Women play a necessary and important role in the work of God's Kingdom. Yet not everyone can play every role. God has placed various limitations on different people. The Apostle Paul, speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said,

     Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

   This passage does not forbid a woman to ever teach the gospel. Many women can be very effective teachers. For example, Aquilla--along with her husband--taught Apollos (Acts 18:26). The passage quoted above is speaking of the assembly of a local church (1 Corinthians 14:23). In this assembly, Paul commanded one person to speak at a time (1 Corinthians 14:27-30), and he commanded women to never speak.

   Is this simply a suggestion or Paul's opinion? No. In the same passage Paul said:

     If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 14:37)

   Since any true Christian wants to obey God in all things, we want to obey God in this as well. How do we apply this command? Let us consider this from several angles.

   A woman clearly cannot preach in an assembly of the church. No one has said that a woman is not capable of making a good speech or teaching a good lesson. But God *has* said she cannot speak in the assembly. No one has said that a woman is a second class citizen in the Kingdom of Christ. But God *has* said that she cannot speak in the assembly. No one has said that a woman is less "holy" or "righteous" than a man. But God *has* said that she cannot speak in the assembly.

   As we have said, God has given different people different roles in the church. One is not better than the other, just different, and all are necessary.

     For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. . . . And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. . . But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. (1 Corinthians 12:14-27)

   The role of a woman is important, but it does not include speaking in the assembly.

   A woman clearly cannot "speak-out" in an assembly of the church. Someone will ask, "Can she not speak out as long as she is not trying to hold authority over a man?" I will reply with a question, "Can a woman speak out and 'keep silent' at the same time?" The answer to both questions is no. God did not say that she cannot speak unless she does so meekly, God said women "are not permitted to speak."

   Notice that in 1 Corinthians 14:35 refers to asking questions. A woman is not to ask questions in the assembly. Perhaps there was a problem in Corinth where the women were challenging the authority of the male preachers. Perhaps they were asking questions in a hostile way. Perhaps they were being sarcastic.

   Perhaps, but we do not know this. What we do know is that God does not permit a woman to speak in the assembly.

   Women are often the most important teachers in the church. Who can possibly measure the value of the work of Lois and Eunice? (See 2 Timothy 1:5) If not for them, Timothy might not have been saved, nor the untold number to whom he preached. There is no question that women are valuable in the church and effective as teachers.

Nevertheless, God said a woman cannot speak in the assembly.

   "Can she answer a question, out loud, if the preacher asks her one?" Can she do this while not speaking? Of course the answer is no. No one said that she might not have a good answer. But God *did* say she must not speak. No one said that she could not have something worth saying. But God *did* say she must not speak.

   "Do you mean that the only time she is allowed to speak is to her husband at home?" I did not say that. Of course I did not originate *any* of this. We all simply want to obey God. Paul did not say the only acceptable time for a woman to speak was at home. He merely offered an acceptable alternative to speaking out and asking questions in the assembly. There are other alternatives. This is one.

   Paul also told the Corinthians that they could not eat a common meal in the assembly (1 Corinthians 11:20-34). He said in verse 14, "But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home. . . ." He is not forbidding us to eat at restaurants. He is not forbidding us to eat at other peoples' homes. The Christians did this acceptably (Acts 2:46). "Eating at home" is simply an acceptable alternative to the *unacceptable* practice of eating a meal in the assembly.

   "Do you mean that a woman cannot even speak up during the *announcements*?" Are the announcements made in the assembly? If so, she cannot speak. This is not *my* commandment, it is God's.

   "But the announcements aren't really part of the worship service."

   The term "worship service" has no definition that I am aware of in the Bible. The term "assembly" does. This is when the whole congregation comes together (1 Corinthians 14:23). Are the announcements a part of the assembly? In other words, are the announcements made during the assembly?

   Someone may say that the announcements are *before* the assembly. Perhaps in some places they are. Allow me to ask a few questions. Are the announcements made *before* the announced time of the assembly? That is, do you invite people to come to church at, say, 10 A.M., but make announcements at 9:55? If so, perhaps your announcements are not part of the assembly. Has the church assembled when the announcements are made? Is everyone quietly sitting and listening to one person who is addressing the whole congregation? That sounds like the assembly to me.

   "Then a woman cannot even whisper to her child during the assembly!" I disagree. That is not a logical conclusion from Romans 14. This passage is addressing the conduct of the speakers in an assembly. A woman whispering to her child does not fall into the context of the chapter. Neither does the context of Romans 14 cover congregational singing, when a woman joins her voice with the rest.

   But let us suppose, for the sake of argument, that Romans 14 *does* apply to a woman whispering to someone in the assembly. That does not mean that a woman can then speak out. If it applies to a woman, then a woman should not whisper, not "then a woman is always free to speak."

   But Romans 14 does not address a woman whispering to correct her child or tell her husband something. Romans 14 *does* refer to a woman speaking so as to be heard by the congregation. God commands that she cannot do it.

   Women are important in God's service. Women should be appreciated for all the hard work they do. Yet women should not speak in the assembly.