Were women forbidden to speak in Corinth because they were prostitutes?

Questions:

I was told that women in the church of Corinth were prostitutes and that is why they couldn't speak in the church. And that does not have anything to do with the other churches.

Answer:

"I was told" makes a useless source. The most detailed information we have about the church in Corinth comes from the letters Paul wrote to the brethren. While some at one time were engaged in fornication and adultery (I Corinthians 6:9-10). Perhaps there were some former prostitutes in the congregation. That was their past and not their present situation. "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (I Corinthians 6:11). Thus, we have an assertion without evidence that contradicts the known facts. So far, the argument is landing flat on its face.

Then there is the simple problem that Paul stated why the command was given: "The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church" (I Corinthians 14:34-35). Oops! There is another inconvenient fact! These women were married. The reason given is that speaking in the churches (notice the plural) would put themselves in a position where they were not in submission. Paul explained this in another letter. "A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" (I Timothy 2:11-14). God requires this because of what happened in the Garden of Eden. Submission shows respect for God's order of creation (I Corinthians 11:2-3). Submission acknowledges that Eve sinned by being deceived.  Teaching and asserting authority is not submissive.

But let's go back again. Paul said women speaking is not permitted in the churches, so it wasn't limited to just Corinth. He wrote a similar command to Timothy to teach when Timothy was in Ephesus.

The command was not optional. "If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized" (I Corinthians 14:37-38). This is a command of Jesus Christ delivered by Paul to all the churches.

Question:

Thank you! I have tried to let this person know that I don't believe what she is saying. But she tells me I need to because her husband is a history teacher and researches all this stuff.

Answer:

And I should accept the medical advice of a woman married to a doctor? Just because her husband studied history, it tells me nothing of her qualifications. Nor, does it tell me the quality of her husband's research. A good historian would know to cite his sources.

The woman is wrong because her claims contradict the Bible.

Response:

Yes!  Thank you so much.

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