1 Corinthians 14:36

Contextual Overview

³⁶ God's teaching did not come from you, and you are not the only ones who have received it. ³⁶ What! Did the word of God originate with you, or are you the only ones it has reached? ³⁶ Sproge ye worde of god fro you? Ether came it vnto you only? ³⁶ What? Was it from you that the word of God went forth? Or did it come to you alone? ³⁶ Did God's word originate with you? Are you the only people it has reached? ³⁶ Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?³⁶ Did God's teaching come from you? Or are you the only ones to whom it has come? ³⁶ What? was it from you that the word of God went forth? or did it come to you alone? ³⁶ What? came the word of God out from you? or came it to you only? ³⁶ Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

came: Isaiah 2:3, Micah 4:1, Micah 4:2, Zechariah 14:8, Acts 13:1-3, Acts 15:35, Acts 15:36, Acts 16:9, Acts 16:10, Acts 17:1, Acts 17:10, Acts 17:11, Acts 17:15, Acts 18:1-17, 2 Corinthians 10:13-16, 1 Thessalonians 1:8

or: 1 Corinthians 4:7

Reciprocal: Acts 8:31 - How 1 Corinthians 7:40 - I think 2 Corinthians 12:20 - debates

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What? came the word of God out from you?.... That you must give laws to other churches, and introduce new customs and practices never known or used before? No; the word of the Lord came out of Zion, and the law or doctrine of the Lord, the word of the Gospel, the doctrine of the grace of God, came out of Jerusalem. The apostles that first preached it were Jews, and they preached it first in their own land, and planted churches there, before it came to the Gentiles; and therefore the apostle suggests it would be right to consider what was the practice of the churches in Judea, the first Gospel churches, concerning women's speaking in the church, and to conform thereunto; when they would be able to observe, that these first churches from whence the word of God came to them, disallowed of any such practice, but in this point agreed with the old synagogue:

or came it unto you only? no, it came to many other nations, and people, and towns, and cities besides them; and many churches were formed among the Gentiles, who had no such custom, did not permit their women to speak in the church; and therefore why should they be singular and different from all others? other churches had the word of God, had gifts, and prophesying as well as they, and yet had introduced no such custom; and therefore it became them to pay a deference to the judgment and practice of others, especially since these were under, and acted according to the direction of the apostle, which they ought to have been subject to.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What! came the word of God out from you? - The meaning of this is, “Is the church at Corinth the “mother church?” Was it first established; or has it been alone in sending forth the Word of God? You have adopted customs which are unusual. You have permitted women to speak in a manner unknown to other churches; see 1 Corinthians 11:16. You have admitted irregularity and confusion unknown in all the others. You have allowed many to speak at the same time, and have tolerated confusion and disorder. Have you any “right” thus to differ from others? Have you any authority, as it were, to dictate to them, to teach them, contrary to their uniform custom, to allow these disorders? Should you not rather be conformed to them, and observe the rules of the churches which are older than yours?” The “argument” here is, that the church at Corinth was “not” the first that was established; that it was one of the “last” that had been founded; and that it could, therefore, claim no right to differ from others, or to prescribe to them. The same argument is employed in 1 Corinthians 11:16; see Note.

Or came it unto you only? - As you are not the first of those who believed, neither are you the only ones. God has sent the same gospel to others, and it is traveling over the world. Others, therefore, have the same right as you to originate customs and special habits; and as this would be attended with confusion and disorder, you should all follow the same rule, and the customs which do not prevail in other churches should not be allowed in yours.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 36. Came the word of God out from you? — Was it from you that other Churches received the Gospel? Are you the mother Church? that you should have rules, and orders, and customs, different from all others; and set yourselves up for a model to be copied by all the Churches of Christ?

Or came it unto you only? — Are you the only Church of God? Are there not many others founded before you that have no such customs, and permit no such disorders?