Quote:
Originally Posted by LUKE2447
Sorry but again it's a bad argument to limit it to culture as the text doesn't support it and the commentary least to say is questionable at best. As they all have there own opinion and many contradict each other. Also they are all speculation and not directly based on the text. Just as your argument cannot be constructed to make a temporary use of the veil simply due to due to culture when Paul does not appeal to them. As why would pagan culture teach the application of headship, which would be odd at best. The context demands a covering when approaching God. He does not talk about submissiveness directly but indirectly through creation and veiling would be a sign due ot the need of the church being the body of Christ which is a new realization. Again the the primary is a sign of it. You make the prime didactic application subject to the secondary aspects. That doesn't work. Hey but that is me!
|
Jeesh bro...you're really conjambulating a lot of different subjects into your argument. First off bro... Paul is offering an answer to an issue obviously brought up by Chloe in a letter from the Corinthian Church... here's the verses as I understand them....
I Corinthians 11:1-16
1Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
3But 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.
Paul is addressing spiritual headship here. Obviously Chloe's letter expressed a concern relating to women being unsubmitted to their husbands in the church. We glean from the following verses as to what the issue was relating to...
4Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
This is very interesting. Paul stated that the head of every man is Christ. Now, how would a man praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonor Christ? Scholars, archeologists, and anthropologists have found that in ancient Corinth men working in the pagan temples often dressed up like women (transvestism) and performed lewd acts as part of their worship of the pagan gods. The veil was a distinctively female piece of attire that some of these lewd fellows wore in their sexual rights. For a Christian man to wear a veil in the worship of Christ would be paganistic and lewd. Therefore it dishonored Christ.
Again, as stated above, the veil was a distinct piece of attire worn by women. Modest women often wore their veils in honor and respect for their husbands, especially when out of the home. Paul here states that if a woman prays or prophesies in the church uncovered it's "
all one AS IF she were shaved". This would cause a Corinthian to gasp. Because married women caught in adultery were punished among the Corinthians by having their heads shaved publicly. Paul is saying that if a woman prays or prophesies uncovered, she looks immodest like adulterous woman.
6For 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.
This is a STRONG rebuke. Paul is saying that if a woman refuses headship of her husband and will not be covered, she is to be shorn like a woman caught in adultery. Therefore, if a woman wishes to avoid this shame, let her submit and be covered. Let's face it. The first century was radically patriarchal and very brutal. For many centuries immodest women and women caught in adultery suffered public humiliation by having their heads shorn publicly. But Paul is giving space for women to submit and avoid this humiliation.
7For 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.
A man doesn't need to cover his head because he is the image and glory of God, however the woman is the glory of her husband and therefore should be submitted and modest.
8For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
9Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
Paul here explains the order of creation. Woman was created from man. In fact, she was created for the man. Therefore she should be in submission to his headship.
10For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
A woman should signify submission to her husband's authority by being modest and veiled, because it was the very same sin of rebellion that caused the angels to be cast out of heaven when they denied God's headship.
11Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
Here Paul admonishes mutual respect. Though the man has headship, he must remember, no man was born without the woman, neither was a woman born without the man. They are equal in this regard, for just as the woman is of the man through creation, man is of the woman by birth, but all things are of God.
13Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
Paul asks them to consider their
cultural convictions. Is it proper that a woman pray to God unveiled seeing that their culture expects a modest woman to be veiled in public? The obvious answer for a first century Corinthian would be a resounding "no".
14Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
Paul now turns and appeals to nature to reinforce his standard requiring the veil in worship. Doesn't nature show us that it is shameful and womanly for a man to have long hair? This seems to be common among most cultures in one respect or another; women have long hair and men have short hair. Long hair on women has historically be viewed as a sign of beauty, it is her glory. Also men naturally tend to loose their hair as they age where as women do not. This is because nature has given her a natural covering. The implication is that even nature's example tells us that a woman should be veiled.
16But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
If any man seems to be contentious about being modest and appropriate in public worship he is out of line with the church's position on public modesty.
Bro... that's a verse by verse expository on what believe the Lord has shown me regarding this chapter's meaning. Nothing in the entire chapter spoke about women cutting their hair or not cutting their hair. Paul was speaking about a specific practice in the context of public immodesty. Feel free to elaborate and illustrate where you think I'm mistaken.
God bless.
Linear Mode
