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Relational Worship (Pt 3)
1 Corinthians 11:11-16
October 14, 2018
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kid’s Korner.
The sermon starts at 16:05 in the audio file.
Or, The Glory of Heads, Hoods, and Hairdos
It’s time to finish working through this long paragraph, answer some remaining questions, and deal with a few implications for our relational worship.
I’ve said a couple times that this is a difficult passage. It is also an important and relevant passage, and it is a subject that Paul wanted us to understand. He commended the Corinthians for following the apostolic tradition he delivered to them, and in verse 3 he wrote, “I want you to understand….” It’s true that some of what he goes on to say is more mysterious to us than it probably was to the Corinthians because they had his previous in-person teaching, but it’s also true that these things were written for our understanding (and glory!) as well.
When we began to go through this section on head coverings I listed some sixteen questions that really needed answering. We’ve done some of that already in verses 2-10, but there are a few more crucial things in verses 11-16 and then some final thoughts on whether or not head coverings are for today.
Equal Interdependence (verses 11-12)
Verses 11 and 12 qualify verses 9-10. Paul recounted both the historical fact that woman came after and from man and the divine intention that the woman was created for the man, not visa versa. These are creational realities that could have been different, but are true in fact because they are true by God’s design.
Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman. Stated positively, woman and man are mutually dependent. Both halves of the statement are true by logical equivalence. A woman, true of a wife but true of all women, needs a man for her to come into existence, and likewise a man needs a woman for him to come into existence. Neither comes to live without the other. This is true in the Lord, and so verses 8 and 9 can’t be used by (Christian) men to claim their superiority over women.
To make it clearer, for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. In the first case, God made Eve from Adam’s side. After that, every man has been born with a mother. Even Eve’s name is related to her being “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). As I said a moment ago, both a man and a woman are necessary to make more little men and little women.
And of course, All things are from God. The process originates with Him. It’s all His idea, His arrangement, His doing. God is the head of Christ who is the head of man who is the head of woman. This truth reminds us of reasons both to be thankful for what comes from God and to be submissive to God who determines what comes. The diversity comes from Him, the equality comes from Him, the interdependence comes from Him, the boundaries and blending and blessings of it all come from Him.
Nature’s Teaching (verses 13-15)
These verses provide further evidence of the principle distinction in creation between men and women.
Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? He asks the question, and even urges them to make the decision. But this is a rhetorical device and question. He just spent eleven verses making his case that of course she should pray (and prophesy, verse 5) in a way that shows submission to her head. Paul isn’t offering them liberty of interpretation here any more than when he said in in the previous chapter, “judge for yourselves” whether the communion cup is a participation in the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:15-16). The answer is unmistakable.
Another rhetorical question demonstrates how obvious the answer is. 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[...]
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By Trinity Evangel Church1 Corinthians 11:11-16
October 14, 2018
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kid’s Korner.
The sermon starts at 16:05 in the audio file.
Or, The Glory of Heads, Hoods, and Hairdos
It’s time to finish working through this long paragraph, answer some remaining questions, and deal with a few implications for our relational worship.
I’ve said a couple times that this is a difficult passage. It is also an important and relevant passage, and it is a subject that Paul wanted us to understand. He commended the Corinthians for following the apostolic tradition he delivered to them, and in verse 3 he wrote, “I want you to understand….” It’s true that some of what he goes on to say is more mysterious to us than it probably was to the Corinthians because they had his previous in-person teaching, but it’s also true that these things were written for our understanding (and glory!) as well.
When we began to go through this section on head coverings I listed some sixteen questions that really needed answering. We’ve done some of that already in verses 2-10, but there are a few more crucial things in verses 11-16 and then some final thoughts on whether or not head coverings are for today.
Equal Interdependence (verses 11-12)
Verses 11 and 12 qualify verses 9-10. Paul recounted both the historical fact that woman came after and from man and the divine intention that the woman was created for the man, not visa versa. These are creational realities that could have been different, but are true in fact because they are true by God’s design.
Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman. Stated positively, woman and man are mutually dependent. Both halves of the statement are true by logical equivalence. A woman, true of a wife but true of all women, needs a man for her to come into existence, and likewise a man needs a woman for him to come into existence. Neither comes to live without the other. This is true in the Lord, and so verses 8 and 9 can’t be used by (Christian) men to claim their superiority over women.
To make it clearer, for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. In the first case, God made Eve from Adam’s side. After that, every man has been born with a mother. Even Eve’s name is related to her being “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). As I said a moment ago, both a man and a woman are necessary to make more little men and little women.
And of course, All things are from God. The process originates with Him. It’s all His idea, His arrangement, His doing. God is the head of Christ who is the head of man who is the head of woman. This truth reminds us of reasons both to be thankful for what comes from God and to be submissive to God who determines what comes. The diversity comes from Him, the equality comes from Him, the interdependence comes from Him, the boundaries and blending and blessings of it all come from Him.
Nature’s Teaching (verses 13-15)
These verses provide further evidence of the principle distinction in creation between men and women.
Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? He asks the question, and even urges them to make the decision. But this is a rhetorical device and question. He just spent eleven verses making his case that of course she should pray (and prophesy, verse 5) in a way that shows submission to her head. Paul isn’t offering them liberty of interpretation here any more than when he said in in the previous chapter, “judge for yourselves” whether the communion cup is a participation in the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:15-16). The answer is unmistakable.
Another rhetorical question demonstrates how obvious the answer is. 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[...]