1 Cor 11:1-16 When we reprove what is amiss in any, it is very prudent and fit to commend what is good in them; it will show that the reproof is not from ill-will, and a humour of censuring and finding fault; and it will therefore procure the more regard to it.

II. How he lays the foundation for his reprehension by asserting the superiority of the man over the woman: I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Christ, in his mediatorial character and glorified humanity, is at the head of mankind. He is not only first of the kind, but Lord and Sovereign. He has a name above every name: though in this high office and authority he has a superior, God being his head. And as God is the head of Christ, and Christ the head of the whole human kind, so the man is the head of the two sexes: not indeed with such dominion as Christ has over the kind or God has over the man Christ Jesus; but a superiority and headship he has, and the woman should be in subjection and not assume or usurp the man's place. This is the situation in which God has placed her; and for that reason she should have a mind suited to her rank, and not do any thing that looks like an affectation of changing places.

Something like this the women of the church of Corinth seem to have been guilty of, who were under inspiration, and prayed and prophesied even in their assemblies, v. 5. It is indeed an apostolical canon, that the women should keep silence in the churches (1 Cor 14:34; 1 Tim 2:12), which some understand without limitation, as if a woman under inspiration also must keep silence, which seems very well to agree with the connection of the apostle's discourse, ch. 14. Others with a limitation: though a woman might not from her own abilities pretend to teach, or so much as question and debate any thing in the church yet when under inspiration the case was altered, she had liberty to speak. Or, though she might not preach even by inspiration (because teaching is the business of a superior), yet she might pray or utter hymns by inspiration, even in the public assembly. She did not show any affectation of superiority over the man by such acts of public worship. It is plain the apostle does not in this place prohibit the thing, but reprehend the manner of doing it. And yet he might utterly disallow the thing and lay an unlimited restraint on the woman in another part of the epistle.

These things are not contradictory. It is to his present purpose to reprehend the manner wherein the women prayed and prophesied in the church, without determining in this place whether they did well or ill in praying or prophesying. Note, The manner of doing a thing enters into the morality of it. We must not only be concerned to do good, but that the good we do be well done.

III. The thing he reprehends is the woman's praying or prophesying uncovered, or the man's doing either covered, v. 4, 5. To understand this, it must be observed that it was a signification either of shame or subjection for persons to be veiled, or covered, in the eastern countries, contrary to the custom of ours, where the being bare-headed betokens subjection, and being covered superiority and dominion. And this will help us the better to understand,

IV. The reasons on which he grounds his reprehension.

1. The man that prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonoureth his head, namely, Christ, the head of every man (v. 3), by appearing in a habit unsuitable to the rank in which God has placed him. Note, We should, even in our dress and habits, avoid every thing that may dishonour Christ. The woman, on the other hand, who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head, namely, the man, v. 3. She appears in the dress of her superior, and throws off the token of her subjection. She might, with equal decency, cut her hair short, or cut it close, which was the custom of the man in that age. This would be in a manner to declare that she was desirous of changing sexes, a manifest affectation of that superiority which God had conferred on the other sex. And this was probably the fault of these prophetesses in the church of Corinth. It was doing a thing which, in that age of the world, betokened superiority, and therefore a tacit claim of what did not belong to them but the other sex. Note, The sexes should not affect to change places. The order in which divine wisdom has placed persons and things is best and fittest: to endeavour to amend it is to destroy all order, and introduce confusion. The woman should keep to the rank God has chosen for her, and not dishonour her head; for this, in the result, is to dishonour God. If she was made out of the man, and for the man, and made to be the glory of the man, she should do nothing, especially in public, that looks like a wish of having this order inverted.

2. Another reason against this conduct is that the man is the image and glory of God, the representative of that glorious dominion and headship which God has over the world. It is the man who is set at the head of this lower creation, and therein he bears the resemblance of God. The woman, on the other hand, is the glory of the man (v. 7): she is his representative. Not but she has dominion over the inferior creatures, as she is a partaker of human nature, and so far is God's representative too, but it is at second-hand. She is the image of God, inasmuch as she is the image of the man: For the man was not made out of the woman, but the woman out of the man, v. 8. The man was first made, and made head of the creation here below, and therein the image of the divine dominion; and the woman was made out of the man, and shone with a reflection of his glory, being made superior to the other creatures here below, but in subjection to her husband, and deriving that honour from him out of whom she was made.

3. The woman was made for the man, to be his help-meet, and not the man for the woman. She was naturally, therefore, made subject to him, because made for him, for his use, and help, and comfort. And she who was intended to be always in subjection to the man should do nothing, in Christian assemblies, that looks like an affectation of equality.

4. She ought to have power on her head, because of the angels. Power, that is, a veil, the token, not of her having the power or superiority, but being under the power of her husband, subjected to him, and inferior to the other sex. Rebekah, when she met Isaac, and was delivering herself into his possession, put on her veil, in token of her subjection, Gen 24:65. Thus would the apostle have the women appear In Christian assemblies, even though they spoke there by inspiration, because of the angels, that is, say some, because of the evil angels. The woman was first in the transgression, being deceived by the devil (1 Tim 2:14), which increased her subjection to man, Gen 3:16. Now, believe evil angels will be sure to mix in all Christian assemblies, therefore should women wear the token of their shamefacedness and subjection, which in that age and country, was a veil. Others say because of the good angels. Jews and Christians have had an opinion that these ministering spirits are many of them present in their assemblies. Their presence should restrain Christians from all indecencies in the worship of God. Note, We should learn from all to behave in the public assemblies of divine worship so as to express a reverence for God, and a content and satisfaction with that rank in which he has placed us.

V. He thinks fit to guard his argument with a caution lest the inference be carried too far (v. 11-12): Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord. They were made for one another.

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition)

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2004

Answers

Ron, please reference the Mathew Henry rather than copying it alll to the board. OK?

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2004

Ron -

You are an interesting lad in that you appear to be a fierce defender of fundamentalist Biblical studies. This is cool by me but I would caution that fundamentalist exegesis does have certain limitations. In many instances not knowing the Hebrew/Greek/Aramaic language of the Biblical text can lead to a misleading interpretation. For example many KJV translations include the term "Easter" in the Book of Acts yet nearly every modern translation, consisting of a superior Greek foundation, makes no mention of Easter in that passage. Also, a literalist interpretation of Scripture can lead to unavoidable paradoxes like one of my favorites - Who was Cain's wife? Where did Mrs. Cain come from if the "first family" in Genesis consisted only of Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel. Just something to chew on. QED

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2004

Dear Rev. Paris, Your good advice is well received! Sorry and Thank you.

Dear Brother Dickens, Thank you for your reply. Although I know you only from this venue, I have come to respect your opinions and contributions. You are right indeed that a fundamental, literal interpretation of Scripture has its limitations, and a fully accurate reading of them is likely best done in the original languages. I must confess that I'm but a babe when it comes to scholarly exegesis, and though I am in possession of excellent Hebrew and Greek interlinears, I tend to rely more on the scholarship of the distinguished, God-fearing translators of the various translations of the Holy Writ. Paradoxes like the one you mention (some call them 'apparent contridictions') persist with no regard to methods of interpretation, or text, including those in the original languages.

It is as you say - I love the Word and meditate on it all day long because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. I understand and accept your wise counsel, and recognize the folly of obstinate rigidity to one and only one means of Biblical interpretation. Further, my own limitations are ever before me. So, I trust that it is the Spirit that leads, and by the Spirit discernment comes and truth is revealed.

Once again, thank you for your kind advice and I'll look forward to conversing with you further. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Rom 12:11)NIV

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2004