Rebellion in the body of Christ (part 1)

1 Samuel 15:23 NLT

"Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."

I was reading 1 Corinthians 14 on Sunday,  when I happened to stumble on verses 33-35. Now, I had read those verses before. But quite a while ago, and certainly before I became truly born again.

My journey through spiritual growth, has taken me to a level where I accept, that every single written word in the Bible has a purpose. Yes we may have had mistranslations, omissions and other mishaps happen to the Bible over the centuries that may have seemingly distorted it's message, but I'm a strong believer that the Holy Spirit, as the Guardian of God's Word, has carefully ensured that the substance of God's message has been retained in the modern Bible.

Besides, I also believe the Holy Spirit has ensured, in spite of the enemy's attempts at distortion, that the true message of God's perfect plan for creation is still being clearly spoken in the world today.

Which brings me to the passage above.

1 Corinthians 14:34 NLT

"Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says"

This verse will cause automatic and instinctive hostility in the mind of any woman reading the above verse. Why are women asked to keep silent when men can speak? Is apostle Paul saying women are inferior?

The rest of the verse then counsels women to be submissive. To who? V35 specifies that they should make any queries they have known to their husbands at home.

The first portion of scripture where the authority of a man is established, is in Genesis 3:16, where God himself predicts a contention for authority in the home, and overrules that contention by confirming the authority of a man over his wife.

In Numbers 30:3-8, the law of Moses confirms the authority of a father over an unmarried woman, and a husband over his wife. Only in the case of widowhood is the woman exempt from authority.

So, apostle Paul is saying in the passage that all cogent issues to be raised in church, should be  done as a family unit, with the husband as representative. He was referring to both physical and spiritual order in God's presence.

God is a God of order. He does not tolerate insubordination.

Only in the case of prophesy (inspired exhortation) was this order exempt (v39).

Paul himself closes the chapter on the note of ensuring propriety and order.

Sadly, as I observed the church service I was attending, I saw the opposite of the order that Paul was solemnly warning the Corinthians to observe.

The submission apostle Paul was speaking about was not just a church submission. He expected it to stem from the normal order of submission in the home.

To be continued