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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
August 30
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Today's Pathway:
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Yesterday we looked at verses 32-33, but passed over verse 31. Paul, having established the rules for prophesying in the church, indicates that if they take their turns properly everyone who has that gift will be able to use it eventually. The end result of doing things "decently and in order" (verse 40) would be that the church members would learn and be comforted. Since the purpose of the gifts was edification, it seems that learning more about the Lord through hearing His revelation would build someone up, and also being comforted and encouraged by the Lord would also strengthen the believer and build him up in the faith. Paul wrote that he desired for the church at Colosse to be
"rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught" (Colossians 2:7).
He told the Thessalonians that he had
"sent Timotheus..., to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: that no man should be moved by these afflictions" (I Thessalonians 3:2-3).
It is God's desire that believers be taught and encouraged through His Word, and all of us have the responsibility to help to fulfill that.
Paul adds in verse 33 that God is the Author of peace. It is not Christ's plan for any of His churches to be in an uproar. He wants the members of His church to function as brothers and sisters in Christ, and He desires them to be one as He and the Father are one (John 17:11). This does not mean that churches are to compromise for the sake of unity, for there can be no fellowship between the temple of God and idols, nor between Christ and Belial (II Corinthians 6:15-16). It does mean that believers should be united in doctrine and practice, should care about one another's spiritual growth and relationship with the Lord, and should esteem each one better than themselves (Philippians 2:3).
In verses 34 and 35 Paul raises a topic about which there are different opinions. He states that women are to keep silent in the church. Does this mean that they are not allowed to speak at all, or does this deal with certain specific issues? It is my opinion that women are not commanded to never open their mouths in church. The context seems to indicate that the issue is the revelatory gifts, not speaking in general. The word translated "keep silence" also appears in verses 28 and 30 of this chapter. Verse 28 says,
"But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church",
and verse 30 states,
"If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace."
So, in verse 28 there were times when someone should not speak in tongues. In verse 30 there was a time when someone should not prophesy. On the surface, it would seem that women were not to do either one. The problem that arises is that Paul said in I Corinthians 11:5,
"But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head."
There are several options here. One is that in chapter 11 Paul is not dealing with whether or not it was acceptable for women to prophesy. He is simply stating that when they did prophesy uncovered they were dishonoring their husbands. Then in chapter 14 he is dealing with prophesying itself and there tells women not to do it. Another option is that Paul is not referring to prophecy at all, and is only talking about speaking in tongues. Another verse that must be considered is Acts 21:9, where Paul, after writing the book of I Corinthians, visits Philip the evangelist who "had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy." Because of this verse, some believe that Paul forbade women prophesying in the church only, and that did not necessarily apply to Philip's daughters. One final option is that Paul is speaking only to married women in chapter 14. The women in I Corinthians 11 were clearly married, as were the women in I Corinthians 14. Philip's daughters were not.
There is much more that should be said about these verses. We will look into it further tomorrow.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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