The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the First Epistle to the Corinthians
And let the other judge . Let the other prophets, not the people, judge by the gift they have whether what the prophet or teacher says is prophecy indeed, that is sound and wholesome doctrine, or not; for it does not belong to the laity to judge of the doctrines of religion, as heretics infer from this verse. It would be as absurd and foolish for the people to judge of prophecies, prophets, teachers, and pastors as for a scholar to judge his teacher, a sheep its shepherd, and a soldier his commander.
Ver. 30. — If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace . Let him rise and speak ; let the first cease and sit down. S. Ambrose says : “ This is a custom of the synagogue which S. Paul borrows and enjoins on us. The elders in dignity sit in their chairs while discoursing , those next to them sit on lower seats , the last on mats spread on the pavement. If anything happens to be revealed to these last, he bids that they be listened to : they are not to be despised , for they are members of the same body.”
Ver. 31. — For ye may all prophesy . . . and all may be comforted. All the prophets can exhort in their turn, if only the method and order laid down above be observed, and so all can receive exhortation and consolation. The word for “ may be comforted ” occurs again in 2 Cor. i. 6. Some take it as active, when the meaning becomes , “that all may learn when they hear, and may teach when they speak and exhort.”
Ver. 32. — And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. The prophets can, when they wish, restrain the spirit of prophecy, and keep silence, and give place to other prophets; they are not forced to speak by an irresistible impulse, like heathen fanatics ; for, as S. Thomas says, the spirit or gift of prophecy is not a habit, but is partly an inspiration, or impartation of light and truth, by which God illuminates the prophet’s mind in regard to facts that are future, hidden, or Divine; it is partly a force or impulse by which God touches the heart and impels it to prophesy, while preserving the freedom of the will. So Jonah and Jeremiah restrained themselves on occasion, as did Moses (Exod. iv. 30). S. Chrysostom’s explanation is different. The gift of prophecy, he says, which the prophet has is subject to the judgment of the College of Prophets ; but the first sense is more to the context ; for S. Paul is giving the reason why the prophets ought in turn to give way to each other and be silent, viz., because the prophetical spirit was under their control.
Ver. 33. — For God is not the author of confusion . He does not compel these or those to prophesy at the same time, to make a noise and disturb each other, and so cause such a confusion as is commonly found in uproarious crowds.
Ver. 34. — Let women keep silence in the churches. Ambrose, and after him Anselm, say that even the prophetesses are to keep silence : (1.) Because it is against the order of nature and of the Law, in Gen. iii. 16, for women, who have been made subject to men, to speak in their presence. (2.) Because it is opposed to the modesty and humility which befits them. (3.) Because man is endowed with better judgment, reason, discursive power, and discretion than woman. (4.) She is rightly bidden, says S. Anselm, to keep silence, because when she spoke it was to persuade man to sin (Gen. iii. 6). (5.) To curb her loquacity, for, as it is said, “ when two women quarrel it is like the beating of two cymbals or the clanging of two bells.” This might readily enough happen in the church if they were allowed to teach. About this silence enjoined on women, see notes on 1 Tim. ii. 9. How much is it then against the command of S. Paul, against all law, right, and seemliness, for a woman to be the head of a church !
Tropologically woman stands for passion and lust, man for reason. Let the first then be silent and obey the reason. Cf. S. Chrysostom (Hom. 37 in Moral.). Aristotle (de Nat . Animal lib. ix. c. 1) says : “ Woman is more pitiful and more inclined to tears than man ; also more envious , more ready to complain , to utter curses , and to revenge ; she is besides more anxious and desponding than man, more pert and untruthful, and more easily deceived.”
Ver. 35. — And if they will learn anything , let them ask their husbands at home . Hence Primasius says that men ought to be well taught enough to teach their wives in matters of faith. But what if they are themselves untaught, as is often the case ? Who, then, is to teach the woman ? Primasius answers that they have preachers, confessors, and teachers to instruct them. Again, it is better for them to be ignorant of some things that are not essentials than to ask and learn about them in public, to their own shame and the scandal of the Church.
You may say that it is recorded in S. Luke ii. 38 that Anna the prophetess spoke in the Temple to all concerning Christ. The answer is that she spoke to all in private, and one by one, not in a church assembly, nor in the Temple properly so called, for neither man nor woman, but the priests alone, were allowed to enter the Temple at Jerusalem. Anna, then, spoke to the women singly in the court of the women ; for, as Josephus says, the women had a court distinct from the men’s court.
You may say again, “ Nuns sing in their churches.” I answer that theirs is not a church in the sense of being an assembly of the faithful, but merely a choir of nuns. The Apostle does not forbid women to speak or sing among women, but he forbids it in the common assembly only, where both men and women meet. In this Cajetan agrees. Moreover, S. Paul does not allude to such public speaking as is sanctioned by authority, but that particular and individual speech which consists in teaching, exhorting, and asking questions.
Add to this that he is speaking of married women only, for he orders such to keep silence in the church and be subject to their husbands, and ask them at home what they want to know.
Ver. 36. — What! came the word of God out from you ? This is a sarcasm, concluding what had been said in this chapter and the preceding. Did not the Churches of Judaea, Samaria, and Syria believe before you ? Look, then, at the order and custom of those Churches, whether they are so contentious about their gifts or make such boasting of their tongues as you do. So Ambrose and Anselm.
Ver. 37 . — If any man think himself to be a prophet , &c. It is the Lord who commands this order to be observed in your assemblies, by my mouth, not directly by Himself.
This verse is an authority for canons passed by the Popes, and for the laws of the Church.
Melancthon replies that Bishops cannot make fresh canons, because, since the whole of the Holy Scripture has been now written, the Bishops have a full and sufficient guide in the word of God ; but he says the civil magistrate can pass new laws, because he has not the word of God to follow.
But this is a frivolous answer. The magistrate has not only the law of nature, but a very full and complete code of laws in the statute-book . But if everything has not been provided for there, and the magistrate may add to the number of laws, why may not Bishops do the same ? For the word of God has not provided for everything, as may be seen in the additions made to it by the Canon Law.
Moreover, S. Paul is here enacting human and ecclesiastical laws, not Divine ones ; and he had besides the word of God, not indeed written, but received by tradition or revelation from God (Gal. i. 12), and that much more fully than we have it. If, therefore, it was lawful for him to add his laws to those given by God, it is also lawful for the Pope and the Bishops, who have succeeded Paul, to do the same.
Ver. 38. — But if any man be ignorant , let him be ignorant . He who is not willing to acknowledge these laws and my power will be ignorant, or ignored or condemned by God, who will say to him, “ I know you not,” for “ he that heareth you heareth Me, and he that despiseth you despiseth Me.” Ambrose, Jerome, Ephrem, read the future, “ will be ignorant.” “ Let him be ignorant ” has a parallel in “He that is filthy, let him be filthy still;” or, as others render it, “ He that is ignorant, let him acknowledge himself ignorant, and behave accordingly, and not presume to pass judgment on other men, and on things of which he knows nothing, but let him rather follow others, as leaders in matters of prophecy and doctrine .” But I prefer the first reading, that of the Latin Version, as the plainer, truer, and better supported reading.
Ver. 40. — Let all things be done decently and in order . Like S. Ignatius (Epp. ad Philipp . et Tars.), S. Paul had a great care for good order in the Church, especially in things indifferent, both because this order is beautiful and decent in itself, and because it prevents confusion and disturbance, and also because it greatly edifies others, even unbelievers. See notes on Col. ii. 5.