The words of Paul in 1 Timothy 2:12-14 and 1 Corinthians 14:34 has caused much confusion and has been interpreted several different ways, many have been extreme saying a woman should not speak at all, and others ignore these scriptures all together and have women leading the congregation. So, we will examine what Paul is really saying using the Aramaic scriptures and prayerfully clear up the confusion surrounding these passages. As I have already stated in the message titled “Wives submit to your husbands!” I listed many witnesses from the scriptures that women should not preach, lead a congregation, nor have authority over a man. Men and women have different roles within a marriage and within the Body of Messiah and must be followed according to the hierarchy that the scriptures outline for us. So, what do we make of Paul’s writings when he says a woman should be silent in the congregation?
1 Corinthians 14:33-34 (Complete Jewish Bible)
“For ELOHIM is not a ELOHIM of unruliness but of shalom (peace). As in all the congregations of ELOHIM’S people, let the wives REMAIN SILENT when the congregation meets; they are certainly not permitted to SPEAK OUT. Rather, let them remain subordinate, as also the Torah says (Genesis 3:16); and if there is something they want to know, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for a woman to SPEAK OUT in a congregational meeting.”
Notice Paul says she is not allowed to SPEAK OUT! So what does not speaking out mean? Let’s examine another scripture.
1 Timothy 2:11-14 (Lamsa’s Aramaic Peshitta)
“Let the woman LEARN IN SILENCE with all subjection. I do not think it seemly for a woman to DEBATE PUBLICLY or otherwise usurp the authority of men, but she should be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and she transgressed the law.”
1 Timothy 2:11-12 (Aramaic English New Testament)
“Let a woman LEARN IN SILENCE, with all submission: for I do not allow a woman to teach or to be assuming over the man; but let her remain in STILLNESS.”
Stillness is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “as in silence, incapacity for OR RESTRAINT from speaking; as in quietness.”
As we see in both letters from Paul is that the directive is during a congregational setting, which means that a message was being preached to the assembly. This is why Paul says that the woman must “learn in silence”, meaning she is listening to the message being delivered and thus “learning” from what is being preached. Also, the other key words that were mentioned was that a woman should “not debate publicly” nor “speak out” in the congregation.
So, the message that is being conveyed by Paul is one we have to view from the Hebraic lens of how they conducted themselves in the assembly. During a congregational meeting the pastor would preach to the assembly and the men would ask questions or possibly interrupt the speaker when there was something they did not understand which would qualify as a form of debating, which is why the Aramaic stated “debate publicly”; however, a woman could not interrupt the speaker and get involved in the discussion. In other words, when brothers and sisters come together in the congregation and a message is being preached, then the woman should learn in silence and if she disagrees with something that is said or does not understand it, then she is not allowed to “speak out” which means to “publicly debate” with the congregational leader. She is to wait until they leave the assembly and ask her husband at home. To be fair not everyone woman is married and have no husband to ask; therefore, she would be able to ask the pastor or elders outside of the congregational meeting and they should make themselves available to answer their questions.
If Paul meant that a woman could not speak at all, then how would she be able to prophesy (which is not teaching), pray, sing or teach the young women and children? That would contradict what he wrote in Titus.
Titus 2:2-5 (Aramaic English New Testament)
“And so also the elder women that they be in behavior as is becoming to the Fear of ELOHIM; and not be slanderers; and not be addicted o much wine; and to be TEACHERS of beautiful things, making the younger women to be modest, to love their husbands and their children, to be chaste and Set-Apart and to take good care of their households and to be obedient to their husbands, so that no one may reproach the Word of ELOHIM.”
Footnote #3 in the Aramaic English New Testament says “The concern in 1 Timothy seems not so much about WOMEN SPEAKING, but to NOT SPEAK OUT OF TURN WHILE THE OFFICAL LEADER IS TEACHING. Surely, such action is disrespectful universally; neither is it normal for men to be given such liberty. Shaul encourages the older and spiritually mature women to both teach and be examples for the YOUNGER WOMEN, as they are able to help safeguard young men and women from “worldly lusts.” We don’t see endorsement of women CONGREGATINAL LEADERS in Paul’s writings, but we certainly do see encouragement for women to exercise leadership in modesty and be Set Apart unto YHWH.”
Adam Clarke writes concerning 1 Corinthians 14:34 “It is evident from the context that the apostle refers here to ASKING QUESTIONS, and what we call dictating in the assemblies. It was permitted to any man to ASK QUESTIONS to object, altercate, attempt to refute in the synagogue, but this was NOT allowed for women. St. Paul confirms this reference also to the Christian church; he orders them to keep silence; and, if they wished to learn anything, let them inquire of their husbands at home; because it was perfectly indecorous for women to be CONTENDING WITH MEN IN THE PUBLC ASSEMBLIES, on points on doctrine, cases of conscience, etc. But this by no means intimated that when a woman received any particular influence from ELOHIM to enable her to teach, that she was not to obey that influence; on the contrary, she was to obey it, and the apostle lays down directions in chap. 11 for regulating her personal appearance when thus employed. All that the apostle opposes here is their questioning, finding fault, disputing, etc…”
This matches exactly what is written in the Aramaic that a woman should not debate publicly but to learn in silence and Clarke also says that this does not mean a woman could not say anything at all and references 1 Corinthians 11, which is about praying and prophesying, not about teaching and we have seen that Paul says that women should teach the women and children. This cannot contradict what Clarke wrote saying “what we call dictating in the assemblies”. Dictating is defined by Collins dictionary as to prescribe or command forcefully, to impose or give orders with or as with authority, to give orders or instructions arbitrarily, which is not the role of a woman to be a congregational leader.
So, in conclusion Paul is saying that a woman should not have authority over a man and that she cannot ask questions during a gathering/congregational meeting because she should not debate publicly; therefore, she is to present her questions to her husband at home. And for anyone who dismisses Paul and writes him off as a false apostle, I want to point out that Polycarp was a direct disciple of John who walked with YESHUA, and he endorsed Paul in Chapters 3, 9, and 11 in his letter to the Philippians in 108 AD. So, we have ancient witnesses confirming that Paul was legit.
I pray that this has cleared up any confusion and that we all continue to return to the ancient paths of worship as our ancestors did.
As always may our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!