Understanding contradictions: 1 Cor 14:34 (Part 1)
Channel: Tim Bulkeley
Date: 2017-04-17

1 Cor 14:34 illustrates the dangers of a simplistic reading of Scripture. If we tear this verse from its cotext, and if we read the Bible as if it were "God's instruction manual for life", or even worse read if also it literally then we are in trouble! 

The verse (in the fairly literal NET Bible) reads:

   "the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says."

The verse is full of oddities. For example in 1 Cor 11:4-6 Paul assumed that both women and men will pray and prophesy, and earlier in this chapter (1 Cor 14:4-5) he suggests the same thing, and that this is indeed in the public meeting (cf. v.4). Paul seems to be contradicting himself!

What is going on, and how should we interpret such passages?