Paul and Chloe

Chloe, a woman mentioned in I Corinthians, was not the Silent Woman favored by conservative pastors.

I & II Corinthians are a pair of New Testament books of great theological importance. They are placed in the NT just after Romans, partly because of their length. I & II Corinthians are frequently quoted, extensively studied by theologians and in Bible study. First Corinthians alone contains Paul's thoughts on Christian marriage (Chapter 7), on raising money (Chapter 16), a description of the Lord's Supper (Chapter 11), the only example in the NT of a person being excommunicated or disfellowshipped (Chapter 5), an amazing section on spiritual gifts (Chapter 12) and the fabulous section on love (Chapter 13).

How did these letters come to be written? A woman named Chloe wrote to Paul about problems in the church at Corinth. Chloe was assisted by others in her family, and perhaps friends, but she composed the letter to Paul. We can surmise that Chloe was of at least middle age, and most likely had sons and daughters, and probably daughters-in-law and sons-in-law.

11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
--I Corinthians 1:11 NIV

11 For it has been reported to me by Chlo′e’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren.
--I Corinthians 1:11 RSV

11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
--I Corinthians 1:11 KJV

Scholars say that Paul wrote four letters to the Corinthians, which have been consolidated into the two that we have. Paul went to Corinth at least twice and perhaps three times. Timothy and Titus were sent to Corinth, at different times, to deal with the situation there.

If Chloe had been inclined to leave matters of Christian teaching and church discipline to the pastor, if there was one, or the Bishop, if there was one, or to male elders, she would not have written to Paul with her concerns. Paul did not reject her letter because she was a woman or for any other reason, he regarded Chloe and her family and friends as credible witnesses. If Chloe had confined herself to cooking, sewing, cleaning house and raising children, she would not have written to Paul and we would not have the Corinthian letters today.

It looks like Chloe's letter to Paul set in motion a whole series of events. Paul wound up writing four letters to the Corinthians, making a second personal visit, and possibly a third, and sending Timothy and Titus at different times. If Chloe had not written to Paul, today's Christians would not have the letters of I & II Corinthians in our Bible. We are better off today because Chloe was not the Silent Woman.

34 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
--I Corinthians 14:34-35 NIV


Ironically, I Corinthians contains one of passages most frequently cited as a reason for women not being pastors, or holding any titles in the church. Yet when you read this passage carefully, Paul isn't so much talking about women but about wives, specifically wives who only come to church because their husbands come. Note "they should ask their own husbands at home".

When I was seventeen, I asked my pastor about this passage, women keeping silent in the church. He said that Paul is talking about gossip, or about gossip and interruptions. Most people were poorly educated at that time and the education of women was even more lacking than the education of men. While men discussed religious matters at church, the women sat in the back and often gossiped. The first point Paul is making is that women's gossip must not interrupt the church service. The second is that there must be no frivolous interruptions. If a woman hears her husband speaking, she must not say, "What was that ... ?"

The pastor who told me this was proficient in Greek, a doctor of theology and a part-time professor at Stetson University, a Baptist college.

There may be marriages where the wife is better informed about Christianity than the husband, or more committed to it, but that isn't what Paul is talking about here. There are marriages where husband and wife are both knowledgeable about Christianity, which is the ideal. There are also marriages where the husband knows more about Christianity, and is more committed to it, and that is the situation Paul is talking about here.

In Corinthians 14, Paul isn't discussing whether an educated woman can be a pastor, he is trying to keep church services on track.

Some years ago I picked up a copy of The Lady Was a Bishop by Joan Morris. I believe that Joan Morris is a Catholic nun. Most of the book is concerned with part of Roman Catholic history that is unknown to most Protestants and probably to many Catholics. Nevertheless, she starts off with an intriguing point from Scripture.

Morris claims that the Second Epistle of John is addressed to a female Bishop, a woman who is pastor of at least one church. Some have countered this claim by saying that the woman in the opening salutation is a symbolic figure. Just as sailors refer to their ship as "she" so the church could be symbolized as a woman.

In the famous commentary of John Gill, he rejects the notion that the Epistle is addressed to a symbolic figure. Instead, in Gill's commentary on 2 John 1:1, he says: "... the elect lady is the person he writes unto; by whom is designed not the church of Christ, since such a way of speaking is unusual; and besides, he speaks of coming to see her face to face ..." Gill sees the lady as affluent and educated and also sees her as receiving "the Gospel coming with power."

Likewise, the commentary of Matthew Henry also holds that the Epistle is addressed to an actual woman and not a symbolic one. He sees the Epistle as addressed to an "honourable matron and her children." Henry sees her as "A lady, a person of eminent quality for birth, education, and estate" and as "The elect lady; not only a choice one, but one chosen of God." Henry sees the Elect Lady as a housekeeper and a source of hospitality rather than a pastor or one who gives spiritual encouragement."Possibly this lady was like Gaius, of whom we read in the next epistle, a generous housekeeper, and hospitable entertainer of traveling ministers and Christians."

Where Gill and Henry differ from Joan Morris is that they do not Second John as being sent to a church. They see it as being sent to a woman and a family. Henry sees the Elect Lady as being a widow, which would explain why a woman is the head of the family. Further: "Families may well be written to and encouraged, and further directed in their domestic love, and order, and duties."

Gill sees the children mentioned in the Epistle as natural children: "... this epistle is inscribed not only to this lady, but also to 'her children'; who were not infants, but grown up ... " Henry says: "Happy parent, who was blessed with such a numerous religious offspring!"

As we saw in the last post, II John is addressed to the Elect Lady and her children. Her sister, another Elect Lady, and her children are also mentioned. Historical Protestant commentators like John Gill and Matthew Henry agree that the Epistle is addressed to a lady, but see the children as natural, biological children. Is this true, is it the only possibility?

In the Epistles of John, Christians, or church members, are repeatedly referred to as children. For instance, in Third John we find:

No greater joy can I have than this, to hear that my children follow the truth.
3 John 1:4 RSV

The people that John is talking about here are not John's natural children but spiritual children. They are either people converted to Christianity by his efforts or those under this authority in the church.

In First John, he often uses the phrase "little children" to refer to the Christians he is writing to.

My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ...
1 John 2:1 RSV

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his sake.
1 John 2:12 RSV

... I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
1 John 2:13 RSV

Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.
1 John 2:18 RSV

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
1 John 2:28 RSV

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous.
1 John 3:7 RSV

Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:18 RSV

Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 RSV

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
1 John 5:21 RSV

This is the last verse of First John, so it closes with a "little children" verse. There are nine verses in First John where John refers to Christians as "children" or "little children." Since this is so, it can hardly be certain that the children of the Elect Lady in Second John are natural children. It seems very likely that they are spiritual children. It is very likely that the Elect Lady is responsible for the spiritual growth and nourishment of a number of Christians.

Harper's Bible Dictionary concludes that there is no way to tell whether II John is addressed to a family or a church and simply concludes that the lines may have been blurred at times in the early church.

"II John is addressed to the 'elect lady and her children.' It is not known whether this means a Christian matron and her family or a church; the early churches often gathered in houses, and strong family associations became part of the consciousness of the Christian community."

This is found under John, Epistles of.

In other words, Joan Morris' notion that it was written to a woman who was a pastor or a Bishop is plausible.

Source:
Madeleine S. & J. Lane Miller, Harper's Bible Dictionary (NY: Harper & Row,1973)