Hairs and Hats
Notes
Transcript
Can I Wear This to Church?
Can I Wear This to Church?
This is a game we play Sabbath mornings with the kids. Can I wear this to church?
Sometimes they come right out and ask. They know it’s borderline, maybe. Ripped jeans? Tank top?
Sometimes they let us play on hard mode. Will I notice that Dylan doesn’t have shoes? Or Drew is wearing his slippers? Or Logan forgot pants?
Hats and Hair and Angels
Hats and Hair and Angels
We approach this text with caution.
We are all bringing some major biases with us to the text. We can’t help it. Our world, our culture, maybe our previous interactions, we have been shaped by all of it. Indoctrinated.
The way you saw your parents interacting… or not interacting. The many many ways you have seen the abuses of the Patriarchy… or rebellion in Feminism, or the new Feminism… or the recent push for Trans rights and celebration of gender fluidity and correctness of pronouns.
You all feel something about all of that. Whether you cheer or scoff… there is danger here to read what we want to read. To reject what we don’t like.
Here is the discipline in reading God’s Word. To Submit ourselves to the text. To try in every way we can, to understand what it meant to the people in 1st century Corinth, and to hear the timeless truth as it applies to us.
Let’s talk about the important things. Hair. And hats.
Everyone Has a Head
Everyone Has a Head
It’s true. Everyone has a head.
2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.
3 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.
What does headship mean?
Is this Hierarchical authority? (careful, it’s a trap)
I’ve certainly heard that asserted, followed by “If the man is the head, the woman is the neck.”
Is this a metaphor, like the “head of a river” it could mean the “source?” As in Eve was made from Adam’s rib… so he’s her “source’ kind of?
Ordered Equality. Differentiated Unity.
There are some boundaries here by the parallels Paul draws. If headship is like man to Christ, then we could be talking total and complete slavish obedience. Jesus is the boss of me in absolutely every way. He is completely and totally beyond and above me.
The last phrase constrains it. “the head of Christ is God.” This cannot be about dominance or inequality. Christ is God. And even if God is shorthand here for “God the Father,” Christ is one substance, fundamentally, metaphysically united, equal, one with the Father.
So let’s leave a question mark on “headship” and return to that as we read further.
To the real question. The most important question. What about hair and hats?
Hair and Hats
Hair and Hats
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head,
It may be that “something on your head” is talking about hats. In Rome, pagans covered their heads to pray. This is depicted in first century art all over, certainly a likely practice in Corinth - a Roman colony.
Alternatively, “something from your head” may refer to long hair… connecting a little more to verse 14. We need to read more.
1 Corinthians 11:5–6 (ESV)
5 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.
Note: the wife is praying and prophesying! That will be important later in Chapter 14. What does it mean that “women not speak in church?” The context here, as it has been in previous chapters, as it is in the rest of 11 and to follow, the context is in public worship.
But, why though? Why is uncovering her hair shameful???
6 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.
Solved. Just shave your hair!
In all of these cases, hair style, cut, covering… these are all cultural symbols. They had specific meaning to people in Corinth in the 50s AD. Like “food sacrificed to idols” we want to understand the underlying principle.
Over there is the temple to Aphrodite. There the priestesses let down their hair… even though every respectable woman knows that a head covering shows modesty, it shows fidelity to husband or father, it shows that one is moral and upright and intending to stay that way.
Head uncovered, long hair flowing for everyone to see, it is scandalous, it is a symbol of promiscuity.
In contrast, women would wear head coverings. If you’re thinking Burkha or Hijab… that would come hundreds of years later… but the impulse is the same. The intention of an outward sign of fidelity, of modestly, of willing submission.
You speak a language with what you wear. Don’t pretend you don’t know that.
So my parents wouldn’t let me wear a baseball cap to church when I was a kid. It was seen as disrespectful. That’s cultural, sure… but I express respect in the language of my culture. If I was wearing my hat during a prayer my Dad would reach over and flick it right off me!
We can all imagine outfits it wouldn’t be appropriate to wear to church. And the goal isn’t to judge others for what they wear. (Oooooh, I see knee caps!!!) Gross. It is to judge your own self. Am I loving God, showing that I am loving God, showing that I am faithful and committed to my husband, respectful to my father, however I can do that.
I don’t think those answers are all that easy in our culture, we don’t have really clear “verbs” like this head covering thing. But there are some things in your closet you can cross right off your list. I have a “made for speed” swimsuit in my closet that you will NEVER see here in church.
What is it really about? It’s about glory.
7 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.
Is this saying woman are not created in the image of God? Nope. In the image of God He created them, male and female He created them. That’s clear, forever.
There are two problems being faced. Men imitating pagan models of prayer aren’t respectful, glorifying too God. Women imitating either prostitutes or pagan female priests aren’t glorifying to God or their husbands or fathers.
It also acknowledges, by far the most glorious thing about me is my wife and my daughters. You already knew that.
8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man.
9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
There is divine order here. Rooted in Creation. We may not like that men and women are different… but they are. More clues about Headship. We’ll get to that, I promise.
Self-explanatory. Because of the angels.
Okay… maybe not. What the heck could this mean???
Fundamentally, there must be some shared, prior knowledge from their time together, another letter, and we are left to guess. But it’s fun to guess, so let’s take a minute.
1. Don’t tempt evil angels.
1. Don’t tempt evil angels.
Some have seen in this the idea from Genesis that the “sons of God” refers to angels who came and had relations with the “daughters of men” and gave birth to the Nephilim.
So women shouldn’t wear the hair uncovered… because they might tempt angels into sin.
I… don’t agree. I think that’s speculation and not supported elsewhere in Scripture.
2. These are watching (human) messengers.
2. These are watching (human) messengers.
The word “angels” means “messengers.” Depending on your translation you may have it translated that way or a footnote that says messengers. As in “people sent to observe and report.” This then ties in with the idea from the last chapters: being loving even to people who may be watching and stumble because of their weak conscience.
If women are taking their “Christian freedom” to flaunt their freedom, breaking the cultural norms of how women should dress, should show modesty, should show submission… especially if they appear to be dressing their hair like prostitutes… and they are doing that while praying and prophesying… well that’s going to communicate entirely the wrong message to a watching world.
I like this, and I think it’s message is true… but Paul pretty much never uses “angelos” this way, especially with the direct article.
3. Veil their faces like the seraphs.
3. Veil their faces like the seraphs.
Finally, maybe he refers to imitating the worship, the seraphs in attendance to God, covering their faces with two of their wings. Veil their faces in the presence of a superior.
But why don’t the men do that too?
4. Angels guard the order of creation
4. Angels guard the order of creation
Angels helped deliver the law, they were understood to function as guardians and mediators of the law. God’s secret agents, eyes and ears in the world. This has some parallel in intertestamental writings.
5. Angels are worshipping with us
5. Angels are worshipping with us
Those angels are present in worship. We are standing on holy ground, the heavens sing when we sing, rejoice when we pray, are encouraged by our prophecies and maybe the voice of prophecy - God proclaiming - themselves.
What we do here isn’t casual, it is sacred. And so it requires us to act and dress and be sacredly. That may change from culture to culture… but the heart is the same.
Maybe some combination of all of those (except the first one.. that’s weird).
So women, be thoughtful, be careful, be purposeful and respectful as you come into worship.
Men, be thoughtful, be careful, be purposeful and respectful as you come into worship.
Or, as we stressed last week, be sure that in every way, in every act, in every dress, in every hairstyle even… love the Lord, your God, with all your hat, hair, heart and soul. Love others as yourself… as Jesus did.
Yo Momma!
Yo Momma!
Equality and Interdependence in Christ
But be careful lest we think this is all about male dominance and keeping women down. To the men who arrogantly want to take this to their spouse and dominate them with it… Paul wants to talk to your momma!
11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.
We are equal in Christ. Whatever “headship” might mean, it can never mean dominance or superiority. It cannot mean power and the abuse of power. It cannot mean oppression and tyranny.
It has been. It has often been. There is a reason you hear people speak of the “patriarchy” with a sneer… or even with fear. This has been twisted by Satan, twisted by sin, to harm and oppress woman for millennia.
There are equal and opposite dangers here. People twist God’s Word to use and abuse power on others. Or, as a counter-reaction, throw out God’s Word and attempt to write their own user’s manual. To sit on God’s throne instead because we can do it better.
Both are sin. Both are doomed to failure.
That’s one more clue to “headship.”
First, back to hats and hair.
But this is another of those “matters of conscience” and Paul puts it clearly in this territory.
Judge for yourself!
13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,
15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
Paul’s opining here. Men look weird with long hair?
Women look great with long hair? (I agree).
But, ultimately, “judge for yourselves.”
What about all those pictures of Jesus with long hair??? White, blue-eyed, long-hair Jesus. (Okay, maybe that one is disgraceful).
How about way more ethnically realistic Jesus from Chosen? Is that long hair? Does that count? What is Paul about here?
What does Paul mean by “nature” here? “The ordering of how things are.” That is not in opposition to culturally determined norms of behavior, it is shaped by it.
We hear “nature” and we think genetics. DNA. If you let a man’s hair grow “naturally” by that measure, it grows just as long as a woman’s. But when Paul talks about “nature” or our “nature” he means all of the things together. He isn’t thinking about nature vs. nurture, it’s all wrapped up in “the way things are.”
And in a “shame/honor” culture, as the East and here, the Near East was… it is all about what reflects honor or dishonor on your family.
Others point to differentiation of the sexes. That what Paul is condemning here is men pretending to be women, being purposefully effeminate… or women trying to pull a Mulan.
Gender differentiation through “semiotic” code (hair or dress.” The conventions and social norms.
In Scotland, SUPER manly to wear a skirt. In Starbucks they give me strange looks.
And so Paul puts this whole message in the category of “judge for yourselves”… use wisdom to applying the principles of love to the specifics of cultural practice.
But he makes a strong case:
16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
Just be aware: everyone is doing it this way. :D
That’s a lot. How then shall we live? It really leaves us with the two questions we started with:
What is Headship and Can I Wear Hats?
What is Headship and Can I Wear Hats?
God tells all of us to submit to one another. Men and Woman. Before he says wives to submit to your husbands, he tells us all to submit to one another.
Ephesians 5:21–22 (ESV)
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, [submit] so to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
I think God stresses submission to wives because that’s what they are most likely to struggle with. Because husbands are often dumb. And it’s part of the fall.
16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
Submission to your husband as to Christ. That’s hard.
Men, the “gift” of headship is not the easy life. I think Ephesians gives the absolute best unpacking of what headship really looks like. We saw the analogy in the beginning:
3 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.
The parallel there is Christ and Christ’s love. And Ephesians unpacks that this way:
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Sacrificial love. Leadership that seeks to give himself up for his wife, for his family. That’s the opposite of the Fall too. Adam, he didn’t take responsibility or blame.
Eve said “eat this apple...” Adam said “Duh… okay.”
And when it went wrong what did Adam do? “The woman!!!” finger pointing!
I think God calls men to headship, to this sacrificial love… because that’s what we would most struggle with.
Headship is the divine calling of a husband to take primary responsibility for Christ-like, servant leadership, protection, and provision in the home. -John Piper
And we are called to submission to headship. Above all, the headship of God, the headship of Christ… We practice that in all kinds of smaller ways. Women are given that extra challenge of submitting to husbands and fathers… even though we can be sinful and stupid.
Submission is the willingness to give up our right to ourselves, to freely surrender our insistence on having our own way all the time. -Myles Munroe
And that is what brings us back to Paul’s real major point.
See, 1 Corinthians 11 comes after 1 Corinthians 10. Pretty good. And before 1 Corinthians 12 and 13.
What is 1 Corinthians 13 about? Love!
What have the previous three chapters (at least) been about? Love! How can I give up my rights and privileges for the sake of love, for the sake of the gospel?
This is not an aside from the rest of the letter.
In the chapters before… it’s all about applying the primacy of love in worship. I’ll sacrifice my rights, my privileges in order to love God and love you.
It all builds up to Chapter 13, the “love chapter” and beyond into chapter 14. It’s all one story, one purpose… it’s all about love.
This is no different.
What might love require of you? Give up your rights. Give up your privileges.
You no longer get to "decide" your gender... or your "role"... you no longer have infinite free expression on your clothing or your hair or your hats. If that starts to feel like "death..." we are starting to get it.
Jesus didn't pull punches "take up your cross and follow me!" This is what it looks like to die daily. If I can love God or love you by shaving my head... I'm going to do it. If I can love God or love you by growing my hair long... I'll do that too.
If I can love God and love my family by being the sacrificial "head" of my family that He has created me to be... I'm going to strive to be that too. I'm not there yet. My wife is called to love God and love me and love y'all by submitting to my "headship." Pray for her!
So "Whether we eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."