form in Hebrew as there is in English. Everything in Hebrew is either masculine or feminine. It is safe to say the first human was neither male nor female; it was neuter.

But, it is true that God saw this first human being and realized it needed a companion, so He created an ‘ezeg kenegedou. We mistakenly translate this term as “helpmate.” But look closely at the Bible’s King James Version, and you will find it does not say helpmate. It says help meet—someone who will help you to meet something or someone. Eve was created to help man meet God. In the loving relationship between a man and a woman—the caring, nurturing, provision, protection and intimacy that we are to find in a marriage relationship—we can see God’s desire for the relationship.

So how do we address this seeming contradiction of women being subservient to men in the Church, especially when women were created to be an ‘ezeg kenegedou (help meet), one who was created to help man meet God, yet she is told to keep her mouth shut in church?

Apostle Paul was Jewish and in Judaism, a woman’s instruction was valued. In Acts 18:24–26, we find Priscilla and Aquila speaking privately to Apollos at Ephesus, correcting his theology. Paul—who wrote the classic verses in I Corinthians 14 as to women keeping silent in churches—listed sixteen helpers in ministry in Romans 16:1-16, where at least ten were women. Women played a significant role in the early Church: Lydia in Acts 16:13–15, Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4:2–3, not to mention the significant contribution of women to Jesus’ ministry.

So why does Apostle Paul tell us it is a shame for women to speak in the Church?

We need to understand that churches were modeled after the synagogue in the first century when this was written, but 21st-century churches are far from what they were in the first century. When trying to understand I Corinthians 14, we make the mistake of picturing our modern 21st-century church much like the first-century synagogue, which it is not. A typical service in the synagogue will consist of prayers, reading from the Torah, one of the first five books of the Bible, following a weekly Torah portion. Then the rabbi will give a brief commentary on that Torah reading. After that, there is a reading from the Haftorah, which comes from one of the other books of the Old Testament. There is a lot of standing and bowing, showing respect for the Word of God and honoring the Word of God.

The rabbi is not a preacher or even a teacher as we consider a teacher in the Western world. He is the leader of his congregation and facilitates rather than teaches. He is a counselor in the Torah and a resource person for Torah knowledge and understanding.

We need to examine this passage in I Corinthians in the framework of this context. Paul is most likely referencing the beth midrash, where members of the congregation assemble after a time of prayer. He is not referring to the main service of our churches today, its government, activities etc. It is only a reference to what we might call a Bible study. It is far less formal and is an open forum where you discuss the Torah and Talmud. Women were allowed in this room in the first-century Christian synagogue/church.

These midrashes followed certain rules and customs to maintain focus on the Word of God—as Bible studies should do today. In fact, there is such fear of a free for all that you will rarely sit in a Bible study without a leader who facilitates to avoid open discussions. Usually, the leader simply preaches a sermon and on rare occasions will allow someone to raise a hand if they have a question.

This was not so with the midrash. Everyone expressed his or her opinions and thoughts. They would argue and debate and sometimes get downright nasty in their search for the truth. In the end, they would draw one conclusion, and everyone would have to amen it. If just one person would not amen the conclusion, the conclusion would be rejected.

Paul is not saying women keep silent, but wives, anatta in Aramaic, keep silent. Big difference. They are to keep silent in the edita, ‘adah in its Semitic root. An ‘adah is loosely rendered as church, but as already mentioned, it is not a church as we know a church to be today. If Paul meant a church, he would have used the word qahal, which means “an assembly or congregation of people.” ‘Adah, however, is a legal term for a place where witnesses testify. This is a place where everyone is free to express what he or she has experienced and seen. It would be at a specific place and time. Hence, this is likely the first-century form of the beth midrash, where everyone can share their opinions and ideas as to the meaning behind a passage of Scripture. Women are to keep shetheq during this time. Yes, it can mean silent but shetheq has more of the idea of silence in the sense of not arguing a point, not rebuking, not calling someone a toad and blasting them out of the water.

This does not mean that women were not allowed to speak or teach others. They were just not allowed to rebuke their husbands in a public forum when discussing the Holy Scriptures. So, what does it mean that if they want to learn anything, let them ask their husband? I’m glad you asked that question. The word learn is yileph in Aramaic, which can be used for learning, but it is more of “an apprenticeship type of learning, getting accustomed to procedures and protocol.” In other words, allowing women to attend a midrash (Bible study) with men was something new, and they were not familiar with the way of things, the unspoken codes.

This is also true in the matter of prophecy and in fact, the context seems to suggest this is really a reference to prophesying. There is a time and place to prophesy and sometimes the women were choosing the wrong time to prophesy during a midrash, causing confusion.

Ultimately, to interpret these verses as a call for women to keep silent in the church and not teach men, but just to humbly shut up and meekly sit in church while the men run everything may not be what Paul is referencing at all.