A Study of I Corinthians 11

1
A Study of I Corinthians 11

• Pastor Rex Deckard
• Calvary Apostolic Church
• Using materials adapted from Daniel Seagraves A
  Study of I Corinthians 112-16

2
Background to the Corinthian letter

• Apparently Paul wrote this letter to answer
  certain questions that had arisen in the Church
  in Corinth. He deals with a variety of issues in
  the Epistle.

3
Issues included.

• Taking brethren to court
• Eating food offered to idols
• Proper administration of the Lords Supper
• Fornication
• Marriage
• Giving
• Self Indulgence

4
It is possible that he addressed the questions in
some kind of order, perhaps dealing with
weightier issues first.
5
He first establishes that he is not expecting
anything from them that he is not himself doing.
Also, he introduces the chapter with a statement
about the order of spiritual authority.

• (1 Corinthians 111) Be ye followers of me, even
  as I also am of Christ.

6
He then gives a commendation

• (1 Corinthians 112) Now I praise you, brethren,
  that ye remember me in all things, and keep the
  ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
• ordinances (paradosis) may also be translated
  as teachings or traditions

7
The major focus is on authority and submission.
Notice Ephesians 5.

• (1 Corinthians 113) But I would have you know,
  that the head of every man is Christ and the
  head of the woman is the man

8
For the husband is the head of the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the church and he
is the saviour of the body.24 Therefore as the
church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives
be to their own husbands in every thing.25
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the church, and gave himself for it28 So
ought men to love their wives as their own
bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth
himself.31 For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto
his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.33
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular
so love his wife even as himself and the wife
see that she reverence her husband.
9
I Peter 31 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection
to your own husbands .5 For after this
manner in the old time the holy women also, who
trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in
subjection unto their own husbands6 Even as
Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord ..7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according
to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as
unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs
together of the grace of life that your prayers
be not hindered.
10
I Corinthians 113 .and the head of Christ is
God.

• This does not denote two in the godhead but
  rather the manifestation of flesh (Christos) and
  the invisible deity, or Spirit.
• Jesus Himself said My Father is greater than I
  (John 1428) with respect to His humanity, but
  could also say, He which hath seen me hath seen
  the Father (John 149) with respect of His
  divinity.

11
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.

• Head covered refers to the literal head, while
  dishonoureth his/her head may refer to the
  literal head OR the one who is their head in
  terms of authority

12
The literal Greek translation of having his head
covered is kata kephales echon

• It means having the (hair) hanging down (if in
  fact the term covering refers to hair, as it
  appears to in the context of the chapter.)

13
Is the covering hair, or is the covering a veil?

• Verse 4-7 uses the Greek word katakalupto which
  some have translated literally veil but it
  literally means
• kata down from and kaluptoto cover

14
To assume this covering referred to a hat or a
veil does not make sense in the context that in
verse 14 Paul literally assumes the covering is
komao (to wear tresses of hair--have long hair)

• Further, if the covering were a headdress or
  veil, he would not begin the discussion of it
  being cut or shaved, as that would make no sense
  if he wasnt referring to hair.

15
(No Transcript)
16
There is little to no Scriptural foundation for
veil wearing in the Old or New Testament

• Veils were introduced through the Ishtar cult
• Pagan Romans and Greeks may have been veil
  wearers
• In some instances, prostitutes were identified by
  veils
• The modern use of veils is traced through Islam,
  not through Judaism or Christianity

17
(1 Corinthians 116) 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.

• The word shorn is the Greek word keiro which
  simply means to have ones hair cut without
  respect to how much is cut. We have two things to
  ascertain from this. First, the amount of
  cutting does not matter. It is either cut, or
  uncut. Long hair is simply uncut hair,
  regardless of actual length.

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Second, Paul is saying that if a woman has cut
hair, they should continue in the Church, but
stop cutting her hair because it is a disgrace to
her head (literal) and to those she is in
submission to (figurative).
19
Another way of translating verse 6 would be, if
a woman is presently uncovered because she has
cut her hair, she should be permitted (let KJV)
even to be in that condition (of being shorn)
while enjoying the fellowship of the church. But
since it is a shame for her to be in that
condition (of being shorn or shaven), she should
allow her hair to grow again.
Seagraves
20
(1 Corinthians 117) 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.

• Paul again references back that the fundamental
  discussion is not about coverings and hair, it is
  about what they symbolize, which is submission to
  those we wish to glorify

21
(1 Corinthians 1110) For this cause ought the
woman to have power on her head because of the
angels.
22
Interpretation 1 A woman with her covering
(uncut hair) has power due to her submission to
authority, and so she is protected Angels and
Spirits which have little control over her.

• In the NIV, this verse is translated,
• because of the angels, the woman ought to have
  a sign of authority on her head.

23
Interpretation 2

• The Fall of the Angels which followed Lucifer was
  due to rebellion- for God to then allow rebellion
  in men and women would give them cause to accuse
  God of not being Just and Fair.

24
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.

• Paul seems to insert this verse to remind the
  Church that men and women are in fact equal
  before God in terms of their relationship with
  Him, even though their roles are different.

25
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.

• The obvious question is, What is Long?

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Long hair means uncut

• It does not require a specific length since that
  measurement would exclude since physical and
  hereditary factors greatly influence the length
  of uncut hair.
• For a covering means exactly that. The hair
  (not some artificial headdress) is used AS the
  covering.

27
The NIV translates it as thus.

• 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you
  that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to
  him,
• 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her
  glory? For long hair is given to her as a
  covering.

28
Thus long hair on a woman and short hair on a man

• Brings power over the Angels
• Brings glory to them
• Brings glory to those in authority over them
• Is a sign of submission

29
The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious
Knowledge explains the situation in Bible times

• Women never cut their hair (cf.Jeremiah 729),
  and long hair was their greatest ornament. To
  cut off a womans hairwas the greatest contumely
  (humiliation).

30
(1 Corinthians 1116) But if any man seem to be
contentious, we have no such custom, neither the
churches of God.

• The NIV translates it clearer when it says,
• If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we
  have no other practice--nor do the churches of
  God.