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1 Corinthians
Listen: 1 Corinthians 14: As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women are to keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Instead they are to be subordinate, as also the Law says. 35 If they desire to learn something, let them ask their own men at home, because it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. 36 Or are you the ones from whom the word of God has gone out? Or did it come to you alone? 37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual person, let him recognize that the things I write to you are the Lord’s commands. 38 But if anyone disregards them, he should be disregarded. (EHV) 39Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
哥林多前书：14:34-38：34妇女在会中要闭口不言，像在圣徒的众教会一样，因为不准他们说话。她们总要顺服，正如律法所说的。35他们若要学什么，可以在家里问自己的丈夫，因为妇女在会中说话原是可耻的。36神的道理岂是从你们出来吗？岂是单临到你们吗？37若有人以为自己是先知，或是属灵的，就该知道我所写给你们的是主的命令。38若有不知道的，就由他不知道吧！
39所以，我的弟兄们，你们要切慕作先知讲道的恩赐，不要禁止说方言。40凡事都要规规矩矩地按着次序行。
这几句经文在我们今日的文化背景下不太容易被接受，甚至不被理解。今日的美国文化主张男女在各方面都应该是平等的，所以他们也有平等倾听和表达意见的权利。但是我们不能允许我们的文化践踏圣经的内容。
首先，我们应该记住保罗在《加拉太书》3章28节的教导，他认为我们所有的人在上帝面前拥有平等地位，并不分犹太人或希腊人；为奴的或自主的，或男或女。其次，保罗在这里提到的“闭口不言”也不是绝对的，因为在哥林多前书11章，他说女人在祷告或说预言时应该蒙着头。如果根本不允许妇女讲话，保罗就根本不提了。所以如同彼得在《彼得前书》3章4节所赞许的那样，一个基督徒妻子的“温柔安静的心”不仅应该存在于和丈夫的关系中，也应该体现在教会里。
我不得不承认尽管多年以来，关于这个问题我读过上千页的评论文章，我依然在力求完整清晰地理解它。也许文字是明白无误的，但我的罪性不允许我接受上帝所说的话。所以我会继续学习和祷告，因为我知道总有一天我能更明白。“我们如今仿佛对着镜子观看，模糊不清，到那时，就要面对面了。”（哥林多前书13章12节）
祷告：主耶稣，你教导我们的某些东西理解起来比接受更容易。请将你的圣灵赐给我们，这样我们才能学会并记住那些我们听起来不愿意接受的东西。请赐给我们不偏不倚的心思意念，否则我们会让文化和传统遮蔽你的真理。我们如此祈求是奉你的名。阿们。
These verses are not easily accepted or even understood in our culture today, where we demand that men and women are completely equal in every way, and have equal right for their opinions to be heard and voiced. However, we cannot let our culture override what Scripture says.
First, remember what Paul taught in Galatians 2:28, where he maintains that we all have equal status before God, Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free. Secondly, the “silence” that Paul calls for cannot be absolute, because in 1 Corinthians 11, he says that women should pray or prophesy with their heads covered. If they could not speak at all, he wouldn’t have said that. So the “gentle and quiet spirit” of a Christian woman,which Peter praises in 1 Peter 3:4, should prevail not only in her relationship with her husband, but also in the church.
I have to confess that I have read thousands of pages of commentary on this issue over the years, and I am still trying to understand it all clearly. Or maybe the words are clear, but my sinful nature simply doesn’t want to accept what God is saying. So I will keep studying and praying, knowing that someday I will see things more clearly. “Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a foggy mirror. But someday we will see clearly.” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIrV).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, some things you teach us are easier to understand than they are to accept. Give us your Holy Spirit, so that we can learn and take to heart even the hard things that we don’t want to listen to. Give us an unbiased heart and mind, lest we allow culture or tradition blind us to your truth. We ask this in your name. Amen.