1 Corinthians Chapter 14

vs 31

The previous verse might have also been about people going on for too long, hence allowing one person to get up if he has something to say and the first has been droning for a while. Hard to say. But this verse reminds us of the principle behind Paul's idea - that all may be instructed and encouraged.

vs 32

A prophet can control what he says - so if he goes on and on, it's him doing it and not necessarily the spirit of prophecy in him. So the whole idea of giving a preacher as much time as he needs so that he can get his message across is not a spiritual idea - it's just a pragmatic idea. It's certainly not wrong to do so, but it is also not wrong to expect a bit of an orderly service where people can know what time to expect the sermon to end.

vs 33

Here, the NIV and the NASB part ways. The NIV things there are two distinct sentences, and that vs 34 is half a sentence. The NASB, meanwhile, things that verse 33 is a sentence on its own.

What this verse certainly is saying is that God does not exist to confound and confuse us, and to bring disorder. He created an ordered creation. Confusion (like at the tower of Babel) is a curse, not a gift. So we should have ordered worship, not confused worship.

The NIV says that's that, and moves on. But the NASB says that God is a God of peace in all the churches.

vs 34

So now we come to verse 34, and we must decide. Are all women silent in all the churches? Or are women meant to be silent in the Corinthian church? Obviously translators differ on the matter. Paul appeals to the law, saying that if they speak it goes against them being "in submission" as the Law tells them to be.

vs 35

This verse seems to indicate that Paul is particularly talking about women enquiring about knowledge or asking questions in the meeting. His response is they should ask their husbands, rather then get up and ask in the middle of someone speaking.

Now, I have had people (women, I might add) do this, and it is bloody annoying. People (women) who constantly interject in your sermon can be extremely disturbing to the whole thing.

See, the fact of the matter is that Paul cannot be absolutely commanding complete silence from women in the church, because three chapters ago he was talking about what women need to do (cover their head) in order to participate in prayer and prophecy.

What is indeed more likely (in my understanding of what the scholars say) is that men and women most usually sat separated, as they did in synagoges at the time. And women, as they do, titter and make noise and are generally disruptive. Now you might say "You sexist biatch, you know men are as bad as women" and I do. But culturally, you've got to remember that women were not nearly as involved in public social meetings as men were in a greek society. And as such, they wouldn't have been as used to the rules of greek speaking tours, where one man talks and the rest shut up and listen.

vs 36

Paul is summing up his whole discussion of the orderly nature of worship here, not just the bit about women. We just get hung up about that bit.

So he's asking if the Corinthians think they can do things any way they want, as if they were the only Christians. I think Paul is suggesting that there is a Christian way of doing things, undergirded by Christian and godly principles, rather than a stock standard way of doing church.

vs 37

It seems those with the gift of prophecy or other spiritual gifts can recognise God's word, and in this case recognise that Paul's word is God's word.

vs 38

And Paul obviously thinks what he is saying is important, because if you ignore it, God will ignore you is the idea. And after all, if it's God's command, then that is only fair.

vs 39

So Paul now goes back to the whole thing about desiring spiritual gifts. The thing about women in the middle was more of an interjection, less of the meat of the passage (but still important).

vs 40

This is Paul's point. Order is the order of the day.Our churches should do things in an orderly fashion.