I read Warren Wiersbe exposition of this passage and some of the comments are from him and Richard Pratt, "Holman New Testament Commentary."
I Cor. 11:1-16
"Church Order"
He came shuffling in… the service had already begun… almost no one noticed him yet everyone noticed him. He smelled of B.O., he hadn’t shaved for several days, he looked cold and lonely… as if he had been alienated by the world. An out cast… clearly that’s what I thought… someone passing through, on his way somewhere… hopefully far from here. He was clearly different. Not like the people we were trying to attack to the church. His presence really was a disruption yet we all pretended like we didn’t notice him.
We are a sophisticated church, one who embraced the lonely, the oppressed the disenfranchised. Disruptions, interruptions, I had plans for after church… I was thinking to my self maybe my plans will be disrupted, changed…
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It was a sunny Sunday morning in beautiful Pasadena California, the church music was playing, people were smiling, and the praise music was so spirit filled. God was moving in our midst. The preacher began to speak then she shouted out, "The whales are coming; we must be ready for the whales. Can you see the whales…" Disruption… Was God giving her a vision or was this just some nut, a disruption.
I thought, how am I going to get back into the worship…
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Corinth has been long noted as a church with problems… and one of those problems was disruptions, disruptions during worship.
The church at Corinth had been faithful to keeping the "traditions" the teachings that were passed on from one disciple to another (2 Timothy 2:2) teaching clearly that the "traditions" of men should be avoided. (Matt. 15:2-3; Col. 2:8) Yet, the Corinthian church still had problems.
We don’t like disruptions in our worship service… in fact if we change things to much we become "uncomfortable". I use the word we but really I should say "me!" You want to see me squirm, just change something in the order of the service… my blood pressure goes up… my ears get warm, my hands get sweaty, my brain goes into over drive… thinking how are we going to deal with this.. it can be something as simple as reading the scripture before we are suppose to sing a song… simple mistakes… I gave the wrong clue. I nodded for the scripture reading… I really need to look at the bulletin more carefully… Disruptions…
The Corinthian church had a big problem… some of the women were assuming more freedom than they should have; there was disorder at the Lord’s Supper…. And beyond this there was confusion in the use of spiritual gifts!
Sometimes I think we have problems, a song is to long, a message is too long, it’s too hot, it’s too cold… disruption in the basics, disruptions from talking out of order? Using spiritual gifts for self promotion? Talk about ego problems, and self promotion. How could they get so far off track? Didn’t Paul just say that the church at Corinth was "holding to the teaching" vs. 2 "…just as I passed them on to you." (NIV)
Vs. 3 "Now I want you to realize that…" Now… Paul has a way of getting directly to the point. As I was researching this message I found that there is a lack of messages on this passage, commentaries kind of speed over these issues. They talk about the disorder but don’t deal with the issue of Christ being the head of every man. And that a man to pray with his head covered dishonors Christ… then likewise a woman who prays without a covering dishonors her head… whoa…
This brings up the whole issue that is bantered back and forth, hierarchical vs. egalitarian view of headship. (This summary of Hierarchical view vs. Egalitarian view is from a portion of a message by Paul Decker)
A. Hierarchical View –
This view emphasizes the role of women as a part of the priority of the creation order establishing a chain of command between men and women being set from creations order.
So in this view in marriage, the husband has been given both authority and responsibility for his wife and then following this order into the church, it is men that have been given both authority and responsibility for the women.
This view emphasizes that God has given specific roles for men and women to fulfill in both marriage and the church.
B. Egalitarian View –
- This view emphasizes the equality of women men and women are essentially equal, both in the marriage and in the church.
- In marriage, the husband and the wife are equal partners.
- In the church, men and women are equally responsible for fulfilling the purpose of the church and have equal access to all positions.
Using Galatians 3:28 they seek to establish that Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This passage clearly addresses the issue that as to being saved or the way that God sees us there is no difference between male and female. This passage is not addressing the issue of order.
The egalitarian view calls for the application of the oneness we have received in Christ. If we are truly equal, then it will play out in every area of life.
Now, please remember that I am giving you generalizations, and that I am not giving you the full picture.
But, if you were to ask me whether I am hierarchical or egalitarian in my view of Scripture, my answer is “yes.”
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Lets go a bit deeper… The local church was perhaps the only fellowship in the Roman Empire that welcomed all people, regardless of nationality, social status, sex, (gender) or economic position.
In these kinds of circumstances one would expect that someone would take this newfound freedom to far. It appears to me that some of the women flaunted their "freedom" in the public meetings by refusing to cover their heads when they participated.
Paul did not forbid the women to pray or to prophesy. (Prophesying is not the same as preaching: A person with the gift of prophesy merely proclaimed God’s message as it was given to them, immediately by the Spirit. Whereas preaching is where one studies the word and through the Spirits leading prepares the exposition of the text.)
As I study the scriptures it seems clear to me that the New Testament does not permit women elders (I Tim. 3:2), Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,(NIV)
Women in the early church who had the gift of prophecy were allowed to exercise it. They were also permitted to pray in the public meetings. However, they were not permitted to usurp authority over the men (I Tim. 2:11-15) 11A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15But women[a] will be saved[b] through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Timothy 2:15 Greek she
b. 1 Timothy 2:15 Or restored
or to judge the other prophets (I Cor. 14:27-35) . 27If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
29Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
As in all the congregations of the saints, 34women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
If they had any questions, they were to ask their husbands (or other men) outside of the church meeting.
Having been in Iraq and seeing first hand the way that the eastern society protected and honored women is phenomenal. From a western view point we might think that they are treated harshly and as second class citizens. In some senses that may be true but they highly respect and honor women… the old saying, "You talking about my mother… them are fighting words…" The men clearly defend and protect the honor of women.
In Paul’s day there were temple prostitutes, the women wore long hair and, in public, wore a covering over their heads. (Paul did not use the word veil as in over the face.) A woman would ware a shawl over her head, and this covering symbolized her submission and purity. For a Christian woman in the church to appear in public without the covering, let alone to pray and share the Word was blasphemous.
Paul sought to restore order in the Corinthian church, to stop this disruption. God had made a difference between men and women, that each had a proper place in God’s economy. Paul did not say that there was an inequality or inferiority.
There was no rank. A major was the same as a private. The private could be a better man then the major. As one who holds the rank of major in the U.S. Army I clearly understand the character and person behind my rank. I’ve meet privates with more understanding and compassion, zeal, evangelistic ability, gifts that surpass mine. That I have sat at there feet and listen to them teach and preach. In Iraq I had the privilege of being the overseer of a Monday night bible study taught by soldiers for soldiers. Each week a young man would stand before his peers and teach them from God’s word. Although I out ranked all of them by several grades I could sit and learn from them. They saluted me when they passed me, respecting the rank I held, the position I held, they were under my authority yet at the same time they were my brothers in Christ equal and not subordinate. The army has an order that makes sense God has an order that we wish to rebel against.
Application:
The point is that it isn’t that one person holds one view (hierarchical) and another holds a different view (egalitarian) (or some other view) it is that God wants us to have order in worship and in our daily lives.
How do we do this…
- Sometimes we have to lay aside our rights…
- We have to be under authority…
- Submit ourselves to God’s Word
