1 Corinthians 11:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

NIV: neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

NASB: for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.

CSB: Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.

NLT: And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man.

KJV: Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

NKJV: Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

Paul is highlighting a subtle difference in the creation of men and women. He is using these differences to support the cultural norm of his era, which interpreted head coverings differently for males and females. In keeping with those understandings, Paul has forbidden men from covering their heads during prayer and prophesying in the church, while requiring women to cover their heads when doing the same thing.

In broad and general terms, man is the glory of God. This is because God formed Adam in His own image as the pinnacle of creation. For that reason, in coordination with Corinthian culture, men must not cover their heads in order to bring honor to their spiritual head, and their creator, who is Christ.

Woman, though, is said to be the glory of man because the first woman was formed from one of Adam's ribs. She was made out of him. Now Paul adds that woman was made for man, as well. Man, generally speaking, was not made for woman. For this reason, the Corinthian women should cover their heads, their glory, to honor their metaphorical head, their husbands, fathers, or other male head of household. To uncover their glory in public would bring dishonor on him.

Obviously, this raises many questions for the modern reader. First among those is whether all Christian women today must cover their heads when participating in church services. Almost all Bible scholars say no: Paul's command in this passage is specific to how a woman's "glory" was represented according to the norms of his own era. In simple language, head coverings do not carry the same symbolism in most modern cultures today; in such instances, this specific command wouldn't apply.

At the same time, and for exactly the same reasons, these verses reveal a principle which is universal and binding on all believers for all times and cultures. Despite their own personal opinions, believers should not display themselves in a way the culture deems overtly sexual, especially at a "Christian" gathering; this was the implication of a woman having her head uncovered in Paul's day.

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.