WWUTT 2350 Q&A Head Coverings, Culture or Corporate, Defying Gravity

When Paul talks about head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11, is that a today thing or a then thing? Is that for all women or just wives? And can the Bible teach us anything about defying gravity? The answer is when we understand the text.

This is When We Understand the Text, a daily Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the Word. This program is now a production of Providence Reformed Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Yay!

Here once again is Pastor Gabe.

Thank you, Becky.

You're welcome.

We'll see how much I cough all the way through this.

Yeah, don't do that.

So yeah, now the church is sponsoring, we're now part of the ministry of Providence Reformed Baptist Church. And so when the program is getting on the radio as well, it's produced by Providence Reformed Baptist Church.

So you can find out more info about the church, our statement of faith, things like that when you go to providencecasagrande .com. On the Friday edition of the broadcast, we take questions from the listeners.

Yes.

And you can send those questions to whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com or voicemail. I don't think I have a voicemail this week, at least the ones that I checked, it looked like we've aired all of these.

Okay.

But you can go to wwutt .com, click on that voicemail tab and record us a voicemail using your phone or your laptop. And we would love to hear your question and we'll play it and respond to it on the broadcast.

Yeah, just make sure it's short and sweet.

Yeah.

Because it's only like, what, 90 seconds of recording?

Yeah.

You can tell us about your kids or something like that too. That's fine.

Sure.

If you can fit it all in there in a minute and a half.

Or I suppose you could leave too.

One of the questions we have here is from a listener's child.

Oh, awesome.

We're gonna get to in a moment. But first let me read from Proverbs 8. We'll open up with some scriptures to get started. Proverbs 8, 14, I have counsel and sound wisdom. I have insight and strength. By me, this is wisdom speaking, kings reign and rulers decree what is just.

By me, princes rule and nobles, all who govern justly. Let us be in prayer for our kings and those who are in high positions, our governing officials, that they may seek the wisdom of God and make decisions for the people according to what God has said in his word, by his wisdom and by his decrees.

All right, let's get to some of these. Thank you. Hang on, I got an applause for that.

Yay.

I'm gonna die again.

No, don't. At least not yet. I mean, I know it's like inevitable, but.

It's gonna happen sometime, yeah. I'll hold on a little bit longer. This is from Jade. I would like for you to discuss the topic of head coverings according to 1 Corinthians 11 and other passages in the Bible that might address this topic.

It seems that it's becoming a more popular thing among some Christian women. Is it a conscience issue or are the texts being misunderstood? Also, if women choose to wear a head covering, should it be all the time or just when praying slash attending church?

If you have discussed this topic before, please let me know on what podcast episode and I'll go have a listen. I have tuned into your podcast for years after hearing about your videos on Wretched. I am thankful for all you do for the service of our Lord.

Praise God. Thank you so much, Jade, for your question. And it's great that you brought this up because I was just thinking about this recently.

Oh, really?

So this is especially concerning the question as to whether this is a cultural thing or is it worship? Like, does this have to do with how women are to dress even out in public?

Right.

Or is this just about how a woman is adorned in worship? Because somebody came to me recently and said, how do you square 1 Corinthians 11 with 1 Corinthians 14? In chapter 14, it says that a woman can't speak in worship, that she needs to remain quiet and she needs to ask her husband at home.

Right.

But in chapter 11, you have the line, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies. Well, in chapter 14, it says she has to remain quiet.

But in chapter 11, it says if she prays or prophesies with her head uncovered. So the insinuation there would be that she can pray or prophesy, but she just has to do it with her head covered.

Interesting.

So do these two passages not contradict one another? This was a question I got a few weeks ago by somebody. So I came back to this again.

Those are in two different parts of the Bible, correct?

Well, it's the same book.

It's the same book. Okay, okay.

So same culture, in other words. That's what I'm looking at.

Same church, right. Addressing the same church, same problems, and just a matter of three chapters apart.

Okay, just making sure.

So why is it that Paul says that, or it seems to insinuate anyway, that a wife can pray or prophesy in service, or at least that's what it looks like in 1 Corinthians 11. Whereas chapter 14, when it comes to the proper exercise of spiritual gifts and doing that in the gathered assembly, that a woman is to remain quiet.

And if she has anything to say, she can ask her husband at home. So how is it that these two instructions exist in the same letter? When I came back to this again, here's what I recognized.

Okay.

That the instruction that we have in 1 Corinthians 11, two through 16, which is that section on head coverings. This is about the culture. It's not about the conduct in the ordered worship service.

Right.

This is a structure that God has built, has created, that is always the case, whether you're in worship or not. So 1 Corinthians and worship, I'm talking about the corporate gathering of the church. But in 1 Corinthians 11, two, it says, I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ. The head of a wife is her husband and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head uncovered dishonors his head.

But every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head since it is the same as if her head were shaven. Okay. So here's the question. Is a husband the head of his wife only in church?

No.

That's all the time.

Right.

So we're not talking about the gathered assembly here. A further clue to this when you get to verse 17, but in the following instructions, I do not commend you because when you come together, it is not for the better, but for the worse.

So now he's addressing their conduct in the corporate assembly.

Right.

Whereas previously with this instruction regarding head coverings, which is the start of a new section in chapter 11. So with this particular instruction, this is not about corporate conduct. This is about how a man and how a woman are to conduct themselves even culturally, even outside the body in the way that they interact with in the world.

Right.

So therefore the principle concerning head covering is an everyday thing. It's not just concerning a person's conduct in church. Now the other conversation or the other side of this conversation that comes up.

But that was cultural then.

That was cultural then that they would wear a head covering though. Paul ties it back to creation.

Right.

He ties it back to the created order.

Right.

So he says that a man ought not to cover his head since he is the image and the glory of God. That's in verse seven. But woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man.

Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels. That's another fun little thing that's thrown in there that everybody's confused about.

Nevertheless, in the Lord, woman is not independent of man nor man of woman for as woman was made from man. So man is now born of woman and all things are from God. Judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?

So this is talking about prayer or prophesying that would even happen outside the church. I mean, we pray outside the church. I prophesy only in the sense that, I'm reading the word of God to my kids.

Telling them about how following these instructions are sanctifying. God is sanctifying you, is growing you in the knowledge of his word and holiness in your conduct. And looking toward a day in which we're gonna stand before the throne of God.

We're gonna have to answer for everything that we have done. Only by faith in Christ will we be saved. And there is a day that's coming in which Christ will judge all the living and the dead. So we look forward to, we're looking forward to things that have not yet come to pass.

And that is in a sense, prophesying. We're prophetically looking toward those things that the Bible is saying will happen and have not happened yet. So there's prophesying, there's still prophesying that we do.

It's just not new revelation.

Okay, yeah, fair enough.

Yeah, God's not giving us new visions of things as he was still revealing his will to the churches at this particular time. So anyway, this instruction regarding head coverings, this is something that should relate to even conduct out in the culture.

Whereas the instructions that we have about conduct within the church, that picks up in verse 17, where you have instructions about the Lord's supper, and then you get to chapter 12, you have spiritual gifts, and that goes through chapter 14, where in chapter 14 it is said, even though women will have these spiritual gifts as well, they're not permitted to be those who stand up and teach others in the church.

Right.

And that's same instruction we have in 1 Timothy 2, 11, I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man. Rather, she is to remain quiet. So we use both of those passages, 1 Corinthians 14, 1 Timothy 2, to understand that women are not to be pastors.

It is men who are responsible for the teaching. But with regards to head coverings, that appears to relate to conduct specifically about a woman, even more directly than that, a wife, and how she is to be regarded even outside of church, outside of worship.

Yes.

Now we had previously in chapter seven, instructions for both married and singles. So the instruction is not every woman needs to get married.

Right.

And therefore have a symbol of authority over her head. That's not the instruction.

Right.

Because some women are gonna be called to singleness.

Right.

And it won't necessarily be God's will for them to be married and have children. And saying that is becoming more and more controversial, even within our reform circles.

Oh, and they're like passionate about it.

Yeah.

Very passionate.

Because I'm hearing more and more, this insistence upon a woman fulfills her highest duty when she gets married and has children.

Oh my goodness, that is ridiculous.

Yeah.

Because not everybody is able to.

Right.

We live in a fallen world.

Yeah, definitely.

And so it's just, it's, I mean, yes, it's a blessing, don't get me wrong, but it's not a requirement. Or somebody who's single and doesn't have children can't reach their highest, you know.

Yeah, or that they're sinning somehow.

Yeah, they're not sinning.

Not at all. And Becky and I have counseled both men and women in this, which is why you hear Becky getting so passionate.

I feel very passionate about it.

Because, I mean, we've known plenty of people that just for one reason or another have not been able to get married or have children.

Right.

And there are those that God has called to singleness.

Yes.

And some feel no desire to want to get married, instead devote themselves to a full-time ministry, be out on the mission field or whatever else.

Yeah.

I've known young men that will save marriage until later, like late twenties, early thirties, or even later than that, because they want to go out and do some sort of mission or travel.

Yes.

And experience that first before getting married. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I hear all kinds of manner of talk out there about how, you know, that's shameful. You need to get married young.

You need to have kids young. I wish I could have. I made some stupid mistakes a decade before I met you.

Yeah.

But it was for, it was God's providence. Yeah, I mean, we both have that story. But it was God's providence that we would come together and have the wonderful, beautiful family that we do.

I mean, we met people, we know people who are the same people. Like I know people and he knows the same person. And yet we never met until we were older.

We had mutual friends and yet never knew each other.

We were mutual places. We were like so many times that we could have met each other, but the Lord kept us from each other until we were older.

Until it was the right time.

Right.

Yeah.

But anyway.

And who am I to say that the timing was not right.

Right.

Or I was too late. I should have met you earlier. You know, like that's arguing with God of his perfect timing.

I know.

And who am I to argue with God about his perfect timing.

God very clearly had to work some things out in me before that was gonna happen.

He had to humble me.

Like you are not ready for this yet. You're not ready for your knight in shining armor yet. You need to be more respectful.

Oh, well, thanks. I still take this armor off to shower every once in a while. So back to your question though, Jade, one of the things that I've responded to this problem with when it comes to head coverings, so now if Gabe is making the argument that this is an out of corporate worship thing, does that mean that women need to be wearing head coverings all the time?

Well, here's my question in response to that. What is a head covering? So what are we talking about?

Yeah.

Is it like a little strip or like a headband? A headband, yeah. Or is it a handkerchief? Or is it like a full long scarf? A hat? You know, like a blanket or?

Like the Southern women used to do, you know, wearing those big hats? Yeah. Yep. I grew up in that era.

Or flowers.

You have flowers in your hair?

Yeah.

Or when I was baptized in a Mennonite church. And so you had those women that would wear the little like bun covering. Sort of, is that it? Is that the head covering? So there's really not enough instruction here for us.

Specific instruction.

Yes, specific instruction.

Yes.

That we understand how really we're supposed to follow this in a way that is God honoring. And so this is going to have to be a liberty of conscience issue. And I know that there are some that will get really frustrated with me for that, especially when they have the conviction that no women need to be wearing head coverings.

My daughters love it. Like an excuse to wear something on their head, they'll take it up and do it.

Absolutely.

But it is going to be up to you to decide how you exercise this. As I've heard the American argument made, well, the ring is the symbol of authority. So because I wear a wedding ring, I am showing that I have authority over me.

My husband, whom I married to, is my authority over me. I'm saying on behalf of the wife.

Yeah, sure.

You gave me a look there.

Yeah, I'm thinking I forget my ring so often.

Oh, I know.

Well, I had to take to wearing one of the silicone rings.

Yep, me too.

So, because it was getting caught on stuff and I weigh more than I did when we first put these rings on. I'm trying to get back down, but I've had to wear the silicone ring. But anyway, yeah, that is the American accent or American accent, the American argument that you might hear.

I've heard Mark Dever, Nine Marks make that same argument. So what are your convictions going to be regarding this? It's good to study it. It's good to get other opinions there. You can definitely make the argument that there was a period of time where women were more covered than they are now.

Yeah.

And after the head covering went, it seems like other articles of clothing started to go too. So, but it's still one of those things that I don't think.

I mean, I think if you take the modesty approach.

Yes.

Like you're just dressed modestly where it's not going to show off your body.

I don't know what you.

Parts of you that need to be concealed.

Yes.

I think that that's another way of looking at it. Like you can be God honoring because you're dressed modestly. It doesn't mean humbly. It doesn't mean go in like rags or anything like that. But just make sure that you are covered and you're dressed well, if you will.

Yes.

To honor the Lord and for a woman, your husband.

Yes.

As well.

Amen.

So thank you for your question, Jade. I hope that was helpful. We could definitely do a deeper dive than we just did.

Oh yeah.

And be in that for a little while. This next question comes from Nicole. Pastor Gabe, happy Tuesday. My 15 year. So this was Tuesday. My 15 year old daughter has requested that I email you with her science question.

Ooh.

Oh man, you're going to get me on science here. That's what you're teaching right now.

It is.

You're in science.

Yep.

So she's asking her science question in hopes that you might be able to give a biblical answer to her science homework question. She is homeschooled, but attends a Christian science class. Although her teacher leans more progressive than we do.

And science is taught through a Christian worldview. On her latest science homework, the question is, quote, how do you think that Jesus' last words to his disciples was a call for them to defy gravity?

Think symbolically. Using Mark 16, 14 to 20, Luke 24, 50, and Acts 1, 3 through 11. Her next class is February 28th. She does not need an on-air answer. Too bad, we're giving you one.

I'm going to attempt one.

Although I'm sure she would love it, but just wanted to know what her favorite podcast pastors take on this question might be. See, that's going to get your question on the air. That's awesome. If you're going to say something like that.

Thanks for humoring my teenager. Okay, so let's go to.

Say the question again.

So the question is, how do you think that Jesus' last words to his disciples was a call for them to defy gravity?

All right.

Okay.

So we have Luke 24 and Acts 1, also Mark 16. I'm going to skip that one. Let's stick with Luke 24, 50, where it says, he led them out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, blessing God. Okay, so right there, we don't have last words.

Right.

We just have a closing narrative on his ascension. So let's go to Acts 1 and we'll read there of his final words before ascending into heaven. So in Acts 1, beginning in verse 3, we read about how Jesus presented himself alive to his disciples after his suffering, many proofs appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the father, which he said, you heard from me for John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, it is not for you to know the times or seasons that the father has fixed by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven, as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes and said, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?

This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. So there you go, closing words that have to do with what he's gonna send his disciples out to do.

And as they're watching, he lifts up from their sight and goes into heaven. So how are his final words to them an instruction to defy gravity? What would you say, babe? You're the science teacher.

I know, but I didn't have it in front of me. And so I'm trying to remember all the words and it's not working. So what was that passage?

So just to summarize it to the instruction to you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. And when he said these things, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight.

So how are his final words to them an instruction to defy gravity?

I don't know, I'm confused.

Well, I'm gonna come to a different passage because we don't have anything in those places, even Mark 16, that say something to the disciples about, well, you will be able to defy gravity too, just like I'm being lifted up from your sight.

So you will also be lifted up. There's nothing in there that says that. But if you go to someplace like 1 Thessalonians 4, it says, we believe that Jesus died and rose again. Even so through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I read to you there from 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 14 to 18. So if we believe, again, verse 14, since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus, we're gonna rise again as well.

Right.

And even rise up to meet him in the air.

See, that's what I was thinking, but then I was like, but that has nothing to do with his last words of going to, you know, all the world to spread the gospel. And I was just like.

Not directly.

Yeah.

Yeah, not directly.

But I guess because he's being, you know, risen up into the air that he was.

And as you saw him go.

He was going, yes.

As you saw him go is the way he's gonna come back again.

Right.

Sure.

So if you believe this message of the gospel that I'm telling you to go out and spread and whoever believes it will likewise rise up and meet the Lord in the air.

Okay.

Whether you've died before that day.

Right.

Or you're still alive on that day.

Right.

We all get to be caught up together with the Lord in the air. So that would be my response to how might, how would you connect that, those closing words of Jesus with being able to defy gravity.

Yeah.

Will likewise be caught up with him. That would be my answer.

That's very astute.

Yes.

You don't have to give me credit on your homework assignment. When you fill that out and turn it in, that's just fine.

No, that's funny. You do, I mean, you do have to write your resources.

I mean, if you have, you got to cite your sources. Yeah, you don't want to plagiarize.

Right.

I suppose, you got to be honest about that.

But at the same time, I mean, yeah, that's, but see, that's where I was thinking, but that has nothing to do with what he was saying. And then except in that passage.

So.

With what Jesus was saying or what the teacher was saying?

What Jesus was saying.

Okay.

So why wasn't this passage included in that?

Because that is not a word directly from the mouth of Jesus.

Okay.

Fair enough. So I don't know. I'm not sure what the teacher's motivation is for wording the question the way that he does. But that would be the connection that I would make to it. So they're watching Jesus get taken up from them.

How do we get that too?

Oh, okay.

How might we have this opportunity to defy gravity and lift up into the air?

Okay, fair enough.

Based on the wording of the question, defy gravity, I'm thinking, was this person watching Wicked?

I mean.

I mean.

That's one of the big songs.

Sure.

It's not an endorsement of Wicked in any way. I actually don't care for the musical at all. But that was just my thought when I read the question that way, is this a call for them to defy gravity? Take up their broomsticks and go play some, what is it?

Quidditch? What is it in Harry Potter?

I think so. I think it's Quidditch.

Yeah.

I don't know that one either. Don't judge me. All right, well, that's our program for this week. And we thank you so much. I'm not gonna be able to do the full hour for those of you who listen to the podcast because my voice is just not gonna be able to hold on.

But we thank you for listening this week and be sure to tell your friends about our ministry. You can send us a question to air on the Friday broadcast when we understand the text at gmail .com is the best way to get it to us or shoot us a

A voicemail.

A voicemail. I usually say, shoot us an email, send us a voicemail. I got swapped at this time, but go to wwutt .com and click on that voicemail tab and we'd love to hear from you also.

You're forgiven because you're not feeling well.

Little out there. God bless you guys.

Yes, God bless.