Cheryl Schatz

Paula,

You are right in that the way the passage is written, it is not indicative of a new “law” being written but a “law” that is being referenced.  There is no other reference to this “law” but this particular passage.

Don,

You said:  “2. It only takes one statement for a law to be a law.  Some things are written many times in Scripture, some only once; they are all true.”

While God’s stating the law would be law if it is only said once coming from his mouth, however there is no “law” in scripture that is there once that is not repeated.  This is a curious thing.  If every law is repeated and since scripture says that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter shall be established, we can understand why a repetition of the law is so important.  Jesus said that his own testimony alone would not prove a judicial matter without a second or third witness.  If Jesus needed a second witness to establish that he was the Son of God, and every “law” has at least a second witness, with most laws having many more witnesses then this, then how could a “law” demanding the silence of all women in the congregation be established without the required second or third witness?

The fact that this “law” was not repeated by Paul or any other apostle,  the fact that this “law” was not used to scripture indict any woman of sin, and the fact that this “law” is the only law of God that doesn’t have any Old Testament roots, makes it highly suspect.  It doesn’t fit as a New Testament law nor is it listed in the Old Testament.  The only reasonable conclusion that we can come up with, is that it is indeed an oral law of the Jews.  The fact that Paul never appealed to an oral law of the Jews in proving his case before gives great weight to the fact that Paul is once again quoting from the letter written to him by the Corinthians, and then in verse 36 promptly refuting their claim.

I will write more on the next piece of evidence that should be a red flag to us that these are not Paul’s words directly, but a quote from the Corinthians.  I have some ministry/business matters to attend to so will be away from the office for awhile.