1 Corinthians 14:34-40 | |
34. Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. | 34. Mulieres vestrae in Ecclesiis taceant; non enim permissum est ipsis loqui, sed subiectae sint, quemadmodum et Lex dicit. |
35. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. | 35. Si quid autem velint discere, domi maritos suos interrogent: turpe enim est mulieribus in Ecclesia loqui. |
36. What! came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? | 36. An a vobis sermo Dei profectus est, aut ad vos solos pervenit? |
37. If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. | 37. Si quis videtur sibi propheta esse aut spiritualis, agnoscat, quae scribo vobis, Domini esse mandata. |
38. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. | 38. Si quis autem ignorat, ignoret. |
39. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak in tongues. | 39. Itaque, fratres, aemulamini prophetiam, et linguis loqui ne prohibeatis. |
40. Let all things be done decently and in order. | 40. Porro onmia decenter et ordine fiant. |
It appears that the Church of the Corinthians was infected with this fault too, that the talkativeness of women was allowed a place in the sacred assembly, or rather that the fullest liberty was given to it. Hence he forbids them to speak in public, either for the purpose of teaching or of prophesying. This, however, we must understand as referring to ordinary service, or where there is a Church in a regularly constituted state; for a necessity may occur of such a nature as to require that a woman should speak in public; but Paul has merely in view what is becoming in a duly regulated assembly.
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But here it is asked, whether every Church, according as it has had the precedence of another in the order of time,8 has it also in its power to bind it to observe its institutions.9 For Paul seems to intimate this in what he says. For example, Jerusalem was the mother of all the Churches, inasmuch as
Let us, therefore, bear in mind, that. the haughtiness of the Corinthians is here reproved, who, concerned for themselves exclusively,10 showed no respect to the Churches of earlier origin, from which they had received the gospel, and did not endeavor to accommodate themselves to other Churches, to which the gospel had flowed out from them. Would to God that there were no Corinth in our times, in respect of this fault, as well as of others! But we see how savage men, who have never tasted the gospel, (Hebrews 6:5,) trouble the Churches of the saints by a tyrannical enforcement of their own laws.11
37.
There is still greater confidence in what he immediately adds -- He
But it may be asked here, how it is that Paul declares those things to be
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In the meantime, he has not allowed us a rambling and unbridled liberty, but has inclosed it (so to speak) with railings,18 or at least has laid a restriction upon the liberty granted by him in such a manner, that it is after all only from his word that we can judge as to what is right. This passage, therefore, when duly considered, will show the difference between the tyrannical edicts of the Pope, which oppress men's consciences with a dreadful bondage, and the godly regulations of the Church, by which discipline and order are maintained. Nay farther, we may readily infer from this, that the latter are not to be looked upon as human traditions, inasmuch as they are founded upon this general injunction, and have a manifest approval, as it were, from the mouth of Christ himself.
1 "D'enseigner ou de prescher;" -- "Of teaching or of preaching."
2 "Eust preeminence et authorite;" -- "Should have pre-eminence and authority."
3 "Elle ne pent donc auoir authorire publique de prescher ou enseigner;" -- "She cannot, therefore, have public authority to preach or teach."
4 "Entre toutes les nations et peuples;" -- "Among all nations and peoples."
5 "On les souffroit proposer deuant les iuges, et plaider publiquement;" -- "They were allowed to make an appearance before the judges, and plead publicly."'
6 Caia, Afrania was the wife of a senator, Licinius Buccio. The circumstance referred to by Calvin is related by Valerius Maximus, (lib. 8. c. 3. n. 2,)in the following terms: -- "Mulicbris verecundiae oblita, suas per se causas agebat, et importunis clamoribus judicibus obstrepebat; non quod advocati ei deessent, sed quia impudentia abundabat. Hinc factum est. ut mulieres perfrictae frontis et matronalis pudoris oblitae, Afraniae per contumeliam dicerentur;" -- "Forgetful of the modesty that becomes a femme, she pleaded her own cause in person, and annoyed the judges with a senseless clamouring -- not from any want of advocates to take her case in hand, but from excessive impudence. In consequence of this, women that were of bold front, and were forgetful of the modesty that becomes a matron, were, by way of reproach, called Afranias." -- Ed.
7 "Autant qu'il est requis pour nourrir paix et concorde;" -- "in so far as it is requisite for maintaining peace and harmony."
8 "Et est plus ancienne;" -- "And is more ancient."
9 "A ses ordonnances et manieres de faire;" -- "To its ordinances and methods of acting."
10 "Ne regardans qu'a eux mesmes, et se plaisans en leur facons de faire; -- "Looking only to themselves, and pleasing themselves in their modes of acting."
11 "En voulant d'vne faqon tyrannique contraindre tout le monde a receuoir leurs loix;" -- "By endeavoring, in a tyrannical way, to constrain every one to receive their laws."
12 "En cest endroit;" -- "In this case."
13 Beausobre, when adverting to this reading, says: "La Vulgate porte, il sera ignore, Dieu k meconnoitra; ce qui vent dire, le punira. Ce sens est fort bon;" -- "The Vulgate renders it: he will be unknown -- God will disown him -- meaning to say: He will punish him. This is a very good meaning." In one Greek MS. the reading is
14 "Les sophistes qui ne font iamais que disputer, sans rien resoudre ou accorder, ne les contentieux, et subtils iaseurs;" -- "Sophists who are never but disputing, without coming to any solution or agreement, nor contentious persons, and subtile prattlers."
15 "Sans nous en soucier aucunement;" -- "Without giving ourselves any concern as to them."
16 "Autres, qui ont le don des langues, qui est vn don plus rare;" -- "Others, who have the gift of tongues, which is a rarer gift."
17 "This precept is sometimes applied to support the use of rites and ceremonies in the worship of God, not commanded in Scripture. But any one who considers the place which it holds in this discourse, will be sensible that it hath no relation to rites and ceremonies, but to the decent and orderly exercise of the spiritual gifts. Yet by parity of reasoning, it may be extended even to the rites of worship, provided they are left free to be used by every one as he sees them expedient." -- M'Knight. "To adduce this text, as a direct argument about any particular external ceremonies used in divine worship, (which always appear decent and orderly to those who invent, impose, or a.re attached to them, and the contrary to those who dissent from them,) is doubtless wresting it from its proper meaning." Scott. -- Ed.
18 Cancellos (ut ita loquar) circumdedit. Calvin has here very probably in his eye an expression made use of by Cicero, "Si extra hos cancellos egredi conabor, quos mihi circumdedi;" -- "If I shall attempt to go beyond those limits, which I have marked out for myself." -- (Cic. Quint. 10.) -- Ed.