Category: 1 Corinthians

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good (1 Corinthians 11:17).

I’ve been involved in church leadership a time or two over the years. I’ve helped design worship services, helped with the music or drama or teaching.

This is one of my worst fears.

Sunday morning service should be a time when believers are strengthened and deepened in their faith, where the children of God are brought closer to their Lord and to each other. But this is not what Paul saw in Corinth. Beloved, Paul is saying that going to church was actually pushing the Corinthians away from God, rather than drawing them near. 

What was going on that was causing such trouble? 

We’ll get into the specifics next week (sorry for the tease, but you can always read ahead if you want), but for today know this:

It’s a matter of the heart.

People’s hearts weren’t right with God, and that corrupted their worship.

Beloved, before you put on your Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes and head off to church this week, take a moment–or more–to examine your heart before the Lord. Let him help you get into the right frame of mind, so that, well, you don’t do more harm than good.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

In the following directives I have no praise for you…(1 Corinthians 11:17).

May I just say that this verse terrifies me?

I realize that this is Paul speaking, not the Lord himself, but Paul is inspired by God in his writing, so…

As a teacher I have always believed that you should lead with the positive. I will scour a student’s paper, looking for anything good to say about it before I drop the hammer. I’m pretty sure Paul understands this concept.

But this line is all hammer.

Beloved, before we even move into what has Paul so hammery,  I suggest we take a moment, a la Psalm 139: 

“Search me, oh God, and know my heart.”

Is there anything in your life right now that might spur God to say, “In this area I have no praise for you?” If so, perhaps now is the time to deal with it, hmm? 

Happy Thursday, Beloved

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 11:13-16).

OK, we’re almost done with hair.

Really

I promise.

Paul is wrapping this discussion up with a classic, “The answer is obvious” pitch, followed by the ever-effective, “That’s just how we do it” close. 

Mic drop

All kidding aside, Paul is ready to move on, but he reiterates his argument that the long hair/short hair issue is based on creation itself. He points out that, for him, the matter is settled, and those under his authority will comply. 

It may seem that Paul is getting awfully heated up about a minor thing, but we should remember that this issue had a lot of hidden and not-so-hidden meaning in Corinth. Remember the whole “meat sacrificed to idols” business from Chapters 9 and 10? Everything–including hairstyles–may be permissible, “but not everything is constructive.” “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”

For the record, my wife has long and beautiful hair, while mine is short and dwindling.

Just saying

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

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  (1 Corinthians 11:11-12).   

I like Paul.

I’m sure he’s glad to know that.

Paul knew–certainly God knew– that some people would get worked up over the previous verses. Women would chafe under the mistaken inference that they were second-class citizens, and men would, well, be men and start mishandling their authority.

Which, you know, is pretty much what happens.

So Paul reminds us that men and women need each other. Neither would be here without the other, and we can’t do this life thing alone. Besides, God is the One who creates and sustains all things. He is our ultimate authority.

We need each other, Beloved. So take a deep breath and embrace the role God has given you.

Happy Tuesday

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, a woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head (1 Corinthians 11:7-10).

I know some people would argue that all this hat/no hat business is just social convention, and really does not apply to us today.

Except there’s this part.

Paul is talking to a specific group of people in a particular place and time, but his reasoning goes back to Genesis. He uses the very order of creation to emphasize the need for women to be in submission to their husbands. It’s the same argument he uses in Ephesians 5, and it works.

Please refrain from hurling your electronic device against the wall.

So I say–and I could be so very wrong here–that the detail of head covering is culture-specific, but the bigger idea of respect and submission in the house of worship is timeless.

Oh, and the angel thing? I think Paul is pointing out that all Creation is watching…so don’t mess up.

Don’t hate me–I’m just the messenger.

Actually, please don’t hate anyone involved in this message. I don’t think that would end well.

Happy Monday, Beloved

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 (1 Corinthians 11:5-6).

There are layers to this–haircut pun intended.

In the culture of Corinth, for a woman to go about with her head uncovered was a sign that she was…how shall we say this…a hoochie.

Well, it was.

So uncovering her head in public worship was the social equivalent of coming to church in fishnets and a micro skirt. It would be dishonoring to her husband and to God. 

Again, it’s about respect and honor in worship.

Today we don’t worry overmuch about style of clothing in the worship service. Some folk like to dress up, and some keep it casual. Many would say–and rightly so–that God cares more about the condition of your heart than about the style of your clothes.

Of course, sometimes the style of your clothes reveals the condition of your heart.

Happy Friday, Beloved

Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head (1 Corinthians 11:4).

When my students enter my classroom, I expect them to remove their hats. There are practical reasons for this–like making sure they’re not wearing earbuds–but mainly it is a sign of respect. The military does this as well, also as a sign of respect.

Paul is commanding the same thing here, and for much the same reason. 

From what I can tell, the “prays or prophesies” part or this verse is in reference to the public worship service. It could mean only the leaders, but seems to be best understood as referring to all the men in the congregation, who would be praying  and worshiping together. As for the word translated “head,” well, it seems that the first use refers to the physical head, and the second to the spiritual head–Christ. So, a man who is worshiping in public with his head covered is dishonoring the very Lord he has come to honor.

Folks have a lot of ideas about what the head coverings Paul refers to were. Some say it referred to long hair, which was decidedly feminine in that culture.  Others say Paul was talking about pulling their cloak up over their heads, which was a practice of those worshiping the pagan gods. Some say he meant the veiling of their heads, which was a practice of the Jews. Regardless of what exactly the Corinthians were doing, Paul’s point was clear. For a man to cover his physical head during the public worship service dishonored his spiritual head–Christ.

Beloved, most of our churches don’t have dress codes, and to be worried about what someone else was wearing would be, to us, a shallow thing.

But we are not they, and this is not then. Paul’s concern was that the people of God take their worship seriously, and approach the throne with a humble heart. 

What of you, Beloved? Do you go to worship in reverence and respect, or…?

It’s not a dress code. It’s a heart code.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

But 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).

Well, here we go.

You know, I thought about skipping this bit and hoping you wouldn’t notice. But I didn’t want to be a wuss, so…

There is an order to things, an order which God has baked into the cake. The word “head” here refers to honor and submission. Jesus, though in very nature God, submits to and honors the Father. Likewise man is to honor and submit to Christ, and woman is to honor and submit to her husband. It’s not a popular idea in our society, but it’s here, and it’s in Ephesians, and it’s in Colossians–even Peter talks about it. We have different roles, but the same value before God.

As a teacher, I think of this in a classroom setting. The teacher is called to submit to the principal, but that in no way diminishes the  value or importance of the teacher. In fact, the system is designed to protect and support and empower the teacher. The fact that some administrators abuse their power does not negate the wisdom if the design

In any case, Paul is mentioning this to set the stage for discussing proper behavior in the public worship service. He’s going to talk hats and hairstyles and other things that we don’t pay a lot of attention to in 2023. The point, however, will come back to honoring God. 

As it always should.

So, ladies and gentlemen, set aside your pride and prepare to talk hair.

That’s not a command, just an invitation.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you  (1 Corinthians 11:2).   

My bible is a bit tattered, to be honest.

It’s dog-eared, and the front cover has fallen off.

A few of the pages are stained with tea or dirt or slightly puckered from water. 

The damage has come honestly, through thirty-seven years of daily reading.

It makes me think of a treasure chest from one of those old pirate movies.

The outside is battered and worn and looking ready for the ash heap, but inside…

treasure.

We have a heritage, passed down from generation to generation.

It’s been translated many different ways, but the Truth has been preserved and protected by the Truth Giver. 

It’s like a Thomas Guide for life, and well, it’s well worth following.

So follow.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

I gotta tell you something, Beloved.

Just between you and me

I would love to be able to say what Paul says here.

To be able to say, “Watch me, and do what I do.”

But I’m not there,

yet. 

Perhaps someday I’ll be a man worth following, but until then it is good to know that I have an example in the pages of Scripture.

As do you

So as we dive into our week, let’s play Follow the Leader, shall we?

And we’ll play for keeps.

Happy Monday, Beloved