Wearing The Covering In The Assembly

Review

Review – Part 1 1 Cor. 11:1-3

1 Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2Now I praise you that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. 3But 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.

Review – Part 1 1 Cor. 11:1-3

• The subject is the headship in the kingdom

• Man and Woman not forget their role– Man cannot wear feminine symbol of

subjection– Women cannot abandon feminine symbol of

subjection

• Because of the angels Vs. 10; Jude 6

Review – Part 2 1 Cor. 11:4-6

4Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. 5But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoreth her head; for it is one and the same thing as if she were shaven. 6For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled.

Review – Part 2 1 Cor. 11:7-10

7For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man: 9for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man: 10for this cause ought the woman to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Review – Part 2 1 Cor. 11:4-10

1. What – A Covering of the Head

2. Who – The Women at Corinth

3. When – Praying or Prophesying

4. Where – Anywhere Except the Assembly

Wearing The Covering In The Assembly

Part 3

1Cor. 11:11-16

1 Corinthians 11:11-16

11Nevertheless, neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman, in the Lord. 12For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God. 13Judge ye in yourselves: is it seemly that a woman pray unto God unveiled? 14Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

It Was A Local Custom

Four Evidences of this custom1. Judge In Yourselves (v.13)

2. Is it Seemly (v.13)

3. Does Not Even Nature Teach You (v.14)

4. We Have No Such Custom (v.16)

1. Judge In Yourselves (v.13)

• Does This sound like a Divine directive?• Is God asking us to Judge about Divine Law?• Where God directs we cannot judge • We are not to judge God’s law Jas. 4:11

– We are to be doers of God’s law– We are not to be judges of it

• Paul instructs them to make a judgment– Since we cannot be judges of Divine law– Wearing the covering is not of Divine law

• God’s law was the headship of man over woman– The veil was the customary expression of its recognition– The veil was not worn because it was law– But because of what it signified to headship at Corinth

2. Is It Seemly (v.13)

• Paul tells them what they are to judge• The seemliness of a woman praying uncovered

– Coming before God and approaching His throne– Without wearing the customary sign of submission– Abandoning the abode God assigned her

• Seemly - 4241 prepo { prep’-o}– Thayer defines it as “Fitting, Proper”– A.T. Robertson “Paul appeals to the sense of propriety” – Is it proper or fitting for a woman to pray uncovered at Corinth?

• When God commands we can only obey– God doesn’t call us to determine the propriety of His laws

• Paul asks them to judge the seemliness of the sign– The sign at Corinth of a woman’s submission to man– Is it seemly or fitting to abandon that sign of headship?– Paul asked them to “judge in yourselves”

3. Does Not Nature Teach You (v.14)

• The Word nature - 5449 phusis { foo’-sis}– Robinson’s Greek English Lexicon of N.T.

• “A natural feeling of decorum, a native sense of propriety, e.g. in respect to national customs in which one is born and brought up”

– Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon• “A native sense of propriety”.

– A.T. Robertson’s Word Pictures Of The N.T.• “He reinforces the appeal to custom by the appeal to nature in a question

that expects the affirmative answer. PHUSIS, from old verb PHUO, to produce, like our word nature, is difficult to define. Here it means native sense of propriety (cf. Rom. 2:14) in addition to mere custom, but one that rests on the objective difference in the constitution of things”.

– Strong’s Lexicon• “The nature of things, the force, laws, order of nature”• “A mode of feeling and acting which by long habit has become nature”

3. Does Not Nature Teach You (v.14)

Nature - 5449 phusis { foo’-sis}• Conveys the idea of custom, or long habit• Covering not on the basis of Divine legislation• But on the basis of the national custom at Corinth

3. Does Not Nature Teach You (v.14)

• The Application– Nature Was To Teach Them At Corinth?

• It was used to teach them about the covering• To teach about how headship was displayed

– Nature teaches the distinction of the sexes• That if a man have long hair it dishonors him• But if a woman have long hair it her glory• For it was given to her for a covering

– Therefore the covering was a symbol of femininity• It demonstrated woman subjection to man• It was to be worn only by the woman• It was not to be worn by the man

4. We Have No Such Custom (v.16)

• Custom - 4914 sunetheia { soon-ay’-thi-ah}– Vines Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words

• “A custom, customary usage,… or force of habit”• Vines sites several examples of its usage

– John 18:39 – You have a custom to release one at Passover– 1 Cor. 11:16 – We have no such custom neither the churches of God– 1 Cor. 8:7 – Some have become so accustomed to idols (RSV)

– Strong’s Lexicon • From a compound of 4862 and 2239;; n f

– 4862 sun { soon} - A preposition “With, together with”– 2239 ethos { ay’-thos}

» 1) A customary abode, dwelling place, haunt, customary state» 2) Custom, usage, morals, character

• With usage, Customary, force of habit

4. We Have No Such Custom (v.16)

• Who Is The “We” Of The Verse– Likely the apostles, though difficult to be dogmatic– The apostles had no such custom– Customary sign of subjection not apostles custom

• As In 1 Jo 1:1-4 What “we” have heard, seen, handled• And 1 Jo. 4:1-6 Trying the spirits they opposed to “we”

• Neither the churches of God– Paul’s ways in Christ taught in every church 1 Cor. 4:17– Yet this was not the custom of the churches of God– It was neither the teaching nor the practice of churches

• What was the custom discussed in Vs. 16– The same custom discussed in whole context– The customary wearing of the covering at Corinth

4. We Have No Such Custom (v.16)

• A Common interpretation by advocates– The custom was not the wearing of the covering– The custom was being contentious

• We have no such custom as being contentious• Neither the churches of God has custom of contention

• A Common Objection To Custom Being Covering– Paul would not argue its use for 15 verses conclude Its just a custom– Paul would not argue something that is only a temporary practice

• Consider Paul’s Argument– 1 Corinthians 7

• Because of the present distress they should not marry• Paul argues for 27 verses not to marry• But to remain in their current marital state, married or single• Then in verse 28 states if you marry you have not sinned

– 1 Corinthians 12-14• Paul teaches about miraculous gifts of the Spirit• Miraculous gifts do not apply today

Summary

PART 1: Covering a sign of subjection in Corinth

PART 2: Worn by women as symbol of femininity

PART 3: Covering was a local custom at Corinth

…Summary

PART 31. They were to judge in themselves

2. Whether it was seemly to pray uncovered

3. Does not even nature teach us • God’s natural distinction between the sexes• Therefore the woman ought to wear that symbol• Man was forbidden from wearing that symbol

4. If any seems to be contentious we have no such custom

• Neither the apostle• Nor the churches of God

Conclusion

• The covering applies today– If we live in a society recognizing such a sign– For Christian women in Muslim countries – Where the covering is a symbol for women

• A symbol of their subjection to man

• Not as a sign of respect for Muslim religion– It is a customary symbol of woman’s subjection– Women not wearing symbol shames man

• Nobody here thinks the covering as a sign of subjection – so wearing it or not would mean nothing to society at

large

…Conclusion

• Not a test of Fellowship– This is an individual matter of conscience (Rom.14)

• The strong in faith (meat eaters)– Accept one weak in faith– Not to pass judgments on his opinions– Do not judge one who does not eat

• The weak in faith (non-meat eaters)– Do not regard with contempt him who does not eat– God has accepted him

• To Both (Rom.15)– Receive one another as Christ received us– Admonish one another

• Wherever one places the covering advocate – We must accept each other– And not regard with contempt those who do not wear covering

– Is not something God commands of us