So what is being referred to by the "law" in that verse, though?
1 Corinthians 14: 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.
Because right after that comes 1 Corinthians 15: The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And then there is 2 Corinthians 3: But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
Some discussions I'm finding on this are interpreting it as a comparison of the old covenant (law) vs the new covenant (law), which would then seem to imply that it's a clarification of sorts as far as which law is to be followed for Christians. Thoughts on that? I find it confusing, to be honest.
Then there are verses like in Galatians 2: “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Or Galatians 3: O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
Which goes on to say: Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Or hey Ephesians 2: For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
And perhaps especially important, 1 Timothy: But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
So.. I'm even seeing some scholars speculating that the part in 1 Corinthians about women not being permitted to speak or learn in church, may have actually been added later without Paul's permission or knowledge, noting that referencing "the law" was very out of character for Paul, not to mention out of character for most of the NT in general.
But I guess in any case, 1 Timothy really breaks it down in a straightforward manner, as it seems to be saying that if you have a non-believer / someone not yet saved coming into your church, then the old laws should probably apply to them, since there is a risk there. By applying the old laws to them, you can let them come and listen to the Gospel while helping to prevent them influencing (on purpose or by accident) members of the church. I can see how this might be especially important with women, since men tend to be especially tempted by women, so if you have a woman in the church who is under satanic influence, and she is up in there speaking and questioning in a manipulative fashion, while men are distracted by her appearance (uncovered head and whatnot), that could go badly. But if a woman is a Christian and saved, and is under the power of the Holy Spirit (as opposed to satanic influence), then the old law is unnecessary.