What Constitutes An Assembly?

“Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church” (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).

The above text from 1 Corinthians 14 is very familiar to us. Generally speaking, those in churches of Christ agree that women are not to speak out during what we call the “worship service.” We don’t allow women to give the announcements, lead singing, lead prayer, preach, teach or even speak up publically from where they are sitting. Again, I’m speaking generally here, for certain churches of Christ are a little more lax.

As clear as this might be for most of us regarding the worship service, many wonder how this principle might apply to other such spiritual gatherings. Can women speak up during Bible classes and small group studies? What if the whole church is gathered together, but instead of having a “worship service,” we have a “seminar,” a “congregational class,” or a “Question and Answer period” following a “lecture.” What about congregational business meetings? What about Vacation Bible School or other such special events? Are women permitted to speak publically in such gatherings?

The question that we have to ask ourselves is, “What constitutes the church setting in which women are to keep silent, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35?” If we can come to an understanding of what such an assembly looks like, we will be in a much better position to apply the principle of this text to other types of gatherings. NOTE: From this point forward, to simplify matters, we’re going to refer to this setting as “the assembly.”

There is a Difference

First of all, we must understand that the assembly of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is something specific that can be defined in contrast to other gatherings. We know this because, while women are told to keep silent in this assembly – whatever that is – women are seen throughout the New Testament speaking and even teaching in other kinds of gatherings.

In Acts 5:7-11, Peter asked Sapphira a question in front of a gathering of certain Christians, and she answered. In Acts 9:36-39, certain widows spoke with Peter, and by implication, other disciples, including men, were present. When Peter was freed from prison in Acts 12, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John, “where many were gathered together praying” (vs. 12). When a young girl named Rhoda answered the door and saw Peter standing before her, she ran in to the gathering and announced his arrival. And most notably, Priscilla assisted her husband in teaching a man named Apollos in Acts 18:26.

On one hand, Christian women spoke up in certain situations and gatherings. On the other hand, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 commands women to “keep silent in the churches.” It is obvious, then, that the assembly of 1 Corinthians 14 is something specific that can be defined.

What Constitutes an Assembly?

When studying the Bible, we must always interpret specific statements in light of the context. This is a basic principle of hermeneutics that all diligent Bible students accept. I believe that the context of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 defines for us what the assembly here is. In other words, when Paul commands women to keep silent in the churches, he tells us what “the churches” are, or what the assembly is. With that being said, let’s get to it.

A careful reading of 1 Corinthians 14 will make it clear that Paul is speaking of a gathering of Christians. He says in verse 18, “Yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.” In one sense, the church never ceases to exist. Even during the week when we are all doing our own thing, we are still the church; we are still members of one another, in submission to Christ, our Head (1 Corinthians 12). But there is another sense – a special sense – in which the church is a gathering of the Christians.

But Paul is even more specific in verse 23: “Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place…” Before I get to the main point, there is something I want to clarify…

Regarding the term whole, Paul does not mean that literally every member must be present in order for the assembly to be the assembly. Folks are sometimes sick or out of town. Of course, there are some members who choose not to attend a particular service. We see an example of this in John 20. Following the resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit indicates that “the disciples were assembled” (vs. 19) even though Thomas “was not with them” (vs. 24). Was this an assembly? Yes, even though they weren’t ALL present. Likewise, when Paul describes the “whole church” coming together in 1 Corinthians 14, he’s not so much speaking of perfect attendance as he is the intent and collective will of the body. Has the body collectively willed to come together? Is this “the church?”

Now let’s get back to the main point of verse 23. Regarding the assembly, Paul says that it involves the “whole church” coming together “in one place.” Of course, this is inherent in a gathering. People are not gathered together when they are separated or scattered. I’m simply pointing this out because there are folks who might wonder if the “Bible class hour” (as it is traditionally practiced where multiple classes take place simultaneously) constitutes an assembling of the church. If the church is gathered together in one place for such a class, then yes, it is an assembly, but if the church is NOT gathered together in one place, the classes do not constitute an assembly of the church.

Paul does specify what he means by “one place.” Throughout the chapter, he is speaking of the kind of gathering where “the whole church” can be attentive to the same speakers and activities (we’ll come back to this). In verses 13-16, for example, Paul argues that what is being taught must be coherent and understandable so that those who are present (i.e. the “whole church,” vs. 23) can say ‘Amen’ (or that they can hear and agree with what is being said). In verses 23-25, Paul presents a scenario where an unbeliever comes in (where the “whole church” is gathered in “one place”) and is able to witness what is being said and done. The text says that this unbeliever is “convicted by all.” During the traditional Bible class hour, members are typically scattered in different rooms. Rather than a singular gathering, there are multiple gatherings.

For more on this, see Acts 15. In verse four, we learn that Paul and Barnabas were “received by the church and the apostles and elders.” In verse six, we’re told that “the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. Then, in verse 22, we read that “it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas…” The church was assembled at various points here, but was not assembled when the issue itself was addressed by a specific group within the church. Again, when we come together as a church and then split up into different gatherings, we are no longer the assembled church (in the sense of 1 Corinthians 14). Multiple gatherings within close proximity of each other do not make it a singular gathering.

Furthermore, the assembly of 1 Corinthians 14 is contrasted with what is done on an individual basis, or in the home. In 1 Corinthians 11 regarding the Lord’s Supper, Paul says, “What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?” And in verse 34, “But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment.” In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, women are told to “keep silent in the churches…And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home.” Although this point has already been inferred, there is a difference between what we do as a collective and what we do on an individual level.

If I have some folks over in my home on a Friday night to sing or engage in a small group study, it is clear that the church is not acting for the “whole church” is not gathered in “one place.” Granted, the whole church CAN be gathered in my home, but in the scenario described above, that is not the case. The examples mentioned earlier also substantiate this claim. Rhoda interrupted a group of Christians praying in Acts 12. Priscilla aided her husband in teaching Apollos in a small group setting.

So far we have established that the assembly of 1 Corinthians 14 is taking place when the whole church has willed to come together in one place in contrast to what may be taking place separate from the church, in the homes of members. My third point may be the most important one – and this is really the main point of chapter 14.

Not only must the whole church be present, and not only must we be present in one place, we must be collectively focused on the same activities. And by “the same activities,” I do not mean the same kind of activities (I’ll explain this more in just a moment).

Going back to 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul describes the same type of assembly – where, in the context, he is speaking of the Lord’s Supper – he says that we must “wait for one another” (vs. 33). This is the whole church in one place (vs. 20) with one singular focus. They were all to be unified in their observance of the same collective activity. In fact, he rebuked the Corinthians for being divided, for being factious, and for not waiting on each other. In a true assembly, you cannot have different focuses or different gatherings.

Conversely, during the Bible class hour, we can be divided and we are not required to wait on one another, because it’s not an assembly. There are different focuses and gatherings during the traditional Bible class hour, but the assembly, by definition, involves a singular focus and gathering.

In 1 Corinthians 14, this is Paul’s point as well. The Corinthians were perverting the nature of the assembly. Notice what he says in verses 26-31…

“Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophecy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged”

Paul is teaching us here that in the assembly – when “the whole church comes together in one place” – that there must be complete unity of mind and practice. Specifically, Paul describes a scene where the congregation is tuned in to the same activity, whether it be a psalm, a teaching, a prophecy or a tongue.

Someone might argue that during our traditional Bible class hour, the whole church IS tuned in to the same activity in that we’re all studying the Bible. By that reasoning, the Corinthians could have disagreed with Paul’s words here because all of these different men were teaching/promoting God’s word (the same kind of thing). Again, I’m not saying that we have to be tuned in to the same kind of activity, but to the same activity. During Bible class hour, different men do bring different teachings, and this is permitted because they are teaching different gatherings and those respective gatherings ARE being edified. This same practice isn’t acceptable, however, during the assembly-setting of 1 Corinthians 14.

Finally, it is worth noting that Paul is describing a spiritual assembly where the goal is “the edification of the church” (vs. 5, 12, 26). This wasn’t a potluck. This wasn’t a game day at the local park. This wasn’t a situation where Christians were scattered, having different social conversations (like we do in the foyer after services). This was an assembly where there was a unified focus on spiritual matters – a structured gathering, if you will.

By way of conclusion (on this point), the assembly of 1 Corinthians 14 where women are to keep silent is given the following parameters:

1. It is a gathering of the church, which requires the collective will of the church to gather, not every person to literally be present.
2.  It is a gathering of the church “in one place.” Paul further clarifies what he means by describing throughout chapter 14 a scene where all who are present can witness the same activity (not kind of activity).
3. It is a gathering of the church in contrast to individual or small group gatherings. This simply enhances our understanding of points 1-2.
4. A singular focus on a singular activity is required. If everyone cannot be tuned in to the same teacher, song leader, prayer, etc., it is not an assembly where women must keep silent. If there are multiple men teaching and leading different activities simultaneously, it is either NOT an assembly, or it is an assembly that has been grossly perverted (hence Paul’s words of admonition for the Corinthians in this chapter).
5. There is an obviously spiritual purpose with the ultimate goal being “the edification of the church.”

Purpose Doesn’t Matter

It is the belief of many that an assembly ceases being an assembly if we assign it a different name or purpose. For example, women cannot speak during the “worship service,” but if we choose to call it a “Bible class” or “Question and Answer Session,” suddenly women can speak. This is where much of the controversy lies with this issue.

Let me first of all say here that many of our 21^st century perceptions of worship are rooted more in tradition than in Scripture. Biblically speaking, how can we distinguish between a Bible class and a worship service (so called) if both scenarios meet the same criteria listed above? We often say that preaching is one of the five acts of worship. Is teaching then an act of worship? Is studying an act of worship? Does the “worship service” cease being worship when the preacher is preaching and the attendees are studying and following along? So how can we call one a worship service and the other a Bible class if both meet the same criteria listed above?

Simply put, Paul does not say that women are to keep silent during the “worship service” and then define the worship service as a service involving certain key acts of worship. He says that women are to keep silent “in the churches” (what we’ve been calling “the assembly”) and he defines that assembly in light of the criteria listed above.

When we have song night – whether it be on Sunday night or Friday night – women are not permitted to speak. We understand this. When we as a church have a special prayer service, women are not permitted to speak. Again, we understand this. When we have a gospel meeting, women are not permitted to speak in the services during the week, even though the Lord’s Supper and collection are not observed. We understand this.

If we make it about the purpose of the assembly, not only does the whole issue become completely and totally subjective, we are actually denying the definition of the assembly in chapter 14. Not to be repetitive, but to make this point very clear: Paul does not assign a particular purpose to the assembly of 1 Corinthians 14 (outside of it being a spiritual, edification-based assembly). Therefore, we cannot say that because we change the purpose of the gathering (from multiple acts of worship to just teaching), the criteria which are actually listed fall by the wayside.

Practical Application & Gray Areas

Like with so many other issues – does the divorce/remarriage controversy ring a bell? – the teaching of Scripture can be very clear, but the application of that teaching can be difficult at times. There are going to be situations where the application of Scripture is very clear, but then there will be situations where it is very difficult to determine how a particular scenario should be governed by the Scriptures. The so-called “gray areas” do not negate what can be clearly explained in the Scriptures, nor do they negate the situations where the practical application is clear. Simply put, we have to apply the teachings of 1 Corinthians 14 to those assemblies that are clearly assemblies, while exercising wisdom in those gray areas.

With the divorce/remarriage issue, we don’t begin by analyzing the emotional nature of a questionable marriage and then reinterpret the Scriptures to appease our emotions. Instead, we begin with the clear teachings of Scripture and do our best to apply them as we can. Let’s do the same thing here before we conclude this article.

What about a congregational class? We cannot say that because it is a Bible class, the rules of 1 Corinthians 14 don’t apply any more than we can say that because it’s a song service, the rules don’t apply. The question is: does the congregational class meet the criteria of chapter 14. Has the church collectively willed to come together for this activity? Yes. Is the church gathering in one place? Yes. Is there a singular, unified focus on the same activity? Yes. Is this a spiritual assembly where edification is the goal (1 Cor. 14:5, 12, 26)? Yes. Is this congregational class indeed a congregational activity, rather than an individual or home activity? Yes. Then it is an assembly, and in such an assembly women are to keep silent.

First of all, as I’ve pointed out many times in this article, our traditional Bible classes do not fall under the umbrella of 1 Corinthians 14 because the church is split up into small groups which each have a different teacher and focus.

What about a small group Bible study or class? Has the church collectively willed to come together? It’s hard to say. Maybe only a few have expressed interest, or maybe this is a special class that the eldership expects all to attend. Is the church gathering in one place? Again, is it a collective church study? In most cases, it isn’t. The study is happening in one place, though; that’s obvious. Is there a singular, unified focus on the same activity? Yes. Is edification the goal? Yes. Is this activity contrasted with a private or home activity? Again, this is what’s in question. The unique circumstances would have to be examined here. But it has been my experience that most small group studies, even though they may be offered in the church building or announced from the pulpit, are nothing more than special studies that only a handful express interest in. If it becomes the collective will of the church and a gathering of the whole church, then it becomes a situation where women are to keep silent.

What about a congregational business meeting? Has the church collectively willed to come together? It’s hard to say. Is the church gathering in one place? Yes. Is there a singular, unified focus on the same activity? Yes. Is edification the goal? Now this is an interesting question as it pertains to this activity. A congregational business meeting is intended to inform the congregation of the administrative business of the church – treasury amount, goals for the year, and so on. Perhaps this makes such a scenario a gray area. This would require deeper study. Finally, is the activity contrasted with private/home activities? Absolutely.

What about VBS or Youth Lectureships? Without being repetitive, the issue here is whether or not these are collectively-willed assemblies of the church in one place with a singular focus on the same activity?

What other scenarios can you think of? Simply ask the following questions to determine if it’s a situation in which women may speak, may not speak, or if it’s a gray area:

1. Has the church collectively willed to come together?
2. Is the church gathering in one place?
3. Is this a collective gathering rather than a private or home gathering?
4. Is there a singular, unified focus on the same activity?
5. Is it a spiritual assembly where edification is the goal?

A Final Word

This is not an OVERLY-analytical or unreasonable approach to the question of what constitutes an assembly. All I’ve done in this article is combed through the context of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 to determine what Paul intended when he spoke of an assembly in which women are to remain silent. Context is key. This is what we have to do with all such issues. It is not Pharisaical or improper to carefully seek a Scriptural answer to a Scriptural question. If such an approach is wrong, then we are approaching a lot of other issues incorrectly as well (i.e. plurality of elders, the nature of church-sponsored benevolence, institutionalism, just to name a few). Should we shun verse-by-verse studies? Should we object when someone appeals to the Greek to make their point? Of course not. I think we understand that such a careful, diligent approach is, in fact, essential to our pursuit of truth.

Ultimately, we have to begin with the Scriptures and understand the Scriptures before we can delve into scenarios (where there is often emotional attachment or concern). If and when a situation is “gray,” we must exercise wisdom…and I would add caution. If a scenario is on the verge of being an assembly (per 1 Cor. 14), it might be best to structure it so that women cannot speak…lest the consciences of certain brethren be offended, or lest visitors misunderstand.  Of course, neither can we bind where God has not bound.

I realize that there are other questions concerning 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. To address these concerns, I have written two short addendum articles (beginning on the next page). Having said that, I hope that this article has adequately answered the question at hand. As always, if you have any questions, comments or disagreements, please let me know.

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ADDENDUM #1: Many argue that Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, is not speaking to women in general, but to prophetesses specifically. This conclusion is reached because so much of the chapter has to do with miraculous gifts. It is thus concluded that because the miraculous gift of prophecy has ceased, this passage no longer applies. While it is true that miraculous gifts such as tongues and prophecy are under consideration in 1 Corinthians 14, it is far from conclusive that the women of vs. 34 were prophetesses or tongue-speakers. There are two places in the New Testament where prophetesses are mentioned. In Luke 2:36, we read about “Anna, a prophetess,” and in Acts 21:8-9, we read of Philip’s “four virgin daughters who prophesied.” In both cases, it is explicitly stated that these women had the gift of prophecy. This is not the case in 1 Corinthians 14:34. Paul speaks generically of women (not prophetesses) and their natural, submissive role. Finally, I will add that it’s improper to connect every detail of this chapter to the theme of miraculous gifts because Paul is really speaking more about an orderly assembly (with “edification” being the objective).  To limit this text to prophetesses and thus to negate its modern application requires us to make assumptions which cannot be proven.

ADDENDUM #2: Others argue that Paul is only speaking of married women in verses 34-35. After all, Paul says in verse 35, “And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church” (NKJV). While this conclusion is certainly understandable, there are two points that we must understand in response. First, the Greek word for husbands (vs. 35) is aner and is actually a generic term which is often translated “men” in the New Testament. So Paul could have been just as easily telling these women in Corinth to “ask their own [men] at home…” This brings me to my second point: in the first century (as with most ancient cultures), women did not generally live independently. Young women remained at home under the guardianship of their fathers, grandfathers and brothers until they got married (see 1 Cor. 7:36-38); then they would be under the guardianship of their husband. So Paul, in verses 34-35, is not speaking only of married women; he is speaking of all women (in that culture). Rather than speak out in the assembly, these women were to ask their men at home, or on a private basis, separate from the assembly. Paul never intended to word this in such a way so as to permit certain women to speak out in the assembly; what he wrote did apply to all women in that culture, in that time. If women happen to be independent today (without any Christian men in their private/personal lives), rather than assume that this passage has no application for them, it is better to assume that they simply need to find a Christian man that they can speak with on a private basis (if they have questions regarding the teachings of the assembly).