Troublesome Topic: Paul Knew there Was Opposition to These Ancient Principles 1 Cor 14
Lesson 21 of 261 Corinthians 14:37
Translation
If anyone is of the opinion that he is a prophet, or is spiritual, let him fully recognize that the things I am writing to you are the commands of THE LORD.
Paraphrase
If anyone thinks he has something worth sharing in the meeting of God’s people because God has given him something special to share, or if he thinks he is spiritually sound, he should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is not something I made up for it fits the rest of the commands given to us by THE SUPREME RULER.
1 Corinthians 14:38
Translation
However, if anyone chooses to ignore [these matters], let him be ignored.
Paraphrase
However, if someone still chooses to not recognize that these matters are God-ordained, you should not recognize him or what he says.
PAUL KNEW THERE WAS OPPOSITION TO THESE ANCIENT PRINCIPLES
Whether one is focusing on orderliness in worship, or specifically on the issue of the authority of men and women, there has always been opposition to these things and that opposition comes from the flesh. In the various passages about the role of women, Paul says things that indicate he is aware of resistance to what he is saying, that is why he makes it a priority to point out that this is not just his opinion, it has deep roots. In his treatment of the issue of authority for men and women he sometimes points to creation, or to the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, or to the Law in general. To this I will add the fact that Jesus did not change these aspects of the Law when He established His New Covenant. All this goes together to build a strong foundation for the idea that there are clear lines of authority which God has established; if we disturb those lines of authority there will be negative consequences. In verse 38 Paul says that we should not wait for the negative consequences to begin to reveal themselves (which can sometimes take a generation), rather we should assign consequences to people who do not want to follow the standards God has established for orderliness or for authority structures.
The next lesson is: A Summary of What Paul Wanted Men to Do 1 Tim 2