1 Corinthians ~ Part 19

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As I mentioned in my last post, we continue to explore Sha’ul’s Letters to the Corinthians.

Regarding Role Distinctions

Veils As Symbol

David Stern opines that a new section deals with Public Worship. We will be exploring three topics over the next several posts: (1) veiling of women in public worship (vv. 3–16), (2) disorder at the Lord’s Supper (vv. 17–34), (3) charismatic gifts from the Holy Spirit and their use in public (12:1–14:40); this section also includes the famous “love chapter” (12:31–14:1a). Tactful Sha’ul commences with a compliment, as at 1:4–5.

This passage raises three issues for today:

(1) Male chauvinism: does Sha’ul teach an unacceptable male dominance?

(2) Cultural relativism: are the prescriptions set forth here laws for all times and places, or are they meant only for first-century Corinth?

(3) Messianic Judaism: if the rules about head covering apply today, does this keep Messianic Jewish men from wearing kippot (yarmulkes)?

² Now I praise you because you have remembered everything I told you and observe the traditions just the way I passed them on to you.

Sha’ul seems to be giving them general praise to prepare them for his criticism of the areas in chapters 11–14 in which he needs to correct them.

³ But I want you to understand that the head of every man is the Messiah, and the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of the Messiah is God.

Sha’ul issued a principle for application in corporate worship—the principle of voluntary submission to authority. As Messiah is the head of the church, He has supreme authority over every man and woman. The phrase head of every man means “authority over” and fits the letter’s dominant theme of submission to the Messiah. God is the head of Messiah, which refers to the Father’s authority over the incarnate Messiah, who, as the God-man, voluntarily submitted to God.

⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies wearing something down over his head brings shame to his head, ⁵ but every woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame to her head—there is no difference between her and a woman who has had her head shaved. ⁶ For if a woman is not veiled, let her also have her hair cut short; but if it is shameful for a woman to wear her hair cut short or to have her head shaved, then let her be veiled. ⁷ For a man indeed should not have his head veiled, because he is the image and glory of God, and the woman is the glory of man.

 

 

⁸ For man was not made from woman, but woman from man; ⁹ and indeed man was not created for the sake of the woman but woman for the sake of the man. ¹⁰ The reason a woman should show by veiling her head that she is under authority has to do with the angels.

Another reason why a woman’s uncovered head dishonored her head is difficult to interpret. Perhaps an uncovered female head would adversely affect the church’s witness to the angelic hosts. The phrase authority on her head seems to refer to an outward symbol that signified to the angels her deference to leadership.

Equality Despite Distinctions

¹¹ Nevertheless, in union with the Lord, neither is woman independent of man nor is man independent of woman; ¹² for as the woman was made from the man, so also the man is now born through the woman. But everything is from God.

Man is now through the woman, refers to Genesis 2:21–23 and reinforces the idea that woman and man are mutually dependent. Although Eve was created from Adam’s rib, this does not make her inferior to him because by the same logic—according to Sha’ul—men are derived from women because they are born from women.

¹³ Decide for yourselves: is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God when she is unveiled? ¹⁴ Doesn’t the nature of things itself teach you that a man who wears his hair long degrades himself? ¹⁵ But a woman who wears her hair long enhances her appearance because her hair has been given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ However, if anyone wants to argue about it, the fact remains that we have no such custom, nor do the Messianic communities of God.

Sha’ul means that if his opinion is not accepted by some in the community, he lacks an alternative practice to offer them. The Corinthians need to decide on a resolution to maintain unity within the church (see chapters 12–13). Sha’ul maintains that if they continue to be divided over the issue after his solution has been implemented, they will need to find a peaceful alternative. Some women were not covered with a veil when they prayed; this was practiced in the Corinthian church. This entire discussion may have been unique to Corinth—Sha’ul was aware that his letter may have been passed around to other churches, so he includes this disclaimer. ^[1]

In our next post, we will eagerly explore Sha’ul’s Letters to the Corinthians, starting with 1 Corinthians 11:17 and delving deeper into the topic of Regarding Body Unity and Fellowship. Stay tuned for more insights and revelations.

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^[1] 1 Corinthians 11:2-16