The correct order must always be observable. - The disease of greed. - The pleasure of chastity.

. Let your wives be silent in the churches, for they are not allowed to speak, but to be in subjection, as the law says.

1. Having reproved the disorder that proceeded from tongues and from prophecy, and having made it a law that there should be no confusion, that those who speak in tongues should do this separately, and of those who prophesy one would be silent when another begins, (the apostle) passes on to the disorder caused by women, suppresses their inappropriate boldness - and very well in time. If it is not permissible for those who are gifted to speak out of order and whenever they please, although they are guided by the Spirit, how much more (it is not permissible) for women to talk idle and uselessly. Therefore, with great power, he restrains them from idle talk, moreover, he refers to the law, and thus stops their mouths.

Here he not only admonishes and advises, but also commands with force, citing an ancient law about this. Namely, by saying: “Let your wives be silent in the churches, for it is not permitted for them to speak, but to be in subjection, as the law says.”. Where does the law say this? “Your desire is for your husband, and he will rule over you”(). Do you see the wisdom of Paul, how he gave such a testimony, which commands them not only to be silent, but also to be silent with fear, and, moreover, with such fear as a servant should be silent? Therefore, he himself, after the words: "not allowed to speak", did not say: be silent, but used, instead of - be silent, a more meaningful expression - "a be in subjection". If, however, they should be so in relation to husbands, much more so in relation to teachers and fathers and the general assembly of the church. But, you say, if they can neither speak nor ask, then why should they be present? In order to listen to what follows, and to learn about the dubious at home from their husbands. That is why he continues: “If they want to learn something, let them ask About at their husbands' houses"(). They, he says, are not allowed in the church, not only to speak openly themselves, but also to ask about anything. If, however, one should not ask, much more is it not permissible to speak in vain. Why does he put them in such a subordination?

Because the wife is the weakest, fickle and frivolous creature. Therefore, he appoints men as their teachers and benefits both: he makes wives modest, and husbands attentive, since they must convey to their wives with perfect accuracy what they hear. Further, since it was considered an honor for them to speak in the assembly, he again proves the opposite and says: "for it is not proper for a woman to speak in church"; he proves this first by the law of God, and then by universal human judgment and custom, as he did when he talked with them about hair: or, he said, "Isn't nature itself teaching you"()? And everywhere you can see such a way of his speech - that he exposes not only the divine Scripture, but also well-known customs. In addition, he borrows denunciations from the consent of all and from the ubiquity of the commandments, as he does here: “Is it from you,” he says, “ did the word of God come out? Or has it reached you alone?()? Here he expresses that the other churches keep the same law, and thus cuts off the disorder by pointing to the innovation, and makes his words a more persuasive reference to the voice of all. That is why he said in other places: “I sent Timothy to you, my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church”(). And further: "because God is not God disorder, but peace. So It happens in all the churches of the saints"(). And here: That is, you are not the first and you are not the only faithful, but (such is) the whole universe. He said the same thing in his letter to the Colossians, talking about the gospel: "which dwells with you as in all the world"(). He also acts in a different way, to exhort his listeners, sometimes pointing out something as belonging first to them and made known to everyone. So in writing to the Thessalonians he says: “from you the word of the Lord has flown, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place has passed glory about your faith in God"(). Also to the Romans: "your faith is proclaimed throughout the world"(). Both, and praise from others and an indication of agreement with others in the way of thinking, can convince and encourage. That is why he says here: “Did the word of God come out of you? Or did it reach you alone? You, he says, cannot say: we were teachers of others and we should not learn from others, or: here only the teaching of faith was established and we should not imitate the example of others. Do you see how many (reasons) he gave in their denunciation? He brought the law, showed the shamefulness of the case, presented other churches as an example.

2. Then, (the apostle) gives an extreme, strongest argument: and now, he says, God commands this through me. “If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual, let him understand that I am writing to you, for these are the commandments of the Lord. And whoever does not understand, let him not understand.”(). Why did he add it? To show that he does not force and does not want to compete; thus are expressed those who do not try to fulfill their own desires, but have in mind the benefit of others. That is why he says elsewhere: “and if anyone wanted to argue, then we do not have such a custom, nor the church of God”(). However, he does not do this everywhere, but only where the offenses were not very great, moreover, in such cases he is more shameful; when he speaks about others (crimes), he does not express himself in this way, but how? “Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, ... nor Malachis will inherit the Kingdom of God”(); and further: “Behold, I, Paul, say to you, if you are circumcised, you will not benefit from Christ”(). But here, since he had a speech about silence, he does not reproach (the listeners) very much, and thereby wins them over even more. Then, as he always does, he returns to the previous subject that gave him reason to talk about it, and continues: “Therefore, brethren, be zealous to prophesy, but do not forbid speaking in tongues”(). This is what he usually does: he deals with more than one subject, but, departing from it, gives instruction on that which in some way seems to him touching, and then again turns to the former, so that he does not seem to deviate from the subject. For example, while talking about unanimity at meals, he made a digression, starting to talk about the communion of the mysteries, and, having offered instructions on them, he again turned to the previous one and said: "Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to supper, wait for one another"(). So here too, having spoken about decency in the use of talents and that one should neither grieve at small gifts, nor be proud at great ones, he then digresses, starting to talk about decency, decent for women, and, having offered instruction on this, returns to to the former subject: "so, - he says, - brethren, be zealous to prophesy, but do not forbid speaking in tongues.”. Do you see how he keeps the distinction (between these gifts) to the end, and how he inspires that the former is very necessary, and the latter is not so necessary? Of the former he says: "be jealous", but of the latter: "do not forbid". Then, as if in totality offering all the instructions, he adds: “All is well-behaved and according to order, let them be”(). Here again he reproaches those who have a vain desire to commit outrage, recklessly seek glory and do not keep their own place.

Nothing builds up like good deeds, like peace, like love, and everything opposite to them produces destruction. This can be seen not only in spiritual subjects, but also in all others. If you disturb the order in the choir (singers), or on the ship, or on the chariot, or in the army, if you deviate the greater from its position and put the smaller in its place, then you will upset and bring everything down. Let's not upset the order either, let's not put our heads down and our feet up. And this happens when we cast down sound reason, and put vicious desires - irritability, anger, voluptuousness - above reason, which is why there is great confusion, strong excitement, an indomitable storm, and everything is covered with darkness. But, if you like, let's look ahead what shame comes from this, and then what harm. How can we explain this and make it completely obvious? Let us imagine a man possessed by the love of a harlot and devoted to this insane passion, and then we will see how ridiculous he is. What can really be more shameful for a person than to stand in front of a harlot's dwelling, to receive blows from a depraved woman, to weep, sob and humiliate one's honor? If you want to see harm, then imagine the waste of money, the extreme dangers, the struggle with rivals, the blows and wounds received in such competitions. The same happens with those who are devoted to the passion for money, or even they suffer even more harm. Those are devoted to the care of one body; but the money-lovers inquire equally about the property of all, both poor and rich, and covet even things that do not exist, which is especially a sign of insane passion. They do not say: we would like to have such-and-such wealth, and only such-and-such, but they want mountains and houses and all visible things to become gold, extend beyond the limits of the world, suffer from this disease endlessly and stop nowhere in your desires. What word can describe the storm of such thoughts, these waves, this darkness? And where are the waves and such a storm, where can there be pleasure? There can be no, but on the contrary - confusion, suffering and gloomy clouds, bringing great sorrow instead of rain. The same usually happens with those who love someone else's beauty. Therefore, those who do not surrender to love at all enjoy greater pleasure than those who surrender to it. Nobody will object to this. I will say that even the one who loves, but keeps his passion, receives more pleasure than the one who constantly treats a harlot. Although it is very difficult, yet one must try to explain it; it is difficult not because of the essence of the subject itself, but because there are no worthy listeners of such wisdom.

3. What, tell me, is more pleasant for a lover, whether to be scorned by a beloved woman, or to be respected and neglected? Obviously the last one. Whom, tell me, will the harlot respect more, the one who is servile to her and has already become her captive, or the one who avoids her nets and soars above her arrows? Obviously the last one. To whom will she pay more attention, to the one who has fallen, or to the one who has not yet fallen? Of course, the one who has not yet fallen. Whom more will she try to attract to her, defeated or not yet captured? Of course, not yet captured. If you don't believe me, I'll provide proof from your experience. Which wife does the husband love more, the one who easily yields and gives herself to him, or the one who objects and yields to him with difficulty? Obviously, the latter, because in this case the desire is more strongly ignited. The same thing happens with women: they will show more respect and surprise to someone who neglects them. If this is true, then it is equally true that the more respected and beloved enjoy more pleasure.

The commander soon leaves the city, already taken, and firmly standing and resisting, he besieges with all his might; and the hunter locks up the captured beast and keeps it in the dark, like a harlot her lover, and chases after the fleeing one. But, you say, the former gets the desired pleasure, but the latter does not.

And not to be disgraced, not to succumb to the autocratic orders of a harlot, not to allow her to lead herself like a captive slave, and at the same time not to endure beatings, spitting, blows to the head, really, tell me, do you consider it a small pleasure? Indeed, if someone carefully examined and had the opportunity to collect together all their insults, reproaches, constant displeasures arising from spiritual irritability and bodily relaxation, quarrels, and everything else that only those who have experienced know, he would see that in every war there is more truces than in their miserable life. What kind of pleasure, tell me, are you talking about? Is it about the short and instantaneous one that (comes) from the satisfaction of passion? But it is immediately followed by struggle, excitement, irritation, and again also fury. We say all this, as if talking to intemperate young men who do not really like to hear words about the kingdom (heavenly) and hell; but if we imagine this, then it will be impossible to express in words how great is the pleasure of the chaste when they imagine crowns, rewards, conversations with angels, glorification in the universe, boldness, good and immortal hopes. But the satisfaction of passion contains a certain pleasure - this is often repeated - and the chaste cannot constantly struggle with the force of nature. On the contrary, the fornicator is more exposed to violence and struggle: there is great confusion in his body; his condition is much worse than any rough sea; his passion never calms down, but constantly disturbs him, like those who are raging and constantly tormented by evil spirits. And the chaste one, constantly overcoming it, like a courageous ascetic, tastes a joy more excellent and pleasant than a thousand such pleasures, always admires his victory, a calm conscience and glorious trophies. With him, if he calms down somewhat after the satisfaction of passion, such calmness is negligible, because soon a storm sets in again, again excitement. And the one who is philosophic does not even allow this confusion to begin, even to agitate this sea, even to raise a roar to this beast. Although he also endures some struggle, holding on to such an aspiration, but (not such a one) he is constantly restless, excited and cannot bear irritation. He is like a man who bridles a wild horse, enraged and resisting, and stops him with great skill, and whoever yields to him, avoiding such labor, the horse carries him and carries him everywhere. Let no one condemn if I have said all this more clearly than is proper; I want to distinguish myself not by the purity of my words, but by making my listeners pure.

4. Therefore, the prophets do not avoid any of these words, desiring to stop the corruption of the Jews, but they denounce them even more frankly than we now have in what we have said. The doctor, wishing to heal a rotten wound, does not care to keep his hands clean, but to save the patient from putrefaction; He who wants to make the proud humble humbles himself in advance; he who tries to strike the intruder will stain himself with blood along with him, and thus deserves great honor; and a warrior returning from the war, if anyone sees splashed with (human) juices, blood and brain, he will not despise him, he will not be disgusted by him for this, but he will be even more surprised at him. So let us also act: when we see that someone, having killed lust, is stained with blood, we will be even more surprised at him, we will take part in his struggle and victory and say to those devoted to voluptuousness: show us what pleasure is from passion.

The chaste one gets (pleasure) from victory, and you are nowhere. You point to (pleasure) which comes from the satisfaction of passion; but that (pleasure) is more obvious and lasting. You receive from the satisfaction of passion (pleasure) short-term and even imperceptible, and he from his conscience - the highest, unceasing and sweetest joy. Truly, not the treatment of a woman, but wisdom can keep the soul unperturbed and inspire. Thus, as I said, he clearly shows us pleasure; I see the grief of defeat on you, but I want to see pleasure, but I don’t find it. At what time do you think you will find this pleasure? Is it before the satisfaction of passion? But no; then - the time of fury, rage and insanity; gnashing of teeth and frenzy are not signs of pleasure; if then there was a time of pleasure, then what sufferers experience would not happen to you; after all, those who enter into the struggle and are stricken gnash their teeth, and even the same is done by women in labor, tormented by birth diseases; therefore it does not constitute pleasure, but rather fury, frenzy, and confusion. Or is it the time after (gratification of passion)? But even then, no; about a wife who has given birth, we cannot say that she feels pleasure, but she is only freed from the illnesses of birth; it is not pleasure at all, but rather weakness and exhaustion; but there is a great difference between the one and the other. What, tell me, is the time of this pleasure? There is none, and if there is, it is so brief that it is not even noticeable. No matter how hard we tried to find and catch him, we could not. But the pleasure of the chaste is not like this: it is long and obvious to everyone, or, better, his whole life passes in pleasure, because his conscience triumphs, the excitement has calmed down, and no confusion disturbs him from anywhere. So, if he enjoys pleasure more, and the voluptuary is subjected to sorrow and confusion, then let us avoid intemperance and remain chaste, so that we may be honored with future blessings, the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, glory, power, honor, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

IN Orthodox Church just like in other Christian churches, there are prohibitions that apply only to women. It is noteworthy that such restrictions are not documented: in Orthodoxy there are no dogmas that apply only to men; and there are no teachings about the feminine nature as a nature that is different from the masculine.

In the Gospel, the Savior says: “All of you ... have put on Christ. There is no longer a Jew, nor a Gentile; there is no slave nor free; There is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ" (Gal. 3:26-28).

So what can men do and women can't?

Behavioral Prohibitions

Men, unlike women, can take off their headdress in church, and a woman, even before entering the temple, is obliged to cover her head with a scarf or stole. Moreover, this tradition is strictly observed in the Russian Orthodox Church, but is completely optional in the Greek Orthodox Church.

In addition, a woman is obliged to dress modestly in the temple and only in women's clothes.

"The woman in the church is silent"

These words of the Apostle Paul are regarded as a prohibition for a woman to have her own opinion on theological issues. However, this statement should not be taken literally. Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) says that this rather referred only to the Corinthians. Since there are many cases in history when women preached.

The apostle Paul himself in the Epistle to the Romans mentions the deaconess Phoebe. They counseled the women who were preparing for baptism by teaching them and assisting the bishop at the baptism. The Apostle Philip also says in the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles: ...there were four daughters of a virgin who prophesied"(Acts 21:9). There were also female saints who preached Christ - this is St. Nina, who preached in Georgia, or Mary Magdalene, who talked with Emperor Tiberius about the Resurrection of the Savior.

She can't enter the altar

A woman really cannot enter the holy of holies of an Orthodox church - the altar. However, it is also forbidden for a man to do this. The Sixth Ecumenical (Trull) Council determined: "None of all those belonging to the category of the laity, let it be allowed to enter the sacred altar ..."

If we talk about nuns, then only elderly nuns can enter the altar with the blessing of the ruling bishop.

A woman cannot be a priest

Hegumen Nektary (Morozov) says that this is due to the Creator's plan for men and women and the different purpose of men and women. Archpriest Maxim Kozlov says that a female priesthood is impossible, because "for Orthodoxy, the priesthood is not a kind of administrative service and personal life calling, but the correlation of this service with the high priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ."

However, in times of trouble, in the absence of priests and men, Orthodox woman, even a laywoman, can perform the Sacrament of Holy Baptism over a baby or a person who is dying.

Has no right to visit Athos

Paradoxical as it may seem, women really should not set foot on Athos - a place that is dedicated to the most perfect and pure of all women who have ever lived on Earth - the Most Holy Theotokos, who is revered above Angels and Archangels. Moreover, this ban, according to legend, was established by the Virgin Mary herself.

Since 1953, according to the laws of Greece, a woman who violates the law faces a prison sentence of two to 12 months. Those who risked breaking the ban later repented of it - they began to be haunted by misfortunes that stopped only after confession and acceptance of punishment.

It is to the Apostle Paul that the words from Scripture belong: “Let your wives be silent in churches, for they are not allowed to speak, but to be in subjection, as the law says. If they want to learn anything, let them ask their husbands about it at home; for it is indecent for a woman to speak in church.”(1 Corinthians 14:34,35); " Let the woman learn in silence, with all humility.”(1 Tim. 2:11); “But I do not allow a wife to teach, nor to rule over her husband, but to be in silence”(1 Tim. 2:12).

This gives reason to some believers to say that the apostle Paul was on the side of men, that he did not like women. Moreover, he was a misogynist and his messages restrict the rights of women. To see if this is true, here are examples of women ministers that Paul speaks of in the Bible. Teacher and pastor Rick Renner discusses this topic in Women in Ministry.

Thebe

“I present to you Phoebe, our sister, deaconess of the church of Kenkhrei. Receive her for the Lord, as befits the saints, and help her in whatever she needs from you, for she has been a help to many, and to myself” (Rom. 16:1-2).

Who was this Thebe? Why was she so famous, and why did the apostle Paul himself treat her with reverence?

The Greek word translated “represent” means “to stand beside someone”, “to stand behind someone”. To say this word in relation to any person meant to give him the best recommendation. This phrase can also be translated as follows: "I stand behind Sister Thebe and give her the best recommendation that can be given."

He respected her, appreciated and called her his assistant. He trusted her so much that, having written the Epistle to the Romans, he did not send it with a man, but instructed Thebe to deliver the letter to its destination - to the Roman church. that for some time Thebe was the pastor of the Apostle Paul himself.

The meaning of the name Thebe - "bright, shining" - indicates that she was a prime example of what a Christian woman should be.

Paul also calls her sister. And this indicates that she was part of the circle of his close friends.

He also calls her a deaconess. We also find the word "deaconess" in the book of Acts, chapter 6, where it is said how the first deacons were chosen. Then they were only men. Now we see that in the church of Kenchrei, the office of deacon was given to a woman.

The city of Cenchrea was an eastern port not far from Corinth. It was a very influential area, so what happened in the churches in that area spread to other churches. And in this influential church, a woman named Thebe played far from the last role. If there was one female deaconess, then it can be assumed that there were other women who served as deaconesses. And this is surprising, since men dominated in that area, while women occupied a low position.

There were many whores living in Corinth, and men viewed women as things that could be used and thrown away as useless. And the fact that Thebe was respected in that region indicated that women had freedom and lawlessness began to recede. The fact that Thebe was a deaconess once again confirms the truth that in Jesus Christ there is no distinction between male and female.

The Greek word translated "receive" means "to accept without asking questions." Paul's opinion of Thebes was so high and he had such faith in her that he wrote: “Accept her and ask no questions. If I respect her, then you should too." It doesn't sound like a man who is against women, does it?

The Greek word translated "to help" means "to stand next to someone", "to be near someone". To paraphrase this fragment of his letter: “This woman needs your support and help. Accept it and support it as much as you can." And then he writes something generally amazing: "...what will she need from you ...". "Need" is a mistranslation. In the New Testament it is written in Greek that if "she will have some business with you ...". That is, Paul wrote: "Help her in whatever work she does while she is with you."

"For she was also a helper..." The word "assistant / assistant" at that time was called a person who helped people from another country. It is possible that Thebe provided assistance to missionaries whose path ran through their region.

Priscilla and Akila

"Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus"(Rom. 16:3).

Did you notice the order in which the names are mentioned? First Paul talks about Priscilla and then about Aquila. But it was not always so. Previously, they were mentioned like this: “After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth; and, having found a certain Jew, named Aquila, a native of Pontian, who recently came from Italy, and Priscilla his wife ... "(Acts 18:1-2). At first, Luke writes about Akila, then, as if by the way, mentions Priscilla: “There was a man named Akila. Well, there was his wife. What was her name? Ah, Priscilla.

Akila was Jewish. He was born in Pontus, the same region as the apostle Paul. And perhaps he had the same opinion about women as all the Jews. Before meeting the apostle Paul, they both did not understand the role of women in the ministry. But after talking with him, they realized that God chooses not only men, but also women to serve. And Priscilla became an outstanding minister! Since then, when there was a talk about this married couple, first they mentioned Priscilla, then they remembered about Akila.

Marilyn Hickey and her husband come to mind. She is an anointed minister and renowned Bible teacher throughout Christendom. He is the pastor of the local church, known only to his parishioners.

In the early Christian church, Priscilla was considered one of the best preachers. Her revelations and ability to interpret Scripture were so respected by other ministers that even today many theologians believe that it was she who wrote the book of Hebrews.

Junia and Andronicus

“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and prisoners with me, glorified among the Apostles, and before me, who still believed in Christ” (Rom. 16:7).

These were also Paul's husband and wife and relatives. He wrote that they were glorified among the apostles. This means that Paul was not the only apostle in their family. These spouses were also apostles. Moreover, they became apostles even before Paul was recognized as an apostle.

But make no mistake, if a husband is an apostle, then automatically his wife is also an apostle. Or that if the husband is a pastor, then the wife is also a pastor. I often notice that the wife of a pastor is also called a pastor. The ministry gift of one spouse is not transferred to the other spouse through the act of marriage. There are many pastors whose wives are not anointed by God to be pastors.

But how wonderful it is when the wife of a man who is, for example, an apostle, prophet, pastor or teacher, is also called by God to serve.

Junia, even if she were not the wife of the Apostle Andronicus, would still be an apostle, because God called her to this ministry. This confirms that women can also be apostles. It may not be customary in your church for a woman to be a pastor or an apostle, but women can be both or carry out some other ministry, and this is not forbidden by the Bible and does not contradict the New Testament.

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)

Women are more receptive to faith. The first hymn of gratitude to God was composed by a woman. Women were the first to proclaim the Resurrection of Christ. What else is their advantage over men, recalls Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)

– Father Job, in your opinion, is there a problem of women in the Church?
– The question of the equality of men and women was born in the 19th century, in the conditions of the rapid breakdown of traditional forms of life, as a question of political and social rights. At first it was about voting rights. Then it touched on professional occupations, which in traditional societies were associated with the activities of men. The paradox is that all this has doubled the burden of life on women. They got the opportunity to work on an equal footing with men, but they also left domestic work on their shoulders. Perhaps this is what Charles Talleyrand meant when he said: “Women, in the abstract, have equal rights with us, but it is in their interest not to enjoy these rights.”
In the second half of the 20th century, these ideas did not bypass and. Not because the Church did not notice these issues, but because secular socio-political criteria began to be applied to the church organism. Non-church or ecclesiastical people formally, but not in spirit, understand neither the nature of spiritual life, nor the ultimate goals of human existence. A man and a woman in their natural and spiritual characteristics, on the one hand, are opposite, and on the other, they complement each other, making up a unity. The way of their creation is connected with this Divine plan. This is also expressed in the Hebrew language: "ish" - a man, "isha" - a woman. As you can see, one word, not two. Being equal before God and having the same human dignity, at the same time they fulfill a different purpose on earth. Their goal is the same - salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the holy apostle Paul writes: “... there is no male or female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” ().
If the meaning and goal of humanity is salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven, then criteria should be defined accordingly when discussing the issue of equality between women and men. Is there any inequality here? No. On the contrary, we are confronted with an astonishing fact. The greatest event in the life of all mankind, an event without which there would be no our salvation, is the Incarnation of God through the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through her, holy motherhood was even more exalted. Can any parliamentary or party activity or other social and professional activities, where women want to be equal to men, be compared with this special appointment of a woman. After all, it is through her that God the Creator gives new life. The Bible identifies woman with life. Recall what is said about the first woman: “And Adam called the name of his wife: Eve, for she became the mother of all living” (). I would like to note: the name of Adam, according to generally accepted etymology, means earthy, and Eve (Jewish Havva) means life. Although death entered the world with the fall, it is through woman that death is conquered in every generation, through her the continuity of the human race is ensured. The tragedy of our time is that this great advantage of women, which men do not know, has been largely lost. Now we see the rapid destruction of motherhood. Four million women in our country annually kill their children by having abortions - often because of domestic, housing problems. Has there ever been such a dullness of conscience in the past, when one person was given the absolute right to kill another in order to solve his material problems? Isn't there a connection here with that leveling movement, which is gaining more and more strength with every decade? Don't abortion advocates say, "A woman has a right"?

- In connection with the biblical view of a woman, I would like to ask why Jesus Christ chose only men as apostles?
– The number of apostles is connected with the number of twelve patriarchs – the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. The patriarchs gave rise to historical Israel, and the apostles gave rise to the New, spiritual Israel. Also, the number seventy has a predestination in the Old Testament: “And the Lord said to Moses: gather me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know that they are the elders and his overseers, and take them to the tabernacle of the meeting, so that they stand there with you” () . At the same time, it must be remembered that even those who were not included in the circle of the apostles chosen by the Savior of the world were given the opportunity to perform apostolic work. Thus, Saint Mary Magdalene entered the history of the Church as equal to the apostles, that is, equal to the apostles. It must be resolutely said that the apostolate is not an honorary privilege, but a special cross and a great responsibility. One of the twelve did not pass the test and dropped out.
The story of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals the touching devotion of the myrrh-bearing women. After all, they were the first to be honored with the greatest honor - to see the risen Lord. And it is to them that the great word, which constitutes the spiritual nerve of the entire Gospel, was first addressed - rejoice! After all, Christianity is a religion of love and joy. If the myrrh-bearing women, due to their physical weakness, could not do something that other disciples did, but with their devotion, love for the Savior, they deserved more - they were the first to be honored to see Him after the Resurrection. They told about the greatest miracle to other students. The myrrh-bearing women for the apostles themselves became the first apostles, because an apostle is the one who preaches the good news about the Resurrection of Christ. The high importance of women in the spread of Christianity is known. The holy martyrs amazed their contemporaries not only with deep faith, but also with the most exalted chastity.
I would like to draw attention to one more gratifying fact, which is revealed by a careful reading of the Holy Gospel. Not a single woman participated in the persecution of our Savior during His earthly life. How much hatred, blasphemy, slander, vicious persecution was against our Lord Jesus Christ. All this led our Savior to Calvary. But none of these episodes involve a woman. Not a single woman ever blasphemed Jesus Christ.
The Pharisees and scribes, who knew every letter of Scripture, did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, but a simple Samaritan woman believed in Him as in Christ and preached this to all the inhabitants of the city of Sychar. Is this not a high honor, not an indication that the Gospel places a woman very highly.

– But there are words in the New Testament: “Let a woman be silent in the Church.”
- This passage from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul is almost always given inaccurately. If we read the text and consider the context of this verse, we will come to the conclusion that the holy apostle does not establish a general rule here, but speaks of Corinthian women. “Let your wives be silent in churches; for they are not allowed to speak ... "(). From the preceding words, it can be understood that there were discords in the assemblies of the Corinthians. And the fact that a woman can speak in the Church is confirmed by other places in the same Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul: “... And every woman who prays or prophesies with an open head shames her head ...” (). To prophesy in the apostolic age meant to teach.
The holy apostle himself explains: “... And whoever prophesies, he speaks to people for edification, exhortation and consolation” (). The holy Apostle Philip says in the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles: “... there were four daughters of a virgin who prophesied” (). Where could they prophesy? Not at home, of course, but in a church meeting. Another example. Already in the first century there were deaconesses in the Church. In the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul mentions the deaconess Phoebe. They counseled the women who were preparing for baptism by teaching them and assisting the bishop at the baptism. It means that they could not be silent in the Church.

Is there any difference in the appointment of a woman in the Old Testament religion and in Christianity?
“According to biblical teaching, a woman completes herself by becoming a wife and mother. In the New Testament, another high opportunity for self-realization opens up. She can reach perfection through virginity. This is a new spiritual frontier. On this path, the possibility of the most complete connection with God opens up, which is the goal of human existence.
The Lord the Creator endowed the female soul with the ability to be more inclined towards faith than the male soul. Eve was the first to utter the word "God". The first hymn of gratitude to God was composed by a woman - the sister of the prophet Moses Mariam. “And Miriam sang before them: Sing to the Lord; for He was highly exalted, He threw the horse and its rider into the sea ”(). Myrrh-bearing women go to the tomb of the Teacher at night, overcoming fear not only with love, but also with faith. In decisive moments of condemnation of the Savior of the world, sympathy and an attempt to help comes from the pagan woman, Pilate's wife, to the most painful execution. Rev. after many years of monastic deeds, it was revealed: “Macarius! You have not yet reached the level of two women who live in such and such a city.
In our time, there are significantly more believers among women than among men. This is easy to verify if you come to the service in any temple. If we thought about this side of the female soul, we would understand how alien the female problem is to the church consciousness. After all, faith is the most precious gift from God. And if a woman is more receptive to it, then what kind of inequality can we talk about?

- Well, on the theological level, a woman is by no means inferior to men. But in practice, in church life, so to speak?
- I will answer with an example. In my monastery, one of the obediences is to answer incoming letters. One day, a letter came from a girl who was thrown out of the church because she was dressed somehow inappropriately. And so she writes a letter with pain: a woman in Orthodoxy is humiliated, because they don’t let her go to Athos, she can’t go to the altar, they watch her clothes. I wanted to comfort her somehow. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that these examples of "humiliation" are completely abstract. Holy Mount Athos is the place of the deeds of the monks. The charter adopted there has only one goal - to create the necessary conditions for an ascetic life. Previously, there were women's monasteries where men did not have access. Is it possible to talk about their discrimination on this basis?

What does theology say about women's destiny? In what sense is woman created as a helper to man?
– If we carefully read the text of the book of Genesis, we will see that we are talking that man is not made for loneliness. Man is conceived as a social being. I will quote this place: “And the Lord God said: It is not good for the man to be alone; Let us make him a helper suitable for him. As you can see, it is not about a male assistant, but about a life union. I will end our conversation with the words: “If God appointed a woman to be the mistress of a man, he would create her from the head, if a slave, he would create from the foot; but since he appointed her to be a friend and equal to a man, he created from a rib.

Reference

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)- Graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University, resident of the Sretensky Monastery, teacher of the Sacred History of the Old Testament at the Moscow Sretensky Seminary, host of the "Questions to the Priest" column on the Pravoslavie.Ru website, author of the "Questions to the Priest" series of books.

3.890 Natalya Konstantinovna (tatianaballet@???.com) writes: “Dear brother! Why does Apostle Paul write to the Corinthians to tell women to be silent in church? Why can’t they speak but be in subjection, as the law says "()? And then ask the husband at home" ()? ... "Christ is the head of every husband, and the husband is the head of the wife ..." () Maybe go to church is not needed. Please explain to me the essence of the message of St. Paul () based only on the word of God, and not on human thinking. By my own example, I can say that I would never have known God if I had listened to my husband, if I literally understood these verses of the Bible and followed them. The same thing happened in my daughter's family. And many acquaintances who went just against the views of their husbands came to God. Sincerely, Natalya Konstantinovna"

Vasily Yunak answers:

Greetings, Sister Natalya Konstantinovna! So, you want to know the Biblical interpretation of the text "forbidding" a wife to speak in church. First, I would like to draw your attention to some other words of Ap. Paul, which are related to wives and their “obedience” to their husbands: “For an unbelieving husband is sanctified by a believing wife, and an unbelieving wife is sanctified by a believing husband. husband? Or you, husband, how do you know if you can save your wife?" (). This text is, of course, twofold, referring equally to both the wife and the husband. And it is written in the same message as the verses you quote. But the essence of these texts is that IF the husband is an unbeliever, the wife should have a certain influence on him, and not vice versa! So, in your question regarding obedience to a husband in matters of salvation, this is not what the apostle Paul is talking about. So the first thing we need to understand is this: prohibiting a wife from speaking in church does NOT apply to those who have a non-believing husband! So this is a command to those whose husband is faithful to God! Now let's try to understand from the context what does Paul mean when he forbids his wife to speak in church? We read the verse immediately before this prohibition: “because God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. This happens in all churches with the saints. Let your wives be silent in churches, for they are not allowed to speak, but to be in subjection, as the law says. If they want to learn something, let them ask their husbands about it at home; for it is indecent for a woman to speak in church "(). What do we learn from this? In the Corinthian church there was some "disorder" and there was no peace. And this was connected precisely with the conversations of wives (mind you, not women in general, but wives, who can then ask their husband at home, who was also in church ... and who TEACHED in church, because we are talking about the fact that wives "want to learn"). So, about the husbands of these wives, who are commanded to be silent, we learned that they are not just believers, but also teachers in the church! But what was it that these wives said to their husbands in church that the apostle Paul forbade them to speak at all? To understand this, we read a little earlier in this chapter: "If someone speaks in an unfamiliar language, speak two, or many three, and then separately, and one explain. If there is no interpreter, then be silent in the church, but speak to yourself and God And let two or three prophets speak, and let the rest reason, and if there be revelation to another of those who sit, then the first one be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone can learn and be comforted by everyone "(). It talks about tongues, prophecies, revelations ... but the main thing that is said here is about the "disorder" and disorder that was observed in this church, namely: they did not speak in turn, but all together, interrupting each other. And what do you think, from experience, who could most interrupt the speaker? Based on Paul's instructions, I conclude: the wives of the speakers prevented them from talking "They corrected them, they rebuked them, they objected to them or asked them questions. How do I know this? read the entire passage of this chapter from verse 27 to verse 35 again without stopping, and you will see it. Well, the fact that all wives but they had the right to speak both in church and at home, they had the right to instruct in the faith, teach and preach, there are quite a lot of these examples in the Bible both in the Old and New Testaments. , daughters of Philip, Priscila, Lydia, lady, to whom the Second Epistle of John is addressed ... Therefore, dear Sister, fulfill the words of the Lord through the Apostle Paul: "Only do each one as God has determined for him, and each as the Lord has called. So I command in all churches" (1 Corinthians 7:17). And if the Lord has called you to speak in church and teach your husband, do it with humility and wisdom. But if the Lord has called you to silence in church and family, do it without grumbling May the Lord give you wisdom not to err in your calling.

Blessings! Vasily Yunak

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