THURSDAY Reflections
There is way too much
arguing over what a woman can or cannot do in church. Paul dealt with this back
in his day also. The first half of this chapter deals with how a woman should
be dressed if she is speaking in church. Here again, I want to point out two
things.
If Paul meant for women
to be silent in church like some claim Paul was saying in chapter 14, then this
portion of scripture makes no sense. If women are to be silent then it doesn't
matter what they wear when they prophesy because they can't. They are supposed
to be silent. Clearly then what we are going to see in chapter 14 isn't a
command for women to be silent (more on that later). Women are allowed to speak
but how they are dressed is being discussed, not their freedom to do so.
Finally, the problem dealt with local customs and what was considered proper dress. Many scholars believe what was at issue was how a woman in Corinth presented herself. If this is true then many were offended that women would speak in church and dress like what their culture said was a prostitute. However, when we come to the end of this section Paul makes it clear that if someone wants to argue about it, that Paul and his friends don't observe any such custom and neither does the rest of the church. To say it another way, Paul said, “get over it, it's not important.”
1Co 11:1-34
(1) Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
(2) Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
(3) But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
(4) Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
(5) But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
(6) For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
(7) For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
(8) For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
(9) Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
(10) For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
(11) Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
(12) For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
(13) Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
(14) Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
(15) But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
(16) But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
(17) Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
(18) For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
(19) For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
(20) When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
(21) For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
(22) What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
(23) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
(24) And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
(25) After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
(26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
(27) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
(28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
(29) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
(30) For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
(31) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
(32) But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
(33) Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
(34) And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
No comments:
Post a Comment