Paul has established the principle that every person has a "head." Christ is the head of men. Husbands are the head of their wives. God is the head of Christ. While this could be a reference to authority, Paul seems more focused on the sense of having a representative. In the verses that follow, Paul does not say much about the authority of the one who is the head. Instead, he is focused on how each of us, men and women, can bring shame on our spiritual "head" by what we do with our physical heads and physical appearance during group worship times.

Honor and shame were fundamental aspects of the Jewish and Roman cultures of Paul's day. Success in life was thought to bring honor to a person's family or other group. Women and children, especially, felt the pressure not to dishonor the head of the family in how they behaved in public. More so than in the modern era, physical appearance was tied to honor; those who were "dishonored" were often marked by their clothing or hair. In an era without billboards and neon signs, clothing and hairstyle were also used to signal social and even sexual concepts.

Speaking into that culture, and that context, Paul warns the Corinthian Christians. Every man who publicly prays or prophesies in their meetings together with his physical head covered dishonors his spiritual head, who is Christ. Context, as always, is key to interpreting this statement correctly, as with all of Paul's comments in this letter (1 Corinthians 10:14–22).

First, this verse implies it was common in the early church for both men and women to "prophesy" during services. Some scholars understand this to mean that they were proclaiming supernatural revelations from God. Others see the word "prophesy" to mean proclaiming more general Christian guidance and instruction. Paul doesn't give deep details in this passage.

In either case, Paul writes that for a man to pray or prophesy in a certain way brings shame to Christ. The Greek phrase is kata kephalēs echōn. "Having down from the head" is the literal translation, most often rendered in English as "with his head covered." What, exactly, this means, depends greatly on the context one places on Paul's references to a "head" in this section.

Some understand this phrase to describe having long hair. Others suggest some men in Corinth had started wearing feminine head coverings. It's also possible Paul is describing the practice of Roman men in their pagan worship services: pulling their robes over their heads in a sign of humility before their gods. Paul does not directly say any of these are happening in the Corinth church services. He merely states that it would bring shame on Christ if men were to do whatever it is, exactly, he is referring to. Further verses will provide additional information which helps to provide an answer.

In short, Paul has two ideas in mind. First, all Christians need to place Christ at the top of their spiritual authorities. Second, it's dishonorable for Christians to send "mixed signals" about things like gender, through their choice of clothing and hair styles.

First Corinthians 11:2–16 describes Paul's correction of an inappropriate practice of some women in the Corinthian church. Contrary to social norms of that era, they were not wearing head coverings when praying or prophesying before the church. Paul insists that both women and men consider what their chosen appearance implies about their relationship with God. Cultural details may vary, but the principle does not: Christian men and women ought to be ''respectable'' in their manners and dress. In parallel, this teaching also touches on the concept of spiritual leadership.

Paul confronts two issues the church in Corinth was failing to practice correctly. First, some women were not wearing head coverings while praying or prophesying in their meetings. Paul insisted they must do so, and that men must not, based on mankind's relationship to God and the social implications of that covering. Second, Paul describes the reasons for observing the Lord's Supper and how it should be done. The Corinthian Christians had brought God's judgment on themselves for practicing communion in a way which dishonored Christ's sacrifice for sin and humiliated the poor among them.

After concluding his teaching on meat offered to idols, Paul turns to two issues the church in Corinth was getting wrong. The first was head coverings when praying or prophesying in their meetings. Differences between men and women in that regard are because of both spiritual and social reasons. Paul also corrects the disastrous way in which they were practicing the observance of the Lord's Supper. They were dishonoring Christ's sacrifice for sin as well as the poor in the body of Christ, the church. Despite having more to say on communion, Paul will move on to the topic of spiritual gifts in chapter 12.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.

Accessed 11/23/2024 4:35:56 AM

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