Corinthian Series Hair Hats Headship

                   HAIR, HATS, HEADSHIP

1 COR.11:2-16

INTRO: THE PLACE & ROLE OF WOMEN & THEIR RIGHTS HAS BEEN BATTLEGROUND IN SOCIETY & CHURCH FOR LONG TIME (EX: CHILD’S ACCOUNT OF EVE) (AUNT EMMA’S PRAYERS)—ONE OF SATAN’S SCHEMES IS TO CONFUSE OR PERVERT ROLES OF MEN/WOMEN. PAUL WAS THANKFUL THERE WERE THOSE IN THE CHURCH WHO RESPECTED & TRUSTED HIS AUTHORITY AS APOSTLE (NOT ALL DID)& SUPPORTED & PRAYED FOR HIM (V.2)—BUT SOME WERE NOT CONVINCED—THEY CHALLENGED PAUL & CREATED DIVISIONS IN THE BODY.

I.                  FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

A.   GODS NATURAL ORDER: THIS IS AN ISSUE PAUL HEARD ABOUT FROM CHLOE’S HOUSE—“I HEAR” (V.18)—THE THEME GOES BACK TO CH.8 WHERE PAUL STRESSED SURRENDERING RIGHTS FOR SAKE OF WEAKER BROTHER.  NOTICE PAUL ADDRESSED BOTH MEN & WOMEN TO ENCOURAGE MUTUAL RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER & GOD—NOTHING SHOULD DISTRACT WORSHIPERS FROM RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OR LOVING/HONORING EACH OTHER. THE SETTING HERE IS PUBLIC WORSHIP—AND BOTH MEN & WOMEN ARE PRAYING/PROPHESYING—THE PROBLEM WAS THE IMAGE THE WOMEN WERE CONVEYING WHEN DOING THIS IN PUBLIC WORSHIP SETTING.  ALSO THE FOCUS HERE IS HSUBANDS/WIVES—IT APPEARS SOME WOMEN WANTED EQUAL TREATMENT WITH MEN—MAYBE IN SEXUAL FREEDOM SINCE MEN COULD HAVE AS MANY WOMEN AS THEY WANTED IN THAT CULTURE—THIS IS WHY THE ISSUE IN CH. 5 WAS SO SERIOUS.  NOTICE SOME POINTS PAUL MAKES HERE:

·        (WIFE) DISGRACING HER “HEAD” (HUSBAND) BY WAY SHE WORE HER HAIR (V.5)

·        (WIFE) IS GLORY OF HER HUSBAND—PROV.12:4 “AN EXCELLENT WIFE IS THE GLORY OF HER HUSBAND”

·        THE AUTHORITY OF THE WIFE RELATES TO HER HUSBAND NOT JUST ANY MALE.

IN CONTEXT SOME MARRIED WOMEN WERE GIVING THE WRONG PERCEPTION OF THEIR MARITAL STATUS.

1.     THE ISSUE OF HEADSHIP/AUTHORITY:  THERE HAS BEEN LONG DEBATE OVER MEANING OF THE GRK WORD “HEAD”—IS IT A CHAIN OF COMMAND (GOD-JESUS-MAN-WOMAN) TO ESTABLISH ORDER---IS IT A FIG. MEANING IN THE SENSE OF SOURCE OR ORIGIN?

WE KNOW GOD/JESUS ARE EQUAL FROM SCRIPTURE (EPH. 1:3; HEB.1:8)—BUT THEY DIFFER IN FUNCTION. JESUS WHILE ON EARTH FULLY DID THE WILL OF HIS FATHER—JESUS EMPTIED HIMSELF OF HIS DIVINE GLORY TO BE A SERVANT. PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT ROLES NOT SUBSTANCE—THE FATHER & SON ARE EQUAL IN PERSON & IMPORTANCE—SO ARE MEN/WOMEN  BUT THERE IS DIFF. IN ROLES  (EX: MAN TO HELP WITH DISHES—2 KI.21:13)

2.     JESUS RESOTORED SPIRITUAL EQUALITY—PAUL

WENT BACK TO GEN. TO SHOW ADAM WAS SOURCE OF EVE’S LIFE BUT GOD IS SOURCE OF EVERYTHING.  HUSBAND/WIFE TO BE “ONE FLESH”—THERE IS AN EQUALITY/PARTNERSHIP—SIN BROKE THAT PERFECT UNION—BUT PRAISE GOD JESUS VICTORY ON THE CROSS RESTORED SPIRITUAL EQUALITY (GAL. 3:28). A KEY HERE IS TO RECOGNIZE GOD’S GIVEN FUNCTIONS OF HUSBAND/WIFE TO HAVE UNITY/ORDER IN FAMILY. EACH IS TO COMPLIMENT THE OTHER. THE HUSBAND PROVIDES LOVE, PROTECTION, SACRIFICE, SPIRITUAL CONCERN THE SAME WAY CHRIST DOES OVER THE CHURCH—WIFE GIVES RESPECT TO HER HUSBAND AS SHE WOULD TO CHRIST.  FOR THE WIFE TO UNCOVER HER HEAD (AS IMMORAL WOMAN WOULD) GIVES WRONG MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO SEE THEM DO THIS.

II.               HOW DO THESE PRINCIPLES APPLY?

A.   SHOW PROPER RESPECT IN WORSHIP—BOTH MEN/WOMEN PRAYING/PROPHESYING—THE WORD “SHAME/DISHONOR” HAS TO DO WITH WHAT IS SHOCKINGLLY EVIL OR CONFUSION OF GENDER ROLES—IT WOULD BE SHAMEFUL FOR MALE TO COVER HIS MALE STATUS IN WAY HE WEARS HIS HAIR—THE WORD “COVERED” IS LIKELY REF. TO LONG HAIR. FOR MAN TO DRESS OR LOOK LIKE WOMAN DISHONORS GOD (CREATOR) WHO IS TRUE HEAD.  PAUL SAYS THIS TO SHOW HOW RIDICULOUS THIS WOULD BE.  THEN PAUL CORRECTS THE WIVES—HE DOESN’T CRITICIZE THEM PRAYING/PROPHESYING BUT THE WAY THEY WERE DOING IT—BY NOT WEARING VEIL OR NOT WEARING HAIR UP IN BUN THEY WERE DISHONORING THEIR HUSBAND—LIKE NOT WEARING WEDDING RING TODAY—SHE WAS GIVING A MISLEADING MESSAGE. THE VEIL OR HAIR UP WERE SYMBOLS SHE WAS MARRIED & NOT FREE TO ACT INDEPENDENT OF  HER HUSBAND OR TRYING TO BE LIKE A MAN.  AT THE TEMPLES (APHRODITE) PROSTITUTES DIDN’T WEAR VEILS & HAD THEIR HAIR LOOSE OR DOWN. SLAVES HAD THEIR HEADS SHAVED & SHAVED HEAD WAS ALSO PUNISHMENT FOR WOMAN CONVICTED OF ADULTERY.  SOME WOMEN WERE FOCUSING ON THEIR NEW FREEDOM---IT SEEMS STRANGE TO US BUT HAIR IN THAT CULTURE WAS THOUGHT TO PROVOKE MALE LUST (ALSO TRUE OF BARE ARMS OR ANKLES)—IT MIGHT BE LIKE WEARING SHORT SKIRT OR SHORTS—SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE INAPPROPRITE DRESS FOR OCCASION. THE DRESS OF BOTH MEN/WOMEN SHOULD SHOW RESPECT FOR THEMSELVES & FOR LORD.  (WE WOULD NOT THINK OF WEARING JEANS TO FORMAL DINNER) GRKS & ROMAN WOMEN WERE TO WEAR VEIL IN PUBLIC AS SIGN OF RESPECT—WITHOUT IT SHE WAS SAYING SHE WAS “AVAILABLE” & DISTRACTING OTHERS FROM GIVING GLORY TO GOD. THIS WAS REBELLIOUS BEHAVIOR. SO PAUL SARCASTICALLY SAYS “WELL IF THAT’S THEY WAY YOU WANT TO DRESS & ACT JUST GO AHEAD & CUT YOUR HAIR!”  YOU MIGHT AS WELL PHYSICALLY DISPLAY THE ATTITUDE OF YOUR HEART!

B.   GOD’S ORDER OF CREATION: BOTH MEN & WOMEN WERE CREATED BY GOD TO BRING GLORY TO HIM. THE WIFE TO COMPLETE/COMPLIMENT HUSBAND & VICE VERSA. THE WOMEN WERE FREE TO SHARE IN WORSHIP.  WEARING THE VEIL OR THE HAIR UP RESPECTED GODS CREATED DESIGN & GAVE HIM GLORY.  THAT GAVE HER A PLACE OF DIGNITY/AUTHOIRTY BEFORE CHRIST AND HER HUSBAND. SO DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO BE DECENT & ORDERLY IN WORSHIP—DON’T DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD HINDER THAT—BE SENSITIVE TO THOSE AROUND YOU—AND THE MESSAGE & WITNESS IT PRESENTS.

C.   THE ANGELS:  THIS TOO HAS BROUGHT MUCH DEBATE AS TO ITS MEANING. SOME THINK PAUL WAS REFERRING BACK TO 6:31 WHERE HE SAID BELIEVERS WOULD JUDGE ANGELS—OTHERS THINK IT REFERS TO ANGELS OBSERVING OUR WORSHIP & WE SHOULD SHOW RESPECT TO THESE ANGELIC BEINGS (1 PET. 1:12; PS. 138:1 “ANGELS LISTEN AS I SING PRAISE”).  IT MAY BE A WAY OF SAYING EVERY ORDER OF CREATED BEING SHOWS REVERENCE TO GOD  (ISA. 6:2—SERAPHS COVERED THEIR FACE)—IF ANGELS ARE NOT TO STEP OVER THEIR BOUNDARIES THEN HUMAN SHOULDN’T EITHER—MEN & WOMEN ARE MUTUALLY DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER (V.12)—THEY ARE EQUAL IN CHRIST BUT THEIR PHYSICAL STRUCTURE IS DIFF. AND THEIR ROLES ARE DIFF.  (EX: MALE HORMONE TESTOSTERONE SPEEDS UP HAIR LOSS—SO IN GENERAL THEIR HAIR FALLS OUT QUICKER—IN WOMEN THE HORMONE ESTROGEN CAUSES THEIR HAIR TO STAY IN LONGER) THE GRK WORD FOR LONG HAIR CAN ALSO MEAN “NEAT HAIRDO”—WOMEN PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THEIR HAIR THAN MEN—IT HIS HER NATURAL COVERING/GLORY. THERE ARE THESE GOD GIVEN SEXUAL DIFF. IN WAY WE ARE MADE—TO TRY TO HINDER OR INTERFERE WITH THAT IS OFFENSIVE.

CONCLUSION:  THERE ARE MANY REF. TO WOMEN WORKING/SERVING IN EARLY CHURCH—PRISCILLA, CHLOE, LYDIA, APPHIA, NYMPHA, JOHN MARK’S MOTHER, AN “ELECT LADY” IN 2 JOHN—PHOEBE IN ROM.16 “A DEACON OF CHURCH IN CHENCHREA”  PAUL CALLED HER AN OVERSEER—4 DAUGHTERS OF PHILIP WHO PROPHESIED.  IN SUMMARY A WOMAN’S HAIR, DRESS SHOULD REVEAL HER CHARACTER, LOVE, SUBMISSION TO THE LORD & HER HUSBAND.  TODAY WEARING HATS, VEILS IS NOT ISSUE—BUT IT IS FOR MUSLIMS!  THERE BARE SHOULDERED WOMEN ARE SEXUALLY PROMISCUOUS.  FOR US BACK IN 60’S HAIR LENGTH & STYLE WERE AN ISSUE—NOW ITS RINGS, TATOOS.  THE POINT IS WHENEVER OUR OUTWARD APPEARANCE FLAUNTS AUTHORITY, SOCIAL CUSTOM OF THE DAY WE MAY HURT HARMONY OR THE BODY & EVEN OUR WITNESS TO THE LOST.  BE CAREFUL OF TIMES—DON’T DO ANYTHING IN DRESS OR HAIRSTYLE THAT WOULD COMMUNICATE MISLEADING SEXUAL SIGNALS.