Pastor Eman Laerton / 1 Corinthians 11 v 1 Corinthians 14

p 38 Lost Christianities: the Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew / Bart Ehrman
As I have already pointed out, most critical scholars think that 1 Timothy is pseudonymous: its vocabulary, writing style, theological modes of expression, and presupposed historical situation all differ significantly from what can be found in Paul's authentic letters. But what about the passage in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35? No one doubts that Paul wrote that letter. Even so, there are good reasons for thinking Paul did not write the passage about women being silent in chapter 14. For one thing, just three chapters earlier Paul condoned the practice of women speaking in church. They are to have their heads covered, he insists, when they pray and prophecy—activities done out loud in antiquity. How could Paul condone a practice (women speaking in church) in chapter 11 that he condemns in chapter 14?

It has often been noted that the passage in chapter 14 also appears intrusive in its own literary context: Both before and after his instructions for women to keep silent, Paul is speaking not about women in church but about prophets in church. When the verses on women are removed, the passage flows neatly without a break. This too suggests that these verses were inserted into the passage later. Moreover, it is striking that the verses in question appear in different locations in some of our surviving manuscripts of Paul's letter as if they had originally appeared as a marginal note (drawn from the teaching of the forged letter of 1 Timothy?) and inserted as judged appropriate in different parts of the chapter. On these grounds, a number of scholars have concluded that Paul's instructions for women to be silent in 1 Corinthians may not be from Paul, just as the letter to Timothy is not from Paul.

pp 289-290 The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration / Bruce Metzger & Bart Ehrman
For the historian concerned with the role of women in earliest Christianity, one of the perennial issues relates to the status of 1 Corinthians 14.34-35, a passage that requires women "to be silent in the churches" and to be "subordinate." Many scholars have claimed that the passage is not Pauline but represents an interpolation, made perhaps by the author of (the pseudopigraphic?) 1 Timothy (cf. 2.1-10). While one common objection to the interpolation theory has been the lack of manuscript attestation—the passage is present in all of our witnesses—Gordon Fee has stressed the text-critical evidence in its support, observing that the verses in question occur in a different location in Western witnesses (giving the passage the appearance of a marginal note incorporated at more or less appropriate junctures). If Fee is correct concerning their secondary character, the interpolation may show that women came to be oppressed more severely in a later period of Pauline Christianity (perhaps around the end of the first century) than at the outset.

In an attempt to cast the net somewhat more broadly, Ben Witherington has summarized some of the evidence that suggest that the scribe of Codex Bezae was intent on de-emphasizing the prominent role that women played in the early church, as recorded in the narrative of Acts. Labeling such alterations, somewhat inappropriately, "anti-feminist" changes, Witherington observes that in Bezae's text of Acts 17.4, Paul's Thessalonian converts are unambiguously "wives of prominent men" rather than "women of prominence," that the high profile of women is occasionally compromised by the insertion of references to their children (Acts 1.14) or to men of high profile (Acts 17.12), and that the regular transposition of "Aguila" to precede "Priscilla" may intimate the scribes uneasiness with woman's implicit priority.

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[Breathforthemute]

Great video. Could you provide me with some resources with which I can do my own study on these variants, interpolations, and contradictions? Thank you.

[EmanLaerton]

I have a list of recommended books and summaries on my site, Church Across America com. Click on the stack of books...

Of course, Bart Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" is a great book for any NT scholar beginner.

[iceygrave]

@sonlover62 I hear hell is pretty warm this time of year.

[sonlover62]

wow. How great this guys knows which passages are false and which are to be accepted. I used to be so foolish as to think that the whole of the Bible was God's word. Now I am free to do whatever I want, and claim the verses opposing my wishes are false verses! Whew, does that ever feel better! Next stop? Hell!

[wordprophet]

What is this fool talking about?

[rs69cam777]

There are no vaiants, Icor. 14:28 says, let him SILENCE in the church and let him speak which one is it?

anyone who wants the ans. contact me, and STOP listing to these morons there's more flaks on Utube

[Gumbystar]

TO the one who did this video,1st corinthians chapter 14 this whole chapter is teaching about Prophecy, speaking in tongues & edification of the church.If you start at verse 34 & stop at 35 then you missed the REST of the story, what do you think the question marks are there for?WHAT? did you think the word of GOD came unto you only? OR OUT of you only?these 3 question marks change the whole thing.

[Gumbystar]

1st corinthians 11;16 If it causes contention, we have no such customs. PLEASE don` t stop reading till your satisfied, read till you find the truth & the whole story.

[blackdigital62778]

The Bible in no way shape form or fashion is a contradiction. Listen to what brother Paul says. His writings is hardcore and we need to follow those writings and separate ourselves from the world. A man can't have long hair. A woman can not cut her hair. A woman can not preach but she can have the gift of prophecy. Gift of prophecy is not apart of the five fold ministry. I say this not to throw obstacles but we need to listen to what brother Paul says.

[EmanLaerton]

(part 2)

But, once Jesus passed along, the coming kingdom did not arrive, steps were taken to put women back in their place (so to speak). The corruption of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 served that purpose.

You're offering arguments based on nothing. You say, you'll pick up the book if you have time, but you seem to have all the time in the world to offer unschooled observations. It'd be much more enjoyable for me if you knew the subject you were arguing against. All hail Academia!