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Rightly Dividing
the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established
November 2008 Published weekly on Friday
This is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
1 Corinthians (Lesson 33)
Greetings and
welcome to HBS.
Introduction to 1
Corinthians 11
In this chapter Paul
reproofs the Corinthian’s disrespectful behavior during the worship services
(11:2-16) and while commemorating the Lord’s
Supper (11:17-34).
Verse 1 of chapter
11 should be the ending verse of chapter 10:
“Be imitators of me, just as I
also am of Christ” – this should be the conclusion of Paul’s discussion of
the previous topics. I understand the
Bible translators confusion as to this verse’s placement since it also works as
an introductory verse to the passage we are about to study; for from beginning
to end verses 2-16 speak of Christian
Order in the church.
********
Please
open your Bible at 1 Corinthians 11:1
Christian Order
1 Corinthians 11
Let’s
begin with Paul’s statement: Be imitators of me, just as I also am of
Christ.
When
it comes to Scripture, I’m a stickler for the details. By this I mean to say I pay attention to every
jot and tittle, each and every word; what it says and what it does not
say. Please note what Paul doesn’t say
here. He doesn’t say “Follow me as I follow Jesus;” he said, “Follow
me as I follow Christ.” This may not mean much to the casual
Bible reader, but for the avid student of God’s Word it means a good deal.
Jesus was the God-given
name by which our Lord and Savior was known during His earthly ministry in
which He served His people with His twelve apostles (Luke 1:31). But here’s the thing. Paul had not been saved at that time and definitely
was not counted as one of Jesus’ “followers.”
Christ is Jesus’ title as the
anointed of God. Peter made this declaration during his
Pentecostal address: Let all the house of Israel
therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified (Acts 2:36).
It
was as Lord and Christ, resurrected
from the dead, ascended and glorified in heaven (Psalm 110:1); where God (the Father had) highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him
the name which is above every name,” that
Paul knew Him and followed Him as,
by direct revelation, the Lord
committed to him the glorious mystery (secret)
kept hidden for ages and generations but
now revealed to His saints (Colossians 1:26).
Due
to the extreme paganism and carnality of the Corinthians, Paul could not “dig deeper” into this body of truth for
their spiritual benefit, but he did preach and teach “Jesus Christ crucified,” upon which it was founded (2:1-2, 3:10-11),
which brings us to this statement from Paul:
Now I praise you
because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just
as I delivered them to you (v2). The truths
Paul had preached, as God’s apostle to the Gentiles, some of these Believers
had evidently received with joy and still held firmly to, which is why he offers them praise. There were
exceptions, of course.
Furthermore,
it should be recognized at this point, some of these folks continued to look to
Paul for additional spiritual enlightenment.
1 Corinthians 1:12 speaks more of factions based on personalities rather
than doctrinal teachings. We know
Apollos watered what Paul had
planted (3:6), and Peter confirmed Paul’s letters to the churches as “the present truth” or Logos the divine word of God (2 Peter 1:12;
3:15-18; Acts 15:9-11; Galatians 2:2-9).
Thus, the divisive statements “I
am of Paul,” “I am of Apollos,”
“I am of Cephas,” and “I am of Christ” indicate personal preferences
based on personality or rank rather than divisions based on church
doctrine.
Please
note Paul follows his word of praise in
verse 2 with the word “b-u-t,” for there were questions as to authority in this
church on which they still needed instructions and guidance.
But (behold
the underlying truth) I
want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the
head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ (v3).
With
this statement, Paul sets the foundation for his teaching in the rest of this
chapter. Simply put, Paul makes it clear
that God has established principles of order, authority, and accountability
within His church.
Head is an important
word in this chapter. Some people
consider head to mean nothing more
than source, as in the head of a river is its source. Though this word can certainly mean this,
Paul is not simply saying, “Man came from Jesus, woman came from man, and Jesus
came from God.” Although this is true,
it goes much deeper than that. From
God’s standpoint a source has innate authority.
Thus, if something comes from me, for example, then I have some innate
authority over it; Parental authority is
one example of this principle.
Biblically
speaking, in its fullest sense, head has
the idea of headship and authority. It means to have the appropriate
responsibility to lead, and the matching accountability. Scripture teaches it is not only right it’s appropriate
to submit to someone who is our head (Romans
13:1; Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Peter 2:13-15).
With
this understanding now in place, we see Paul describing three headship
relationships: Jesus is head of every man; man is the head of woman, and God (the Father) is head of
Christ. Because Paul connects these
three relationships, the principles of headship are the same among them.
The
idea of headship and authority (subject’s mankind has
struggled with since their expulsion from Eden) is important to God the
Father. In His great plan for the ages
(dispensations) one of the characteristics He looks for in both men and women is
voluntary submission, i.e. humility instead
of pride, a.k.a. arrogance. During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ
assumed the role of the humble servant, providing a living demonstration of
what it means to serve all. God the
Father looks for this same trait in us (Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 66:2; Luke 22:42; Ephesians
4:2; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:5-6).
It
is essential to understand a couple of things before we proceed: the terms “man” and “woman” can mean
husband and wife, however, in the context of this letter this is not what Paul
means to say. Paul’s talking about the
order of creation (Genesis 2). The other
thing is this, being under one’s God-ordained authority does not equal
inferiority. Jesus was wholly under the
authority of God the Father during His earthly ministry (John 5:19, 8:28), yet
He is equally God. This means just because
we know Him as the Son of God in Scripture doesn’t mean He is lower in rank,
subordinate to the Father, or sits at the “kiddy table” at family events (John 1:1,
8:58, 10:30). When God calls believing women
in the church to recognize the headship of men, it’s not because women are
inferior to men, but because there is a God-ordained order of authority to be respected.
Paul
begins to deal with this issue by discussing a custom which prevailed among them at that time. It was a good custom, but nothing more than that; it certainly was not part of
the Mosaic Law or any command from Scripture.
That is was only a custom and
nothing more is confirmed by verse 16. The
idea of a head covering was important
in this (and many other) ancient cultures.
To
wear the head covering (or veil) in
some Bible translations, sent a clear and definite message; it was a public
symbol of being under the authority and protection of another in the Greek and
Roman cultures. The only women seen
outside without a veil in those days were women of weak or worldly character, i.e. prostitutes, etc.
So,
should a man be observed praying or
prophesying, having his head covered was saying by his actions, “I am not in authority. I am under the authority of others.” This was unacceptable, since God has
established the head of a woman is man (11:3)
it actually dishonors Christ, his head, for a man to communicate to bystanders
that he under no authority by having his
head covered.
For
a woman who prays or prophesies with her
head uncovered says by her actions “I
am not under authority” and since God the Father has established the head of a woman is man (11:3) it
dishonors the man, her (God
appointed) head, for a woman to communicate
this to those in attendance by refusing to wear a head covering.
Paul
addressed this matter by saying: Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying (sharing
or preaching the gospel publicly) disgraces
his head (Christ). But every woman who has her head uncovered
while praying or prophesying disgraces her head (her husband), for she is one and the same as the woman
whose head is shaved (v4-5).
Since
our Apostle Paul is discussing Christian
Order in the church, he does not say the man should wear a covering in prayer as an acknowledgement of his
subjection to Christ the Lord, but that he should forego wearing a covering since
he represents Christ, who is the head of the body, in his headship
over the woman (See Ephesians 5:22-24). Moreover,
in verse 7 he adds: For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and
glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
Paul
wants the Corinthians (and us) to know with the woman it is different. Long,
beautiful hair is given to the woman as
a natural covering, and it is in their nature to fuss over her hair. Notice
how she combs and brushes it daily. She
may add a shiny doo-dad or a pretty ribbon to it to make it look more
attractive, and this is why Paul said, “…the
woman is the glory of man.” How proud
is the man of a modest wife, who keeps herself looking attractive and her hair
is certainly part and parcel of looking attractive as is “the ornament of a meek and quiet
spirit which, in the sight of God, is of great price” (1 Peter
2:3-4). However, a brazen woman, who can
be attracted to her except for worldly
reasons?
Therefore
the additional covering Paul dealt with in this passage is the woman’s voluntary acknowledgement of
her husband as her head, and collectively, of the man as head over the woman, and of Christ as Head over the church.
If
the woman objects to wearing this
covering, Paul said: “Let her be cut off.” Paul isn’t speaking figuratively here, he’s
speaking sensibly, for without the proper covering in church she may as well of
walked into the church with her hair cut
off (v5). Paul goes on to say: For if
a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it
is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved,
let her cover her head (v6).
If
a woman refuses to demonstrate being
under authority, she may as well be shaved. In some ancient cultures, the shaving of a
woman’s head was the punishment given to an adulteress. But having a woman’s head shorn or shaved
meant different things in different cultures.
In Jewish law, it was the mark of adultery (Numbers 5:11-31). In the Greek culture, it could be the mark of
a prostitute or a lesbian. During WW II,
French women who were caught collaborating with German soldiers had their hair shorn
and they were made to walk through the streets of France in that condition – a
most degrading humiliation. So much do
women think of their hair, as we know, virtually no women walk around completely
bald. A man walking down the street sans
hair is not a rare sight at all, but to catch sight of a woman without hair
walking around in public is as rare as spotting a unicorn waiting on a bus at
the corner; this is a lesson from nature.
Getting
back to the Corinthian women, more than a few of them thought of themselves as
being deeply “spiritual” and since Jesus, they did not feel the need to
demonstrate by wearing a head covering
that they were under anyone’s authority.
Paul is saying, “If you’re going
to give up your head covering, why not go all the way and shave your head. Identify
yourself with the women of the world,
in all their shame.”
In
the next few verses Paul tells us why it is important to respect the principle
of headship in the church.
7: For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the
image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
8: For man does not
originate from woman, but woman from man;
9: for indeed man
was not created for the woman’s sake, but
the woman for the man’s sake.
10: Therefore the
woman ought to have a symbol of authority
on her head, because of the angels.
The
first reason Paul stated in 11:3: the man is the head of a woman; God has
established an order of authority which is the principle of male headship, both
in His Church (1 Corinthians 11; 1 Timothy 2) and in the home (Ephesians 5:23).
He is the image and
glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but
woman from man. The second reason
is found in the order of creation: God
created the man first and gave him dominion over the entire earth. Thus when the woman was created from man and
she was brought to the man she became
his responsibility (Genesis 2).
Since male headship existed before the fall,
this passage makes it clear before and after the fall God has ordained there be
differences in the roles between genders, even in the church. The fall did not cause the difference to come
about or alter the gender roles (in the church or in the home), and the
difference in roles is not erased by our new life in Christ Jesus.
God
has created the woman so that by her innate nature she wants to please and help
her man. Simply put, the woman was created to be a helper to the man: Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will
make him a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2:18). This
verse tosses a “wet rag” on the idea of Women’s Lib, but the concept isn’t
biblical from the get-go.
The
King James Bible translators used the term “help meet.” In the Hebrew
language this translates to the word “Ezer” (pronounced: ay’-zer), Noun Masculine; Strong’s Hebrew #5828,
from the root word Azar – meaning: to
surround: i.e. to protect or aid; help,
succor. What this breaks down to is
this: it’s in the woman’s nature to assist or help the man (Genesis
2:28) and how many times over the years have we seen this done? How often have we heard the phrase, “The
woman behind the man?” And it’s for real
because women are acting on the basis, “He
needs me” or “I may be able to help him
with this…?” Consequently, many a
man owes his success to the woman behind the scene. I’m referring to such women as: Mrs. June Carter Cash, Mrs. Billy Graham, Mrs.
C.S. Lewis, Mrs. Albert Einstein, Mrs. Douglas MacArthur, Mrs. Nancy Reagan, Mrs.
Oskar Schindler, and Mrs. June Heitzman to list only a few who have fulfilled
God’s purpose in their marriage.
How
many men are the husbands they ought to be simply because their wives are the
women God created them to be? How many believing
men had their temper curtailed, their smoking and drinking eradicated, their
cursing held in check or eliminated, and their short-sightedness overcome because
of their wife’s sense of duty to God and to their husband, i.e. knowing their
husband “needs me to be the woman God has
called me to be?” Thank God for loving,
godly women!
I’d
like to add before we move on to the next verse that nowhere in Paul’s writings
does he command women to submit to all men in society, only in the home and in
the church. God has not given men
control over every woman – that’s absurd.
Instead, Paul is teaching the church, which includes men and women, the
women come under the authority of men who lead God’s church on earth,
therefore, they must respect their authority, as long as they are respecting
God’s Word (the two go hand-in-hand; you have to hold them accountable) and not
necessarily because of their gender, but because of the office they hold.
The
failure of men to lead in the home and in the church, and I’m referring to the
way the Lord Jesus Christ led; for He came to show us how to walk in this
ungodly world, has been the chief
cause of the rejection of male authority in these latter days and it’s not only
contrary to Scripture it’s unacceptable.
I
could spend more time talking about how Hollywood, Television, and the media in
general deliberately dumb-down the American male, presenting fathers and men in
the home and in the work place as useless buffoons, and thereby undermining their
God-given authority. Clark Griswold and Homer
Simpson come immediately to mind. Just
be aware this isn’t accidental it is by design just as is the dumbing down of
the American Educational System and the ongoing attack on same-sex marriage and
the family in general - check it out.
Let’s
go to verse 10:
Therefore the woman
ought to have a symbol of authority (some translations
use the word power instead of
authority) on her head, because of the
angels (v10). I have no idea what Paul meant to say
here, so I read a commentary by Albert Barnes, a man I respect, and he had this
to say: “There’s scarcely a passage in the Scriptures which has more exercised
the ingenuity of commentators than this verse… There can perhaps, be no doubt
the word “power” has reference to a veil, or to a covering for her head; but
why it is called power I confess I do not understand; and most of the comments
on the word are, in my view, egregious trifling.” And as to the phrase, “because of angels,” he said: “I do
not know what it means; and I regard it as one of the very few passages in the
Bible whose meaning as yet is wholly inexplicable.”
I’d
rather have someone offer me honesty such as this then an opinion not based on
fact. I’ve often said over the years, “The Bible may not tell us everything we want
to know, but the Bible does tell us everything we need to know.”
I’m not able to explain this verse for you, so instead of offering my
“opinion,” which I can’t support with Scripture, we’re going to leave it right
where we found it and move on to verses 11-12 (Deuteronomy 29:29). We can all ask Paul what he meant say when we
see him…
11-12: However, in
the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of
woman. For as the woman originates from
the man, so also the man has his birth
through the woman; and all things originate from God.
In
these two verses Paul balances his previous statements with a strong statement concerning
the equality of women in the church and in marriage. As Paul indicated earlier in verse 3 there is
no inferiority between genders. In our
society today most people are aware that gender bias exists. Phrases such as “The Glass Ceiling,” in the
corporate world, and the fact that
women’s salaries do not equal men’s salaries even though they hold similar if
not the same position or title are unfortunately the norm in a business world controlled by men who do not know
God or His ways. Nevertheless, in Christ
Jesus, the original intent has not been disrupted. Our Apostle Paul has declared that man and
woman cannot exist without each other: For as the woman originates from the man,
so also the man has his birth through
the woman. They are equal, yet
distinct sexes; they are to function in a divinely given order because all things originate from God. Therefore, the man who operates his
church or manages his home without love and
without recognizing the important and vital place God has given women is not
doing God’s will on earth.
Now
Paul returns to the matter of hair or wearing
a veil. This is the second time Paul
argues this point but now he comes at it from a different angle; he approaches
it from nature.
Judge for
yourselves: is it proper for a woman to
pray to God with her head
uncovered? Paul directs this
comment to the Believers who were of the Jewish environment. In the Jewish community, even men covered
their heads while praying. It was
therefore inconceivable for a woman to
pray to God with her head uncovered. Their own experience had taught them that
women should observe the custom of the head covering when the church
meets.
Does not even nature
itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a
woman has long hair, it is a glory to her?
For her hair is given to her for a covering (v13-15).
Paul’s
saying nature itself indicates a man
with long hair dishonors himself,
while a woman with long hair is
honored by it. In both the Jewish and
Greek cultures, short hair was the norm.
Therefore it was a dishonor for
a man to wear long hair, because most people considered it feminine.
As
I said, earlier, because Paul pointed it out for us, women are different. For
her hair is given to her for a covering – it is a glory to her; (an ornament and adorning). Because
women wear their hair longer than men do, Paul is saying their hair is
“nature’s veil.” If nature has given women
long hair as a covering, that in
itself points to the woman’s need to be covered
(according the ancient Corinthian custom).
But if one is
inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of
God
(v16).
In
this appeal to apostolic authority, Paul tells the Corinthians Believers to not be contentious,
especially because the other churches of
God have adopted their (the apostle’s) custom
according to God’s truth.
I
close this lesson with these final thoughts.
Paul’s teachings re: women in the church and their hair not covered, and
men praying or prophesying with
their head covered, while praying or talking to someone about the gospel are as
far removed from us in the church today as eating meat sacrificed to idols
would be. This information is here for our instruction. These were customs practiced in Paul’s day and customs and traditions often change. As I pointed out earlier, my mother complied
with the mandate of wearing a hat and
veil to our church when it was the custom
back in the 1960s and 70s, but when that practice was lifted, she stopped doing
it.
Customs
come and customs go, but the Word of God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).
Our
Apostle Paul made it quite clear God has established principles of order,
authority, and accountability both in His Church and in the home. Male headship existed before the fall and is based
on the order of creation: But I want you to understand that Christ is
the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head
of Christ. In other words, man’s
fall from grace did not cause the difference in the gender roles to come about,
and it did not alter man or woman’s roles in the church and in the home.
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
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