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.

And whoever does not understand, let him not understand.

That is: I said; Whoever wants to will believe it. Such a tone of speech shows a person who is not trying to fulfill his own desire, but has in mind the common good. This is what Paul usually does when it is not very necessary to contradict him. For what need is there for Paul to resist and convince that his words are the commandments of God, when he speaks to his disciples, and has already said that whoever is spiritual acknowledges their divinity? Obviously, everyone will hasten to call them divine in order to appear spiritual.

Therefore, brethren, be zealous to prophesy, but do not forbid speaking with tongues.

Having spoken of gifts, he inserted a word about women: now he again speaks of gifts, and gives the gift of prophecy the first place, saying, "Be zealous," and the gift of tongues second. He did not say, "Allow," but, "Do not forbid." Thus we usually speak of things that are not necessary, neither permitting nor prohibiting.

Only everything must be decent and orderly.

As it were, he corrects everything at once, and what concerned those who spoke in tongues, and what concerned the wives who spoke in church, and in general everything that happened to them not in order. And everything will be decent and orderly when those who speak in tongues speak with interpretation, and not like demons, when the prophets yield to one another, when the women are silent.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN