Eteros Faith; From Light, Speak; Free Gifts; Different Kinds of Unacquired Languages

When we buy a Lego set we see the picture on the box and determine that the pieces inside will all fit together and make that three dimensional model. We open the box and see lots of pieces all over the place and then have to follow the directions to assembling the model. Some people rush in and start on their own, without directions. Some people separate the pieces according to type and then proceed to the directions. The people most excited about putting together the lego model don’t look at the directions, they dive right in. The people who want to make sure they do it correctly analyze the pieces and the directions. We all take one of these approaches to the free will gifts and favors of the Holy Spirit. We either excitedly dive in without a knowledge base or we methodically examine the freewill gifts and favors to understand them. Last week we looked at the breakdown of the gifts and operations that Paul wrote to us. This week we will determine their usages before we move on to operating these free gifts for the laity. 

The context of Paul’s letter is that Corinth was holding a church potluck or a love feast, but some people were eating ahead of everyone else. For example we might set up the pot luck at 5:30 and eat at 6:00, but some were claiming they were hungry and were eating while the setup was still taking place. Paul says to stop that rude behavior and eat at home if you are hungry. Also the misconception entered in that the love feast was communion, to which Paul explained that communion is not a church potluck. Paul then also addresses the gossip that went on at the potluck regarding the free gifts and favors of the Holy Spirit ministered by certain people. Paul calls the people operating the free gifts spiritual brethren. By calling them spiritual brethren he does two things; one he sets them apart from the crowd as spiritual compared to the majority as carnal, second he identifies them as brethren noting they are just like them but knowledgable in the gifts. This shows a level of maturity that the laity can have. Now instead of people murmuring about the people ministering as if they were idol worshippers who should be marked and avoided, Paul tells the Corinthian church what it is these brothers are doing. He lists and separates the gifts with incredible detail.

1 Corinthians 12:1 “But about the spiritual brethren, not wish you not to know.”

1 Corinthians 12:4 “But variety free gifts they are but the same Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 12:5 “And variety service they are and the same Yahweh”

1 Corinthians 12:6 “And variety operations they are but the same Elohim the operative all in all.”

1 Corinthians 12:7 “But everyone given the manifestation the Spirit towards the bring together.”

1 Corinthians 12:8 “That truly for by means of Spirit give logos sophia (word wisdom) but another different logos gnōsis (word knowledge) downwards the same Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 12:9 “But another different kind (eteros) faith in the same Spirit but another different free gift healing in the one Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 12:10 “But another different energēma dunamis (operation power) but another different prophecy, but another different judicial estimation spirits but another different kind (eteros) genos glōssa (kinds/race unacquired tongues) but another different explanation unacquired tongues”.

1 Corinthians 12:11 “But all these things operate the one and the same Spirit distribute one’s own, each one just as intends.”

Another Different- Allos: Wisdom, Knowledge

Another Different Kind- Eteros: Faith

Another Different- Allos: Healing, Miracle Power, Prophecy, Judging Spirits

Another Different Kind- Eteros: Unacquired Languages

Another Different- Allos: Explanation of Unacquired Languages

The first thing we should take note of is that there are nine operations directed by the Holy Spirit. The way Paul explains it is interesting. The first two things Paul lists are wisdom and knowledge. These two are similar and go together. Then Paul says that there is a different kind of free will gift, faith. It is not like the first two or the next four. He then lists healing, miracle power, prophecy, judging spirits. These four work together, but they are dependent on faith, the other different kind of free gift. Paul then says that unacquired languages are another different kind of free gift. Paul then says that the explanation of unacquired languages is another free gift, but it is dependent on the different kind of gift of unacquired languages. Let’s explore. 

The Holy Spirit gives wisdom and knowledge to spiritual brethren for whatever need people may have. Both wisdom and knowledge are thoughts dropped into our mind that we speak forth to give others understanding. These are things that we cannot know by what we see and hear, but it is behind the scenes information that the Elohim knows. In other words, we are getting a download from the Holy Spirit regarding spiritual information otherwise unattainable. Wisdom and knowledge are used together or separately for the benefit of the laity. 

We might be in a small group Bible study and someone asks for prayer. We might feel impressed by the Holy Spirit to say something to that person. A funny story here. Years ago I taught a spiritual warfare class and afterward someone asked for prayer. She was flying across the country to a difficult situation, we all prayed. Someone said, “I keep seeing “grace”, “grace”.” The person taking the trip said “that is great, the Lord is giving me grace for my trip”. She flies from one large city to another large city connecting on the way to her final destination and a young girl gets on the plane in the seat next to her. Her name is Grace. The lady knew exactly what to do, she spoke the word to Grace the entire flight, gave her a copy of David Wilkersons Promises to Live By and told her about his church which was not far from where she was going to be. She prayed with her. This is an example of a word of knowledge. There was nothing prophetic such as a ‘girl named Grace will sit next to you on flight number ### and she needs a booklet” the word was simply “grace”. 

Sometimes it seems like what the Holy Spirit would inspire us to say isn’t important but we cannot make that determination. The funny thing is the word of knowledge was not for the lady who asked for prayer, it was for Grace. Grace was the one who needed to be reminded about Jesus. 

The word of wisdom and the word of knowledge are not something we are responsible for after we speak it. It is the responsibility of the person we are speaking to. In other words we do not need to pray every day for the word we spoke to someone to come to pass or be activated. It takes no power or authority on our part aside from simply speaking what the Holy Spirit wanted spoken. If someone has a need and we feel inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak wisdom we are not responsible if the person doesn’t follow the advice of the Holy Spirit. Many times people do not. 

Faith is next on Paul’s list. Without internal faith the Holy Spirit cannot work the next four operations in us. Faith is the internal knowing of the working of the Holy Spirit inside of us. By faith we can do whatever the Holy Spirit suggests. It is not something that we can impart into another it is only imparted by the Holy Spirit. It is the solid foundation that we have to heal the sick and cast out demons. We are confident in the voice of the Holy Spirit and we act as directed because we have Spirit given faith. 

There is inside faith and outside faith. Outside faith is something we build upon. Paul tells us in Romans 1 that we grow in faith, from faith to faith, credence to fidelity, acceptance to loyalty. 

“Righteousness for Elohim uncovered (apokaluptō) in us, from out of faith into faith just as written ‘but the just live from out of faith’”, Romans 1:17. 

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2021/07/little-faith-law-of-faith-from-credence.html

We grow in our understanding of the Elohim and we continue to grow. Our growth shifts from small trust to stable persuasion. Because we believe Jesus is Messiah, we live as he asked us to. We are loving to others, we are kind, we are compassionate, we serve, we give, and we commune with the Elohim. This is outside faith that grows and builds. 

The operation of eteros faith is faith on the inside, meaning we have faith that the Holy Spirit will do what we are told to do. If the Holy Spirit wants us to prophesy, we know that the Elohim will fulfill that prophecy. We know it because we have the supernatural operation of faith. All we do is speak the prophecy, the Elohim does the rest. This is not just confidence in a wistful hope of “someday”, it is confidence as if we were sitting next to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit says we are going to heal that person now. 

If we don’t know the voice of the Holy Spirit we will not have supernatural faith. It takes dedication on our part to pursue the ministry to the saints. If we are unwilling to help anyone, we won’t be hearing from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not giving spiritual brethren operations for their own benefit. In fact the spiritual brethren are sticking their necks out helping people. When the foolish unlearned Christians are scared of the power of the operations of the Holy Spirit, they attack the spiritual brethren, like at Corinth. The spiritual brethren are called names, cursed, kicked out of their churches, all for helping the laity. This is the same treatment that the prophets all experienced. To be clear, the spiritual brethren bear a burden of working for the Holy Spirit while being ostracized by other Christians as well as non-Christians. The spiritual brethren are the ones talked about at church social pot luck dinners as not being right with the Lord, as they did in Corinth.

The spiritual brethren will hear others say that they are casting out demons with demons. People will say that they operate witchcraft because people are getting healed. These non-spiritual brethren are simply foolish and unlearned, but like the foolish and unlearned Pharisees they condemn what they themselves do not understand. Again, it is the Holy Spirit operating a variety of free will gifts and favors to the laity, through spiritual brethren. What do spiritual brethren receive for these efforts? Nothing, at least not today. The spiritual brethren will endure being hated and persecuted by other Christians and never promised anything in return, nor do they receive anything for their ministry to the body of Christ on earth, but there may be rewards in heaven. 

Faith is corrupted by wishing. Faith is our understanding of an expectation of something which will happen that has not happened yet.  

“But persuasion is understanding expectation, deeds proof not seen.” 

https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/12/understanding-expectation-our.html

We do this both on the inside and the outside. We are persuaded that Jesus is going to call us up, we are persuaded that Jesus is coming on the Day of the Lord, we are persuaded that Jesus is the Messiah. That is the outside faith, the persuasion that our mind and our heart agree on these facts. The inside persuasion is spiritually activated in both the mind and heart when the Holy Spirit gives us the revelation. I am persuaded by what the Holy Spirit says now in this instance, such as the Holy Spirit telling us to lay our hands on someones broken arm and command its healing. All we have to do is act. Similar to Peter and John, passing the lame man at the temple gate and then one day Peter telling the man to rise up and walk. We have the internal spiritual faith to just do whatever the Holy Spirit says. 

This is different than wisdom and knowledge because we can say whatever logos we are told to say and not necessarily have the faith that it will come to pass in someone else’s life. Such as telling someone of an event to be wary of, logos wisdom, or that someone is going to be a great statesman in a few years, logos knowledge, both are logos, but we, the spiritual brethren do not need to have the faith to carry out those words. They are spoken to the individual and the individual is responsible for the things that the Holy Spirit spoke to them. In some ways it is like prophecy in foretelling, but it is not incumbent upon the spiritual brethren to have faith. 

Prophecy is activated by our faith. It is making public certain things directly from the Holy Spirit. In the time of the first century, prophets gave very specific prophecies, names, dates, times. If they spoke incorrectly they were ashamed and some committed suicide. This is the reason people held the office of a prophet in high regard. They never missed, so to speak. Today we call people prophets or prophetic who tell us P.T. Barnum vague generalizations and along with some showmanship, we are sold. “There will be storms in the south” is not a prophecy or a prophetic word, it is a weather statement of the obvious. Now if this weather statement came with a date, a time, and a specific location, we could judge it, but if it is not specific we can discard it. This is the free will gift of prophecy operated by spiritual brethren, distributed by the Holy Spirit. 

There was a crazy idea that rattled around the body of Christ in the early nineties where people would say they were giving “personal prophecies”. It was nothing more than certain people trying to make a name for themselves (and probably some income) telling the laity what they wanted to hear. I knew someone who went to one of these personal prophecy groups. The woman was in financial trouble, she lost her job and had to sell her house, so she went for a personal prophecy and told the people her situation. A couple had lowballed an offer on her house and she didn’t know what to do. Someone’s prophecy was to sell it cheap and God would bless her. She sold but then needed a place to live. She only had a little money left over but she wanted to rent an expensive house. She went for a personal prophecy and someone told her to rent the expensive house and God would cover her expenses. After a few months she was out of money, with no job, and was being evicted. The woman had friends who spoke against the advice of the personal prophets, but the personal prophets told the woman her friends just didn’t believe. In hindsight however we see that the friends were the wise ones. The idea that people identify as a prophet doesn’t mean they are prophets. Through her entire ordeal the woman kept going back to the personal prophets, like a fortune teller, and over and over they kept telling her what she wanted to hear. None of this was truly prophecy. None of it came to pass. We can see the lack of fruit and the outcome. The Elohim was actually telling her something different but she didn’t want to do what was hard, finding a job. Prophets should live or die by their prophecies.  

Wars of the Jews 1:3:5. (78) And truly any one would be surprised at Judas upon this occasion. He was of the sect of the Essenes, and had never failed or deceived men in his predictions before. Now, this man saw Antigonus as he was passing along by the temple, and cried out to his acquaintance (they were not a few who attended upon him as his scholars), (79) “O strange!” said he, “it is good for me to die now, since truth is dead before me, and somewhat that I have foretold hath proved false; for this Antigonus is this day alive, who ought to have died this day; and the place where he ought to be slain, according to that fatal decree, was Strato’s Tower, which is at the distance of six hundred furlongs from this place, and yet four hours of this day are over already; which point of time renders the prediction impossible to be fulfilled.” (80) And when the old man had said this he was dejected in his mind and so continued. But, in a little time, news came that Antigonus was slain in a subterraneous place, which was itself also called Strato’s Tower, by the same name with that Cesarea which lay by the seaside; and this ambiguity it was which caused the prophet’s disorder. 

 Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), 549.

Prophecy is declaring a decree. The office of a prophet is the office of a spiritual brethren who declares decrees.  A decree is an official order, it is a judicial judgment, and it is a command. Prophecy is detailed, specific, accurate, and always fulfilled. Satanas has muddied the waters of prophecy so much that we take prophecy as a suggestion, then read into the words of the prophets from the Bible that same cloudiness, as if it is a suggestion. The words of the prophets were sure words. I dare our modern day prophets to have the level of integrity of the Biblical prophets. 

Prophecy in the church is different than the decree that a prophet makes. There are still no vague generalizations in prophecy in the church but prophecy can be foretelling, edification, exhortation, comfort, or commission. If someone prophetically lays hands on another person for a prophetic word it is not so vague and generalized that the person doesn’t know how to deal with it. For example, if a person prophesies “You will do great things for God”, there had better be some specifics because that is not a commission or an exhortation. What things? How will they happen? A person hearing this may run off in their own direction believing that whatever they are doing it is ‘great for God’. The specificity is what matters. 

In 1985 someone at a conference in another town spoke a prophetic vision over me. I was unsure of it because the words used were not churchy words. It was about a piece of spiritual armor. I prayed about it and asked for more information. I understood the armor of God, I understood its use, but what do I do with this knowledge? I prayed that God would show me. At that time a hotel was being built in the a town I lived in. A few days later I heard on the radio that the new hotel was opening soon. The name of the hotel was the spiritual armor in the prophecy. That specific prophecy was validated by the naming of the hotel. It was a most unusual name for a hotel as this was a mining town and everything in this town was named after precious minerals, not armor. Ten years later, to the month, someone prophesied over me with more details. They had no knowledge of the previous prophecy. They didn’t know anything about me. That exact spiritual armor was the first thing mentioned in this prophecy. The specificity of this armament was not something that could be confused or contrived. It was so specific there was no mistaking it. Those words are never used in Christianity, in the Bible, or in spiritual warfare, especially in 1985. They are simply not common language. In fact most people don’t know what it is. Certainly the Elohim knew.  

Paul uses the same ideas of spiritual faith, favors, and prophecy in Romans. 

Romans 12:6 G2192 But having G1161   G5486 [²favors G2596 ³according to G3588 ⁴the G5484 ⁵favor G3588   G1325 ⁶being given G1473 ⁷to us G1313 ¹diverse]; G1535 whether G4394 prophecy, G2596 let it be according to G3588 the G356 ratio G3588 of the G4102 belief;

“But have favor (charisma) downwards, the through favor (charin) the give us varying whether prophecy downward the proportion the faith.”

Paul says to use the varying gifts given to you by favor if you are told to prophesy, then prophesy proportionately by supernatural faith. 

Healing is the same favor, needing faith to operate. We have to say what the Holy Spirit wants us to say, not what we want to say. Even if a subject is sensitive, we still have to minister the words that the Holy Spirit wants. This is the most important point as to whether we can successfully minister healing to someone. Many people study the way other men ministered healing, especially those who lived during the times of healing revivals. While that is a good start it is not how we minister to others. We minister to others by direction of the Holy Spirit, not how someone did it one hundred years ago. While healings seemed more prominent in those days, they did not have the advent of medicines and medical technologies to help people. People went to a faith healer before they went to a hospital. At that time people only went to the hospital to die, not to get healed. The Holy Spirit can still heal people today, using spiritual brethren operating the free gifts, directed by the giver of those gifts, the Holy Spirit. If one does not know the Holy Spirit, one cannot utilize the gifts. 

There is no magic word or magic phrase that heals people, and yet there is a wrong way to use the gifts and the name of Jesus, as Jesus told us in Matthew 7. The wrong way is to use the name illegally, without knowing Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. The right way is any way that the Holy Spirit tells us to do it. Peter said “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk”. Paul wrapped a young man up, embracing him, and said “his life is still in him”, don’t make a big deal, and went back to preaching. It wasn’t until the next morning after breakfast when Paul left town that the young man got up, alive and well. There is no right way, there is the Elohim’s way. 

The same principal applies with judging spirits. We need internal faith to trust the Holy Spirit’s words as to what demons are present in situations. Sometimes people are acting demonically like Elymas the sorcerer. Paul called him out as being “full of all subtilty and mischief, child of the devil, enemy of all righteousness”. Paul had the faith to discern that Elymas was a child of the devil. He then uses miracle power by saying to Elymas the sorcerer, “The hand of the Lord is upon you and you will be blind not seeing the sun for a season”. Elymas was immediately blind. The operation of judging spirits and miracle power working together, directed by the Holy Spirit, was for the benefit of Sergius Paulus and his staff. Paul called down a miracle by internal faith and what the Holy Spirit was speaking. Sometimes in deliverance ministry we just start casting out whatever demons we think are there. That is what Sceva’s sons did. They tried to cast out demons saying “by Jesus who Paul preaches”. This is an illegality. They did not have the direction by the Holy Spirit to use Jesus’ name. We should not do this as Jesus pointed out by casting out one demon he will go find friends and bring seven more evil demons back to a cleaned and swept house. The person needing deliverance has to be ready to keep the demons out. 

In the body of Christ we have all sorts of ideas about sending demons to hell or the abyss. The judging of spirits is a judicial process. Yahweh Elohim has judged whether they are to be sent somewhere specific or just out to wander dry places. This part of the ministry is not up to us. Once again we are not to do any of this on our own. It is for the benefit of the laity that we judge spirits. If it is the will of the Holy Spirit then we pronounce the sentence from the Elohim that the Holy Spirit tells us to. 

These four free gifts, healing, miracle power, prophecy, judging spirits, work together for the benefit of the laity. They are intertwined when ministering to someone, or may be separate when simply entering a situation the Holy Spirit wants us to be aware of. If we minister healing, we may also have to judge spirits and utilize miracle power for that person, and we may wrap up ministry with a prophetic word for that individual. We could also walk into a room and be told of the demons present and be told to call down judgment on the leading individual, like Elymas. 

The variety of operations is directed by the Holy Spirit which means we have to know the voice of the Spirit of the Elohim. The Holy Spirit communicates with us in different ways. We might “see" an image or a “clip” of something we are to speak to. This is dependent on the individual spiritual person. If two people are ministering together both will receive the revelation from the Holy Spirit at the same time. Yes at the same time. Although one person may see something differently than the other person, both will know and understand it at the same time.  

Specifically dunamis, or miracle power, is activated by internal faith, that calls something into being, or changes something, by the supernatural power of the Elohim. The instant mending of a broken bone is dunamis. The instant relief from demonic possession is dunamis. So is a city wall falling down when the musicians sound the trumpets. When Jesus said that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we could tell a mountain to be moved and cast into the sea, he was not talking about wishing, begging, whining, he was talking about internal faith to command dunamis at the mountain to move it. Will the Holy Spirit ever ask us to move a mountain into the sea? We don’t know. There is no precedent for it, but if the Holy Spirit says it, it will be done. How many people have yelled at mountains to exert their own power over it and then walked away discouraged? This would be an illegality. If it is our own power it will not work. If it is according to the Holy Spirit, it will. Jesus says that he did miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus utilized the direction of the Holy Spirit we should too. 

Miracle power only works when the Holy Spirit says to do it. It is not by our external faith it is by internal supernatural faith. Phillip was told by the Holy Spirit to speak to an Ethiopian Eunuch about Jesus being the risen Messiah. Philip then baptized the Eunuch. When they came out of the water, the Holy Spirit seized (harpazo’d) Philip, and took him to Azotus. Philip was transported, supernaturally. This is dunamis, miracle power. Philip simply had the internal faith and was obedient, the Holy Spirit did the miracle. The distance between Gaza and Azotus is about thirty miles. 

Our second eteros gift is genos glōssa, another different kind of kinds of unacquired languages. This is an eteros operation because it works differently than the other gifts. There is no understanding of the words spoken before they are spoken, or after they are spoken. Kinds or genos are the languages of men or angels. Unacquired languages are languages we do know or have not learned. If I could speak different languages because I learned them, it would not be unacquired languages. The word “tongues” has a mystical connotation, as if our tongue is moving about by itself without our controlling it. The tongue is subject to our own will, whether we open our mouth or not is up to us. We have to move our mouth, our lips our vocal cords, but the words spoken are not words we know. If my native language is English, but I want to speak Spanish I have to think about the words I want to translate from English to Spanish. Tongues/unacquired languages is not translating. It is simply speaking words we do not know out loud, so that the Holy Spirit declares the mysteries of the Elohim on the earth. Who can understand these words? Angels, demons, fallen principalities and powers, Satanas, Dracōn, and on the off chance it is a language of men, people. Just like in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost men from Galilee spoke as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance and other men from seventeen countries heard, in their own languages, the megaleios, magnificence of the Elohim.

The word used in Acts 2:4 for utterance is the word apophtheggomai. Apo means “off”, “from” or “away from”. Phtheggomai is also a compound word which comes from pheggos, “light” “splendor” or “brilliancy” and phēmi “declare”, “speak”, or “say”.  What this tells us is the Holy Spirit gives “from light declare”, or “away from splendor speak”, or  "off brilliancy sayings”.  These are all prepositional phrases, the word apo is a preposition, the word pheggos is the noun, and the word phēmi is the verb. The Holy Spirit gives light sayings, out of the mouths of the spiritual brethren. This is what unacquired languages is, from splendor speaking, or from light declare. It may not only be speaking splendor and brilliancy, but on this day of Pentecost in the temple courts, it was magnificence to the hearers. 

The Holy Spirit does the speaking, we use our mechanics of speech, not knowing what is being said. This is why Paul lists unacquired languages as an eteros operation. It works differently than when the Holy Spirit tells us what to minister to in a sick person, or what to command to come to pass, or a word for someone. We do not know what the words are going to be, we hear them for the first time when they are spoken. We may have several different languages we speak in, all while not knowing what they are. We could be speaking one kind of language and then the Holy Spirit switches to another kind of language. As faith is a different kind of operation working on the inside, unacquired languages is a different kind of operation working on the outside. Paul assures us that no one is cursing Jesus by the Holy Spirit when speaking in unacquired languages. 

The last operation is the interpretation of unacquired languages. Sometimes the spiritual brethren speaking the unacquired language is asked by the Holy Spirit to interpret, and sometimes someone else is asked by the Holy Spirit to interpret. And yet at rare times someone may have actually understood the unacquired language and interpret it. The interpretation works like receiving a word or knowledge or wisdom, the Holy Spirit inspires it and we speak it. It is the operation of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is the operative. 

We see the wisdom Paul had to lay these gifts out for us and help us understand how the Holy Spirit may work in each of us. There are so many variations in each of these operations of favors that we should be cautious not to reject the Holy Spirit or speak blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which is unforgivable. Again the spiritual brethren are not receiving accolades for operating these favors on behalf of the laity. Instead the spiritual brethren are treated poorly by many in the church because they are foolish and unlearned. However if someone is receiving accolades, and is celebrated as a great prophet or a great healer, we should be wary and make full proof of the fruit. It is not the desire of the Holy Spirit to elevate spiritual brethren for serving the laity. The greatest leaders should be the greatest servants. 

We have unpacked our Legos and are ready for our model, we know the pieces before us and we are ready to build. It is hard to learn, or unlearn, and relearn. The Holy Spirit wants us to know how to operate these free gifts so that our brothers and sisters can be healed and then do the same, go out and heal. But we want to remember that healing is not the end goal, it is not the focus of our Christian walk. Making disciples is our commission. One way to make disciples is to teach our brothers and sisters to become spiritual brethren. Spiritual brethren are an elevated position in the Body of Christ for the benefit of the Body of Christ. We are the spiritual brethren we have been waiting for.

Prophesy; Decently and Orderly; Women at Corinth; No Appointed Leader

To review a bit, we see that the Holy Spirit is the one giving the gifts, and dividing them among the people. Two of the gifts, “faith” and “unacquired languages”, are gifts that are in operation all the time. We do not have to wait for a prayer meeting for those to be divided, we already have our portion. The other seven gifts are operational when needed. Jesus is the one who gives us our office. Our office is the function that we serve in. One office is not better than another, but we admire some offices over others. Offices are up to Jesus, not Paul, not the board of directors, not the pastor/priest/minister. The Elohim provides the operation.The Father, Son, or Holy Spirit lead us in the way we serve in the gifts and offices. Someone may be a prophetic Jeremiah while someone else might be a prophetic Elijah. One musician may be a worship leader, one musician may be a worship performer. Paul wants us to utilize genos glōssa, but in the church he would rather we prophesy unless we interpret or someone else interprets so that the young believers can understand what is being said. 

Paul did not appoint a monitor, a pastor, a preacher, a minister, a deacon, or an elder, to lead the congregation. Deacons/deaconesses were servants to the church, especially to widows. Elders were alderman, or older men and older women. Elders were not a dedicated office to lord over believers in the church either. Paul did not say “obey the elders” or “the elders and deacons should allow gifts in the church”. We tend to look at the directions given to the church at Corinth through the blinders and sunglasses of our age. Today we have a leader, a pastor, priest, or minister, to lead the services. Supporting that leader are deacons and elders. This was not the case in the early churches. All people came together without one person directing the service. If we think back to the synagogues, they had rulers and seats where people could look at the one reading the scrolls. There was some order or semblance to them. The gifts were not in operation, prayer for healing was not utilized in the synagogue (unless Jesus was around). This makes what Paul is writing regarding the gathering of the saints, unique. Paul did not appoint an office to oversee the church gathering. This is why Paul is stressing that all things in the assembly be done decently and in order. Also we must consider that Corinth was a pagan city, and Christianity was new in town. 

1 Corinthians 14:23 G1437 If G3767 then G4905 [⁴should come together G3588 ¹the G1577 ³assembly G3650 ²entire] G1909 in one place, G3588   G1473   G2532 and G3956 all G1100 [²languages G2980 ¹speak], G1525 and there should enter G1161   G2399 common people G2228 or G571 unbelievers, G3756 shall they not say G2046   G3754 that G3105 you are maniacal?

“If therefore all the church convene upon them the and all speak glōssa but enters layman or unbelieving not say that raving mad?”

If there is not one leader over the gathering, directing the meeting, then it would be easy for someone who is a young believer to think of the people speaking unacquired languages as crazy. Instead of appointing a leader, Paul leaves the meeting open to anyone to partake. This is why Paul is trying to rule out the problems that come with immature believers. 

1 Corinthians 14:24 G1437 And if G1161   G3956 all G4395 prophesy, G1525 and there should enter G1161   G5100 some G571 unbeliever G2228 or G2399 common person, G1651 he is reproved G5259 by G3956 all, G350 he is examined G5259 by G3956 all;

“But if all prophesy but enters some one unbelieving or layman put to shame by all examined closely by all.”

If one person is leading the assembly then that one would control who is speaking, but again Paul is not appointing a leader or an overseer in the church. We have developed an oppressive model for what church should look like. This is where we run into problems with leaders shutting down the gifts of the Spirit. Instead of an open meeting, church has become a scripted meeting. We allow a certain amount of time for worship, prayer, teaching, and closing prayer. Unbelievers and young believers hardly ever get to hear prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:25 G2532 and G3779 thus G3588 the G2927 hidden things G3588   G2588 of his heart G1473   G5318 [²open G1096 ¹become]; G2532 and G3779 thus G4098 falling G1909 upon G4383 his face G4352 he does obeisance to G3588   G2316 God, G518 reporting G3754 that G3588   G2316 God G3689 really G1722 [²among G1473 ³you G1510.2.3 ¹is].

“And in this manner the secrets the their heart come into being visible in this manner fall down upon face worship the Elohim announcing that the Elohim truly is in you.”

Paul wants the unbelievers and the young believers to see the Elohim in us. But in our church model they can only see us as spectators, not as participants. If all people can utilize the gifts of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit leads and those people are not allowed to participate, then no one will notice the work of the Holy Spirit in that church. Are our assemblies too big? 

1 Corinthians 14:26 G5100 What G3767 then G1510.2.3 is it, G80 brethren? G3752 Whenever G4905 you should come together, G1538 each G1473 of you G5568 [²a psalm G2192 ¹has], G1322 [²a teaching G2192 ¹has], G1100 [²a language G2192 ¹has], G602 [²a revelation G2192 ¹has], G2058 [²a translation G2192 ¹has]; G3956 [²all things G4314 ⁴for G3619 ⁵edification G1096 ¹let ³be]!

“Some one therefore is brothers whenever assemble each one you have song, have teaching, have glōssa, have revelation have interpretation come into being all towards building up.”

Paul is trying to be specific here by telling everyone that whatever is being done in the congregation it should all be done to edify others. Certainly if we were to walk into a gathering and couldn’t understand what people were saying we would not want to come back. Paul is trying to establish the assemblies to not be like the synagogues because he realizes that the rigid structure chokes out the Holy Spirit. Think about what took place in the synagogues when Jesus was there. Paul didn’t appoint leaders like Pharisees and rabbi’s.

1 Corinthians 14:27 G1535 Whether G1100 [³a language G5100 ¹anyone G2980 ²speaks], G2596 let it be G1417 two G2228 or G3588 the G4183 most G5140 three, G2532 and G303 by G3313 turn, G2532 and G1520 [²one G1329 ¹let] interpret!

“And if any one speaks glōssa downward two or the much three and upon division and one interpret.” 

Paul directs the assembly for two or three people speaking genos glōssa and interpret. When a meeting of mature people get together and everyone is tuned into the Holy Spirit, people naturally flow in the gifts. It is not a crazy wild meeting. But when people are new to the assembly, they may think that they should do what others do instead of what the Holy Spirit tells them to do. Here is the guidance. If two or three people already spoke in tongues and interpreted then the goal was met in the meeting, no one else should speak in tongues and interpret. 

1 Corinthians 14:28 G1437 And if G1161   G3361 there should not be G1510.3   G1328 an interpreter, G4601 let him be quiet G1722 in G1577 the assembly, G1438 [³to himself G1161 ¹and G2980 ²let him speak] G2532 and G3588   G2316 to God!

“But if not there should be interpreter be silent in church but speak himself/herself and the Elohim.”

If you are not going to interpret and there is no interpreter, then sit quietly and speak to the Elohim. Simple. 

1 Corinthians 14:29 G4396 And prophets, G1161   G1417 [²two G2228 ³or G5140 ⁴three G2980 ¹let ⁵speak], G2532 and G3588 the G243 others G1252 scrutinize!

“But prophets two our three speak and the another different (allos) discern/distinguish/judge.”

If two or three prophets have spoken and the prophecies have been judged then the prophecies are finished for that meeting. I remember open meetings led by a remarkable older man who was gifted in teaching the gifts of the Spirit. He led the group in prayer and then worship. He then would say out loud to the group “there is a message out there” and wait for someone to either prophesy or speak in unacquired languages and interpret. He would do this a few times, stating to the people “there is another message”. If he judged a message as incorrect or not from the Holy Spirit he would loudly stop the person and say “ah, that was nothing”. He would even ask the person to be quiet. Because people knew he was bold enough to call someone out who was not speaking via the Holy Spirit, people did not randomly blab what ever they wanted. They would stay quiet, talking to the Elohim unless the Elohim told them to speak. 

Paul’s idea here is that all the people judge or discern the message spoken. This means that we all need to grow up. I remember a group of prophetic people who would judge prophecies. They would dissect the prophecy, keeping some parts and throwing out other parts. It became cultish. When another ministry leader pointed out that it should either be all from the Holy Spirit or none of it from the Holy Spirit, there was a split among these prophetic leaders. Sadly, Paul said we should all discern and judge prophecy, and yet the people who put themselves in leadership positions fight among themselves. Is this why Paul wasn’t appointing leaders in Corinth? Was Paul leaving the gifts up to the Holy Spirit, the offices up to Jesus, and the Operations up to the Elohim?

1 Corinthians 14:30 G1437 But if G1161   G243 to another G601 [²it should be revealed G2521 ¹sitting by], G3588 [²the G4413 ³first G4601 ¹let] be quiet!

“But if another different (allos) seated revelation the first be silent.”

Here is a key for our meetings. If someone speaks and the prophecy is discerned, it is time to be quiet. When someone else speaks, listen. One prophet does not command the entire floor. 

1 Corinthians 14:31 G1410 For you are able G1063   G2596 one by one G1520   G3956 all G4395 to prophesy, G2443 that G3956 all G3129 should learn G2532 and G3956 all G3870 should be comforted.

“For capable downwards one all prophesy in that place all learn and all call near.”

All people are capable. Paul was speaking of mature believers because in our immature churches people haven’t been taught about the gifts of the Spirit. All people are capable because the prophecy comes down from the Holy Spirit. All people can learn and all people can “call near” to the Elohim. This is a great idea. In this way no one is silencing the gifts of the Spirit. All people hear from the Elohim and all people are proficient in all gifts as the Holy Spirit directs.  

1 Corinthians 14:32 G2532 For G4151 spirits G4396 of prophets G4396 [²to prophets G5293 ¹submit].

“And spirit prophet place under prophet.”

The spirit of the prophet is placed under or subjected to the prophet. It is not like the movies where an entity takes over a person’s mind and body and they are not in control of themselves. That is not the way the Holy Spirit works. We are always in control of our mind and our body while we prophesy, speak in unacquired languages, interpret, minister healing, cast out demons, or anything else. If one wishes to roll around on the floor, seemingly uncontrolled, it is not the Holy Spirit doing that. It is either the person themselves or a demonic influence. Our sprit is placed under our control. 

1 Corinthians 14:33 G3756 [³not G1063 ¹For G1510.2.3 ²he is G181 ⁶of commotion G3588 ⁴the G2316 ⁵God], G235 but G1515 peace, G5613 as G1722 in G3956 all G3588 the G1577 assemblies G3588 of the G39 holy ones.

“For is not the Elohim disturbance however peace as in all the churches the holy.”

The Elohim is not going to cause a disturbance or commotion. No one is going to be made to act in an unseemly manner under the operation of the Elohim. The Elohim does want peace in the churches among the saints, not chaos. 

Now we come to the section where Paul seems to scold women in the church. If we can understand what the culture was like then we can understand what was taking place. Hebrew women had a better position in society than pagan women did. This contrast is part of what Paul tries to communicate in order to bring all things done in the church back to peace and not commotion, decently and orderly. 

Women. The position of women in the Hebrew commonwealth contrasts favorably with that which in the present day is assigned to them generally in eastern countries. The most salient point of contrast in the usages of ancient as compared with modern Oriental society was the large amount of liberty enjoyed by women. Instead of being immured in a harem, or appearing in public with the face covered, the wives and maidens of ancient times mingled freely and openly with the other sex in the duties and amenities of ordinary life. -Smith-

Because of Mahometanism (7^th century) women now have a lower position in eastern societies than they did in the first century. Women were not veiled and had free access in Hebraic society as well as Christian societies. What we see is that until the time of Muhammad, women were given more respect. After Muhammad, women’s position was downgraded in eastern societies. Today we have people who continue to oppress women in the church, but those same people have not understood that Paul did not assign a leader in the church. If he had, Paul would have said something like “obey the priest” or “follow the directions of the minister”.

1 Corinthians 14:34 G3588   G1135 [²your women G1473   G1722 ³in G3588 ⁴the G1577 ⁵assemblies G4601 ¹Let] be quiet! G3756 for it is not G1063   G2010 committed to their care G1473   G2980 to speak, G235 but G5293 let them be submitted! G2531 as G2532 also G3588 the G3551 law G3004 says.

“Be silent your woman in the church not for them to turn over speak otherwise place under just as and the law says.”

Women spoke in unacquired languages in the church, women prophesied in the church. Paul said that all people could prophesy and call near. Considering that close to two thirds of the church is comprised of women, and not all women are married, Paul is not asking women to sit in a corner, say nothing, and submit to any and every man that comes along. Paul did not specify hupotassō, “under arrange”. But generally speaking women did not read and write. They were not allowed to read the scrolls in the synagogues themselves, but had to have one of the rulers or rabbi of the synagogue read it to them. Synagogues were places of learning for the community, but the men were scribes and teachers. Is Paul trying to keep order in the church so that the Jews don’t think this new church assembly is a carnival? Remember, the pagans didn’t go to synagogues.

In the first century, Ululation and zaghrouta were ways that women expressed joy, grief, or a war cry in eastern culture. Yet Paul just said that the Elohim is not of commotion, disturbance, revolution, or disorder. While we do not know if this was going on in Corinth it was a practice during that time. The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. Paul is speaking of order. In context, let two or three prophets speak, let two or three people speak in unacquired languages only if there is an interpreter. Paul says that when people come to meet they all have a song or teaching or revelation. He is trying to keep the gathering concise and relevant, not haphazard and chaotic. What Jew would want to attend a church that acted like a circus? 

We have to find it interesting that Paul spends a lot of time explaining that Jesus fulfilled the law, and that the law is no longer needed, as Jesus’ blood is our remedy for sin. Yet in all the things that Paul says about the law, he tells women to be under the law? Is Paul saying that the law only applies to women and not to men? Men don’t have to be circumcised. But women must follow the law? The point that Paul is making is to be submitted. Submitted to what, or who? Verse 32 says that the spirit of the prophets submit/place under the prophet. ‘Women, put your spirit under arrangement’. It was probably quite exciting that women were divided gifts, offices, and operations just like the men, but the women had to become educated. And just like men, women all had to submit themselves to Yahweh. An assembly was to be a place of worship that did not have a leader directing the meeting. But if an assembly has two thirds women, who are not versed in the Hebrew scrolls (Corinth was a pagan city), then they might just take over the entire meeting. Not out of malice, but because they are happy to serve and worship among a community that does not degrade them. 

Picture the church at Corinth, two thirds women, culturally ululating, speaking in tongues, singing, prophesying, shouting hallelujah, dancing, and praying. There is no leader. The women are not sitting outside, in an outer court but inside the meeting. The women are not in an upper balcony watching, they are participating. But they didn’t know the foundation of the Torah. They never read the prophets. All they knew was Jesus and they believed. Paul is saying, reign it in and put your spirit in submission to yourself.  

1 Corinthians 14:35 G1487 But if G1161   G5100 any G3129 [²to learn G2309 ¹shall want], G1722 in G3624 the house, G3588 [²their own G2398   G435 ³husbands G1905 ¹let them ask]; G149 [³shameful G1063 ¹for G1510.2.3 ²it is] G1135 for women G1722 [²in G1577 ³assembly G2980 ¹to speak].

“But if someone desires to learn in household question the man for is shameful thing woman talk in church.”

“If someone desires to learn”. Paul does not clarify here if it is a woman or a man. However, in the first century men went to pharisee school. Men were educated more institutionally while women learned at home. If one desires to learn, question the man. Not just any man but the man who has knowledge. In other words don’t go to the pagan priest or the new believer; find an educated man, one who has knowledge of the scrolls. In the first century, where could a women go to learn if they weren’t Jewish? Nowhere. They had to learn at home. Pagan women could not go to a synagogue to hear the scrolls read. Synagogues were not open meetings. 

Paul then says it is shameful for women to talk in church. Aischron means “shameful or indecorum” meaning something does not conform to good taste. Is it a shame for women to speak in church today? Some people believe it is shameful, while others do not. Are we speaking of uneducated women or educated women? What is different today? Education. Today there are more women who are educators then men. Today, Paul might suggest us to ask a woman at home. 

When Eve was created she was called a boēthos from the words boē, meaning “to call for aid” and theō, “God”. Woman was not created as a slave. She was not created as a lower class being. Women are someone to call out for help from the Elohim. In other words, when men have a problem, they are to call on a women for help because the Elohim made women to be an assistant to men from Himself. We could look at it this way, the Elohim empowered the woman to help the man. Not just as a domestic servant and child bearer, but as one who hears from the Elohim. Now imagine, this has been written for nearly six thousand years and yet it is new to us? It shouldn’t be. Satanas tries to keep women uneducated and oppressed so that they cannot be called on for help. What this shows us is that women have a super connection to the Elohim that Satanas doesn’t want men to know about. Remember, leave and cleave, two become one flesh. There was something that the adam needed besides a companion, it was someone to call on for aid from the Elohim. Women in the first century pagan city needed men to read and teach them, but many times the men thought it foolish to educate women. Yet women were made to render aid from the Elohim for men. Women were not made to only hold a flashlight or hand over a drill bit, they were made to hear from the Elohim. This is interesting because women had ministry positions in the first century church.  

Deaconesses: (ἡ διάκονος; διακόνισσα, diaconissa), the title of an office of women in the early Church; an office supposed by some to have originated under the apostles, by others to be of later origin.

I. Deaconesses in the Apostolical Church. — The title (usually rendered minister or “deacon”) is found in Rom 16:1, associated with a female name (Phoebe, ο῏υσαν διάκονον), and this has led to the conclusion that there existed in the apostolic age, as there undoubtedly did a little later (Pliny, Ep. ad Traj.), an order of women bearing that title, and exercising, in relation to their own sex, functions which were analogous to those of the deacons. On this hypothesis it has been inferred that the women mentioned in Rom 16:6; Rom 16:12, belonged to such an order (Herzog, Real-Encykl. 3, 368). The rules given as to the conduct of women in 1Ti 3:11; Tit 2:3, have in like manner been referred to them (Chrysostom, Theophylact, Hammond, Wiesinger, ad loc.).

II. Deaconesses in the early Church. — The Apostolical Constitutions distinguish “deaconesses” from “widows” and “virgins,” and prescribe their duties. A form of ordination for deaconesses is also given (bk. 8, c. 19, 20), in which the bishop prays as follows: “Eternal God, Fattier of our Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of man and of woman; thou who didst fill with thy Spirit Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, and Huldah; thou who didst vouchsafe to a woman the birth of thy only-begotten Son; thou who didst, in the tabernacle and in the Temple, place female keepers of thy holy gates- look down now also upon this thy handmaid, and bestow on her the Holy Ghost, that she may worthily perform the work committed to her, to thy honor, and the glory of Christ” (Chase, Constitutions of the Apostles, p. 225 (N. Y. 1848).

It was a rule that the deaconesses must be widows. Tertullian (ad Uxorem, 1:7; de Virgin. veland. c. 9) says, “The discipline of the Church and apostolic usage forbid that any widow be elected unless she have married but one husband.” Virgins, it is true, were sometimes admitted, but this was the exception. The widows must have borne children. This rule arose from the belief that no person but a mother can possess those sympathizing affections which ought to animate the deaconess in her duties. The early Church was very strict in enforcing the rule which prohibits the election of any to be deaconesses who had been twice married, though lawfully and successively, to two husbands, one after the other. Tertullian says, “The apostle requires them to be (universae) the wives of one man” (ad Uxorem, 4:7). Others, however, give the words of the apostle another meaning. They suppose him to exclude those widows who, having divorced themselves from their former husbands, had married again (see Suicer, Thesaurus, 1:864, 867). It is disputed whether they were ordained by the imposition of hands, but the Apostolical Constitutions (8. 19) declare that such was the case, and the 15th canon of Chalcedon (sess. 15) forbids the ordination of a deaconess under forty. Still they were not consecrated to any ministerial function; so Tertullian, De Praescript, 41, “Let no woman speak in the Church, nor teach, nor baptize, nor offer” (that is, administer the Eucharist), “nor arrogate to herself any manly function, lest two should claim the lot of the priestly office.” Their duties were to take care of the sick and poor, and to minister to martyrs and confessors in prison, to whom they could more easily gain access than the deacons; to instruct catechumens, and to assist at the baptism of women; to exercise a general oversight over the female members of the Church, and this not only in public, but in private, making occasional reports to the bishops and presbyters. How long this office continued is uncertain. It was not, however, discontinued everywhere at once.

III. In the modern Church. — It must ever be regarded as a misfortune in the Reformation that this early office was not restored. “Is it not remarkable that the office, which is so well adapted to the matronly character of the female sex, should be wholly excluded from our list of assistants in the Church?” (Robinson’s Calmet, p. 336.) Its restoration was, however; seriously thought of, and even attempted, in the Reformed Church at an early period of the Reformation, namely, when the Netherland “churches under the Cross” were founded through the synod at Wesel and Emden, 1568 and 1571. Its restoration in the Reformed Church was urged on the synod the more as it already actually existed at the time among the Bohemian Brethren and the strict Anabaptists, at least in the large congregations. -Cyclopedia-

It certainly seems awkward that people don’t want women to have any position in the church at all because Paul told women to be quiet and to learn at home. We impose our own culture on everything we read in the Bible so that we miss other points that Paul is making, such as there is no one leader of each church meeting. Everyone comes together to worship. 

There was a group that formed at one time called the Montanists. Montanism was a mid second century to fourth century belief system that adhered to the prophetic ministry and believed in women prophetesses. They believed that the Holy Spirit was purifying the church, they fasted, and they believed that some sins were unforgivable, like adultery and paganism. They lived chaste lives which made the universal church uncomfortable. The universal church at that time was already embracing things that the Montanists considered sin. They believed in the Holy Spirit dividing gifts, and the coming of Jesus Christ; but they were seen as cultish because they did not acknowledge the church’s bishops, and women were allowed to minister and prophesy. The universal church did not like their strict standards as the Montanists imposed those standards on the bishops of the universal church. Imagine the fights that broke out over sin. The Montanists calling out sin in the established leaders, it was probably well known in the surrounding communities. While the church at large denounced Montanism, the church then put off the prophetic ministry and became more bureaucratic than spiritual. This seems to be what Paul was trying to avoid by not putting one person, or a group of people, in charge of every meeting.    

Deaconess: Rom 16:1, Rom 16:3, Rom 16:12; Php 4:2, Php 4:3; 1Ti 3:11; 1Ti 5:9, 1Ti 5:10; Tit 2:3, Tit 2:4). In these passages it is evident that females were then engaged in various Christian ministrations. Pliny makes mention of them also in his letter to Trajan (A.D. 110). Easton

Paul is trying to help Corinth, a pagan town, with the application of weekly worship services. There were women serving in the other churches as deaconesses and elders. It is strange that he would tell women to be quiet when they are serving and ministering to the Body of Christ elsewhere, until we recognize that there were no deaconesses and elder women in the church at Corinth. The church was new. And just as he is giving guidance for worship services regarding the gifts of the Spirit, he is giving guidance for the church to function orderly.  

1 Corinthians 14:36 G2228 Or G575 [²from G1473 ³you G3588 ⁴the G3056 ⁵word G3588   G2316 ⁶of God G1831 ¹came forth]? G2228 or G1519 to G1473 you G3441 alone G2658 it arrived?

“Or go out away from you the logos of the Elohim, or into you alone come down.”

Paul is asking if the word of the Elohim came from them only, meaning the Corinthian women. Ouch. It sounds like they were taking over the worship services. But even if they were, Paul still did not put someone in charge of the church. 

1 Corinthians 14:37 G1536 If any G1380 thinks G4396 to be a prophet G1510.1   G2228 or G4152 spiritual, G1921 let him recognize G3739 what G1125 I write G1473 to you! G3754 that G2962 [³of the Lord G1510.2.6 ¹they are G1785 ²commandments].

“If any thinks to be prophet or spiritual recognize this I write that they are ordinance Yahweh.”

The ordinances of Yahweh are for everyone, and those who are spiritual will understand that. Paul wants everyone to represent Yahweh well. 

1 Corinthians 14:38 G1487 But if G1161   G5100 any G50 be ignorant, G50 let him be ignorant!

“But whether someone not know, not know. 

Paul qualifies his point by saying that if someone doesn’t know, then they don’t know. 

1 Corinthians 14:39 G5620 So that, G80 brethren, G2206 be jealous G3588   G4395 to prophesy! G2532 and G3588   G2980 to speak G1100 languages G3361 be not G2967 restrained!

“Therefore brothers eager for the prophesy and the speak unacquired languages not hinder.”

Don’t hinder speaking in tongues and be eager to prophesy. This is simple to understand. 

1 Corinthians 14:40 G3956 All things G2156 decently G2532 and G2596 according to G5010 order G1096 let be!

“All becomingly and downward order come into being.”

We should be doing all things decently and honestly. All things that come down from the Holy Spirit should be done orderly. There were no leaders in the church, and there were no deacons, deaconesses, or elders at Corinth. Paul was relying on each individual’s personal relationship with the Holy Spirit to do all things correctly. If there were people who were unlearned in the Corinthian church then Paul was correcting them. The only offices that Paul established with rules and decorum were deacons/deaconesses and elders. Both were not gender specific roles. 

When we come to the fourth century, the time when the scriptures were being canonized, and the church had two heads, one in Rome, and one in Constantinople, we see something peculiar transpiring among women in the church. Let’s look to Cyclopedia again.

The excessive luxury of the 4th century would seem, however, to have been not less fatal to the maintenance of this high ideal than to other features of the Christian character. Amedee Thierry says that, by one of those contradictions which "deroutent la logique des idees," (deriving the logic of ideas) christianity itself, essentially the religion of the poor, conspired to give to the manners of the Western empire a degree of effeminacy unknown in pagan times (Saint Jerome, page 2). Chrysostom declares that many of the ladies of Constantinople would not walk across even a single street to attend church, but required to be conveyed for the shortest distance (In Matthew Hom. 7; Migne, 57:79). When there they were to be seen with their necks, heads, arms, and fingers loaded with golden chains and rings, their persons breathing precious odors, and their dresses of gold stuff and silk (Milman, Hist. of Christianity, book 4, c. 1). -Cyclopedia-

John Chrysostom was an early church father/decon who notes this strange shift in Christian women. Christian women who had been humble, and generally poor, were now rich and opulent. They had servants carry them across the street and they adorned themselves with jewelry, perfume, and golden clothes. If this is a picture of what Christian women had become by the forth century in Constantinople it was quite appalling. Naturally, all women could not compete with this type of wealthy showmanship, so something different also started happening. 

Others, again, affected masculine apparel, and seemed to blush for their womanhood, cutting short their hair, and presenting faces like those of eunuchs (Jerome, Epist. 18). According to the same authority, the greater facilities possessed by ecclesiastics for gaining admission to female society was an inducement with some to become priests (ibid.). Elsewhere Jerome strongly dissuades the clergy from accustoming themselves to private interviews with those of the other sex (Epist. 52; Migne, 22:260). -Cyclopedia-

We can see this in our own society today. When women feel like they can’t compete or don’t fit in they try to become more masculine (Also today when men cannot compete among other men, they pretend to be women and invade women’s sports). But the distortion of the fourth century came because it was probably looked down upon to be poor. This happens in church today. The leadership live in large homes, drive expensive cars, fly all over the world, wear only the best clothes, etc. Their children grow up with a silver spoon in their mouths and take private jets on spring break vacations to exotic places, while the poor Christian finds a job for their spring break. The regular normal church goer can’t compete, can’t keep up, and does not fit in. Some women decided to try and become priests. This caused another early church father, Jerome to preach against women in church leadership. The contrast between women at that time is also what makes the oppressive Mahometanism a few centuries later seem like an easy route for the Church to take. Oppress all women, easy.

In all things in the church, do things decently and orderly, prophesying and speaking in tongues with interpretation. Paul did not appoint leaders such as priests, pastors, ministers. There were those who were deacons, deaconesses, and elders, both male and female, who served others in the assemblies. Today, it is always someone in a “position” that excludes women from church ministry, yet that “position” doesn’t really exist. The assemblies were for worshiping, hearing testimonies, and hearing from the Elohim. We see at Corinth that Paul was willing to allow the Holy Spirit to administer the gifts, dividing allos gifts as needed and heteros gifts which are always operable. We see that Paul allows Yahweh to divide the offices in the Body of Christ as he sees fit. Paul also allows the Elohim to divide the operations in the assemblies. This is why we don’t see Paul appointing a leader and a church board. We see Paul guiding enthusiastic pagan women into how to behave in a worship assembly. Paul does not exclude women from meetings, gifts, offices, or operations. Paul is giving a practical application for assembling together to worship.