Corpus-Paul

[Jim West <jwest AT highland.net>]

At 10:33 PM 5/3/99 +0100, you wrote:

>The admonition ascribed to Paul that women should keep silent in church is
>one of the things most people remember about Paul. And yet we have Phoebe
>of Cenchreae, Prisca, Aquila, Crispus and Sosthenes... Paul was not without
>his femail followers, and they appear to play an important part in his
>early Churches. Maybe you have evidence that may question the authenticity
>of 1 Cor 14:34. If so I would like to hear it. 

I think that this passage has been misunderstood because the milieu of the
synagogue has been overlooked.  In the synagogue in the first c. ce women
sat on one side and men on the other.  Paul's advice here is merely
practical.  Woman should wait till they get home to ask their husbands
questions about what the "preacher" has said rather than interrupt the
service by yelling across the bench at him to find out the meaning of some
obscure Pauline idea.

Paul is not anti-women.  In fact, "when a woman prophecies, let her have her
head covered" presumes that women do in fact preach.  Paul is all about
things being done "decently and in order".  The Corinthians are advised that
this goes for women asking questions in the middle of the sermon as well.

Best,

Jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jim West, ThD
Petros Baptist Church- Pastor
Quartz Hill School of Theology- Adjunct Prof. of Bible

fax- 978-231-5986
email- jwest AT highland.net
web page-  http://web.infoave.net/~jwest