1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Immediately Eisegesis comes in to play by me calling it a soccer ball. Why did I call it a soccer ball? Because I am from the United States. Had I been from a different country I would have more than likely called it a Football. So me growing up in the United States causes me to call it a soccer ball. I bring the fact that I am in the United States to the ball. In the same way, when I let Eisegesis creep in to study then I let my background and up bringing shape how I interpret a text.

Back to the ball. When I see this ball, my up bringing has taught me not to like it that much. My father was not a big fan of soccer and didn’t understand why you couldn’t use your hands in this game. My baseball coach on a trip to Venezuela, I noticed how many times the kids would break out a soccer ball. I suggested to him that the next time we come to Venezuela we should bring some soccer balls and his response was, “Jono how many times do I have to tell you that you can’t win people to the Lord using the Devils game”.

Many in this room need to know that this is not my view of Soccer now. The game takes so much skill, endurance, strength and so much more. If I was to eisegete the ball then my results would be negative, but when I exegete the ball then I gain an appreciation for the game.

This text this morning is not an easy text to interpret and you will see why. So as we exegete scripture our goal is not to allow eisegesis impact our interpretations.

I would like to also add that I am going to do my best with this text but to say that I have everything figured out here would be a prideful statement and one that would shock Bible scholars because this text continues to raise questions to some of the most wise Biblical scholars.

1 Corinthians 11:2–16 HCSB

2 Now I praise you because you always remember me and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. 6 So if a woman’s head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered. 7 A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. 9 And man was not created for woman, but woman for man. 10 This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. 12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.

1 Corinthians 11:

Pray

Throughout Jesus’s time here on earth we see his compassion for women. Jesus many times went against culture. I think of the time where he is at the table and the woman begins to wash his feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. The men around the table begin to scold him for allowing her to touch him and Jesus begins to teach and talk about how much more she has done verses what they have done for him.

The key piece to Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus and it was women who were the first to witness and tell others of the resurrection.

Paul elevated the role of women in as he says you are all one in Christ.

Galatians 3:28 HCSB

28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

It would be easy for us to take this passage of scripture here in chapter 11 and eisegete the scripture according to our traditions and according culture.

Our goal this morning is to exegete the scripture to try and understand what is scripture really trying to say in this passage.

1 Corinthians 11:2 HCSB

2 Now I praise you because you always remember me and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.

Paul has lovingly disciplined them throughout this letter. In verse two he praises them because they have kept the traditions just as he delivered them to them.

1 Corinthians 11:3 HCSB

3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:3

In this verse, there are a few words that bring questions:

Head

Man

Women

Head (Two possibilities)

Subordination:

This idea that the head was a person in authority was unknown in history. Meaning that we in eisigesis sometimes understand head to mean a person in authority. The Heads of states.

Origin:

Head was used as the source (head of a river)

The problem with this interpretation is that if we hold hard to this then we would be saying that God is the origin of Christ. Did Christ have an origin? NO Some explain this as Christ coming through the virgin birth.

My thoughts

What we know to be true is that both men and women derive their being from Christ.

John 3:1 HCSB

1 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

John 1:3 HCSB

3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

We do know that God took from Adam to create women.

Genesis 2:21–22 HCSB

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. 22 Then the Lord God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.

We don’t know all that is happening in the culture at the time of this letter. It does appear from the rest of the text that the women are doing some things that they should not be doing and so Paul is addressing these things. So what else we know to be true throughout scripture we as Christ followers are called to submit to one another.

Paul has expressed this throughout the letter and he says I have rights but for the sake of others I submit to them and give up my rights.

One other note I must interject here. In our culture, it is easy for men to jump on a soap box and say yes woman you are to submit to me. This eisegesis has done a great amount of damage to the woman in our culture here. I have watched as men in Taney county have down played the role of woman in our culture, in the home, and in community. If this is your view of this passage then you must look at how Christ treated women, women were the first to report of the resurrection, Jesus went against the culture for women and you will see that women in the eyes of our Lord are equal to men in the eyes of the Lord and have great value and must be treated as such!

Let’s make it a goal to empower women in our culture and change how women our viewed in our past.

Men: Paul uses a different word for husband so the best interpretation here is for men in general and not husbands

Women: Again Paul uses a different word for wife in this letter and so the general interpretation is this is speaking of women instead of wives.

1 Corinthians 11:4-

1 Corinthians 11:4–10 HCSB

4 Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. 6 So if a woman’s head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered. 7 A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. 9 And man was not created for woman, but woman for man. 10 This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

We don’t know what all is happening in the culture here. Before Jesus, the women were not even counted among the numbers in the synagogues. Here we see women are praying and prophesying in the church.

During this time some of the temple prostitutes would have short hair and in some cases they would strive to look like a male.

So in this culture the men were not to pray with something on their head because it would dishonor Christ.

Likewise the women were to have their head covered in order to honor Christ.

v.8 Speaks back to the origination of man and women when God created women from the man.

v.9 -10

Women and men play unique roles in the kingdom. God has gifted each one uniquely. It is very clear in my marriage relationship with Amy that she has unique gifts that I don’t have and I have unique gifts that she does not have. God has designed men and women uniquely. I recognize that when their is a push to down play the role of one of these in the church then the body of Christ suffers as a result.

Women have played a huge role in this church. Their touch is on everything we do. Also men play a huge role in this church and their touch is on everything we do.

I am again reminded of this Glad submission to a loving authority. We see Jesus in the garden submitting to the will of the father.

Luke 22:42 HCSB

42 “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Jesus gladly submitted to the will of the father and it was this submission that brought us forgiveness for our sins.

1 Corinthians 11:11–12 HCSB

11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. 12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.

Paul clarifies that if you think he is downplaying the role of women he says women is not independent of man and man is not independent from women.

He says men if you think for a second you are greater than women then you need to realize that you wouldn’t be here if it was for women.

Paul is emphasizing that we both men and women complement each other. Both men and women belong in the Body of Christ. Both men and women’s gifts are needed to make the body better.

Men and women serve along side each other and have equal value in the Lord.

Genesis 1:27 HCSB

27 So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.

Men and women have unique roles.

In the body of Christ we celebrate our differences. We don’t minimize that men and women have differences but we celebrate that we are different and realize the importance of having both in the body of Christ.

When we see areas of leadership dominated by all males or all females we should proceed with caution. God has gifted each uniquely and their gifts are needed.

1 Corinthians 11:13-

1 Corinthians 11:13–16 HCSB

13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.

For the women of Corinth it was improper for the women to pray with their heads uncovered.

Uncovering of the women’s head would draw attention to the women.

Some of the men are not acting in their role as a man and appearing to be like women by the length of their hair. This is not about the length of your hair this is about knowing who God has created you to be.

How we appear and dress should be for the Glory of the Lord. Don’t dress in such a way that draws attention to your own glory. How we dress and what we were should not draw attention to ourselves but to God.

Not only in how we dress but may also our attitude be such that we seek to bring Glory to the Lord. The church runs in to conflict when the church people center their attitudes on themselves. When musicians seek their own glory things get sticky, when individuals seek their own wants in the church things don’t go well.

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