Weaver1has's Blog

8/31/2020

Getting ready for the Lords table.

17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. 20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, 21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 I think we need to remember that Corinth is in Greece and when Greeks  get together even today it can be a very lively time.   Obviously St Paul wasn’t into these Syposiums in which wine, food and discussions could flood out. The problems with these symposiums was that they got out of hand (order) and there were the poor who couldn’t even afford a lor of food.   He gives them a telling off and brings the Corinthians to a place of sober thinking.  Holy Communion, breaking of Bread is a time to focus on what is really important for the Christian believer.

8/30/2020

2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

    It was customary for most women in the ancient Near East, Mesopotamia, and the Greco-Roman world to cover their hair when they went outside the home. In biblical times, women covered their heads with veils or scarves. The unveiling of a woman’s hair was considered a humiliation and punishment (Isa. 3:17; cf. Num. 5:18 on the loosening of the hair of a woman suspected of adultery; III Macc. 4:6; and Sus.

As I said the main reason for this section I believe is to get the Corinthians into some sort of order and not each one going their own way.   Women as well as men needed to be reminded that order is important in the Church.  He is being a good pastor and explaining the theology found in Genesis.  It is worth reading this from a Jewish site.

.https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/covering-of-the-head ‘ Women

10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 1 Corinthians 11:10

This verse I think is a key to unpacking a lot of the discussion on hair.  First of all I don’t think hair per se is what Paul is getting at but order in the Church.  This verse however brings in angels to the mix.  Although angels are created like we are yet they stand in the presence of God.  When the church worships, the angels worship too.  Yes I am saying angels are present so there is a propriety. How this works out I am not completely certain; More research is needed.

8/28/2020

4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 1 Corinthians 11:4-10 NASB

So let us not forget that Paul is following the order found in Genesis.  Christ is the head of Man and Man is the head of woman.  I don’t understand why he says this and in todays world it can sound a little strange. I’m sure that feminists would have a great time to say that Paul was putting women’s rights down somehow.  If one takes this view, it is anachronistic.  Remember that this text was written in the 1st Century AD.  Anyhow he doesn’t actualy here place it as a command.  Mirror reading the text seems to point it to being as accepted tradition of the time.

27^th August

Verse 3

There is a ‘but’ in this verse and then he goes into the order of what is first to last… This does not mean that women are less important.  I think a lot of feminists would disagree. 

Order;

Christ is the head of man

Man is the head of woman

God is the head of Christ

We have a tryptic here and I also think it follows the Genesis creation story.  In the story we also find angels who had fallen and perhaps we will look at this when we get to it in verse 10.