Faith-building Bible studies and articles

• 20 May

  1 Corinthians: Chapter 11 (verses 2–16)

  This next portion of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians reflects the relationships between men and women and cultural expectations in first-century Corinth. The relationship between husbands and wives is presented within the context of the world of two thousand years ago and customs of the time. Today the role of women, contemporary norms for dress codes, and the understanding of the equality of women is much different than in the distant past. However, as a commentary written in Paul’s time to people living within that period, it reflects the attitudes and expectations of that time.

  Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2)

  It was likely a relief for the Corinthians to hear Paul’s opening words praising them for remembering him in everything. It seems that he was happy that many of his teachings were being followed by the believers. He praised the Corinthian church for holding on to the teachings or the traditions, referring to the oral teachings about Jesus handed down to Paul by the first disciples such as Peter, and which he passed on to them.

  In this chapter, Paul was dealing with a controversial matter pertaining to public worship. It seems that some of the Corinthian church rejected the practice of married women covering their head when partaking of public worship. Paul knew that many practiced this cultural norm of the time, but he also felt the need to explain why everyone should continue it. He was concerned with how men and women interacted with each other in public worship and how it would be viewed by those outside the church. Paul also focused on prayer and prophecy, teaching and preaching of God’s Word (1 Corinthians 11:4–5), which would have taken place when the believers were gathered together.

  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. (1 Corinthians 11:3)

  Paul described three forms of headship here: Christ is the head of every man; husbands are heads of their wives; God is the head of Christ. Yet Paul did not state the roles of men, wives, and Christ here.

  The ancient Greeks often used the term head to refer to the source from which something came; and in this verse Paul mentioned that “man did not come from woman, but woman came from man” (1 Corinthians 11:8). Some interpreters believe that head in this case means “source,” as the “head” of a river is the source of the water that flows in a river. In this view, Christ is the source of males in the sense that Christ created Adam from the dust (Genesis 2:7). Men are also considered the source of females in the sense that Eve was taken from Adam (Genesis 2:22). God the Father is the head of Christ because Christ “came from the Father” (John 16:27–28).

  Other Bible scholars believe that head implies that a chain of authority comes from the Father to Christ, to husbands, and to their wives. This view is supported mainly from the Old Testament use of the Hebrew word head in relation to leadership or authority.

  Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, (1 Corinthians 11:4)

  Paul addressed the men first, stating that every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors Christ, who is the head of every man. In the Roman Empire, men generally covered their heads with their togas when they performed pagan worship. It is likely that this practice had reached the people of Corinth, and Paul was condemning the adoption of this practice.

  Paul likely at least warned the believers against adopting this practice in the church. For a man to cover his head in the worship of Christ was to worship the same way the pagan men worshiped their gods. Imitating this practice mixed false religion into the worship of Christ, which dishonored Him. In writing this, Paul was not stating this as a command for all believers, rather it was a specific statement to the Corinthians and their need to avoid association with pagan customs, as he expressed in earlier chapters.

  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. 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. (1 Corinthians 11:4–6)

  Focusing specifically on wives, Paul affirmed that women could pray or prophesy in public worship. Although Paul didn’t allow women to serve in the ordained positions of pastor, elder, or teacher (1 Timothy 2:12), he didn’t restrict women from speaking the truth of God’s Word or praying and prophesying in public worship.

  However, Paul insisted that any wife praying or prophesying in public should do so with her head covered. The understanding at the time was that if a woman spoke in worship with her head uncovered, she dishonored her head. While Paul may have referred to a woman’s physical head, it’s more likely that he meant that she dishonored her husband, who is referred to in verse 3 as the head of a wife. Paul argued that if it is a disgrace to her husband for the woman to have her head shaved, then she should cover her head in public worship.

  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. (1 Corinthians 11:7)

  Paul supported his view here with Scripture. He began by claiming that a man shouldn’t imitate a pagan head covering because he is the image and glory of God. In Genesis we read that both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

  So what did Paul mean by saying that man is the image of God in contrast with woman? He likely meant Adam held a special status (glory) in God’s image because he was created first. He was made directly from the dust by God, while God made Eve from Adam’s body. This gave Adam and his male descendants a unique role on earth that was not held in the same way by women. Of course, the world has changed since Paul’s time, and cultural expectations for the roles of men and women have changed as well. While maintaining different roles for men and women, Paul also affirmed the equality of men and women in Galatians 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.”

  Theologian Wayne Grudem wrote,

  When in 1 Corinthians 11:7 Paul says, “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man,” he is not denying that woman was created in the image of God. He is simply saying that there are abiding differences between men and women that should be reflected in the way they dress and act in the assembled congregation. … Yet in both cases Paul goes on to emphasize their interdependence (see vv. 11–12).¹

  Paul went on to say that woman is the glory of man. Paul didn’t mean that woman is not the glory of God, as all of creation is for God’s glory (Romans 11:36). He likely meant that woman is the glory of both man and of God, and not just of God. Paul called women the glory of their husbands because this is one of their unique roles in the order of creation. According to Genesis 2, God created Eve to make it possible for the human race to fulfill the task given to Adam. For this reason, Eve is referred to as a helper suitable for Adam (Genesis 2:18 NIV). The Hebrew word helper doesn’t mean “inferior,” but “aid” or “assistant.” Eve was the glory of Adam in a special way.

  For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. (1 Corinthians 11:8–9)

  Paul continued his explanation that woman is the glory of man by appealing to another aspect of creation. He reminds his readers that man didn’t come from woman and that man was not created for woman. He implied that husbands aren’t the glory of women. Rather, the woman came from man and was created for man. Because she was created from and for man, a wife is to bring glory to her husband.

  On this point, Leon Morris comments:

  Paul makes it clear that what he has been saying is not meant as an undue subordination of women. There is a partnership between the sexes and in the Lord neither exists without the other. ... The man must not exaggerate the significance of his having been created first. There is a fundamental equality.²

  That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:10)

  This verse presents several difficulties. It is not clear what the symbol of authority on her head is, or what role the angels play, and why. None of the research material I used when writing these posts gave a clear explanation of this verse. There seems to be a wide variety of opinions about the meaning of this verse, many of which contradict each other. While those to whom Paul wrote to likely understood his meaning, it isn’t clear enough today, or at least to me, so I thought it best not to include commentary on it.

  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. (1 Corinthians 11:11–12)

  Having affirmed the responsibilities of husbands and wives to honor their heads in worship, Paul feared his instructions might be taken as a complete statement on the relations of men and women. Therefore, Paul clarified what he said, prefacing his comment with the word nevertheless. He began with the expression in the Lord, a phrase he used elsewhere to identify people in the body of Christ (Romans 16:8, 1 Corinthians 4:17). Paul wanted to make it clear that such assumptions had no place in his teaching.

  Paul brought two points to the foreground. First, neither husbands nor wives are independent from each other. Paul restated that woman (a wife) is not independent of the man (a husband), a principle evident in this chapter from verses 3–10. Her authority was always meant to complement man’s authority, so she must not think of herself as autonomous. Next, Paul added that man (a husband) is not independent of the woman (a wife). Husbands are not to think that their headship implies independence from, or superiority to, their wives.

  To support this claim, Paul referred to the interdependence between man and woman. While woman came from man when Eve was made from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:22), it is also true that man is born of woman. Every man has a mother, and this fact speaks against any man’s temptation to think of himself as free from the obligations to honor women. “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 5:16).

  Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? (1 Corinthians 11:13)

  With these words Paul was not encouraging the Corinthians to ignore his teaching. He meant that they should not blindly obey his instructions; they were to think things through. He said this because he was convinced the believers in Corinth were able to think properly on this issue and he hoped they would come to his conclusions. Paul put the matter to them, asking them if it was proper for women to pray in public worship with their heads uncovered. He chose to argue from what was appropriate rather than from what was righteous. He appealed to the Corinthians’ own notions. Knowing their worldview, he expected them to agree with his position.

  Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. (1 Corinthians 11:14–15)

  This part of Paul’s argument is difficult to understand. He continued to express his position regarding married women’s head coverings by putting forward another question, asking them to consider cultural norms regarding hair lengths for men and women. The exact meaning of the question, however, is puzzling. Several explanations have been put forward, though none seem adequate.

  Paul expected the Corinthians to recognize that men should have short hair and women long hair, likely because of the cultural norms of the time in Corinth. He also expected them to understand that the glory of women’s long hair affirmed the practice of married women covering their heads in public worship. A woman’s head covering in first-century Roman society was a sign of marriage, and a cultural expectation for wives of that time.

  If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. (1 Corinthians 11:16)

  Paul expected some resistance to his view. He admitted that some Corinthian believers would be contentious about this, which could be either men or women. Paul sought to settle the matter by appealing to the widespread practice of the church, saying, we have no such practice. This could be translated as “we have no such custom.” Paul meant that he and other church leaders, and the churches of God, had no other practice than having women cover their heads in public worship.

  One commentator offered some thoughts regarding the application of the first half of 1 Corinthians 11:

  This section of the letter raises the perennial question of the relationship of current social customs to Christian morality and practice. Behind all that Paul says is the principle that Christians must always act in a seemly manner: ‘everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way’ (1 Corinthians 14:40). The application of this principle to first-century Corinth yields the direction that women must have their heads covered when they worship. The principle is of permanent validity, but we may well feel that its application to the contemporary scene need not yield the same result. In other words, in the light of our totally different social customs, we may well hold that the fullest acceptance of the principle underlying this chapter does not require that in Western lands in the twentieth century women must always wear hats when they pray.³

  As a side note, the Catholic church required women to wear a head covering during the Catholic Mass until 1983, when the church discontinued the practice.

  (To be continued.)

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  Note
  Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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  ¹ Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine (Zondervan, 1994), 457.

  ² Leon Morris, 1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 7, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (InterVarsity Press, 1985), 153.

  ³ Morris, 1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary, 154–155.

   

  
• Apr 22 1 Corinthians: Chapter 10 (verses 16–33)
• Apr 8 1 Corinthians: Chapter 10 (verses 1–15)
• Mar 25 1 Corinthians: Chapter 9 (verses 18–27)
• Mar 11 1 Corinthians: Chapter 9 (verses 1–17)
• Feb 25 1 Corinthians: Chapter 8 (verses 1–13)
• Feb 11 1 Corinthians: Chapter 7 (verses 17–40)
• Jan 28 1 Corinthians: Chapter 7 (verses 1–16)
• Jan 8 1 Corinthians: Chapter 6 (verses 1–20)
• Dec 10 Practicing All the Virtues