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1 Corinthians 11,14; 1 Timothy 2 – Role of Women Abolished?
What does it look like today when people misunderstand Biblical principles and concepts? Much like they would in the first century. If people misunderstand inspired comments about the coming of Christ today, they might quit their jobs and live on mountain tops. The Thessalonians misunderstood Paul and quit their jobs. If people misunderstand inspired comments about New Creation, that there is neither male nor female, they might have women preachers and elders. Is that why the Corinthians thought celibacy even in marriage was better? Is that why some of the Corinthian women prophesied unveiled? Is that why some of the Corinthian women were acting like judges (i.e., maybe even elders) in chapter 14? Did New Creation abolish all roles or any roles between men and women? What did Paul do to those who said there is neither male nor female in Christ? Did he congratulate the Corinthians on their new found freedom and application? No, he corrected them. New Creation does not, according to inspired records, abolish the order from Original Creation. Those who misapply those scriptures today are just like those who misunderstood in the first century.
Lest someone think this is the irrational rationalizations of a “Church of Christ” male chauvinist contemplate the following:
“And there is more to Paul’s social ethics than a belief in the benign exercise of authority. The much-quoted Gal 3:28, ‘There is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus,’ is not a one-off statement atypical of Paul’s theology. It actually sums up a conviction that is fundamental for him, especially in his role as a missionary to Gentiles: God has broken down old barriers in Christ and brought a new day, a new order, and a new freedom. It seems likely that this radicalism characterized Paul’s teaching in the churches that he founded and led to some of the problems that he responds to in apparently conservative ways. Thus in Corinth women who had taken seriously Paul’s teaching about equality and freedom in Christ were probably praying and prophesying in the church and claiming the right to do wo with heads uncovered, like the men, and thereby were causing the offense and unhappiness that Paul has to deal with in 1 Corinthians 11. It may have been that the same women were claiming that sex and marriage had no place in the new order – the issue that Paul has to deal with in 1 Corinthians 7. Paul goes a long way with these liberated Christian women, accepting their right to pray and prophesy and acknowledging the value of celibacy; but he questions aspects of their interpretation, reminding them of the male-female creation order (in ch.11 – and I would argue in ch.14 “as the law says” – PDH) and insisting that celibacy is not for everyone (in ch.7)….Third, Paul’s view of marriage and authority was not, however, simply a grudging recognition of them as necessities for the present evil age. He also believe in the goodness of God’s creation, including the human body and the marriage relationship: Creation is not something to be discarded, but ultimately to be redeemed and transformed by God (e.g., Rom 8:18-23). And he believed in the value of properly exercised authority in God’s world: Above all God’s own authority is liberating and makes for harmony; it is not demeaning or oppressive.” (David Wenham, Paul, Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity, pp.235-237) Also mention in the footnotes is 1 Cor.14.
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