permitted to them to speaJc. The speaking intended is public speaking, and especially in the church. In the Old Testament it had been predicted that " Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy ; " a prediction which the apostle Peter quotes as verified on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2, 1 7 ; and in Acts 21, 9 mention is made of four daughters of Philip who prophe- sied. The apostle himself seems to take for granted, in 11, 5, that women might receive and exercise the gift of prophecy. It is therefore only the public exercise of the gift that is pro- hibited. The rational ground for this prohibition is that it is contrary to the relation of subordination in which the woman stands to the man that she appear as a public teacher. Both the Jews and Greeks adopted the same rule ; and therefore the custom, which the Corinthians seemed disposed to intro- duce, was contrary to established usage. The scriptural ground is expressed in the words as also saith the law, i. e. the will of God as made known in the Old Testament. There, as well as in the New Testament, the doctrine that women should be in subjection is clearly revealed.
35. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home : for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
The desire for knowledge in women is not to be repressed, and the facilities for its acquisition are not to be denied them. The refinement and delicacy of their sex, however, should be carefully preserved. They may learn all they wish to know without appearing before the public. I^or it is a shame for women to speak in the church. The word used is aiaxp6<s, which properly means ugl^, deformed. It is spoken of any thing which excites disgust. As the peculiar power and use- fulness of women depend on their being the objects of admira- tion and affection, any thing which tends to excite the oppo- site sentiments should for that reason be avoided.
36. What ! came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only ?
That is. Are you the mother church ? or are you the only church? The word of God here means the gospel. Paul means to ask, whether the gospel took its rise in Corinth ?