1st Corinthians 11:2-16

if you have a Bible, you can open up to 1st Corinthians chapter 11, we spent I don't know. I could 4 weeks talking about contending contending with people continued in prayer and continue through preaching and Michael gave pain of a Prelude to that whole thing on contending and so we're ending with ended that we're in 1st Corinthians back in 1st Corinthians chapter 11, we will be done with this entire letter before the end of the year and then we'll be getting into Matthew right around the time of Advent. So that is going to be fantastic. I'm going to read this to you and then we're going to pray and ask God for a lot of wisdom. I'm hearing a lot back here to me Britain. I don't know. What you doing there, but you can Eminem

Now I commend you. Because you remember me in everything. And maintained the Traditions even as I delivered them to you, but I want you to understand the head of every man is Christ the head of a wife you translation might also say a woman is her husband and a head of Christ is God every man who prays or prophesied with his head covered it dishonors his head but every wife who prays or prophesied with her head uncovered dishonours her head since it is the same as a forehead with shaving purple wife will not cover her head and she should cut her hair short, but since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head that are cover her head from a note not to cover his head and C is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man for man was not made neither. From woman but woman from man neither was Man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why I why I thought to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the Angels nevertheless in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman for his woman was made from man. So man is born of woman. All these things are from God judge for yourself. Is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered 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 is her glory for hair is given to her for covering anyone is inclined to be contentious. We have no such practice nor do the Churches of God dear Lord help us. In all honesty cuz this text is difficult and we ask for your Holy Spirit to lead us guide up Governor time together in Jesus name. Amen. Amen, for those of you who don't know. I began my education out at cocc there for college and I took four years of Spanish class or 4 x 4 years for terms. Same thing right Louise. Yo hablo mucho espanol. Call me Amigo Louis. All right, so I learned enough to get by and I have this lady she was in every single one of my classes and we didn't talk much or spend much time together. In fact, we are kind of always cornered far apart in the room and finally at the end of our last semester together. I'm in the bookstore trying to get money back for the overpriced text books that they made you purchase back then it was wonderful. And here comes this lady and she bursts through these doors. and she is I'm going to be generous maybe about 55 and I'm like 23 and she goes amigo. Oh no. Oh no, and she comes running up to me with her arms wide open to embrace me Granite. I have maybe said five words in Spanish to this lady nun in English my entire time and four semesters with her in class and she opens her arm. And I do one of those like over your shoulder looks like dear God, please let it be the person behind me. It was not and she comes running down towards me and says when in France and she leans in to kiss my lips

And I turned my head and the lady side lips me totally just get the side of my lip wet kiss and I take a step back and look at her and I'm like what in the heck are you doing? And I turn around and see who saw it and I just kind of walked by with the book still in my bag and out the store. Hopeful never to see her again. No joke later that day Walmart parking lot same lady as a friend. We had to duck this gal cuz I did not want to see her once again to get kissed here is why that is incredibly awkward. This is obviously not going to share my face today here is why it was incredibly difficult. We didn't live in France. I wasn't looking for a kiss from this lady. I didn't want her to wrap her arms around me. It was uncomfortable. I didn't know her and it felt awkward and a little bit strange as she came running towards me but her line when in France as if I don't know do they even do that in France? Maybe me a bit off-guard context and cultural context is an important aspect when you're trying to immerse yourself in some kind of culture to learn what they're about to learn how to operate to learn how they function we're approaching this very ancient yet authoritative inspired and in its original Greek and Hebrew in parents. Book or confirmation of letters and writings and Psalms and Proverbs and narrative and all the rest. One of the things that can often get lost on us as we're reading. The scriptures is that it's not always a simple a plus b equals c when it comes to interpretation. We actually have to begin to look at cultural context to understand what maybe Paul was speaking about to the things that he was writing to a specific culture and saying here's the question you have. Here's the solution that I'm going to give you that what that does not do or reading the scriptures if it does not make it any less authoritative inspired an errand but we have to do some work to understand. What is the principal? The Paul that Peter that John has some of the words even Jesus spoke. What is the principle that this practice is getting it? Let me just give some examples before we get into this Texas typically at the end of many of his letters. Paul says greet one another with what a holy kiss how many you did that this Sunday? Nobody's practicing that right now. That's the only because of the pandemic right? Like if you want a slobbery wet one from one of my kids be my guest but I doubt it's right. It's not going to happen Okay, this is something that was described as a way in their culture how they would greet one. Another is that that lady what she did to me may have been fully normal 2000 years ago, but please no, holy kisses at redeemers church. You'll get a holy kick if you give a holy kiss. Just let that be all right.

Jesus says when you fast anoint your head with oil. I wonder how many of you who participated are practiced fasting spent the morning dumping oil all over your head if you have done that or how about the last time when you repented with sackcloth and Ashes. I didn't do that either or or possibly like the words of Jesus to the Rich Young Ruler. If you really want to follow me sell everything and all the Americans Jesus come on that for us for sure. And there's the principles behind some of the practices that were shared at once in my life my youth group participated in a foot-washing ceremony. It was horrifically nobody wanted to wash these bad boys. All right, there's a lot of things in the scripture of the day participated in their culture that we didn't have to go. How does this what does this mean and apply to us today? So it's the principle that we want to latch onto for example, in feet washing when Jesus washes disciples feet. He was showing him become the least in the Kingdom lower yourself humble yourself serve others love others and we can grasp that in an our culture if we can find also. Sorts of way to do foot-washing while all the while praising God we have showers and baths that we can take daily and other cultures this might still be practice and participated in its only come to a difficult text like this everything he kind of want to do is just go. All right, let's just take this straightforward. Let's get the prayer shawl head coverings are men. Make sure you remove those caps when we bow our heads and we pray that's not exactly what Paul is getting out here. First of all, we need to take this ten thousand foot due to this passage and you have to remember that the church was burnt into existence because of what Jesus Christ had done and it will begin to follow Jesus and they're saying what does it look like to follow Jesus Michael and I are going to elaborate on this in Matthew when we talked about it, but the reality is we're all being shaped. We're all being formed by the culture around us by friendship to relationship like we talked about Last week we all have government influences in our lives that feed us that fill us at tell us how to act behave and D. If you're new to a church be kind of sit there and watch maybe a couple of the Fanatics in the front row and I just keep an eye on them all know what's acceptable. Can we stand? Can we sit can we lift and Can We Dance? Can we and we can kind of look at poultry all are accustomed to this. And we go I know how to act and behave if I'm looking at watching other people with his church is burnt. And it's mixed your Jews have been immersed in Judaism and their practices in their waist. You have these Gentiles who worshipped at the feet of Pastor off their whatever God that they serve Zeus or the Pagan temples and they're going what does it look like to be followers of Jesus and the interesting thing happened where we read in 1st Peter last week that we are the temple Jesus came in he Tabernacle. He dwelt Among Us he came to us and now because of that it's not necessarily a brick-and-mortar building that you go to to meet with God but it's the people of God who gather together and God is dwelling in their midst and working through it. And this would have been a revolutionary idea skinny first century thinker because their mentality was without a temple you have no house for a God. So where does your god? Well, if you are a first century Christian you would have said something like hey, you want to meet Yahweh. Do you want to worship Yeshua Call Denisa where's your temple and It Go the people gathered together. And it would have been this mind-blowing nomenon for 1st Century thinkers. If there was a God that just simply inhabited his people outside of a So they're learning a new way to be as human as followers of Jesus and that letters talking about the formation of this church and they're saying we have this practice in our culture Paul. What do we do with it now when you read this text to specifically The question is when we come together. I do watch not just gather up all saying here when you come together and there's two acts specifically you pray and when you prophesy here is what this is supposed to look like in the Gathering. We read this in Verses 4 through 6 every man who prays or prophesied with his head covered is on a person's head. But his wife who prays or prophesied with her head uncovered dishonours her head is it is the same as if her head or even the whole issue is not surrounding when you just come and gather with when you actually participate In the body, what is it supposed to look like for each and everyone of us and this portion often gets overlooked because it was a revolutionary idea for the church in that DNA is that you were coming out of a Jewish background and you went to synagogue in many of the synagogue's there would have been a veil where the women set apart step from the men. They were not speaking in the Gathering they were not to really even be noticed in the Gathering but now Paul has already declared in Galatians chapter 3. There is neither Jew nor Gentile. There's no slave or free there. Is neither male nor female We Are All One in Jesus Christ and in so doing is actually allowing for these women elevating him to participate in prayer and we understand what that looks like and it's not that they were prohibited in their private life from put in the Gatherings that would have been enough your thoughts to actually come together and pray with men and women one another and then he says with prophesying. We're going to further discuss this idea prophesying but the reality is if it's speaking teaching truth and if somebody's ice Hopefully it happens weekly here on Sunday morning. Hopefully it happens when you gather and smoke communities are with one another. Hopefully it takes place in our lives is not just a weird the stay at the Lord easy events are going to happen and I'm up the profit key better. Listen to me and to Paulding in to talk about this idea in the gallery. I would rather speak just a few words in regular language than in the tongues of angels why for your instruction? The result is prophesying. The Palm is telling me people this is a new and radical concept, but but there is some cultural issues going on. In Paul's day much like in our day men and women are marked out by gender going to get heated made in here literally and metaphorically by gender through here hair and clothing style. We know from statues and paintings and other art work from that period of that that time that they practice that idea that there's social pressure to maintain appropriate distinction between men and women and so perhaps the Corinthian Church Paul said when he said you have remembered me and maintained the Traditions I sent to you perhaps they're recalling Galatians chapter 3 in the Saint Paul if that's true can us women go ahead and get liberated and throw those head coverings off and come together and worship Jesus. Are you down with that tall? If that's true can Us Men actually don't or so. With a head covering like the Romans to worship and prophesy to their gods do in that culture. Is that what this mean for us? Perhaps is the Traditions that they're throwing on to their cultural context Are there specific situations for example in that day and age if you were a woman who was not wearing a head covering? It's often Associated yourselves with the temple prostitutes or the elite to associated with the elite men's here in the lead woman who dissociates if you know what I mean come together with one another and is basically a way to get yourself to somebody in order to get something back in return. It would work hard time reading or have the unbraiding of hair that would take place and they were just the social Norm at conviction of that conventions of that day. There's a lot of perhaps that we could draw from this text. All doesn't give us to perhaps this Duffy. What you do a little bit of digging. the word guessing there's a lot of stuff that were stealing our way in the dark. But if we take this out of plane is reading perhaps they're incredible surprised that dope all has said neither male nor female mile isn't that there is neither male nor female perhaps they're surprised that he is now making a distinction in the congregation of that day. There's just an historical background the normal everyday dress of all, the Greek women included a head covering the only women do not wear them for the high-class mistresses of influential Corinthians slaves had their head shaved and the same practices and acted as punishment for convicted adulteresses. It's further than suggested that the sacred prostitute from local temple of Aphrodite did not wear the veils. There could be a lot of cultural reasons why Paul is writing this. So what is the text mean for them in that day and that itch a lot of the debate revolves around this word head the word head in the Greek is the Folly and this idea is one first and foremost. It definitely means the Dome that sits on your shoulders the thing that contains your brain that is how you can use the word. Kafali, right? It is a head but there's two other ways in scripture and in historic used to it was used one could be used in transit authority and headship the other it could you use in terms of source like the source of a river right coming any from a small Creek and then you see the source of it way up high in the mountains coming into there and said there was two uses of this word and a lot of the debate In this passage revolves around this word specifically if this word means sore You have to carry that idea all the way through it and it would actually be a bit her reticle because it's saying the father is the source of the Sun and because I believe in the Triune God I cannot get their however to say that it needs Head in our cultural gets a little dicey doesn't it and shift? male dominance patriarchal society has been a disaster. Why would Paul say that? Why wouldn't you just even the playing field and level it? And this is one of the moments. can we come to us followers of Jesus and we say God made man man mixed culture culture does not make mad. Therefore just because of what culture thinks is hot happening and true doesn't mean it's what we use to determine how we live will leave at and Rehab as followers of Jesus the following that we go by what God has said not the main thrust of this passage is not necessarily about headship and Authority the pulse sprinkles a little bit of that Concept in there. But what else is going on in here because of Nature and he goes to this argument in his argument in those middle verses about nature comes down to the nature of hair is meant to bolster his position that the distinctiveness of male and female should be outwardly manifested a Christian worship. This is point when you guys come together you to actually celebrate your femininity and your masculinity because God is redeeming that for his purposes is a uniting and using that for his glory and it goes to the idea of nature to prove that point. Important notice in verse 10 when it's talking about the angels and he head coverings a head covering was a sign or symbol 20 to a greater reality. It had no meaning in itself. It was a concrete expression of an intangible truth. That's what's being displayed and talked about here. Paul isn't concerned with the head covering for say he is but he's not rather he concerned with the meaning that wearing a head covering conveys. Nature teach you not nature teach you. We have this argument. And it doesn't directly prove that women must wear head coverings, but there's a difference between men and women. That's what Paul is declaring in this text. From creation from nature there is a different than he takes a third route if they don't buy into it and it goes look all the churches. They participate in this is wow. They agree. They're not bucking the system, but they understand the cultural important that if you say we're not going to do this, but it's going to send a message to everybody outside of us to pause argument then is that when prophesying or praying? This is important that yes, these are the standards. If you would these are the ways that men and women should act and behave in the gallery Kia firms that both men and women may pray and prophesy as long as they reflect the glory of God. Now here's what this continues to mean for us as we dissected it and kind of make the jump over. Some people might look at that and go. Progressive an oppressive how dare he say that it was actually a positive not a negative. It was this released and freedom not a restrictive at it was not bondage the head covering sensors indicate that the woman has authority to pray and prophesy rent before and in many religions could not pause concerns with Christian practice. That's what he's concerned with f f Bruce Bruce dresses that in a letter in which authority Sushiya is a keyword its presence here to sign of the Christian woman's Authority in Christ, you receive equality of status with man, she might pray or prophesy at the meeting of a church in her veil is a sign of his new Authority another commentator bear degrees her veil represents the new Authority given to the woman under the new dispensation to do things with Formerly had not been permitted to her. Read this is actually very beautiful section of scripture. Because it's taking women in that day in a insane. We're releasing you refrain do we're having you prophesy and pray. Yes, there's a cultural standard and its defining of your Womanhood and there's things for you men is defining of your masculinity. Let's not blur those lines with keep the separate and distinct. In fact, there's up antenna third new gender when you become a Christian that you arrived to or become or are elevated in and an eternity to come. There's not going to be that same thing happening. You will continue on in your femininity or masculinity. Women don't have to become manlier men needing to become a woman lie to be what God truly desires. That's what this passage is leading us to the principal is embedded in the practice.

Should we look at this? I just want to share a few Thoughts with you in the marina close out empty. Right one of my favorite commentators Anglican on the other side of the pond pays attention to our issues over here has its own over there. He wrote this on this passage. God made humans male and female and gave them authority over the world as Genesis, 1:21 26 to 28 and echoing song Hey if you read this morning 4 through 8, and it's humans are to reclaim this authority over the world. This would come about as they worship the true God as they pray and prophesying his name and renewed In His Image and doing what they were made to be in celebrating the genders. God has given to them.

Today we live in a day in a in a culture in which men are wanting to be women and women are wanting to be men and I understand that maybe there's all this confusion in those things being taught in Priest and put on news and on TV and all of these ideas that you won't be loving are accepting but Paul and that day they just saying the same thing in the sense of don't learn these lines distinction has been made in male and female and in his relationships that God has given and granted to each and everyone of us and in the restoration of all things in New Creation. Us to properly bringing this into the order that he desires.

Send a text. That's my best understanding of it. Just a mother road. You can maybe go down. It's not impressive. It's not something to teach on some Mission. It's this idea that God is actually given freedom. different cultural backgrounds on the way that they function Anybody ever been to a church outside of the United States of America? Perry's awesome. He's taking us down to Costa Rica what three times? So when this church comes together and catch you this poor Village. And it's time for them to take up offering right? This is how Americans doing.

American getting right down the aisle and they were singing and they were dropping their two cents in their five bucks in and I was kind of like what they needed to talk about the joy of giving of generosity you could have looked at that and said that was really weird. Why because we're like 90% white and we barely can clap our hands and Rhythm this morning. Okay. We got some serious issues you go to another church in another culture and it looks different who's wrong. I don't think either I necessarily wrong, but we will living out principles within our culture. So yes, this was a head covering thing. And yes, the women were to cover their heads when they spoke is the symbol of authority that yes, they were actually coming under the authority of Gods and Men were to not wear anything on their head when they prayed and prophesied that was part of their cultural set of rules, but much like the holy kiss one of you ladies this morning went where's my prayer shawl which head covering am I going to wear today to match this cool outfit I got on no. We have different practices that display the same principle in our day and night with his also means reaching every one of us is God created them male and female women. equal indistinct Do you want to label me? I'm a soft complementarian. You don't know what that is. Praise God you're the start of it and maybe some hard compliment areas that exist out there in the words of Elisabeth Elliot. To me a lady is not really bouncy flippant frivolous and slept brain, but she is gentle she is gracious. She is Godly. She's getting you and I Her writing have the gift of femininity the more womanly. We are the more manly men will be in the more God is glorified be women only women be real women in obedience to God. ladies I'm the least qualified to speak on this. I'm going to take a second to do it. Celebrate her words and embraced the gift of Womanhood that God has given you by Design. There's a beautiful way to go about your life to use the very 15th and resetting the she would predispositions to make an impact on culture to make an impact in Redmond to make an impact at your place of work in your family. If you have children with your grandchildren, God has given you such a unique gifting and skill set. And by no means are we trying to limit what that looks like it may we celebrate the very fact that God has gifted us differently in certain aspects and not just Anatomy, but even interior with how were made up and what we think Can I operate so that God is glorified? Women culture since the dawn of time has always told you how you're going to be value in Abraham's day back then. You were nothing unless you were married and had children. That's how you became someone in that culture and our day and age. How do you become truly woman? You do it on your own without the help of anyone what's changed the in Gold? What's the same culture telling you how to achieve full Womanhood? What does God say he says to be truly feminine to embrace that this Redemptive value celebrate. Celebrate your woman if function operate in your femininity and braced up because I'm so Julie. We're going to see culture and home. We're going to see work places and cities flourish. Further than the line on these things we take our cues from God and scripture not from culture. men

first of all You don't have to apologize for your gender. We just ate at first you don't have to apologize for that. You don't have to see to change it physically. You don't just get to change it emotionally.

Maybe because some of our predispositions towards independence that often lead to physical harm leaving through fear and intimidation using strength to oppress rather than to empower somebody else. To enslave to cause abuse to cause harm there may be some ramifications of the way in which God and still certain aspects in to us because of the Fall that we have to say. I am so sorry not for my gender before the way in which going unchecked and not controlled by the influence of the holy spirit that I really screwed some things up and hurt people right then. Do not apologize for your masculinity. Your masculinity is not a Brad Paisley country song masculinity is not gun Toten tobacco-chewing whiskey Drinkin deer shooting men are that's 90% of Redmond and I get it.

That is not masculinity. men understand that manhood is not just physical qualities. And I can definitely be defined by some of the gifts that God has given us but gone unchecked has displayed his force and power maybe think masculinity is success. and many men use these things to affirm their Manliness. How much do you bench press, man? How fast can you run the hive a lot of can you climb that's often? How men have to find their not? The rights. What is the definition of masculinity on our culture? It's you must conform and envy firms. That's the modern-day storyline of masculinity masculinity in your job and your church in your home with your children. If you have them in your singleness with your spouse with your friends, if you learn to lean into Jesus, man. And it's a lost art in our culture is to learn to lean into Jesus masculinity is not a way to exert power and control. Strength, but you give it away and servanthood to show love patient kindness to lay down your wants your desires for others around you? And when you can be taking some note in here not as a list to give your husband boyfriend or son what he should be doing. But many of these things in the Redemptive aspect of what Christ is growing us all in to look at Jesus. He was kind-hearted to those in need that he stood firm even to those who opposed him. He walked into literal storms. He walked into situations filled with tension. And what did he always do? He brought Keith and he didn't diffuser situations. You might manliness escalate situations. in Great Dane puppy 745 I need to be down here by 8 this morning. Didn't have to do that. I wanted to be last night got home kind of late after hanging out with some friends puppy with Tiff. We went to bed. It pooped downstairs on the carpet in the basement and my kids went down and saw it at 7:45 this morning. I did not diffuse the situation at 7:45 this morning. I asked you waited it and I picked my wife off. I probably scared my children. I'm frustrated with our dog when I'm getting ready to teach important on a Sunday morning. Come on get upset with my dog, but it's the way in which it came.

Jesus diffuse situations. What about when he made whips and over through the tables peaceful protest you did something in his culture to grab their attention and say what's going on at the chapel. That's not right. That's not. Okay. So he is up in arms if he is protesting was happening at the temple by this traumatic events why cuz he ran into trouble he ran into problems. And then he confused them. He did not ask you late then. Jesus confronts, but he comforts.

Not just saying your man. Can you have a beard and a rifle and you're a moron who walks into bad situations? He's one that you get to know Jesus can spend time with them jeans this aspect of masculinity. women eating women

Finding out what culture tells you what that looks like to spend some time with Elisabeth Elliot, but if the women in scripture Jesus and how he acts and respond and Elevate in the beauty there is in that this all falls under this idea of Redemptive. God is teaching us bunch of Christian values and morals any culture and try to obtain those he's showing what it looks like to follow Jesus be Redeemed by Jesus the Holy Spirit in-dwelling. I can't you live that out. And guess what you're going to look different and stink different different than the rest of the world around you.

God thank you for your word.

for your grace for difficult passages in a real specific meaning in our day and age. Thank you God that you love us and care for us and want us to function. Even after the created order and what you want for each and every one of us. Family strive for that lean into that in the lives on out in Jesus name. Amen.