Women's Freedom Of Speech, Or Man's Role To Protect His Body?

Some realities and discussions are to be open and shared.

Some realities and discussions are to be secret and kept private.

Does the Bible really place women as second class citizens, or try to control them in or outside of the Church?

Let us read the context where such a premise is claimed to exist.

Such a premise is often times an emotional trigger for those without understanding:

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 

And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 

For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 

The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. 

Women should remain silent in the churches. 

They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 

If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 

Or did the Word of God originate with you? 

Or are you the only people it has reached? 

If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 

But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored. 

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. 

- 1 Corinthians 14: 29–40

Consider the context is speaking of the Word of God prophetically speaking through people.

Besides the big subject that is, the focus needs to be on order to heed God’s messages.

God's prophetic messages are not scheduled, but come about in ways mysterious.

Thus, the point of call to order (both men and women heeding God’s Spirit moving / speaking through someone, and also to control themselves if more than one person is moved to speak).

Realize that prophecy also comes through women, not only men.

From the previous covenant:

The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: 

Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” 

So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me. 

Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son… 

- Isaiah 8: 1–3a

What are some ways to likely understand what is mentioned about Isaiah’s wife?

a) she may have been ‘the prophet’ of that time, and Isaiah was forwarding what God spoke through her.

b) she was ‘also a prophet’ (God speaking through her as well Isaiah).

c) she was simply labeled as ‘the prophetess’ because she was a prophet's wife.

d) one or more reasons.

This next verse from the current covenant is quite clear:

Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 

He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 

- Acts 21: 8–9

Four virgin / single daughters who prophesied.

Thus, when reflecting upon the premise of women being restricted, we can see it is firstly about order.

Secondly about discretion.

This is where we can ponder Isaiah’s wife and why in Corinthians it asks women to ask questions to their husbands at home.

Notice it clarifies that it isn’t about women being ‘shut up’ in church, but rather that of inquires / questions.

God doesn’t ask questions… as if He needs answers from man.

God gives answers, direction, encouragement, etc..

And if a question is asked by God through someone, it is rhetorical or to get people thinking.

To get believers to ask the right / proper questions to God when He is speaking through a prophet, whether that vessel is a man or a woman.

Obviously, if a woman (in the case of the single / virgin daughters of Philip) is a recognized prophetess, she won't be expected to be silent when the church body gathers.

But if she is to be silent even if she is a prophetess, we have Isaiah's wife as a likely lesson.

To protect the wife, and since she is a prophetess, the vessels God uses for revelation are concealed from public purview.

Thus the verse in question is speaking to women who are not prophets... or in order to protect a prophetess.

The request is for the sake of order and keeping pace when God’s Spirit moves and speaks through someone, not to tardy with people speaking out of turn.

Consider also the dynamic regarding tardiness or expediency.

To be Christian in certain parts of the world back then (and still today), is a death warrant.

Christians are still hunted down because of their faith in the risen Messiah.

So when two or more gather in places that such a church gathering is deemed illegal by hostile governments or regimes, the gathering may be less a place of question and answer time, but simply a time of hearing a message from God in the presence of several witnesses.. and then to disperse as quickly as possible.

God established an obvious patriarchy on earth since Adam and Eve… and it is no different in His earthly kingdom Today.

God’s patriarchy has nothing to do with control, restrictions, suppression, or power trips... but order and protection.

Reading the following reveals the reality of God’s patriarchy for mankind:

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, of which He is the Savior. 

Now as the Church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for Her to make Her holy, cleansing Her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present Her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. 

He who loves his wife loves himself. 

After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of His Body. 

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 

This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the Church. 

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. 

- Ephesians 5: 21–33

It is the husband’s job and responsibility to love his wife, give himself up for his wife, make her holy, cleansing her through the Word, and present her to God as radiant and without issue.

The husband is protector, defender, provider, and the one who sacrifices himself for his wife… imitating Christ in all ways.

On a personal note, my wife very much appreciates that I am her protector.

I didn’t learn the deeper meaning of things Scriptural regarding marriage, especially when it came to the ‘husband and wife becoming one’ dynamic, until I learned to love my wife as Christ loves the Church.

And when I listen carefully to my wife speak, I hear the Father speak through His Spirit the Word of God from her lips.

The both of us submitting to one another out of love for Christ is something that marriage counseling attempts to imitate, but without God being the focus point and example, fails.

Patriarchy is given a bad name in the current political climate because of the noise and confusion as to what patriarchy really is as defined by God.

Politics is poisonous, and this is why the nuances in God’s message are largely ignored or unrealized by minds afflicted by such poisons.

Religious people and religious institutions have also poisoned minds and hearts due to their reluctance to submit to one another and to God.

That portion of the Corinthian letter is often most misunderstood and misconstrued and twisted in a wicked way, yet perhaps what has been explained can clarify some misconceptions.