Gender and the Glory of God

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 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. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 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. 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. 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. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought 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 as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: 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, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

May God bless this, the reading of His holy and infallible Word.

Introduction:

Anyone who has managed, or counseled people has learned that the problem people present you with is often not the real problem. Nine times out of ten, there is a deeper, underlying problem. This is true of the text before us. In the Eastern Mediterranean culture of the first century, head coverings were a way for a woman to show her respect for her husband’s authority. For various reason, some of the women (and perhaps some of the men) of the Corinthian church believed this was no longer necessary. Although we do not know all of their motivations, it probably had something to do with the fact that in Christ all people are equal. Paul expressed this revolutionary doctrinal truth in his letter to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:28 ESV

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The idea that all people are “created equal” is taken for granted today. Before Christianity, no one believed this. In the world Paul lived in, it was taken for granted that slaves, women and people from other ethnic groups were not equal. In their enthusiasm in embracing the essential equality of men and women, it is easy to see how some of them might have jumped to the unwarranted conclusion that all gender distinctions are eliminated.

We are experiencing a similar problem, because of the influence of Christianity, our culture affirms the essential equality of every human being, but some are taking this too far. We live in a day and age in which our culture is attempting to eliminate and blur all gender distinctions and once again, this is creeping into the church. This is why this passage is so helpful, because it is not primarily about head coverings, but glorifying God through our gender. When a man embraces his masculinity, he glorifies God and enjoys God’s blessing. When a woman embraces her femininity, she glorifies God and enjoys God’s blessing.

With this in mind, I want to begin with this premise:

Nothing Glorifies God and Blesses our Lives More Than Obedience to His Word

I chose to begin my Scripture lesson this morning at 1 Corinthians 10:31, because all that follows is a working out of this great truth. In chapters 10-14, Paul addresses problems that have arisen in the worship of the Corinthian church and the guiding principle that is to govern our worship is the glory of God. Worship by its very nature is not about us, but about God. Without obedience, worship is nothing more than a God dishonoring shame. Consider what Samuel said to Saul concerning worship:

1 Samuel 15:22 ESV

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

When we joyfully obey God, we are acknowledging that we believe that God is wise and good. In contrast, when we disobey God, do we not demonstrate that we doubt God’s wisdom and goodness? It really is not any more complicated than this. The famous economist and social thinker, Thomas Sowell once noted, “The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best”.

The story of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is an archaeal story that is played out each moment of our lives. Adam and Eve already knew what was good and evil, God had told them, “Don’t eat of the tree that is in the midst of the garden;” but the Serpent came and suggested to them that God is not wise and is not good, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Everything Satan said was a lie and Adam and Eve went from glorifying God to dishonoring God. They went from enjoying God’s blessing to experiencing God’s curse! The same thing happens to us every time we choose to disobey God.

If you take nothing else from this sermon today, I hope you will take this with you, every time you make a choice you are either picking fruit off the Tree of Life (which is God’s Word) or you are picking fruit off the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (which is human autonomy). With this guiding principle in mind, let us move more to the next point:

God in His Wisdom Has Established an Order of Authority

The controversy over head coverings in Corinth only revealed a deeper problem, both men and women in Corinth were rebelling against God’s authority.

The first thing Paul does in this text is remind them that there is a God-ordained structure of authority:

1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV

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.

At the top is God the Father, “the head of Christ is God.” This phrase occurs last in this sentence for emphasis, both men and women are reminded that the head of the church is Christ. This is so important to understand. A husband in his home and an elder in the church exercises his authority under the authority of Christ. A wife in the home and woman in the church submits under the authority of Christ. This point alone answers many, if not most, of the objects raised against this doctrine. Does this doctrine give husbands the authority to abuse their wives, of course not! The husband is commanded by Christ to love his wife as Christ loves the church. Does this doctrine require wives to submit to abuse or follow him into sin? Of course not, did not the Apostles say, “judge for yourselves whether or not it is right for us to obey God or men.”

There is great significance that Jesus is being referred to as Christ and not for example “Logos”. The word “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah”. It means in both languages “the Anointed One.” It is pointing to Jesus’ incarnation, when in the words of Philippians 2:6-8, Jesus “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

There is a second reason this phrase, “the head of Christ is God”, is in the position of emphasis, it reminds us that there is a distinction between essential equality and functional subordination. In His is essential nature Christ has been and always will be equal to God the Father in his essence. Everything the Father is the Son is. When the Scripture speaks of Jesus “emptying himself” and “humbling himself” it is not suggesting that Jesus became less than God, rather it is speaking of His voluntary submission to the Father’s authority and His temporary submitting Himself to human limitations. This example of Christ Jesus is very helpful for us in understanding our gender roles as men and women. It is not about our essential equality; it is about our functional submission. In the closing verses of this passage, Paul is careful to reinforce this point:

1 Corinthians 11:11–12 ESV

Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.

In vs. 4-9, Paul reminds us that this structure of authority is established in creation itself. The wearing of head coverings was a culturally significant sign of submission to and honor of a husband’s authority in the first century, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean. It no longer has that significance in our culture; however, the underlying principle still does. Men are called to be loving heads and women are called to submit lovingly.

The consequences are much greater than most people realize. In vs. 10, Paul says that wives ought to have the symbol of authority on their heads, “because of angels.”

What does Paul mean by “because of angels”? There has been needless speculation of this phrase, but I always like to go with Scripture and there is a verse in Jude that explains what Paul means:

Jude 6 ESV

And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

All sin is evil, but not all sin is equally evil; some sins are worse than others are. The angels remind us that rebelling against our assigned positions of authority is an extraordinary sin, deserving of an extraordinary punishment! These gender issues that are so troubling our nation and the church are not minor sins; they are a great evil. For example, when the AMA recommended that gender be removed from birth certificates this was evidence that our society has morally hit rock bottom! To bring the gender and sexual ethics of the world into our homes and into the church is to destroy both! We must not allow this to happen!

This brings us to the last point:

Our Worship Must Reflect God’s Wisdom

The reason, head coverings had become such an important issue is because those women who were not wearing them were sending a defiant message of rebellion against God’s ordained order of authority. It was as if they were shaking their fists up at God even as they went through the motions of rebellion. Today head coverings do not have this type of symbolism, but we can still shake our fists at God when it comes to gender. We can do this when we do anything that blurs or confuses gender distinction. When men act like women and women act like men, we are shaking our fists at God.

Men, there is a creation order that you must reflect; Adam was created first, to be the leader in humanity’s calling to bear the image and glory of God. What a sad commentary, that so many women are tempted to take first place because some many men, especially their husbands are not taking the lead. There is nothing more masculine that being a spiritual leader. The idea that “church” is for “sissies” is a lie of Satan, designed to destroy the church. In addition, the idea that you can only become great by making your wife small is a lie of Satan. Jesus became great by dying for His bride in order that He “might present the church to Himself in splendor”!

Women, there is a creation order that you must reflect; Eve was created to be a “helper” for Adam. You too were created in the image and glory of God, but the way you express this is different. Let Christ serve as your example; as He submitted and brought glory to God the Father, so you should submit and bring glory to your husband. We have all heard the familiar axiom, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” Submission properly understood does not mean you suppress your gifts, but rather you express them in a way that “helps” your husband become the man he should be.

As I close this message, I know that I have not addressed all questions. Particularly what women can and cannot do in the church. However, chapters 12-14, because they are about worship will afford me the opportunity to address these questions at that time. For now, I hope you take away the big point, God as made us either male or female and we are called to embrace our gender and through it glorify God.

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