God's People Must Be United and Growing in Holiness
1 Corinthians 11:2-16[1]
As preached at Rolling Hills Church on Sunday, May 27th, 2012
The military has what it calls a 'chain of command'; it's rather simple. It begins at the bottom and goes to the top, considering both rank and position/office held. Responsibility begins at the top and goes to the bottom. A good officer will, when an action of his unit reflects positively on him, give him men and women the credit. That good officer will also take all the responsibility when things do not reflect positively on his unit.
While the world does not operate on a 'chain of command', there is authority and order throughout the universe; there has been from the beginning and there will be until the end. We will see why in the text in a moment. When any society is functioning in a healthy manner, there will be clear authority and honor in that society.
Scriptures
2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.
3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head,
5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.
6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.
7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.
8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man.
9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman;
12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,
15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
Outline/Message: Let us dress and live in such a way as to honor authority in marriage and in the church. We are in Christ, and part of the body of Christ.
Verse 3: Concerning Headship and Order. If you are strongly feminist in an American sense and find this text offensive – whether you are male or female – please humble yourself to remember that Christ, being equal with the Father, humbled Himself and subjected Himself willingly to the Father – even by going to His own death on the cross. We see it plainly laid out here – God is over Christ; Christ is over man; man is over woman. He addresses this because the authority and honor of husbands was apparently being disdained by the dress of wives in the church. This is about marriage, and how it is lived out in the church. It is no more proper for a wife to dishonor her husband than for a man to dishonor his Lord, Jesus Christ. Let's read the establishment of this order again to refresh ourselves, shall we?
Gen 2:7-8 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Gen 2:18-23 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
This is the creative order; God made man for Himself, and made woman for man, to complement him. This holds true today in any culture, in the home and in the church. God made man to lead in the home. He made woman for man. Man also has leadership in the church. Those who hold to this view are called "Complementarian". Those who believe that the New Testament calls for an end to such roles – despite all the Scriptural evidence to the contrary – are called "Egalitarian". Let me show you two verses that is based on…
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
1 Pet 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
We celebrate the equality of men and women. Grace is free as God chose both to be saved. And while these verses obviously speak to the equality of men and women in salvation, they don't negate the roles God established from the beginning. They weren't written to offset or negate the texts throughout the Bible that lay out God's order in the home and in the church. Men lead and men are responsible for their homes. Nowhere it is clearer than 1 Corinthians 11:3.
We must remember this: authority in the Bible is founded on love, not tyranny. It is a holy, willful subordination that neither risks nor degrades personhood, worth, skills, or capabilities. Are some more spiritual than some of those they willingly submit themselves to? Yes; and if they're spiritual, they will be submitted from the heart. Some wives know more Scripture than their husbands; some are better educated than their small group leaders or pastors. But don't we see children go off and become better educated than their parents? Does that mean they are now the authority? By no means! Order in the home and church isn't based on degrees, skills, talents, or will power; it is based on God's Word.
It was obviously 'disgraceful' for women to have a shaved head in Corinth in 60 AD. Some say it was associated with gender rebellion (feminism), prostitution or adultery[2]. Paul's point with hair is that a woman would no more pray/prophesy with her head uncovered than you would shave her head. It would dishonor her husband and disdain the marriage vows made to him. That's the principle Paul is teaching; headship and order. Fleshed out…
V 4-5 Prayer and Prophesying. Men are to pray and prophesy with their heads uncovered; women with their heads covered. Men in Greek/Roman cults often covered their heads when bowing to their false god; Paul wanted no such association with Christians at all.
Can women pray and prophesy in the church It sounds like it here; but not according to 1 Corinthians 14:34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.
While this could be confusing, I don't believe it has to be. It does make us read, think, and pray; that's not bad! I believe we find consistency when we take 14:34 to mean in the formal worship service only: otherwise they have freedom with respect to authority. In a very basic sense, prayer is talking to God about man, and prophecy is talking to man about God[3]. Women are free to do this in the home, marketplace, and church gatherings other than the formal worship setting. It puts no limits on women teaching other women and children as well. It simply limits women teaching and exercising authority over men in the church – a role for pastor/elders, according to 1 Tim 3:2, "able to teach". and in the home. It is an issue of creative order.
V 6-10 Creation, Glory, and Angels. The foundation for this isn't in Paul's male chauvinist opinion; it is in God's creative order. Man was made for God and His glory, woman was made for man and for his glory (in a reflective, honoring sense). Paul's reminder is specifically meant to humble proud, rebellious people who disdained God's order of things.
Angels were at creation. Angels are at our worship services. Angels understand authority and submission to God and to His way of things. They are watching, and should see us, when worshipping Almighty God through Jesus Christ, see us doing so properly.
V 11-12 Mutual dependence, respect, and wedding rings. "Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God." Despite the roles, mutual dependence and respect are to be lived out in the home and church. HERE is the place for Galatians 3 and 1 Peter 3.
V 13-16 Summary and Reminder: Part of the Body of Christ.
Judge for yourselves, Paul writes. This is natural, right, and "Proper." He wanted propriety in the church. That's a good word, propriety! It comes from "proper". It is that which is decent, appropriate, respectable, correct, and orderly.
Part of the Body of Christ:
1 Cor 1:2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those csanctified in Christ Jesus, dcalled to be saints together with all those who in every place ecall upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
4:17 That is why oI sent1 you Timothy, pmy beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,2 qas I teach them everywhere in every church.
7:17 Only let each person lead the life1 lthat the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. mThis is my rule in nall the churches.
14:33 For God is not a God of xconfusion but of peace. As in yall the churches of the saints,
Church family, Let us dress and live in such a way as to honor authority in marriage and in the church.
[1] All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved. I paste them in red for distinction.
[2] On page 257 in John A. MacArthur's New Testament Commentary, 1 Corinthians. Copyright © 1984 by the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. All rights reserved.
[3] ibid.
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