And the spirits of the prophets are obedient to the prophets.

And this is for the consolation of the one whom he commanded to be silent. These words have the following meaning: do not object, do not resist. For the Spirit Himself, that is, the gift that is in you, and the work of the Spirit that is in you, obeys the gift of another who is stirred up to prophecy: and if the Spirit obeys, how much more should you, who have received the Spirit, not object. Some understood it thus: the pagan soothsayers, if once possessed by a demon, even if they wanted to, could not remain silent; but our holy prophets are not so, but it depends on their will to be silent or to speak. This is the meaning of the words: prophetic spirits, that is, gifts, are obedient to the prophets and the will of the prophets to be silent and not to be silent. Lest he who has this gift say, "How can I, by thy commandment, be silent, when I speak at the prompting of the Spirit?" he says that this Spirit, which prompts thee, obeys thee, and it is already in thy power to be silent, and therefore do not refer to the Spirit in vain.

For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. This happens in all churches with saints.

He shows that it is so pleasing to God that the former should be silent; for God is not a God of disorder and disorder (and there will be disorder if no one is silent, but all prophesy), but of peace. This peace is observed in all the Churches by the saints, that is, by the faithful. For there are Hellenic and Greek churches. Be ashamed to behave differently from the way all churches do.

Let your wives be silent in the churches, for it is not lawful for them to speak, but to be in subjection, as the law also says.

Having pointed out a good order to everything that concerned the gift of tongues and prophets, namely, that few should prophesy, and from then on there should be no confusion and disorder, he now abolishes the disorder that has arisen from women, and says that they should be silent in the church. Then he says something more, namely, that it is more proper for them to be in subjection. For submission means silence out of fear, as it happens in slave women. And he calls the Book of Genesis the law, in which it is written: "Thy desire is for thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Gen. 3:16). If the wife is destined to be subordinate to her husband, how much more to the spiritual teachers in the church.

But if they want to learn anything, let them ask their husbands about it at home.

Lest anyone say, If they do not speak, how will they learn what they do not know? he answers, that they must learn from their husbands at home. This will make them humble, and their husbands more attentive, since they will have to accurately convey what they heard in church to their wives on their questions. Notice, then, that wives are not allowed to speak in church even about necessary and spiritually beneficial things.

For it is unseemly for a woman to speak in church.

Perhaps they flaunted spiritual conversations in church; but he, on the contrary, says that it is inglorious and shameful for them.

Did the word of God come out of you? Or did it reach you alone?

The speech is addressed to someone who seems to have objected to him. What does he say that you oppose, and do not consider it good, that wives should be silent in the churches? Is it not because you are teachers, and from you the preaching has passed on to others? Has faith been established in some of you, and you should not accept what is accepted by others? You are believers, but you are not the first, not the only ones. Wherefore ye also ought to gladly receive that which pleases the universe.

If anyone considers himself a prophet or a spiritual man, let him understand that I am writing to you, for these are the commandments of the Lord.

In the end, I set that which is most powerful, namely, that God commands so through me, and this is undoubtedly recognized by him who is revered among you as a prophet or who has some other spiritual gift, for example, the gift of knowledge.