Cheryl Schatz

John,

You said:

Paul is giving instructions and later in the chapter he clearly says:

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.

This is correct.  What are the “things” (plural) that Paul said ARE commandments from the Lord?

We should have no problem agreeing that the commands from Paul in most of chapter 14 are from the Lord.  What are some of these commands?  The commands are in the imperative and they are “pursue love” “desire earnestly spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” again “desire earnestly to prophesy” and “do not forbid to speak in tongues”.  These “commands” contradict the command that silences women.  All may speak out, Paul says, and then a few verse later it is written that women are to be silent, and then a few verses later Paul says do not forbid to speak.  What is going on?  Paul has alluded to the letter written by the Corinthians to him and he quotes from the letter in several places.  Look at 1 Cor. 7:1 in the ESV and you will see that they have put in quotation marks showing that they believe this is one of the passages quoted from the letter written by the Corinthians.  The NET bible also has quotations in this verse.  The Montgomery bible has quotation marks in 1 Cor. 14:34 & 35 showing that it is a quotation from the Corinthians.  If different bibles put in quotation marks around what they believe to be the words of the Corinthians including 1 Cor. 14:34 & 35, then it is not a phantom idea to have the reference to women’s filthy speech as coming from the Jews who wanted to follow the Rabbinic laws.

Note also that every place that Paul quotes from the OT, he says “it is written” or “In the Law it is written”.  In each case we can identify the OT scripture that is quoted.  However the “law” from verses 34 & 35 cannot be identified in scripture.  Why is this?  Why is this “law” written as “for the law SAYS” when in every other place where Paul quotes scripture it is always “it is written”?  These are very important questions and they deserve to be asked and thoughtfully answered.