“God Is Not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace”

All Posts Archived Lessons New Testament Old Testament Book of Mormon Doctrine & Covenants Search “God Is Not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace” CFMCorner Aug 31, 2023 17 min read Updated: Jun 24, 2025 CFM: September 4–10 1 Corinthians 14–16 Videos and Podcasts Video/ Podcast Lesson Extension Additional Materials Scripture Central 1 Corinthians 14-16 Study Guide Follow Him 1 Corinthians 14-16 Part 1 , Part 2 Transcripts Line Upon Line 1 Corinthians 14-16 FHE Lesson Teaching with Power 1 Corinthians 14-16 Don't Miss This 1 Corinthians 14-16 CFM New Testament 1 Corinthians 14-16 Unshaken 1 Corinthians 14-16 ( Part 1 , Part 2 ) The Interpreter Foundation 1 Corinthians 14-16 Study helps by Jonn Claybaugh Teaching Helps with John Hilton 1 Corinthians 14-16 ( not yet posted ) Ponderfun 1 Corinthians 14-16 ( not yet posted ) Talking Scripture 1 Corinthians 14-16 Show Notes Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class , New Testament The Epistles of Paul, 1 Corinthians: Notes , Slides , Handout Resources and Insights about this Week's Lesson Be sure to review the Corinthian Cultural Insights in our previous lessons. This will be very useful information while we continue our studies in 1st and 2nd Corinthians. Also, please forgive me for getting ahead of myself last week. I was trying to get the lesson material out under a tight time crunch while juggling multiple other projects simultaneously. For some reason, I got my wires crossed and thought 1 Corinthians 14 was part of last week's lesson. So much of the commentary that I provided regarding Paul's discussion of musical terminology and the topic of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 should actually be in this week's lesson. Rather than repeating what was already said, please refer to last week's commentary, Ye are the Body of Christ . There are some valuable insights regarding music as a language of the Spirit and Paul's supposed admonition for the women of the Church to remain silent and not ask questions. In last week's lesson, I discussed how 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is confusing because there is a good possibility that Paul did not even write this passage or it was intentionally manipulated. This may be one of the plain and precious truths that were lost (1 Nephi 13:29-40). What better way can the adversary thwart the doctrines and mission of the Kingdom than to attack the family, one of the most fundamental and precious units of its structure? This is a familiar tactic he has used for a very long time. Several scholars suggest that verses 34 and 35 were interpolations, small snippets that had been written into the margins of an early manuscript as a gloss, which were later incorporated into the main body of the text ( Philip Barton Payne , Walker , Philip J. Abbott ). Ongoing debate abounds about the details regarding who the scribe or scribes may have been who wrote or altered these verses and what their purposes were; some suggest Paul himself may have penned a thought into the margin, and others elaborated on it. Others suggest differing theories. Regardless of the specific details, this section is highly controversial, questionable, and unreliable for multiple reasons. This is important to understand because this passage has sadly been used and abused for almost 2,000 years to suppress and devalue women and to minimize their sacred and divine roles as Mothers in Zion and as Daughters of God. Since the very beginning of time, women have possessed the rights and privileges of receiving direct revelation and inspiration from their Heavenly Father. While some try to rationalize these verses in various ways, significant extrapolation and creative calisthenics are required to try to make sense of them, and most attempts fall flat. This is true because most of these arguments simply don't make sense, even within the context of ancient Patriarchal Jewish culture. In addition to the women Paul praises in his epistle to the Romans, including Priscilla, Mary, the apostle Junia, Tryphina, Persis, Julia, and others, there are many examples of notable Jewish women who were highly respected and regarded as women who possessed divine gifts of prophecy in the Jewish world, Rebecca, Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Hulda, Noadiah, Esther, and others. We see similar reflections in the Book of Mormon with Abish, and King Lamoni's Queen in Alma 19. We read about the mothers of the stripling warriors who prophesied to their sons through their words and examples. It is rather ironic that these passages appear in the context of a chapter that is all about edification, which in Greek literally means “building families.” Taking a woman's voice out of that conversation is damaging and detrimental to the family and society, and it literally does the exact opposite of what the rest of this chapter focuses on. This becomes even more apparent as one examines the Greek and what it means to prophesy and edify. Within the broader context of the chapter, verses 34 and 35 are completely out of place. When one recognizes the broader context, history, and language, these verses stand out as clunky and awkward. By no means is this discussion intended to devalue the role of the Priesthood or the Patriarchal and hierarchical structure of the Lord's kingdom. God's kingdom is a kingdom of order. That was established from the very beginning; Adam was assigned the administrative roles and privileges of the Priesthood so that he could possess and develop the tools he needed to serve and protect his family. This enabled Eve to fulfill her divine role as a mother, the very first calling issued in mortality following the Savior's calling as the Messiah. Adam's administrative role in the priesthood and his sacred responsibilities to provide for and protect his family allowed Eve the opportunity to devote her time and attention to her calling, the nurture, education, and welfare of God's children during the formative years of their mortal sojourn upon the Earth. Both roles represent a divine and sacred partnership with God, and both roles should be honored, celebrated, and respected. Both the creative and administrative aspects of the Priesthood are absolutely essential for building up the Kingdom of God upon the earth. Sherrie Mills Johnson offers some valuable perspective on this in her article, “ Paul’s Teachings in 1 Corinthians on Women .” Sadly, these verses require significant clarification, but I don't want this topic to distract from some of the most powerful and beautiful messages that are included in the readings for this week. In addition to Paul's teachings about the powerful gifts of the Spirit and the process of receiving and recognizing revelation in Chapter 14, Chapter 15 is the pinnacle of Paul's entire letter. Not only does Paul provide a powerful witness for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and a beautiful explanation of what that means, he also teaches about important topics such as the Plan of Salvation and the saving ordinances of the gospel for both the living and the dead. Several excellent articles explore the writings of Paul regarding these subjects and how they relate to the revelations that Joseph Smith received in the early phases of the Restoration. I hope readers will take the time to read and study these links and resources. Overview: 1 Corinthians 14 addresses the orderly conduct of worship services in the Corinthian church, focusing on the use of spiritual gifts, especially the gift of tongues and prophecy. Paul provides guidelines for edifying worship that promotes understanding and unity among believers. Scripture Major Topics/ Themes Summary Cross-References, Videos & Resources 1 Corinthians 14 INT Observation Reason, Faith, and Revelation Vs. 1-5 Eager Pursuit of Spiritual Gifts for Edification Paul encouraged the members of the Church to pursue gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy, for the benefit and edification of the whole church. He explains that prophecy is more valuable than speaking in tongues because it clearly communicates with others in a way they can understand. In classical Greek, a prophet or prophetess was regarded as an “interpreter of the gods.” and this would have resonated with the Greek community. (See: γλώσσῃ “tongues, foreign language” λαλεῖ " speak , express one's thoughts, דָבַר , προφητεύων “prophesy, interpretation, to bring forth light " (related terms: prophet, profess, Professor, profit) οἰκοδομὴν " edification , building / domesticating the home/family " παράκλησιν " exhortation , consolation,” παραμυθίαν " comfort " διερμηνεύῃ " interpret , explain, תַּרְגֵּם “) Διώκετε “Move rapidly and decisively toward an object” in verse 1, the object one should zealously seek after is charity . Vs. Verses 6-25 Distinctive Roles of Tongues and Prophecy Verse 6: Paul explains speaking in tongues and prophecy as a means of providing edification ( ἀποκαλύψει “revelation, uncovering hidden things” γνώσει “knowledge,” διδαχῇ doctrine.” Verse 7-10: Paul compares spoken languages to musical language, explaining that all sounds have significance. He uses several words translated into English as “sounds.” However, the specific Greek words used indicate significant differences in the types of sound that Paul refers to, further clarifying his intended meaning. ( φωνὴν (phone) “sound, voice, phonetics, tone” διαστολὴν φθόγγοις (diastolin tous phythongis) " distinction of the musical sound s , similar to the Harmonic Overtone Series, as the principle was taught to the Greeks by Pythagoras around 500 BC and it was foundational to many of their philosophical and academic traditions" αὐλὸς " pipe , " κιθάρα (kithara, lyre , harp, which is where we get the English word guitar) Verses 9-12: Illustrate the importance of intelligibility and the purpose of languages; the congregation should be able to understand what is being communicated. Verse 13-20: Paul stresses the