The Ordinance of Headship and Submission
Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 11:1-16
The meaning of “Ordinance”
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you." 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 (KJV)
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you." 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 (NIV)
"PATTERN YOURSELVES after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah). I appreciate and commend you because you always remember me in everything and keep firm possession of the traditions (the substance of my instructions), just as I have [verbally] passed them on to you."
1 Corinthians 11:1-2 (Amplified Bible)
The word “ordinances” in this text, translated “teachings” in the New International Version and “tradition” in the Amplified Bible, are translations of the Greek word “paradosis”. The word means a statute or regulation.
Paul sets forth two ordinances in 1 Corinthians chapter eleven. The second one is the ordinance of the Lord’s supper, which begins at verse seventeen. Most Christians are very familiar with the last part of this chapter from hearing it read at communion services. Few, however, are as familiar with the first ordinance. In fact, some do not realize it exists. This ordinance is, nonetheless, a matter of considerable importance. It has a great impact on a husband wife relationship, parent child relationships and, in fact, bears directly on the ultimate success or failure of these relationships. The same is true for leadership relationships within a church.
As Paul sets forth the ordinance of headship and submission in this scripture passage he begins by saying, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ”. This is a key statement, and is the fountainhead from which all that the Bible says on this subject flows. Following those who follow Christ is the pattern for success for home and church. Commonly, people recoil when they hear someone speak on headship and submission. Conjured in their minds are images of dictatorship and extreme blind obedience. Often those opposed to Christianity point to scriptures that teach this and say it promotes a patriarchal hierarchy that gives license for one person or group to dominate another person or group even to the point of abuse. Sadly, in all too many instances, this does happen. However, we must be careful that we not refuse an ordinance of God based on the failure of others to properly understand and observe it. Nor should we bow to pressures of an unbelieving world that has never experienced its benefits.
The Structure and Order of Headship
Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NIV)
But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God.
1 Corinthians 11:3 (Amplified Bible)
This verse outlines the order of headship by stating that first of all, God is the head of Christ. Second, Christ is the head of man. Third, man is the head of woman. Another way of writing it is:
God
Christ
Man
Woman
This headship order is not a denial of equality. Throughout the scriptures we see that Jesus, the Son, is not inferior in person to God, the Father or to the Holy Spirit. The wonderful mystery of the trinity is three persons yet one God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal. The attributes and character of one are the same for all three.
Headship and submission is about redemption, the plan of God to recover a lost race and restore it to, and even surpass, its original glory. God, the Father of Jesus Christ, planned redemption for mankind, even before the time of creation. Jesus was the, “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. (Revelation 5:6). The Father, therefore, was in charge when it came to redemption. Jesus, the Son, willing forfeited his place of equal authority and submitted to the Father. The Book of Philippians describes the extent to which this happened. Of Jesus it says;
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:5-11
We can only marvel at the extent of our Lord’s submission and wonder even more when we realize he did this for us!
Similarly, when it comes to equality, just as the Father and Son are equal so to are men and women equal. Headship and submission is not about equality, it is about roles.
Our Lord’s submission is an example for us to follow. In the order of headship and submission, as Christ submits to God, so should man submit to Christ and in turn, a wife should submit to her husband. In the husband /wife relationship a man who is not in submission to Christ has no legitimate basis upon which he should exercise authority.
Headship only makes sense and only works when there is nothing broken in the line of authority. For sure, there will never be a breakdown in this process between God and Christ. There are, however, constant breakdowns between man and Christ and woman and man. A man who is not in submission to Christ will do one of two things. He will either abuse his role and dominate his wife or he will shrink from his responsibility and leave his wife to carry a great burden. In some instances men are both abusive and irresponsible.
On the other hand, many women refuse to submit to their husbands as Christ submitted to his Father. They become dominant rendering their husbands passive and helpless. Some men are comfortable with this arrangement and seek out such a relationship.
A Puzzling Passage
"Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is just as though her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice--nor do the churches of God." 1 Corinthians 11:4-16
This passage is not readily understood and so it is easy to skip over it or to consider that it applies only to the peculiarities of the Corinthian culture of its day. Two things need to be kept in mind and if they are, the meaning of the passage becomes clear. First, there was a cultural context. Second there are profound spiritual principles that are interwoven with the cultural application.
First, let us look at the cultural setting. It was a custom of the Corinthians that women wear a veil in order to demonstrate that they were married and faithful to their husbands. In contrast, prostitutes did not wear veils as a sign that they were available to any man. Prostitution was common to pagan religious worship and it is estimated that in the City of Corinth there were thousands of temple prostitutes with the proceeds of their practice going to the temple treasuries. Prostitution was a part of the culture and therefore immorality as we know it was perfectly acceptable as legitimate behaviour to the Corinthians. Paul, when he brought the gospel to this City and established a church, taught biblical moral purity and required the converts to cease from immorality.
Some of the women of the church thought they could take their new found freedom in Christ, freedom that in many cases had freed them from the tyranny of abusive husbands, and stop wearing their veils. There is no indication that they wanted to practice immorality, they just wanted to be free of veils.
The veils represented or were a sign that a woman was in submission to her husband as it pertained to sexual fidelity. However, Paul took the matter much farther and taught a much deeper and spiritual meaning, and called it an ordinance.
Thus, when he refers to “heads” he was speaking of two types of heads. First, were the literal physical heads of the women and men. The second types of heads were those in authority, Christ as the head of men, and men as the head of their wives.
Paul did not teach that wearing veils in and of itself had spiritual significance. Veils only had significance insofar as the culture was concerned. To understand this better consider what Paul taught concerning eating food that had been offered to idols. The non-Christian Corinthians believed in many gods, they worshiped idols, and they believed they should feed the gods by placing food on the idol altars. They also believed that one must not eat food that had been offered to idols of their gods. Once a person became a Christian this whole practice was seen as absurd and ludicrous. So, some proceeded to eat food that had been offered to idols since it was perfectly wholesome.
However, this offended many people, especially new converts who did not yet have a great knowledge. Paul wrote the church and required that the members not eat food offered to idols for fear they would create a stumblingblock and cause some to lose their faith. This is what he said:
So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
1 Corinthians 8:4-15.
For the Christian, the issue is expediency not personal rights. The question to be asked is, “What is best for the sake of the gospel?” In the case of veils, Paul said it was best that Christian women wear them in order that onlookers would not think that the church practiced prostitution and were no different in that regard than that which went on in the pagan temples.
Honouring and Dishonouring
At issue in this matter of headship and submission is honour versus dishonour. Consider the following statements from verses 4 and 5:
Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head
This is an example of a text with a double meaning. First was the practical necessity for veils in the Corinthian culture. A woman who did not wear a veil dishonoured herself to the point where she might as well be shaved. Most women would not want this to happen to them.
The second meaning, the one with spiritual significance, has to do with the need to honour one’s head. In the case of a married woman, her husband was her head and she needed to honour him as such.
Mutual honour and respect is a key element in husband/wife relationships and in every other headship/submission relationship such as; parents and children, pastors and leaders, employers and employees. Words can be harsh and cruel or gentle and uplifting. I have seen husbands and wives degrade each other in a manner that is dishonouring and brings pain. Those with quiet and meek personalities often say nothing in reply, they internalize the shame but seldom, if ever, speak of it. Others with more aggressive personalities will sometimes erupt with their own negative words and an argument or fight ensues. Some husbands and wives live their lives this way. The damage they do to each other is greater than they recognize. .
In the roles God assigned to husbands and wives, the husband’s head is Christ. A husband honours Christ, his head, by following his example and treating his wife as Christ treats him.
In speaking about a wife’s submission to her husband, the Bible does not mean that for a woman to have a relationship with God she must go through her husband. There is only one mediator for all of mankind and that person is Christ. A wife’s submission to her husband is not about the redemption of her soul. It is about the redemption of marriage, to restore it to the beauty it had when God created it in the beginning.
Angels as an Example
For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. (verse 10).
The veil was a sign of being under authority. This sign was more than a mere token without real meaning. Rather, it was to be a reflection of a lifestyle that both husband and wife practiced. Angels practice this lifestyle and they are referred to here for the purpose of setting an example for us. The Bible reveals that there are ranks when it comes to angels. They too must live in harmony with God’s order.
In his original state, the Bible says this about Lucifer.
"You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you." Ezekiel 28:14
Lucifer was a guardian cherub or, as other translations put it, a “cherub that covers”. In other words, he was in a position of headship. Then, one-day pride entered and his heart was filled with iniquity. He led a rebellion that brought about his downfall and he became Satan, the devil. He is the epitome of failed headship.
If angels are to live and function in a headship/submission relationship, it should not surprise us that God expects this of us too.
Headship - a Covering
As we have noted, there was a practical cultural application for wearing head coverings and at the same time there are spiritual meanings. Concerning the latter, consider these words from the Psalms.
"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. Psalm 36:7-8
Covered by the shadow of the wings of God! What a picture! What a privilege! Headship is a covering, one that flows from a heart of love, and meets the needs of those it covers.
Objects of Glory
"A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man." (verse 7)
At first this statement may appear biased, much in the favour of man. Women may take offence to the idea man is the glory of God while woman is merely the glory of man. However, the statement is not one of bias, it is quire the opposite. In fact, if there is any bias it is in favour of women, not man. The following is why.
God, when he created man and woman in his image and likeness, chose mankind to be his delight. He is our Father and we are his children and as any good dad knows, there is nothing more pleasing than seeing his children do well. He rejoices to see them succeed, to live good lives, to be joyful and fulfilled and he will do anything to see that all of this happens. His children are his delight they are…his glory! Similarly, nothing pleases our heavenly father more than to see us reflect his image and so he pours his blessings on us in order to make this possible. We are his, “glory”, the objects of his love and affection.
This is what headship is. It is the bestowing of love, respect, honour, protection, caring and every other good and virtuous thing. This is how Christ relates to the church in his role as head of the church. He loves the church and gave his life for the church. Nothing “lights up our lives” more than receiving the glory he imparts.
Likewise, woman is the glory of man. In the order of headship the glory of Christ is imparted to the man who in turn imparts it to his wife. He must treat his wife in the same way he is treated by Christ. He must love, respect, honour, provide, and go so far as to die to himself in order that he may bless her. This is what Christ, the head of the church, did for us. This is what husbands must do for their wives. A man’s wife is his glory, the recipient of his love and affection. .
When a husband treats his wife as his “glory”, her countenance will show it. She will be radiant. If a husband is contentious, argumentative, grumpy, disrespectful, or in any other way treats his wife poorly it is a reflection that he is not living in submission to Christ. If you want to know the character of a man, study the countenance of his wife.
Women in Ministry
The idea that a woman should remain silent in church is sometimes taken out of context and applied in ways the Bible does not intend. For example, some churches prohibit the ordination of women and others go so far to disallow them to speak in church.
However, the Bible does not teach that a persons’ gender is the criteria upon which qualification to speak and minister is determined. Submission to authority is the criterion that qualifies and this applies equally to men and women. A married woman, if she is in submission to her husband, and with her husband’s blessing, is free to minister in the church of God. Conversely, a man who is not in submission to Christ, should not be allowed to speak or have any influence in church.
Conclusion
As history runs its course and the Second Coming of the Lord draws closer, many changes are taking place in our world. Jesus said this would happen and described many of those changes. One of those changes is found in Matthew 24:12 where Jesus said:
“…because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
(This quote is from the NKJV. The NIV uses the word “wickedness” instead of “lawlessness” however, most translations use “lawlessness”)
In 2 Thessalonians 2:7 we read:
"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way."
This “secret power of lawlessness” or as the NKJV reads, this “mystery of lawlessness” is personified in this verse. We know very well who that person is – none other than our adversary the devil.
He knows very well that if he can keep husbands and wives, parents and children, church leaders, and every other spiritual and temporal relationship that involves authority, from keeping the ordinance of headship and submission, he will be successful. Satanic success is measured by broken-ness – broken marriages, broken homes, broken churches broken anything he can get his hands on. The broken ordinance of headship and submission is his means to this end. It is the pathway to lawlessness.
Headship is a covering, a protection against the devices of the devil. Yes, the abuses are many and yes, extremes exist. It is however, still God’s way. In the weeks to come we will explore its meaning more deeply.
Next week we will look at other scriptures that speak directly about this ordinance.
Two weeks from now we will look at three types of parenting as they relate to this ordinance.
May God bless you as you study his word and grow in the knowledge, understanding and wisdom of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
Amen!
Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotes are from the NIV
Sermon preached by Bruce Morrison, pastor
Emmanuel English Church, Hong Kong
September 21, 2003
