Silence in the Church?

The synagogue at Capernaum had a balcony, accessible from the outside by a stairway. Why was the balcony built above a portion of the main meeting room of the synagogue, and constructed in such a way that anyone seated there would be hidden from view and anyone entering or leaving would be forced to use steep outside stairs? The answer is this was the place reserved for girls and women, just as the court of the women separated females from males outside the temple in Jerusalem. The front doors of the synagogue and the main floor---the meeting hall itself---were used exclusively by men. Women might have been present in public worship, but only in a separate chamber, silent and unseen.

As restrictive such an arrangement might seem to us today, the Jewish custom of having women present at all during worship was innovative among the cultures of the time, except for Egypt. For the most part when women met for worship in was usually in all-female company.

One of the most plausible reasons behind the separation of the sexes during worship in ancient societies was the association of woman in worship with cultic prostitution. As difficult as it may be for modern people to understand, sexual intercourse has been an integral part of worship within various ancient cultures of the Mediterranean world. In the time of Paul including women with men in worship would have been regards with distaste or greeted with misbegotten fantasies.

In the time Paul, Corinth was a center of religious prostitution.

Even Judaism had a history of sacred prostitution. The sons or Eli engaged in intercourse with women who served at the tabernacle. The office of cult prostitution was established within Judah and continued until King Josiah. The author of Deuteronomy recognized the practice existed and wrote that having sacred prostitutes within the land of Israel or even taking money so earned into the house of the Lord was an abomination.

During the time of Paul, conservative Jews even social contacts between men and women were restricted. A man could divorce his wife if she were guilty of speaking to another man. Speaking to a man in the street might be used as evidence of a bride’s unfaithfulness.

Because the Jews were aware of prostitution being associated with worship and because they were concerned about potential contact between males and females, it is a wonder women were allowed to be present with men during public worship at all. A compromise had been reached: women might be present during worship only if they were silent and out of sight. Women were not included in the count to determine if a congregation were present for worship (ten men were required). Although women qualified to read the scripture in public worship she was not allowed to “out of respect for the congregation.

Imagine for a moment the Muslim restrictions on women not only in worship but in daily activities.

Paul, permitting women and men together in worship must have shocked Jewish and pagan contemporaries.

The importance of the place of women in the Church is indicated by the fact Saul arrested men and women believers. Since for the purpose of persecution Saul treated men and women as equals one would not expect him to change after his conversion. He met with women in Philippi and went to the riverbank. The first convert in the city was a woman. Why target individuals who would not be able to assist with spreading the gospel?