Does I Corinthians 14:34 only apply to the church in Corinth?
Question:
Regarding woman's roles in the church, what would you say to someone who believes I Corinthians 14 was specifically for the church in Corinth?
Answer:
When someone doesn't like what a passage says, a common rebuttal is to claim that the passage has a very narrow application -- so narrow that it doesn't apply to the person who doesn't like it. Usually looking at the context disproves the point. In this particular case, the passage itself shows the contention to be false. "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says" (I Corinthians 14:34). The use of the word "churches" proves that this is universally applied.
