Note 24 at 1 Cor. 14:36: It is possible that this passage may be saying the very opposite of what it seems to be saying. For example, Paul has already stated in 1 Corinthians 11:5 that women pray and prophesy in the church. So he is not forbidding women from speaking in the church altogether. Some think that Paul is addressing a particular problem of someone being disruptive by noisy discussions in the church. This may possibly be true. But by looking at the context you can see that Paul is asking a question (v. 36). This question could be paraphrased something like this, "Women are not to speak in the church. What? Hey guys, do you think that the Word of God originates only with you? Does it come forth only from you?"