Men and Women at Church
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Truth Taught- Men and women must seek to remain within their God-ordained roles within the Church and within the family.
Here we have arrived at one of Paul’s more difficult passages. One that is enveloped by context, ancient tradition and ancient language.
What do you do when you come to such a text as this one?
Perspicuity of Scripture, also known as the clarity of Scripture, is a doctrine that teaches:
- The meanings of the text can be clear to the ordinary reader.
- God uses the Bible to communicate His person and will.
We who believe in the doctrine also must admit that there are some passages where the truth and meaning can easily be seen. Then, as with our passage today, we must admit that the exact meaning is more difficult to nail down.
When we approach a text like this, we must extend grace to those who may have a different view. We are arrogant to think that I have arrived and know exactly what this text means. Scholars have been debating this text for 2000 years.
The other side of caution here is to spend so much time on the minutia that you miss what is being taught. So, the best way to approach this text is to glean the amazing truth that can be understood and not be bogged down by confusion but stay grounded on the main thing.
From here through Chapter 14, Paul will address three abuses taking place within the Corinthians Church. The first one, and one we will cover today, the head coverings and hairstyle of women praying and prophesying within the gathered Church (11:2-16), the second abuse was happening at the Lord’s Table (11:17-34), and the third abuse was speaking in tongues during the assembled Church (Chapters 12-14).
What was the abuse that Paul thought so important that he wanted to cover it in our text today? Something was happening to a portion of the women in the Church.
He has just finished addressing the abuse of freedoms when it comes to the weaker brother and now he is addressing the abuse of freedoms among the women in the Church. Where were they taking their freedoms too far?
Back in Chapter 7, he has already address what some have called eschatological women. These were women who were in the Church and because of their new found faith in Christ and their new liberation from their bondage of certain cultural tendencies had taken freedom too far. Yes they were now able to participate more in worship and in the Church but they were taking these freedoms too far. They were seeking to even divorce their husbands because they felt they could serve Christ better as a single woman. They also had the strange idea that because they were now Christians that somehow, they had entered into the eschatological kingdom where they were seen not so much women but as more heavenly beings such as angels.
Gordon Fee writes, It seems difficult to understand Paul’s answer unless their spiritualized eschatology also involved some kind of breakdown in the distinction between the sexes. Already they had arrived in the Spirit; they were already acting as those who would be like the angels.
This idea in its varied forms has entered into the modern Church as well…
Christian feminists who are advocating the fact that there is only in Christ equality. And they wave the flag of Galatians 3:28, that in Christ there is neither male nor female. And on the basis of that, and on the basis of 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 7, that a husband and a wife are heirs together of the grace of life, they postulate the fact that there is no such thing as authority and submission between men and women either in marriage, in the church.
1 Corinthians 11:2–16 (ESV)
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.
1. Women are to Remain and Function as Women Within the Church (11:2-6)
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.
What does it look like to be a woman within the local Church? How should women function within the Church? I think if we can get past some cultural elements that were normal practice in the ancient world, we should be able to see Paul’s point for us today.
The Apostle sets up the theology that will serve as the basis for his reasoning and for what he is about to say.
The theology is the theology of headship. There are certain God ordained relationships that are in the Church. It’s important to maintain these.
I want to go to another passage where Paul writes some similar things with similar logic. If we can get that then it will greatly help us get this…I pray.
1 Timothy 2:8–14 (ESV)
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
The point here is that God desires women to adorn themselves with godliness, good works, self-control. Women are not to teach men the Bible. The reason is because there is an authority involved in teaching and women are not to have authority over men. Rather than teaching men, she should be a quiet learner.
That’s the statement Paul makes concerning the authority within the Church.
Women can help their husbands understand the Bible at home in quiet submission. Women can teach their children at home and in the Church.
This has nothing to do with women being theologically inferior. It’s much the same when a Church has Elders and Deacons. One is not better than the other. They have different roles and perform different functions.
So, why does Paul say in the gathered Church setting, women are to be quiet learners rather than teachers of men?
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Adam was the source of Eve’s life. He was created first and she created as his helper. He is the source of her life. In other words, if Adam had not been created Eve would not have been created. He was her source or as Paul is going to explain to us from our text today, he was her head. This gets us to our text.
The authority comes from source. Adam was the source Eve the result. Therefore, Eve must not take the role of the source over Adam because that is not how God has designed things.
When that happens, the source or head is shamed.
We look to the example of when that happened…13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Here, Eve took Adam’s role as the source and did not remain within the created order. She was deceived and became the transgressor.
Order, source and headship are important within the created order because Adam was the one God talked to about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because Eve had not been created yet.
All that to say, it’s God’s desire for men and women within the Church to carry out this same order, source and headship.
Eve tried to teach Adam about the Tree. She was trying to give him new revelation. Things that according to the Serpent, God had left out.
Watch the source/Head system work…
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.
Christ is the head of the man
The Husband is head of the woman
God the Father is the Head of God the Son
Christ is the head of man…very easy one for us to see and understand. Jesus is the source and man was created. Adam created by God.
In keeping with the created order, the man is head of the woman. Adam created before Eve.
The Trinity is a little different here in Paul’s analogy. God the Father is Christ’s head because of the incarnation. Jesus emptied Himself took the form of a human. The Father is the Head of Christ.
The women of Corinth within the Church were seeking to interrupt the created order much like Eve did. They were promoting the idea that as a Christian, their freedoms in Christ superseded their created order. They could divorce their husbands, take roles within the Church that were for men and completely ignore their god-ordained place. When they did this, they shamed themselves and their head which was their husbands.
They were out to eliminate the distinctions between men and women.
It is true, one day in the New Heavens and New Earth male and female distinctions will not be in effect. There will be no marriage or giving in marriage but we will be like the angels in that regard. However, the women of Corinth should realize that time had not come yet.
The cultural norm in Corinth was for women to cover their head and have long hair while praying and prophesying. The cultural norm was for men to not cover their head and have short hair.
To not follow these normatives was to switch the created order.
Here’s another similar statement by Paul…
1 Corinthians 14:33–35 (ESV)
33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints, 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. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
To switch positions especially within the Church is to bring shame upon your head or again, your source.
If the man prays or prophecies with his head covered, like a woman then he has shamed Christ. If a woman prays or prophecies like a man then she brings shame upon her head which is her husband.
2. Paul’s Logic From the Created Order (11:7-12)
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.
He argued from the created order that men and women should remain within their proper roles.
Here we go back again to the created order. Adam was created first and of Adam it was said he was created in the image of God. So, for a man to pray/prophecy with his head covered is to in a way, cover the image of God.
The woman or wife is to honor her source/head by covering her head when praying/prophesying.
3. While Her Head is Covered, She acknowledges and Honors Her Head/Husband (11:13-16)
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.
Now his logic flows from, as he writes, nature itself. In Corinth and in nature women commonly have long hair and men short hair.
For the woman it is a beautiful covering for her head. But it’s not like that for a man. Long hair for him is not a beautiful covering but a disgrace.
Conclusion:
Here is where all this ends up. At the end of the day, we must acknowledge God’s created order and seek to not only live in it but love living in it.
Wives, I pray you love bringing honor not shame on your husbands by remaining in God’s created order.
Husbands, I pray you love bring honor not shame to Christ as you remain in God’s created order.
We must do this as loving leaders within the home and within the Church. Ladies there are roles you have and roles you do not have. Seek to remain within your realm where God is glorified. Husbands you have your roles too. Seek to be the loving leader God has made you to be.
Resources Used:
John MacArthur on these verses
1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee
Leave a Reply