Chapter-11: Propriety of women and Lord’s table.
Apostle Paul gives the proper attitude and appearance of men and women before they come for the worship. One of the biggest problems in the Corinthian church was disorder in the public meetings. Some of the women were assuming more freedom than they should have and there was disorder at the Lord’s Supper. There was also confusion in the use of the spiritual gifts. Although the church had been greatly enriched with spiritual gifts, but they were sadly lacking discipline.
The pattern or the role model: (11:1-2):
Paul begins the chapter-11 with “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. This does not mean that he was sinless. Paul could not tell them to follow Christ straight way because the Gospel was written at that time, so they did not know what Jesus was like. The best way was to point towards someone who they know and trust. He knew the Corinthian Christians needed examples, and he was willing to be such an example. It is true that how few are there in this world to say like this. While it is true we must all ultimately look to Jesus, everyone one of us should be examples of those who are looking to Jesus. Apostle Paul appreciates the Corinthian church because they had kept his teaching. They also remembered him.
The headship in the worship: (11:3):
When was speaking about the headship of man and woman, we must understand the situation existing in those of days of Corinth. The matter of wearing hats or covering heads has become a big problem because there were people of two different cultures. Jewish women always covered their heads in worship. For them if a woman walks uncovered, it speaks of woman of low morals. On the other hand Greek women worship without covering their heads. In its full sense, head has the idea of headship and authority. It means to have the appropriate responsibility to lead, and the matching accountability. It is right and appropriate to submit to someone who is our head.With this understanding, we see Paul describes 3-headship relationships:
- Jesus Christ is head of every man.
- Man is the head of woman.
- God the Father is head of Christ.
Because Paul connects the three relationships, the principles of headship are the same among them. Women can imitate the kind of attitude Christ displayed towards God the Father. The idea of headship and authority is important to God. In His great plan for the ages, one great thing God looks from man is voluntary submission. This is what Jesus showed in His life over and over again, and this is exactly what God looks for from both men and women, though it will be expressed in different ways.It is essential to understand that being under authority does not equal inferiority. Jesus was totally under the authority of God the Father (Jn. 5:19, 8:28). He is equally God.When God calls women in the church to recognize the headship of men, it is not because women are unequal or inferior, but this is a God-ordained order of authority and must be respected.
Rules concerning the man: (11:4, 7-9):
It is appropriate that men should not cover their head while praying or worshipping because the head of man is none other than Christ. If he covers his head, he is dishonouring his head. A man is recognised by his head and a woman is recognised by her hair. It was difficult to recognise whether it was man or woman if woman does not cover her head.
Rules concerning the woman: (11:5-6, 10, 13, 15-16):
In Corinthian church, there were Jews, Greeks, Gentiles, ladies who were once Temple prostitutes of Aphrodite but now got converted through the Gospel. The Apostle Paul calls every woman to cover her head showing that she is under the authority.
To wear the head covering is a symbol being under the authority and protection of another. “It was a custom, both among the Greeks and Romans, and among the Jews an express law, that no woman should be seen abroad without a veil. This was, and is, a common custom through all the east, and none but public prostitutes go without veils.” (Clarke). The use of the word ‘veil,’ is an unfortunate one, since it tends to call to mind the full veil which covers everything except eyes as seen in Muslim cultures is quite a narrow way of ones thinking. For a woman to pray and prophesying with her head uncovered is that she is dishonouring the men and portraying that she is not under the authority of anyone. It is against the commandment. So it is important for the preacher or pastor to bring this discipline among the churches.
Under these rules, a woman is free to pray or prophesy but she must cover her head. Having a woman’s head shorn or shaved meant different things in different cultures. In Jewish law, it was the mark of adultery (Num.5:11-31). In the Greek world, it could be the mark of a prostitute or lesbian. If a woman does not want to be under the authority or does not want to cover her head, she must shave her hair. In some cultures, the head shaving for a woman is given as a punishment for adultery.