WELCOME
PRAYER
SONG
SILENCE
1st Corinthians 11.1-6
August 5th 2018
MILK
Because CAMPUS is a body of believers one of our group asked if we could begin with communion today.
Jesus told his disciples to “do this” whenever they got together “until He comes,” and since He (and they) clearly taught that He was coming back to them soon, we have not believed communion, one of the sacraments of many congregations is still mandated.
That being said it is a wonderful material memorial in the faith and the celebration of it is always a blessing.
So we have the elements of communion here before you. To step forward and take it is a personal choice as it evidences a faith – some faith, any faith and trust in Him and His sacrifice.
While the music plays feel free to come up and take the elements and consume them as lead. We will listen to the music and then sit in silence before coming back for our verse by verse study.
Let’s pray first:
COMMMUNION
MUSIC
SILENCE
So, we ended with Paul saying
32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
This leads us into chapter 11 which begins with some really interesting teachings about . . . women, men and . . . hair!????
Of course, the real question behind all we talk about today is not so much about the directives on head coverings or hair but is to ask – “are Christians today take every word of the New Testament and apply them to their walk today? If so, why aren’t we doing it and if NOT, who gets to say what stays and what goes?”
So, to begin let’s read out text. Ready? Paul says:
1st Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now, I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
So much great stuff to consider. So back to verse 1 where Paul says:
1st Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
I am of the opinion that this first verse ought to be attached to the last chapter. Remember we read:
32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
And then verse one where Paul adds:
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,” which I submit rounds his idea out in the last chapter.
By saying this, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,” Paul sets the stage for a conversation about hierarchy of that day and age. Again, is it still in place? We’ll get to that.
Now, chapter eleven is divided into two parts:
The first part is a discussion about weather it was proper for a woman to either praying or prophesy with her head uncovered, along with some other insights (which are covered in verses 2-16) and the second part addresses the Lord’s Supper (again, in verses 17-34).
With regard to this first subject, it seems probable that some of the women, perhaps on pretense of being inspired, had prayed or prophesied in the Corinthian church, and they may have even cast off their veils the way the heathen priestesses would. This is conjecture on my part but typically Paul’s letters speak to a situation that needs addressing.
It could – and I reiterate – could have been a power play in this early church where some of the believing women were attempting to embrace the liberated mannerisms of the Temple of Diana priestesses and even trying to usurp the leadership of the men. We don’t know.
Whatever it was something was going on that was traditionally seen as improper relative to custom (especially in accordance to the rules of propriety established in the Nation of Israel) and since Paul was there to keep the bride church together he was going to address it.
As a means to explain why such behavior would have been improper Paul teaches that the authority belongs to man over the woman, even as Jesus has pre-eminence over the man and God has preeminence over Jesus. We’ll address these verses in a minute.
But at this point Paul writes, “Be ye followers of me.” Meaning . . .
“Imitate my example (IN THAT – looking back to last weeks verses) “Look to me in that as I choose to deny myself as a means to not offend anyone weak in the faith, do the same.”
Here Paul establishes an order of authority – be ye followers of me as I am a follower of Christ. He says this, in my estimation, so as to remind them of a natural hierarchy in the church-bride.
I want to point out that while this hierarchy was certainly in place for that day and age and while it served its purpose it ended with the end of that age and is no longer viable.
How can I assume such a thing? For starters, we no longer have Paul or anyone like him on earth. Why?
Because Paul, and the order he was demanding of the believers then, was for them and their day to bring the church forth through great tribulation. The import of his role is emphasized in the next verse where he adds
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
This line can be easily passed over or missapplied today but really listen to what Paul compliments them on:
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you?
Now ask yourselves, “Are we supposed to remember PAUL in all things today? And keep the ORDINANCES he delivered to them (which include this one about covering womens heads)
If you think so you are probably studying with the wrong group. The passage shows HOW vitally important Paul was to the church-bride in that day and age.
Certainly, someone could say that we ought to remember Paul’s WORDS in all things, but the point is Paul was a special witness, called “last of all” (his words) to actually physically lead the church-bride in that day, and what he says here OBVIOUSLY has no application to us in these specifica ways.
Why more Christians do not see this is really beyond me.
So, Paul makes a great use of the old “stroke and stab” method of reaching and teaching people.
First, he praises them because they remembered him in all things: then he adds another important line:
(and you have remembered to “keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you.”
Now, we have a word here that is in some ways anathematic to the Christian faith today – ordinances.
Why would I say this? Ordinances – especially in this state, often mean rites and rituals necessary for salvation or exaltation or to be acceptable to God.
In the Christian faith ordinances typically refer to water baptism, communion, and for some denominations, foot washing and even head-covering (which is what we are talking about here).
There obviously were some type or types of ordinances in the church-bride age overseen by Paul. Some believe that head-covering was one of the ordinances to which Paul is referring.
The word translated ordinances here is “paradosis” which best means,
“a precept; especially, the Jewish traditionary law: ordinance, tradition.”
In this latter definition Christians ought to have issue with what is said here because of passages like Colossians 2:13-14 where Paul also wrote:
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
What is really interesting about THIS reference to the word in Colossians is the Greek word translated to “ordinances,” is NOT paradosis (as it is in 1st Corinthians) but is instead “dogma” – as in demanded Laws and positions.
Because of this we know that what Paul is talking about receiving ordinances from him that were different than what was nailed to Jesus’ cross.
I suggest that here in 1st Corinthians Paul is speaking of cultural norms and what was nailed to Jesus Cross was the Law of Moses and the ordinances therein.
So what ordinances did Paul commend them for accepting? Seems like communion was certainly one (we have talked so much about it in this letter) and it could have been related to head-covering during worship or prayer – but we don’t really know.
Again, the IMPORTANT question to us is really, “do these apostolic ordinances given to the church at Corinth have application to believers today?
I think we can reasonable respond with no. For all sorts of factors including that we are
in a different age,
there are no more apostolic (first hand witness of the resurrected Lord) leadership needed or in place, and
what was applicable then has no bearing on the body kingdom of the Spirit today.
As verse two says, Paul the Apostle had delivered these practices to them and he was pleased that they introduced them to their practice of the faith then.
And at this point Paul enters into a specific discussion about women in general and the way things were to go in that day and age.
Let’s see what he told “them then.”
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
Okay, let’s get into this a bit. Paul lays some biblical principles here out that we cannot escape, in my opinion.
I believe that they were fully for that Age and IN PART for ours – which adds to the complexity of teaching them.
So, let’s work through scripture to get a grounding on what is being said here and why.
(GO TO BOARD)
FORMER AGE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH-BRIDE MODEL
FIRST LET’S TALK ABOUT GOD BEING THE HEAD OF CHRIST:
As a man, Jesus of Nazareth said in John 14:28
Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Then in John 20:17 Jesus, the Man, resurrected from the grave, said to Mary Magdalene (upon seeing her after His resurrection) “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
As God’s ONLY human Son, Jesus of Nazareth, only said and did what he saw His father do, and placed His will entirely under the submission of God, His Father, when He might have wanted to personally do otherwise. This is where the words from our Lord were:
“Not my will, but thy will be done.”
The subservience of our Lord and Savior to the will of His Father is foundational to all of Christianity.
I know how much we speak to “Jesus being God” today but we must remember the parts of Him that could be seen and touched and physically observed were NOT God – they were all Man. Like us. For us.
This human side is the “part” of His make-up that submitted to the will of His Father.
We will talk about what this looks like in a moment. But with Jesus submitting Himself completely to His Father (by the way, He is the only one to have ever done this and therefore His Father does all things relative to us through Him) the Christian males of that age were beholden to be directly subservient to Him.
We recall reading in 1st Corinthians 3:23 “And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s,” which supports what I just said.
So then LET’S TALK ABOUT MEN BEING SUBJECT TO CHRIST (note, I am still speaking of biblical times of the former age).
Having overcome sin and death on our behalf, and having accomplished this by doing the will of His Father, it only makes sense that we humans would look to and be beholden to our LORD AND King – Jesus of Nazareth.
So whatever He did, we do. (LISTEN) And what He commands, we follow. He was established in that age to be Man’s mediator to the Father and therefore He makes the rules and decisions for His disciples.
We read in Galatians 1:3-4 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.
This sets the template – Jesus did it for the Father, and we, THROUGH HIM, relate to the Father.
2nd Corinthians 10:7 says
Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.
Paul adds in Romans 14:8-9
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
2nd Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but live unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2nd Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
So Christ is the head of Man in the Church-Bride age and over human kind thereafter (which we will discuss)
And Finally let’s talk about women being subject to their husbands – again – we are still discussing in the realm of the former age.
The concept begins back in Genesis where we read about God’s words to the Woman, saying
Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
This basis caused Paul to say some words in chapter 14 that are really anathematic to the very spirit of our age
1st Corinthians 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Do these words apply to us today! If no, why not, and if yes, why are do we ignore them?
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Colossians 3 beginning at verse 18 gives us more hierarchy in place in that day, saying
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
And in 1st Timothy 2:11 Paul explain why he has taken this position, saying:
12 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
In another place, he claims this subservience was also due to the fact that Eve was beguiled.
Now, we read about all of this in the Bible, from Paul and others, and suppose that we are in the same age.
We are not.
First of all, as clearly explained over the years, the Jews saw all time broken down into two ages – the Present Age (which includes all of the Biblical account from the Fall to Revelation) and the Age to Come (which was anticipated when everything of their Present Age was accomplished and changed).
So where Paul uses Eve and her being beguiled, and then being subservient to Adam as a result of the Fall, Jesus – the Second Adam – coming and then OVERCOMING all that was part of that former age, brought everything back to prefill conditions (known as the Age to Come). That is what we have been living in since the former age has been completely fulfilled.
The Book of Hebrews, 1st Corinthians 15 and the entire book of Revelation make this clear.
This is where the now antiquated views of the Apostolic Church are misapplied to the Body of Christ today causing all sorts of problems that should not exist in the Kingdom-Body today.
Let’s look at the Age we are in now as described in scripture
Miss this simple shift in biblical economies or administrations, and try and read and assign the Bible to the Body of believers today and we will find ourselves (as we presently do) in a world of misappropriated hurt and ridiculous abuses (usually by men).
So, all that being said, we cannot allow ourselves, who are making a study of this historical document of inspired apostolic words to the believers are Corinth, to move us to think that this advice applies in the same way anymore.
But let’s continue forward to see what Paul said to “them/then.” So he says:
3 But I would have you know, (I am telling you as an apostle of Christ in this age) that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
In holy writ, the word “head” represents the ruler, master or chief.
So here it means that Christ is the Ruler, Director, or Lord of the Christian man with God as the Ruler, Director and Chief of Christ, and Man as the Ruler, Director and Lord of woman.
Now, this model is really really tempting to apply to our age because it does work if it is all approached in love and as Christ would approach it.
That is why we read Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
But because we live in the age to come where the Spirit is primary and the hierarchy is summarized down between God and the Individual, its not the demanded order anymore – even if it was certainly the established order of the FORMER age.
I’m not so sure any order is required in this age of the Spirit simply because where the Spirit reigns hierarchies are unnecessary.
This point, I think, is affirmed in the following passages where Paul is again discussing a cultural situation of His day (and one relative to the pagan worship of Diana) and is not dictating what must always be. In any case, he says:
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.
The word prophesying here seems to mean teaching or publicly speaking to the people on the subject of religion instead of “this secret things is coming to pass.”
This is the better definition of the word prophesying in the New Testament.
The reason the head covering was to be removed for a man is that in the presence of authority, a king, a sovereign, it was disrespectful to have your head covered.
When I was in the School of Ministry this traditional approach was enforced when prayers were said and we were told to remove our baseball hats when a prayer was offered.
It sounds disrespectful on my part, like I don’t honor God or reverence Him when I kick against such things. But since I believe God is always in US unconditionally– the archaic removal of a hat (largely due to ancient tradition), reverts backward to what was and does not reflect the wonderful age we are now in.
It also opens the door to other external practices that have zero merit in our spiritual relationship with the Invisible God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Like circumcision, it’s the heart that needs to remove all obstacles and signs of insubordination, not the outer man.
Verse 5
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
So let’s hit on the first point brought out here – women in biblical times, prayed and prophesied.
In the Old Testament, prophetesses are frequently mentioned like Miriam is mentioned, (in Exodus 15:20;) Deborah, (in Judges 4:4;) Huldah, (in 2nd Kings 22:14;) Nosdish, (Nehemiah 6:14.)
We also have Anna mentioned as a prophetess in the New Testament (Luke 2:36.) In no way did gender inhibit God speaking through a person.
We also read that there were females in the early Christian church who were endowed with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that in that last age this would actually be a sign the people could look toward.
Peter made this clear on the Day of Pentecost when he said, citing Joel, in Acts 2:17:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
So, in terms of praying and prophesying, women were fully engaged in the transitional period from the Old Age to the totality of the New.
Now, in 1st Timothy 2:12, the Apostle Paul called to lead the bride-church through that really difficult age, expressly forbade women from being public teachers.
I mean, if you are a biblical literalist who holds to a futurist eschatology, this passage is a no getting-around-er as Paul says:
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
That is flat out.
Again, the question – does it apply today? It is in the Bible, right? If it does, why isn’t is being adhered to and if it does not, how do we prove this with something more than just our varied opinions on the matter?
We prove it through sound eschatology, that’s how.
When we get to chapter 14 we will read:
1st Corinthians 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
I appeal to reason, context which includes sound eschatology, and the biblical descriptions of what was called “the present age” and “the age to come” for the interpretation of such passages and their application to our lives today.
I’m not going to take the time to explain all the strange ways people dance with and around these passages. Not worth it.
If in Christ there is no difference between male and female and others, then we know that this apostolic advice was a direct response to culture, the fading Old economy, and Paul trying to keep the church together before the coming of the Lord. Simple as that.
What trips me out is that where it was a shame for men to cover their head in the presence of a superior (Christ) the opposite was true for a woman when in the presence of someone to whom she was subordinate.
I’ve read and re-read on the subject and I still don’t get it and the only thing I can gather is for a woman to cover her head and hair and face was a means to keep her modest and her beauty hidden from onlookers who might take their eyes of God and instead place them on her.
But I am still befuddled why it was dishonorable for a man who is subordinate to Christ to cover his head but it is disrespectful for a woman who is subordinate to the Man to uncover hers!
Paul adds
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
So, if she is not covered, shave her head (so she is covered even less) but if it is a shameful thing for a woman to have her head shaved, let her be covered.
Apparently, having her head covered is to hide the beauty of her hair, and the covering mades her head sort of look bald, therefore, if she is uncovered, Paul is saying that they should make her head truly bald.
From this we are getting closer to the issue at hand as it seems the hair of the woman is the topic of focus.
Next week we will read at verse 15 “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.”
From this Paul seems to be saying that Nature itself teaches a woman that she ought to have long hair as it acts as a natural covering for her.
Long hair was, as was the custom of most ancient civilization, a primary mark of gender (females) and was seen as a mark of her intrinsic beauty.
To remove that beauty is to appear, in this respect, like the other sex, and to lay aside the badge that was identifying her as an object of attraction.
I mean, image the scene. A woman, stands before a group of religious males, and begins to pray or prophesy, and in so doing she REMOVES what made her less attractive to her audience – the ordinance of her head covering.
This, says Paul, should not be. Because instead of subordinating herself before the group she would, in some ways, be elevating herself and perhaps causes the men to devote their eyes to her instead of Christ.
The power of women upon men visually is proverbial and hence some cultures still demand headcoverings, birkas and the like.
Years ago, in Huntington Beach and the OP pro surfing tournament where tens of thousands of beachgoers stood looking at the stage a riot erupted of epic proportions.
The city was under siege and all sorts of mayhem broke out. Nobody really knew the cause. Until video tape showed that on that stage a women got up before the crowd and took off her top. The video surveillance clearly shows that that pushed the mass into a hysteria – because men are driven by sight.
Perhaps this is why ancient cultures had such strick, what seem to be misogynistic attitudes toward the beauty of women.
Additionally, to stand before men and speak uncovered was what the pagans allowed in their worship.
Bottom line, anciently, due respect was to be shown by men and women, in dress, and speech, and deportment… and culturally there was not much room to get outside of this.
The only thing a woman could do, if she didn’t want to wear a head-covering, according to Paul, as long as her culture permitted it, in this situation, would be to shave her head – and therefore be seen as a man.
Again, wrapping it up, should we be practicing this today, because its in the New Testament?
You know my stance but what I wanna know is why there are thousands of churches on earth that claim to really follow and teach the Bible that ignore this advice all together?
BEAT
We will stop here.
Q and A
Prayer
