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“Cultural Instruction?”

Thoughts for Today:

The church at Corinth followed Jewish tradition -- the women typically sat on one side and the men on the other. Because the Greek word LALEO, which is translated as "speak", can also mean "chatter" or "interrupt", many Biblical scholars reason that Paul was simply forbidding women to call out across the room to their husbands, or interrupt the teaching with questions. (This was a problem in Biblical times because women were generally less educated than men.)

Does this mean women are not to participate in church services? Of course not, Paul said in Chapter 11 that women were free to pray and prophesy as long as they did so under the authority of their husband. If we take these passages in the context of Paul's subject matter, we realize he's saying women must abide by the same rules of order as men in the assembly. The question might be asked, "Why does Paul address women directly?" I don't know. Perhaps in Corinth (as in many churches today), the women were the most open to Spiritual gifts, so Paul felt inclined to provide very clear instruction to them.

Questions to Ponder:

Sometimes we have a tendency to think Biblical instruction applies to other people. That is until it speaks directly to us. What has Scripture been speaking to you about? Will you pay attention? How will you respond?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.