WEBVTT 00:00:00.590 --> 00:00:03.149 We cannot be close to the Lord and be far from 00:00:03.149 --> 00:00:08.310 His Word. And so that we might understand more 00:00:08.310 --> 00:00:10.650 of His Word, let's turn together to 1 Corinthians 00:00:10.650 --> 00:00:15.550 chapter 11 as we think together concerning a 00:00:15.550 --> 00:00:18.489 very significant and important theme in the Word 00:00:18.489 --> 00:00:29.859 of God. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 2. I'm 00:00:29.859 --> 00:00:31.960 going to speak today concerning order in the 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:38.140 church. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember 00:00:38.140 --> 00:00:42.460 me in all things and keep the ordinances as I 00:00:42.460 --> 00:00:46.000 deliver them to you. But I would have you know 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:49.780 that the head of every man is Christ, and the 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:53.740 head of the woman is the man, and the head of 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:58.799 Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, 00:00:59.369 --> 00:01:02.609 having his head covered, literally it says, having 00:01:02.609 --> 00:01:06.390 anything down over his head, dishonoreth his 00:01:06.390 --> 00:01:09.709 head, capital H on the final head, referring 00:01:09.709 --> 00:01:13.870 to Christ. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth 00:01:13.870 --> 00:01:18.069 with her head uncovered, dishonoreth her head, 00:01:18.129 --> 00:01:22.069 that is, her husband. For that is even all one 00:01:22.069 --> 00:01:25.829 as if she were shaved. For if the woman be not 00:01:25.829 --> 00:01:29.650 covered, let her also be shorn. But if it be 00:01:29.650 --> 00:01:32.469 a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let 00:01:32.469 --> 00:01:36.510 her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to 00:01:36.510 --> 00:01:38.890 cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image 00:01:38.890 --> 00:01:41.810 and glory of God. But the woman is the glory 00:01:41.810 --> 00:01:44.989 of the man. For the man is not of the woman, 00:01:45.150 --> 00:01:49.010 but the woman of the man. Neither was the man 00:01:49.010 --> 00:01:52.030 created for the woman, but the woman for the 00:01:52.030 --> 00:01:56.010 man. For this cause ought the woman to have authority. 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.920 on her head, that is the symbol of authority, 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:05.280 a covering, because of the angels. Nevertheless, 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:09.479 neither is the man without the woman, neither 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:12.719 the woman without the man in the Lord. For as 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:17.300 the woman is of the man, and so is, even so is 00:02:17.300 --> 00:02:20.860 the man also by the woman, but all things of 00:02:20.860 --> 00:02:24.300 God. Judge in yourselves, is it seemly that a 00:02:24.300 --> 00:02:27.340 woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even 00:02:27.340 --> 00:02:30.000 nature itself teach you that if a man have long 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:33.139 hair, it's a shame to him? But if a woman have 00:02:33.139 --> 00:02:35.919 long hair, it's a glory to her, for her hair 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:39.139 is given to her for a covering. But if any man 00:02:39.139 --> 00:02:43.159 seem to be contentious, we have no other custom, 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:47.319 neither the churches of God. The theme that Paul 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:50.139 is still talking about is that theme of the liberty 00:02:50.139 --> 00:02:53.810 that we enjoy in Jesus Christ. There are two 00:02:53.810 --> 00:02:57.030 kinds of freedom. There is a false kind where 00:02:57.030 --> 00:03:00.810 one is free to do what he wants. And then there 00:03:00.810 --> 00:03:03.069 is the true kind of freedom where one is free 00:03:03.069 --> 00:03:07.889 to do what he ought. The apostle is pointing 00:03:07.889 --> 00:03:11.050 us to the latter kind of freedom. We have liberty 00:03:11.050 --> 00:03:15.009 in Jesus Christ not to do our own thing, but 00:03:15.009 --> 00:03:17.110 to go to the word of God and find out what God 00:03:17.110 --> 00:03:20.960 wants of us and then to submit. to the Lordship 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:24.639 of Christ as it is revealed in this book. But 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:27.180 the problem that Paul is concerned about here 00:03:27.180 --> 00:03:31.340 is this. There were, of course, women in the 00:03:31.340 --> 00:03:35.000 church in Corinth. They had been saved in a culture 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:39.819 where they had been treated as property and as 00:03:39.819 --> 00:03:43.979 slaves, essentially. And so after they were saved 00:03:43.979 --> 00:03:46.400 and began to understand the liberty that they 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:50.860 had in Jesus Christ, they began to discard the 00:03:50.860 --> 00:03:55.979 customs of modesty that were prevalent in that 00:03:55.979 --> 00:03:59.560 culture. And Paul was concerned about that, as 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:02.500 we'll see as we get into the word. As we come 00:04:02.500 --> 00:04:05.120 to this passage today, we must be careful in 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:08.120 interpreting it so that we differentiate between 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:12.740 the principles of God and the customs of that 00:04:12.740 --> 00:04:16.160 first century culture, for they are somewhat 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:19.600 interwoven here. But we can't throw the whole 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:22.120 chapter out and say, well, that was for a different 00:04:22.120 --> 00:04:26.300 culture. That is not legitimate, because there 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:28.980 are important principles that God gives to us 00:04:28.980 --> 00:04:33.720 in this text. And the principles apply to our 00:04:33.720 --> 00:04:36.420 society today. For in Corinth in that day, there 00:04:36.420 --> 00:04:41.939 was a secular, feminist kind of movement, even 00:04:41.939 --> 00:04:45.579 as there is in our own culture. The wearing of 00:04:45.579 --> 00:04:48.420 the veil in that culture meant that the lady 00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:52.600 was modest, that she was a person with integrity 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:57.060 and character. Not to wear the veil indicated 00:04:57.060 --> 00:05:01.720 that the woman was careless and was perhaps even 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.300 a wicked woman of the street or a prostitute. 00:05:05.060 --> 00:05:08.899 But the problem developed in that church into 00:05:08.899 --> 00:05:13.240 one of insubordination to God's pattern of authority. 00:05:14.029 --> 00:05:17.689 And so that's what Paul is basically approaching 00:05:17.689 --> 00:05:21.470 here. It is God's authority, God's order, that 00:05:21.470 --> 00:05:25.269 he has established within the church. Paul begins 00:05:25.269 --> 00:05:28.790 in verse 2 by commending them. That is something 00:05:28.790 --> 00:05:31.529 that he did in the epistle, for we saw in chapter 00:05:31.529 --> 00:05:35.069 1 he began by commending them, and then he laid 00:05:35.069 --> 00:05:38.009 into their problems. Now once again he brings 00:05:38.009 --> 00:05:41.129 a brief word of commendation. As he says, you 00:05:41.129 --> 00:05:44.209 remember me in all things and keep the ordinances 00:05:44.209 --> 00:05:47.670 or the traditions as I delivered them to you. 00:05:48.029 --> 00:05:52.709 He commends them. But then in verse 3, he turns 00:05:52.709 --> 00:05:55.209 and begins to speak to the problem that's on 00:05:55.209 --> 00:06:02.790 his heart. And that is God's plan of order within 00:06:02.790 --> 00:06:06.829 the church. Paul develops his argument very carefully. 00:06:07.370 --> 00:06:10.769 In verse 3, he speaks concerning God's plan of 00:06:10.769 --> 00:06:14.850 authority. Now folks, our God is a God of order. 00:06:15.569 --> 00:06:20.629 He is not a God of disorder and chaos. He is 00:06:20.629 --> 00:06:26.470 a God of careful planning and order, and that 00:06:26.470 --> 00:06:29.689 is evidenced not only in ethics, but it's evidenced 00:06:29.689 --> 00:06:34.050 in the physical creation as well. Now God's plan 00:06:34.050 --> 00:06:37.970 of order involves society. God has established 00:06:37.970 --> 00:06:43.750 human government so that men are checked in their 00:06:43.750 --> 00:06:47.449 sinful tendencies and so that the populace as 00:06:47.449 --> 00:06:52.209 a whole can be protected from others. God has 00:06:52.209 --> 00:06:56.410 established human government. Anarchy is not 00:06:56.410 --> 00:07:01.069 the will of God. God has also established authority 00:07:01.069 --> 00:07:06.600 within the church. We have elders in the church 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:12.040 who are our overseers, our bishops, our pastors, 00:07:12.120 --> 00:07:17.100 as it were. And we elect them and then submit 00:07:17.100 --> 00:07:20.720 to their authority that God has given them. We 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:23.079 are commanded in the word to submit ourselves 00:07:23.079 --> 00:07:26.639 to those who have the rule over us in God's church, 00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:29.600 and that refers to the elders of the church. 00:07:30.350 --> 00:07:33.850 who are our servants and yet who, by their godly 00:07:33.850 --> 00:07:38.110 example, lead us forward and have authority in 00:07:38.110 --> 00:07:41.750 God's plan. And then God has also established 00:07:41.750 --> 00:07:44.009 authority within the home, and that seems to 00:07:44.009 --> 00:07:47.529 be, at least in verse 2, and by way of application 00:07:47.529 --> 00:07:51.009 in the later verses, the main thought here. Now 00:07:51.009 --> 00:07:53.790 let's notice what verse 3 says concerning God's 00:07:53.790 --> 00:07:56.490 plan of authority. There are three essential 00:07:56.490 --> 00:08:00.529 statements here. One of them is that Christ is 00:08:00.529 --> 00:08:03.389 subordinate to the Father. Do you see that? The 00:08:03.389 --> 00:08:09.009 last sentence. The head of Christ is God, God 00:08:09.009 --> 00:08:12.490 the Father. And we must not misunderstand this 00:08:12.490 --> 00:08:16.230 as to think that Christ is less God than the 00:08:16.230 --> 00:08:20.230 Father. That is not what Paul is saying. For 00:08:20.230 --> 00:08:23.569 the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, for 00:08:23.569 --> 00:08:27.110 that matter, are equal. in their deity and in 00:08:27.110 --> 00:08:30.970 character, but they have distinct offices or 00:08:30.970 --> 00:08:34.750 functions which they fulfill. For the purpose 00:08:34.750 --> 00:08:39.690 of redemption, God the Son has subordinated himself 00:08:39.690 --> 00:08:45.409 to God the Father. They are one in essence, and 00:08:45.409 --> 00:08:49.769 they are equal in essence. Jesus said, I and 00:08:49.769 --> 00:08:54.789 my Father are one. Now there are those today 00:08:54.789 --> 00:08:56.710 who try to make that statement say less than 00:08:56.710 --> 00:08:59.490 it does. But to understand what it means, all 00:08:59.490 --> 00:09:01.889 we have to look at is the context in John chapter 00:09:01.889 --> 00:09:05.970 10. The Jews clearly understood that Jesus was 00:09:05.970 --> 00:09:09.649 claiming full equality with God, for they picked 00:09:09.649 --> 00:09:14.009 up stones to stone him for blasphemy. And yet 00:09:14.009 --> 00:09:16.909 the same Jesus who said that also said, My Father 00:09:16.909 --> 00:09:22.950 is greater than I. In the carrying out of the... 00:09:23.389 --> 00:09:28.210 plan of redemption. The Father was in charge, 00:09:28.289 --> 00:09:33.350 and the Son subordinated himself to the Father. 00:09:33.629 --> 00:09:37.230 That's what Paul is saying here. Even the Lord 00:09:37.230 --> 00:09:40.750 Jesus Christ is subordinate to the authority 00:09:40.750 --> 00:09:44.549 of God the Father. Christ was dependent upon 00:09:44.549 --> 00:09:48.169 the Father and delighted in doing not his own 00:09:48.169 --> 00:09:53.919 will, but the will of his Father. And then the 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:56.500 second essential statement in verse 3 is that 00:09:56.500 --> 00:10:02.639 man is subordinate to Christ. Adam was created 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:05.519 that way, though he was in the image and the 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:09.299 likeness of God. He shared the very life of God 00:10:09.299 --> 00:10:11.779 and was given great authority by God, but sin 00:10:11.779 --> 00:10:15.600 ruined all of that. Nonetheless, redeemed man 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:19.580 is being renewed in the image of God. And redeemed 00:10:19.580 --> 00:10:22.220 man is no longer in rebellion against God's authority, 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:25.100 but is in submission to the authority of God. 00:10:25.399 --> 00:10:28.440 And that's why Paul says man, the assumption 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:33.960 is redeemed man, is subordinate to Christ. Every 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:38.179 one of us of the male gender looks to Jesus Christ, 00:10:38.299 --> 00:10:41.639 if we're saved, as our head. We get our orders 00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:45.240 from him. And then the third essential statement 00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:48.580 is that the woman is subordinate. to the man. 00:10:49.220 --> 00:10:52.340 And again, the main thought here is that of marriage. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:56.600 In God's plan, the wife is to be in submission 00:10:56.600 --> 00:11:00.659 to her husband. It does not imply inequality, 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:06.000 but it does mean in the government of the home 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:09.019 and the administration of the home, God's plan 00:11:09.019 --> 00:11:11.399 is for the husband to be the head of the home 00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:15.360 and for the wife to be the willing co -worker. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:20.860 in subordination to her husband. That's an important 00:11:20.860 --> 00:11:23.440 principle in God's Word, and there is some resistance 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:26.720 to that today, even within the sphere of Christianity. 00:11:27.980 --> 00:11:30.519 But it seems to me that those who resist this 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:33.879 resist not the teaching of man, but the teaching 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:37.320 of the Word of God, where it says that the woman 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:42.759 is in subordination to her husband. In relationship, 00:11:42.919 --> 00:11:47.240 they are equal. But in government, in the administration 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:51.980 of the home, they are not equal. Just as in the 00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:55.740 Godhead that is true. Each member of the Godhead 00:11:55.740 --> 00:12:00.620 is equal in deity and in essence, but they differ 00:12:00.620 --> 00:12:05.559 in their function. God the Son has subordinated 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:09.299 himself to God the Father. God the Father and 00:12:09.299 --> 00:12:12.340 God the Son sent forth the Holy Spirit into the 00:12:12.340 --> 00:12:16.399 world. And so there's a difference of function 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:20.139 in the carrying out of their purposes. And so 00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:22.779 within the home, there is a difference of function, 00:12:22.940 --> 00:12:27.179 though there is equality in the sight of God. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:30.039 There is neither male nor female in the sight 00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:32.659 of God, and that is true. There is no difference, 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:36.500 no distinction in relationship. But in function, 00:12:36.600 --> 00:12:40.720 there is a distinction which is ordained of God. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:45.019 Now let's think concerning the Corinthian problem 00:12:45.019 --> 00:12:47.879 for a moment and understand again the custom 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:51.860 of that day that's involved. It was the prostitutes 00:12:51.860 --> 00:12:56.259 that shaved their heads or cut their hair very, 00:12:56.419 --> 00:12:59.639 very short and which went about the city with 00:12:59.639 --> 00:13:04.320 unveiled faces. This was particularly true, evidently, 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:09.600 of the priestesses who were the religious prostitutes 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:15.539 in the pagan temples. The Corinthian women who 00:13:15.539 --> 00:13:19.019 had been saved seemed to understand their new 00:13:19.019 --> 00:13:22.740 identity in Jesus Christ, that there was neither 00:13:22.740 --> 00:13:27.159 male nor female. They got a hold of Paul's teaching, 00:13:27.299 --> 00:13:29.860 all things are lawful, and therefore they began 00:13:29.860 --> 00:13:33.779 to disregard their veil, which was an important 00:13:33.779 --> 00:13:38.059 custom in that culture. And so the result was 00:13:38.059 --> 00:13:41.480 that because they were disregarding that custom, 00:13:42.190 --> 00:13:44.750 They were giving the church a bad reputation. 00:13:46.289 --> 00:13:48.870 There were those who would even pray and prophesy 00:13:48.870 --> 00:13:50.830 within the church, and by the way, you'll notice 00:13:50.830 --> 00:13:53.909 that Paul, at least here, does not say that they 00:13:53.909 --> 00:14:00.070 should not do that. When they did it, he condemns 00:14:00.070 --> 00:14:04.549 them if they did it with unveiled heads. He is 00:14:04.549 --> 00:14:07.710 saying it's just as bad for the women to do that 00:14:07.710 --> 00:14:10.960 in that day as though they had shaved their heads, 00:14:11.059 --> 00:14:13.620 and cut their hair short, as did the women of 00:14:13.620 --> 00:14:17.580 the streets. He says for you to be in public 00:14:17.580 --> 00:14:22.179 and to expose yourself in an immodest way is 00:14:22.179 --> 00:14:26.259 to dishonor your husband. It is to violate God's 00:14:26.259 --> 00:14:29.659 order and to dishonor the Lord. And it is to 00:14:29.659 --> 00:14:32.559 dishonor your own character, because apparently 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:34.940 some of the people in the city took this as an 00:14:34.940 --> 00:14:40.149 invitation to sin with these women who... carried 00:14:40.149 --> 00:14:42.850 on in such a way. And so that was the problem 00:14:42.850 --> 00:14:46.029 that was being created in the culture. The women 00:14:46.029 --> 00:14:48.389 had a hold of a truth, but they weren't applying 00:14:48.389 --> 00:14:52.190 it in the proper way. And so Paul's answer to 00:14:52.190 --> 00:14:56.669 them in that day and that culture was that the 00:14:56.669 --> 00:14:59.309 women should evidence their modesty and their 00:14:59.309 --> 00:15:02.669 submission by covering their heads and retaining 00:15:02.669 --> 00:15:07.309 their veils. Now that specific order is given 00:15:07.309 --> 00:15:10.419 to that culture. that the women should cover 00:15:10.419 --> 00:15:13.879 their heads, their faces with their veils, as 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:17.600 an evidence of submission to God and to his authority 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:20.600 within the home as well as within the church. 00:15:21.179 --> 00:15:23.820 And Paul seems to give six reasons why they should 00:15:23.820 --> 00:15:25.879 do this. Let's look at them very quickly, and 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:27.679 then we want to get to some principles that apply 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:31.500 to us. Why should the women of that day cover 00:15:31.500 --> 00:15:36.519 their head, verses 5 and 6, for reason of propriety? 00:15:37.450 --> 00:15:39.929 He says every woman that prayeth or prophesieth 00:15:39.929 --> 00:15:42.029 with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head, 00:15:42.129 --> 00:15:45.029 her husband. He says it's just the same as though 00:15:45.029 --> 00:15:49.330 she were shaved. If a woman is not covered, let 00:15:49.330 --> 00:15:52.909 her also cut her hair then. But he says if it's 00:15:52.909 --> 00:15:55.330 a shame for a woman to cut her hair and to be 00:15:55.330 --> 00:15:58.370 shaved, and it was, then he said let her also 00:15:58.370 --> 00:16:02.210 be covered. He said for reason of propriety, 00:16:02.210 --> 00:16:04.909 the woman should cover her head for the sake 00:16:04.909 --> 00:16:08.309 of her reputation. In the Corinthian community, 00:16:08.809 --> 00:16:11.470 she should be careful to maintain that particular 00:16:11.470 --> 00:16:15.970 custom. Reason number two is that of creation, 00:16:16.370 --> 00:16:20.990 verses 7 through 9. You see, the taking away 00:16:20.990 --> 00:16:23.250 of the veil evidenced, at least within some of 00:16:23.250 --> 00:16:27.049 the women, rebellion against God's order. And 00:16:27.049 --> 00:16:30.809 he says now, the woman, excuse me, for a man, 00:16:30.889 --> 00:16:34.389 verse 7, indeed ought not to cover his head. 00:16:35.210 --> 00:16:37.789 For as much as he's the image and the glory of 00:16:37.789 --> 00:16:41.389 God. In other words, man was created as the representative 00:16:41.389 --> 00:16:46.350 of the authority of God. But the woman is the 00:16:46.350 --> 00:16:49.629 glory of the man. She represents the authority 00:16:49.629 --> 00:16:54.370 of her husband. He says the woman is not, rather 00:16:54.370 --> 00:16:58.929 the man is not of the woman, but the woman of 00:16:58.929 --> 00:17:01.610 the man. Talking about how Eve was created in 00:17:01.610 --> 00:17:04.920 the garden. Adam was not born by natural birth. 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:07.200 He was created out of dust, but it was out of 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:11.380 his side that the woman was then created. So 00:17:11.380 --> 00:17:15.019 that's why he says what he does in verse 8. And 00:17:15.019 --> 00:17:17.700 then he says, also concerning that creation story, 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:21.160 neither was the man created for the woman, but 00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:23.599 the woman for the man. Man was created first, 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:26.799 and God said it's not good that Adam should be 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:31.339 alone. Therefore, I will make a helper for him. 00:17:32.329 --> 00:17:35.170 And that was the occasion for the creation of 00:17:35.170 --> 00:17:38.329 the woman, of Eve. And so that's why Paul says 00:17:38.329 --> 00:17:41.390 what he does in verse 9. The man was not created 00:17:41.390 --> 00:17:44.869 for the woman, but the woman for the man. And 00:17:44.869 --> 00:17:47.670 so because of the whole story of creation, showing 00:17:47.670 --> 00:17:51.430 the priority of the man in that story, he says 00:17:51.430 --> 00:17:54.410 the woman should maintain the veil and evidence 00:17:54.410 --> 00:17:59.049 her submission to her husband, the man. Again 00:17:59.049 --> 00:18:01.559 in verse 10, he gives a third reason. And this 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:04.960 is the reason of example. He says, for this cause 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:07.599 ought the woman to have authority or a veil, 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:10.700 a symbol of authority on her head because of 00:18:10.700 --> 00:18:14.460 the angels. An interesting statement, and I'm 00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:16.660 not sure I understand all that it's saying here, 00:18:16.839 --> 00:18:20.599 but it at least implies that the spirit world 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:26.789 watches us for instruction. I believe that we 00:18:26.789 --> 00:18:29.430 can tie this together with Ephesians chapter 00:18:29.430 --> 00:18:32.250 3, where Paul says that it's through the church 00:18:32.250 --> 00:18:35.390 that God is instructing the angels concerning 00:18:35.390 --> 00:18:39.829 his wisdom. Paul is suggesting here that for 00:18:39.829 --> 00:18:43.230 the angels to look upon the assembly of believers 00:18:43.230 --> 00:18:46.890 and to see women who were not in submission to 00:18:46.890 --> 00:18:49.769 their husbands, as evidenced by the lack of a 00:18:49.769 --> 00:18:52.990 veil, the lack of a covering of the head, was 00:18:52.990 --> 00:18:59.359 to confuse the angels. It was to evidence something 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:01.700 to them that was wrong. It was to offend them. 00:19:01.880 --> 00:19:04.980 Might be a better way to say it. And so he says, 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:08.140 because of the presence of the angels, women 00:19:08.140 --> 00:19:10.599 ought to be careful to maintain the role that 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:14.119 God has given to them. And then in verses 11 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:16.880 and 12, there's a fourth reason, the reason of 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:20.099 theology. Notice what he says. Nevertheless, 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:24.599 lest some men should begin to lord it over their 00:19:24.599 --> 00:19:29.019 wives, he says this. Neither is the man independent 00:19:29.019 --> 00:19:33.319 of the woman. That's the real thought there. 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:37.500 Neither is the woman independent of the man in 00:19:37.500 --> 00:19:40.059 the Lord. In other words, they are mutually dependent 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:43.059 on one another. God intends for it to be that 00:19:43.059 --> 00:19:47.859 way. For the woman, as the woman is of the man, 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:55.420 so is the man also by the woman. But all things 00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:58.039 are of God. And again in verse 12, he talks about 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:03.359 creation. The woman is of the man. In other words, 00:20:03.420 --> 00:20:06.660 Eve and the descendants of the female gender 00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:09.599 after her were of the man in the sense they came 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:13.619 out of Adam's side. But men must not forget that 00:20:13.619 --> 00:20:15.559 since Adam, they have come into the world by 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.240 the woman. I mean, that's how you and I got here. 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:23.430 And so he says there's a mutual... dependence 00:20:23.430 --> 00:20:26.809 upon one another. The man and the woman are not 00:20:26.809 --> 00:20:29.970 independent of each other. They must not walk 00:20:29.970 --> 00:20:32.369 in separate directions. They must each recognize 00:20:32.369 --> 00:20:34.769 the place that God has given them in the order 00:20:34.769 --> 00:20:38.009 of creation. A theological reason here. All of 00:20:38.009 --> 00:20:42.470 this is of God. The mutual dependence as well 00:20:42.470 --> 00:20:45.549 as the difference, the distinction in the role 00:20:45.549 --> 00:20:49.980 to fulfill in God's plan. And then in verses 00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:52.720 13 through 15, there is the reason of nature 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:56.720 itself. Paul says, judge in yourselves, discern 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:00.759 this. Is it seemly that a woman pray unto God 00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:04.380 uncovered? Is that fitting? Doth not even nature 00:21:04.380 --> 00:21:07.819 itself teach you that if a man have long hair, 00:21:07.900 --> 00:21:10.960 it's a shame to him? But if a woman have long 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:13.559 hair, it's a glory to her, for her hair is given 00:21:13.559 --> 00:21:17.190 to her for a covering. He says it's in nature 00:21:17.190 --> 00:21:20.930 itself that the woman has longer hair for her 00:21:20.930 --> 00:21:24.990 covering. It's her glory, the longer hair. Now 00:21:24.990 --> 00:21:26.910 some of you guys may snicker at that a little 00:21:26.910 --> 00:21:29.789 bit. But you wait until you get married and your 00:21:29.789 --> 00:21:33.269 wife goes to get her hair cut. And the beautician 00:21:33.269 --> 00:21:37.730 blows it. And she comes back home. You have a 00:21:37.730 --> 00:21:40.549 two -week period ahead of you of mourning and 00:21:40.549 --> 00:21:44.460 depression. Why is that? Because a woman, by 00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:46.839 her very nature, is concerned about her hair 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:48.980 and her appearance. Her hair is very important 00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:52.259 to her. And Paul is saying here that even nature 00:21:52.259 --> 00:21:55.400 itself teaches that by the longer hair, the woman 00:21:55.400 --> 00:21:59.940 is honored. That's her glory. And on the other 00:21:59.940 --> 00:22:04.019 side, he says that a man, by nature, has shorter 00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:11.609 hair. Now, it doesn't say how short. But it does 00:22:11.609 --> 00:22:15.910 say that man by nature has shorter hair. To have 00:22:15.910 --> 00:22:18.990 longer hair, it's a shame to him, it says. The 00:22:18.990 --> 00:22:20.769 real point here is that there should be a distinction 00:22:20.769 --> 00:22:24.230 in the appearance of men and women. For a time 00:22:24.230 --> 00:22:26.049 in this country, in our society, that distinction 00:22:26.049 --> 00:22:30.309 seemed to be lost. But no longer does that seem 00:22:30.309 --> 00:22:32.109 to be a problem because styles have changed. 00:22:33.549 --> 00:22:37.289 But by reason of nature, he says, even the hair 00:22:37.289 --> 00:22:39.269 covering indicates that the woman should have 00:22:39.269 --> 00:22:42.059 her hair covered. Her longer hair is her head 00:22:42.059 --> 00:22:46.059 covered. Her longer hair is her glory. And then 00:22:46.059 --> 00:22:49.019 in verse 16, he gives a sixth and final reason 00:22:49.019 --> 00:22:52.579 as to why the women should cover their faces, 00:22:52.660 --> 00:22:56.960 their heads, and be an evidenced submission to 00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:01.599 their husbands. It is because of the reason of 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.920 uniformity. He says if anyone wants to argue 00:23:04.920 --> 00:23:06.880 about this, let him know that there's no other 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:10.230 custom. neither in any of the churches. He said, 00:23:10.269 --> 00:23:12.329 I don't teach anything else, and all the churches 00:23:12.329 --> 00:23:15.329 practice the same thing. It's a uniform custom 00:23:15.329 --> 00:23:19.049 within the churches that this is so. And so those 00:23:19.049 --> 00:23:21.990 are the reasons that Paul gives as to why the 00:23:21.990 --> 00:23:25.289 women in that day should wear their veils, cover 00:23:25.289 --> 00:23:29.230 their heads, and be in evidenced submission to 00:23:29.230 --> 00:23:33.309 their appointed authority. Now the application 00:23:33.309 --> 00:23:36.630 to us is not that women should wear veils or 00:23:36.630 --> 00:23:43.819 hats. to church. I'm not opposed to that. If 00:23:43.819 --> 00:23:45.480 there are those that are convicted that way, 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:50.619 that's fine with me. I am convicted that hats 00:23:50.619 --> 00:23:53.240 ought not to be so big that people behind can't 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:55.920 see the front of the church, and I've seen hats 00:23:55.920 --> 00:24:00.079 that way. But I'm not convicted that women should 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:02.759 not wear hats, or that they should. That's not 00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:05.480 the point in this passage. The point is the attitude. 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:09.460 It's not a rule that Paul is pointing to here, 00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:12.559 it's the principle. And so I'd like for us, as 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:14.220 we conclude this morning, to think about the 00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:18.220 principles here that apply to us today. This 00:24:18.220 --> 00:24:20.500 chapter is not teaching that women have to wear 00:24:20.500 --> 00:24:25.319 hats. It's not teaching us that women have no 00:24:25.319 --> 00:24:28.259 place of ministry in the local church. That's 00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:31.839 obvious. Nor is it teaching us that burr haircuts 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:35.539 are the only acceptable style for men. It's not 00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:38.230 what he's saying here at all. This chapter is 00:24:38.230 --> 00:24:41.170 not a chapter of rules, it's a chapter of principles. 00:24:41.470 --> 00:24:44.509 It was applied in that culture in one way, but 00:24:44.509 --> 00:24:48.569 it's applied today perhaps in other ways. There's 00:24:48.569 --> 00:24:51.250 a difference between rules and principles, and 00:24:51.250 --> 00:24:55.230 it's important to grasp that distinction. Rules 00:24:55.230 --> 00:24:58.730 apply for a given period of time, and then they 00:24:58.730 --> 00:25:03.049 pass away because circumstances, situations change. 00:25:03.829 --> 00:25:09.059 But principles... apply in any culture, in any 00:25:09.059 --> 00:25:13.079 circumstance. They abide. Rules are temporal. 00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:18.119 The principles are eternal. They last. Now, what 00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:21.599 are the principles that we see to guide our conduct 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:26.859 in 20th century America? I see at least five 00:25:26.859 --> 00:25:29.980 of them. There may be more, but I want to mention 00:25:29.980 --> 00:25:33.140 at least five of them from our text today. The 00:25:33.140 --> 00:25:36.960 first is the principle of modesty, the modesty 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:43.480 principle. Modesty is always proper in any culture 00:25:43.480 --> 00:25:49.799 for the Christian, both men and women. Modesty 00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:55.059 of dress is a reflection of the heart. We are 00:25:55.059 --> 00:25:59.019 to avoid allowing our culture to dictate to us 00:25:59.019 --> 00:26:03.380 as to what we wear. and in some cases what we 00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:08.940 don't wear. The point is, the principle is, in 00:26:08.940 --> 00:26:13.119 God's word, that it is always proper to be modest 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:15.460 in the way that we are dressed. We are not to 00:26:15.460 --> 00:26:19.940 bring attention to our bodies by our clothing 00:26:19.940 --> 00:26:25.880 or lack thereof. And we can tie in with this 00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:27.299 that thought that we mentioned, that there is 00:26:27.299 --> 00:26:30.269 to be a difference between men and women. There 00:26:30.269 --> 00:26:33.029 was for a time a concerted pressure within our 00:26:33.029 --> 00:26:37.549 culture for unisex. Unisex is certainly anti 00:26:37.549 --> 00:26:41.069 -biblical. For there is to be a distinction between 00:26:41.069 --> 00:26:43.470 men and women, the way they dress and the way 00:26:43.470 --> 00:26:47.589 that they appear, and their actions too. And 00:26:47.589 --> 00:26:49.329 then there's a second principle here. It's the 00:26:49.329 --> 00:26:53.410 testimony principle. The testimony of my local 00:26:53.410 --> 00:26:57.380 church should be a prime concern to me. That's 00:26:57.380 --> 00:27:00.740 what Paul was getting to here. They were damaging 00:27:00.740 --> 00:27:03.500 the testimony of their local church, and he says 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:05.319 that they should all be concerned about that 00:27:05.319 --> 00:27:08.019 and live accordingly. The testimony principle. 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:12.039 The third principle is the mutual respect principle. 00:27:13.319 --> 00:27:18.480 One way to glorify God is for us to show mutual 00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:22.299 respect for each other in the fellowship of the 00:27:22.299 --> 00:27:27.700 church, both men and women. This applies, too. 00:27:28.680 --> 00:27:32.700 God has given us different gifts. He has given 00:27:32.700 --> 00:27:36.299 us differing functions within the body, and yet 00:27:36.299 --> 00:27:40.079 we are all equal. There should be a mutual respect 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:42.660 because one person is in front more than another 00:27:42.660 --> 00:27:44.380 does not mean that he's better than another. 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:47.599 It does mean he has more accountability to God. 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:51.900 He teaches, especially. But there should be a 00:27:51.900 --> 00:27:57.170 mutual respect. a mutual admiration and upholding 00:27:57.170 --> 00:28:01.230 of one another. It's also true in our marriages, 00:28:01.450 --> 00:28:04.750 that there needs to be a mutual respect. We are 00:28:04.750 --> 00:28:10.990 not independent, but we are interdependent. And 00:28:10.990 --> 00:28:13.069 then there's a fourth principle, and it is the 00:28:13.069 --> 00:28:16.369 object lesson principle. We touched on this, 00:28:16.569 --> 00:28:19.970 but let me mention it again. We are the objects 00:28:19.970 --> 00:28:25.029 of intense interest in the spirit world. God 00:28:25.029 --> 00:28:30.150 is using you and me and our church as examples 00:28:30.150 --> 00:28:37.390 of his grace and his wisdom. He is instructing 00:28:37.390 --> 00:28:40.849 the angels by their observation of your life 00:28:40.849 --> 00:28:45.230 and of mine. Now, if we get a hold of that and 00:28:45.230 --> 00:28:49.650 begin to understand what it means, it will have 00:28:49.650 --> 00:28:53.410 a dramatic effect on the way that we live. The 00:28:53.410 --> 00:28:56.309 object lesson principle. You are an object lesson 00:28:56.309 --> 00:29:01.009 of God himself. And then the fifth principle 00:29:01.009 --> 00:29:04.589 is the authority principle. It is that God has 00:29:04.589 --> 00:29:07.410 established proper lines of authority and we 00:29:07.410 --> 00:29:11.349 are to submit to his plan and to serve him within 00:29:11.349 --> 00:29:16.109 those lines. Just as the Godhead is a perfect 00:29:16.109 --> 00:29:19.789 unity and yet each person has a different administration. 00:29:20.940 --> 00:29:23.720 So it is in the marriage and so it is in the 00:29:23.720 --> 00:29:27.940 church. God is a God of order and peace, and 00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:31.740 the worship and conduct of our church should 00:29:31.740 --> 00:29:37.500 be the same kind of orderly peace and worship. 00:29:38.900 --> 00:29:42.339 God establishes authority, folks, not to hinder 00:29:42.339 --> 00:29:50.319 us, but to protect us. God does not intend for 00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:54.200 the authority over each of us to be a prison, 00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:58.559 but it's to be a garden where we commune with 00:29:58.559 --> 00:30:02.619 him and accomplish his purpose in life. God wants 00:30:02.619 --> 00:30:06.599 your marriage to be a garden, a garden of joy 00:30:06.599 --> 00:30:10.859 and happiness and contentedness. God wants your 00:30:10.859 --> 00:30:14.599 school situation to be the same way. He's placed 00:30:14.599 --> 00:30:16.839 authority over you. He wants that not to be a 00:30:16.839 --> 00:30:20.769 prison to you. Not a burden to bear, but he wants 00:30:20.769 --> 00:30:24.369 you to enjoy the liberty within the garden where 00:30:24.369 --> 00:30:27.430 he's placed you. It's true within our church. 00:30:27.490 --> 00:30:30.069 On every level where there's authority over us, 00:30:30.109 --> 00:30:33.170 that's God's plan, and our responsibility is 00:30:33.170 --> 00:30:37.190 to submit to his authority. Now what it all boils 00:30:37.190 --> 00:30:40.349 down to is this. It's the lordship of Jesus Christ. 00:30:41.809 --> 00:30:45.190 We can resist and argue against the principles 00:30:45.190 --> 00:30:48.440 of God that are given in this book, and thus 00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:51.539 resist the lordship of Jesus Christ, or we can 00:30:51.539 --> 00:30:55.319 study, understand, and apply the principles of 00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:59.200 this book and submit to the lordship of Jesus 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:03.420 Christ. That's what it boils down to. And so 00:31:03.420 --> 00:31:06.279 the obvious way to conclude this message is to 00:31:06.279 --> 00:31:10.420 have each of us ask the question, am I in submission 00:31:10.420 --> 00:31:14.640 insofar as I know to what God has told me in 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:20.660 this book? Or are there areas of life where I 00:31:20.660 --> 00:31:25.740 am fighting against God? God, help us to answer 00:31:25.740 --> 00:31:29.059 that question and to respond with surrender and 00:31:29.059 --> 00:31:32.400 submission to his authority in our lives. Let's 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:37.259 pray. Now, Father, we've had to move quickly 00:31:37.259 --> 00:31:42.680 through some important matters. And I pray that 00:31:42.680 --> 00:31:45.160 you will help each of us to understand the context 00:31:45.160 --> 00:31:49.140 of our passage. and the way that it applies by 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:53.380 way of principle to us. If there are those of 00:31:53.380 --> 00:31:56.339 us today who are in conflict with your authority 00:31:56.339 --> 00:31:59.680 and your plan, then I pray that that area of 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:01.859 our lives will become a source of conviction 00:32:01.859 --> 00:32:05.700 and irritation until we finally settle the issue 00:32:05.700 --> 00:32:10.299 and surrender to your rightful lordship. In Jesus' 00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:15.880 name, amen. May we conclude, please, by singing 00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:21.809 together, a verse or two of 451, which expresses 00:32:21.809 --> 00:32:24.190 the kind of yieldedness that we've talked about. 00:32:26.390 --> 00:32:29.450 If today there is a need in your life for a public 00:32:29.450 --> 00:32:32.450 declaration of surrender to the Lordship of Christ, 00:32:32.670 --> 00:32:37.029 if you have been wandering so far out of God's 00:32:37.029 --> 00:32:39.190 will that you need to come publicly today and 00:32:39.190 --> 00:32:42.309 confess before the Lord and for others that Jesus 00:32:42.309 --> 00:32:45.609 Christ is now not only your Savior, But your 00:32:45.609 --> 00:32:47.769 Lord, we encourage you to do that. That is an 00:32:47.769 --> 00:32:52.170 important step in our walk with God. Will you 00:32:52.170 --> 00:32:54.609 surrender all to your Lord today? And it may 00:32:54.609 --> 00:32:57.190 be that you're not saved at all. You need to 00:32:57.190 --> 00:32:59.150 give yourself to Christ and invite him into your 00:32:59.150 --> 00:33:01.869 life. If we can talk with you and pray with you 00:33:01.869 --> 00:33:05.190 about that important step, eternally making the 00:33:05.190 --> 00:33:09.190 difference of your destiny, then please come 00:33:09.190 --> 00:33:12.589 as we sing a verse or two, 451. Let's stand as 00:33:12.589 --> 00:34:29.760 we sing. Let's bow together in prayer. And now, 00:34:29.760 --> 00:34:32.500 Father, we have sung a hymn that expresses the 00:34:32.500 --> 00:34:37.099 deepest desire of our hearts, that in every area 00:34:37.099 --> 00:34:45.400 of our lives, Jesus Christ be Lord. Be Lord of 00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:51.420 all the kingdoms of our lives, and through your 00:34:51.420 --> 00:34:55.840 word have rule. instruct us in the way that we 00:34:55.840 --> 00:34:58.719 should go, and then give us grace and courage 00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:04.539 to walk with you. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.