How can 1 Corinthians 14:35 be harmonized with Galatians 3:28? Setting the Scene • Two inspired texts, both from Paul, appear to pull in opposite directions: – 1 Corinthians 14:35: “If they wish to inquire about something, they are to ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” – Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” • Because Scripture cannot contradict itself (John 10:35), the harmony must lie in understanding each passage’s setting, purpose, and scope. What 1 Corinthians 14:35 Says in Context • Immediate setting: public worship in Corinth, a congregation weighed down by disorder (vv. 26-33, 40). • The silence command (vv. 34-35) follows rules for tongues (vv. 27-28) and prophecy (vv. 29-33). Three separate “keep silent” directives are given: – Tongue-speakers without an interpreter (v. 28) – Prophets when another receives a revelation (v. 30) – Women when authoritative evaluation is happening (vv. 34-35) • Scope: not every form of speech, because women prayed and prophesied publicly with heads covered (1 Corinthians 11:5). The silence applies to judging prophecies or weighing doctrine—an elder-like, governing function (cf. v. 29). • Grounding: “as the law also says” (v. 34) points to Genesis 2:18-24 and the creation order, which Paul elsewhere links to church authority (1 Timothy 2:11-14). What Galatians 3:28 Says in Context • Setting: justification by faith, not church order. • Point: All who believe are equally children of God, heirs of promise (vv. 26-29). • Scope: spiritual standing before God—no privileged class in salvation, baptism, or inheritance. Not Contradiction but Complementarity: Key Points to Harmonize 1. Different arenas – Galatians: salvation status. – 1 Corinthians 14: congregational governance. 2. Equal worth, distinct roles – Equality in Christ does not erase God-given role distinctions, just as equal deity within the Trinity coexists with functional submission (1 Corinthians 11:3). 3. Consistent apostolic pattern – Women speak under the Spirit (Acts 2:17-18; 21:9) yet are not to teach or exercise authority over men in assembled worship (1 Timothy 2:12). 4. Order promotes edification – Paul’s overriding aim: “Let all things be done for edification” and “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:26, 40). Role clarity prevents chaos and protects doctrine. How the Early Church Put Both Truths into Practice • Priscilla helped instruct Apollos privately with her husband (Acts 18:26) but is never shown addressing the gathered church with authoritative teaching. • Philip’s four daughters prophesied (Acts 21:9) yet did not occupy elder roles. • Widows served vitally (1 Timothy 5:9-10); older women taught younger women (Titus 2:3-5), all within boundaries set for mixed-gathering authority. Related Scriptures That Shed Light • 1 Timothy 2:11-14—appeal to creation mirrors 1 Corinthians 14. • 1 Corinthians 11:2-16—women pray and prophesy with head coverings, showing speech permitted under proper sign of authority. • Colossians 3:11—parallels Galatians 3:28 on salvation equality. • Ephesians 5:22-33—marriage roles reflect Christ and the church, again rooting order in creation, not culture. Practical Takeaways for Today • Celebrate equal salvation privileges: baptism, communion, inheritance, spiritual gifts. • Uphold Scripture’s pattern of male eldership and the restriction of authoritative teaching in mixed gatherings to qualified men (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). • Encourage women’s diverse ministries—prayer, prophecy, discipleship, missions, hospitality, mercy—within biblical parameters. • Guard the unity of the body: resist both ungodly hierarchy (denigrating women) and role-flattening egalitarianism that sets texts against each other. • Remember Paul’s closing note: “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.” (1 Corinthians 14:39-40, adapted). Properly understood, Galatians 3:28 declares our equal position in Christ; 1 Corinthians 14:35 defines orderly function in corporate worship. Harmony emerges when we let each passage speak on its own terms, revealing a church where men and women flourish together under God’s wise design. |
    |