In Search Of Truth, 1st Corinthians 11:1-16

The first statement of chapter 11 is more connected to the previous chapter than it is to this one. Being an apostle did not make Paul a perfect person, but he recognized that people need examples to follow. Verse 1 is a helpful reminder to look for people in our lives who are following Christ well, and learn from their example.

 

Paul now diverts to a new yet related topic. He’s been talking about the freedoms that Christians have and which ones are worth setting aside temporarily for the good of others. In that context, he spends a few verses discussing the behavior of men and women in group worship settings.

 

For multiple personalities to function as a unit, there must be a head. Someone who makes the final call after any deliberation. In verse 3, Paul outlines a structure for authority(though some scholars argue that “head” refers to “source” and not authority).

 

Christ submits to God the Father, Man submits to Christ and Woman submits to Man. Our tendencies toward sin have turned the word “submission” into an ugly one, and great damage has been done to women by men who abused their leadership role. God hates it when this happens. God’s plan for submission is a beautiful one. After all, Christ is constantly in submission to God! So submission is not by nature an ugly or harmful concept. It is OUR nature that does harm. For more on the roles of men and women, read Galatians 3:28(equality of men and women), Ephesians 5:22-33(notice the command here for husbands to “love” their wives), 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (that love is defined here) and 1 Peter 3:7(a husband’s prayers may be hindered if he does not treat his wife well!).

 

Before going further, we should notice that Paul is using some wordplay to make his point. He sets up the concept of leadership and authority using the term “head”, and then talks about whether or not the Corinthians should cover their physical heads.

 

For example, the first use of “head” in verse 4 is literal and the second use in verse 4 is metaphorical, referring to Christ. The same with verse 5. First literal, then metaphorical, then literal again.

 

As before, we’re dealing with how a Christian should live within their own culture, whatever that may be. In the Greek Corinthian culture, it was a mark of shame for men to cover their heads or veil their faces. It’s not right to reflect an attitude of shame when worshipping God, so Paul instructs men to remain uncovered, so that observers would not assume that God is a cruel master whose followers feel constant shame in his presence.

 

For women in Greek culture, things were a bit different. Hair was a distinguishing feature that differentiated women from men. Because of their conservative dress, females were most readily identified and admired for their hair and facial features. Seeing a woman’s hair and face turned heads in that culture in the same way that seeing a woman in a swimsuit would do today. For a woman to display her hair in a worship setting would disgrace her husband in the same way that she would if she shaved her head (a mark of shame in that culture).

 

In the context of Greek Corinthian culture, Paul wanted men and women to represent their God-appointed roles. Men reflect the image of God. They display his glory in some way, which means that they reveal something about who God is. For this reason, Men should not cover their heads, which indicated shame in that culture.

 

The Bible clearly teaches that women were also created in the image of God(Genesis 1:27).  Verse 7 doesn’t negate that, but points out that women also reflect who men are in some way. Because women in some way reflect men, they should not dress or behave in a way that brings disgrace to their husbands. That would, in turn, bring disgrace to God. First because women bear his image and again because they reflect another “image-bearer”.

 

In a nutshell, Paul is urging the Corinthian Christians to dress and behave in ways that will honor God and each other within the context of their culture. This is the core of Paul’s message here.

 

The reference to a “symbol of authority” on the woman’s head in verse 8 is debated over by scholars. Some believe it refers to her own authority as a co-ruler with man, and that her identity as a woman and therefore co-ruler is expressed publicly by covering her hair. This verse also refers to angels who are observing all of this. Our lives, and the choices we make, are in some way part of God’s plan for the angels. Since Christians will one day judge angels (remember 1^st Corinthians 6:3?), they are urged to learn responsibility for every action now.

 

Despite these cultural differences, Paul wants to emphasize that there is complete equality of value and importance between men and women. They are both dependant upon each other and upon God.(v. 11-12)

 

Paul asks the Corinthians to judge for themselves what is appropriate. In verses 14-15, Paul implies that the natural pattern in the world is for women to have longer hair than men. Their long hair already serves as a built-in covering, as though concealing her beauty from the common observer is part of the natural order. By contrast, when a man has long hair, it is not the norm and can even be a disgrace to him in some cultures.

 

Paul seems to be arguing for the beauty of women not to be “on display” in a worship setting, but for women to be conservative in their appearance during public worship, probably to avoid drawing attention away from God and toward herself.

 

Paul has argued from several perspectives at this point, and finishes his argument with a statement designed for a philosophical group of that time called the Skeptics who, if nothing else, responded to arguments made from the point of “custom”. In essence, Paul says, “among the churches, there’s no other way this issue is handled. This is our custom.”

 

We live in a very different culture from the Greek Corinthians. So how can we look at all of this and apply it to our group worship today? We can probably draw a few helpful points from this passage.

 

1. We should never come before God in worship with an attitude of shame. We are forgiven and made free by Christ’s sacrifice, and should celebrate that freedom in our worship.


2. While worshipping with others, we should avoid dressing or behaving in ways that might draw attention to our looks or make us the focus instead of God.


3. We should keep an eye on the standards of the culture surrounding us and be considerate of others.


4. Men and women are equal in their importance, though different in their functions. These differences should be celebrated and valued.

 

 

Next Week- What Should Communion Be?

 

Coffee House Question

 

What do you think can be done to promote equality and also celebrate the diversity between men and women today?