Headship, Lordship, Fellowship — Peter Orasuk

Headship, Lordship, and Fellowship in 1 Corinthians 11

Now I have mentioned that I tonight I'm going to look at the truth from the scriptures and I Will say one thing. I Preach the same thing here that I would preach at home and preach everywhere. So what I'm going to preach tonight, I preach everywhere.

That's not the first time I've preached this I hope that I have fresh thoughts and fresh material for it and the time spent going over it. I'm sure it wasn't a thing, but I want to look at the truth tonight of headship lordship and Fellowship and I want to look at them in one portion of Scripture.

I want to look at them in 1st Corinthians chapter 11 verse 1 these followers of me. Even as I also. That's one another of my also am of Christ. Now I praise you brethren and that is going to characterize the next 15 verses.

The next 15 now, I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and Keep the ordinances. It's interesting because we normally refer to two ordinances one the act of baptism the other the breaking of bread.

He refers to ordinances and I know it's the word for traditions, but there's no other word for ordinances. So can it possibly be there is more ordinances carried out in a New Testament Church using? substantial things to display a spiritual reality Than the breaking of bread and I just leave that in your mind.

As I deliver them to you. But I would have you to know and that but is there for a reason. That the head of every man is Christ. That the head of the woman is the man. That the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying having his head covered dishonorous his head.

Every woman that prayeth or prophesied with her head uncovered. Dishonorous her head or detracts from her head. For that is even all as one as if she were shaven for if The woman be not covered. Let her also be shorn but if it be or since it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or Shaven and they are two words of extreme and we'll look at them.

Let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head for as much as he is image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman or from the woman, but the woman from the man.

Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. For this cause of a woman to have power or authority or be in subjection on her head because of the angels nevertheless Neither and this is a balancing statement.

Neither is the man without the woman Neither the woman without the man in the Lord. Now, there are two different statements one's relevant to creation the other to congregation and The Lord for as the woman is of the man Even so as the man also by the woman, but all things of God Judge in yourself.

Is it comely that a woman pray unto God? Uncovered does not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame Unto him. But if a woman have long hair it is a glory for her. For her hair is given her for a covering.

But if a man seemed to be contentious We have no such custom. I can hardly wait to deal with that one. Neither the churches of God now in this That I declare it to you and there's a change. Here's where the chapter changes.

From that which is an approval and an acknowledgment to a rebuke. Here's what it changes now in this I declare unto you I praise you not or I cannot approve you that you come together not for the better but for the worse verse 20 when you come together therefore into one place and He's referring to the what they are doing.

This is not to eat the Lord's Supper. I Think that's all I'll read. You know if we take Especially the first pattern chap part of chapter 11 down to verse 16 To simply be talking about hair and head and hat.

We have missed the whole purpose of it it is these portion in the scriptures which deals with a symbolic truth of Headship and so this evening I want to look at three truths that are linked together To the point that they readily affect and produce one another.

Headship, Lordship, and Fellowship as Related Truths

When we look at headship, we automatically think of rank. When we consider the truth of Lordship we are looking at response to rank or rank that is recognized and When we look at a common response of believers to the person of Christ Responding in a same required manner.

We have the principle of fellowship. So we could simply put it this way then Headship rank Lordship response to rank and fellowship results of a common response To the Lordship of Christ, you know when you start looking at this chapter, I just want to take I'm not going to take it Verse at a time, but I'm going to look at four things when I get to them when it comes to this chapter I want to look first of all dealing with headship at The truth of a Creatorial there are schoolteachers here.

I must admit sometimes they're where I come up with words. I think I made them up myself. You can tell me afterwards if I did but it seems to do the job. I want to think first of all of the creatorial endowment.

There is a creatorial endowment spoken out here. Then I want to look at the truth of a congregational expression. Because that is also brought out here. Then I want to look at the truth of component equality.

That may seem a very difficult term but we're going to find that it means simply means that none are more important than the other and both are equally required and Then I want to look at the truth of continuous excitation.

Because this is one of the most refuted passages of the scriptures in the religious world around us today. You know when you start and you look at this passage the Apostle Paul isn't simply saying and I've said it and I'm sure you have These followers of me even as I Also am of Christ simply means if I'm following Christ follow me it will be a good example.

Now that's a lot of truth. There's much in the scriptures to really produce and the common principle of doctrine is based on that truth but what he's saying is that as I have received this from Christ receive it from me as I have received this from Christ Receive it from me.

Paul’s Authority to Deliver Christ’s Teaching

So it is going far more than just the thought of following in the example of an individual's behavior. But the Apostle is saying what I have received of what I am going to speak on. Contrary to what the religious world says that this is Paul's own particular views.

And he was a chauvinist man and even worse Criticisms are aimed at him than that. But he's simply saying I have received this from the Lord. Therefore Receive it from me. And then he starts by saying that the myth of a lovely principle now I praise you Brethren, and he's obviously that's just not talking to the man.

He's talking to the combined company of the Lord's people at Corinth. You know, he's really saying Before I start to tell you anything. I want to commend you on something you're doing, right? Now I praise you brethren in this and he says this.

But you remember me in all things and You keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you, can I suggest something to you that possibly. Even amongst us is contested somewhat today that Corinth wasn't a place where women were blatantly appearing in wanton or harlot Appearance.

With shaved heads, but in an all likelihood He is going to first praise them for the fact that they are doing something and they don't even know why they're doing it. I praise you. He comes and he starts by saying there is something that you are doing and since you have first heard it from me.

You have commenced to do it and you are continuing to do it and I praise you in this that you keep the ordinances and that in all likelihood the truth that he is going to speak to this assembly on and To these sisters who form a part of this assembly on.

That these individuals weren't blatantly disregarding it and that's why he chose Corinth but they possibly and probably were upholding it and Practicing it and yet they didn't know why. Well, that's a great truth that tells me this.

Obedience as the Path to Understanding

But obedience doesn't necessarily have answers. But we are not told to obey because we've figured it out and we understand it. The principle of obedience is this whether I understand it or not if I'm told to do it I do it.

That's what he's saying. And there are things that brethren and sisters in the assembly have done and they're continuing to do. Simply because the scriptures tell them they should do it and they don't understand why but they do it.

I've heard people told that don't get baptized and to you understand it completely. Well, if that were the case brethren, I'd still be waiting for baptism. All I understood the day that I asked the brethren that they would baptize me.

Was this that God had a pattern for believers and a pattern for my life and as a believer I was to bow to the Word of God and go into the waters of Baptism and the only reason I really had for doing it.

Oh, I know I said that I know it's a type of the death of Christ and I thought I understood all that. You'd be amazed what you think you understand. But finally I just did it because the Bible told me to do it and I didn't really know why.

You know something I have baptized many. I'm not the Apostle Paul's that I baptized none of you. I Could say that about this particular place here. But I've had the the joy of baptizing many individuals and I and I enjoy it.

I really do and Every time I've been at a baptism, I've appreciated more and understood more about my own baptism. You know, there's a divine principle. Do you know what it is? That God honors obedience with understanding.

That Individuals that turn around and say this when I understand it all I'll do it and All likelihood will never commence to do it. But the Bible teaches if any man will to do the will of God He shall know the doctrine so that when a person says the scripture says to do it.

I don't know what it means. But I'm going to do it because the Bible tells me to do it that individual is the candidate. For what follows he says I praise you that you keep the ordinances, but I would have you to know I Want you to understand why you're doing what you're doing.

I want you to know the significance Of the sister's hair of the brother's short hair of the sisters covered head in congregation. I want you to understand the symbolic meaning behind that which you are doing and Until you're willing to obey you will never understand what it means.

Obedience is a great prerequisite for understanding and I would have you to know I Pretty worked up over that one anyway. Then he goes down in verse 3 and he gives us here put one of these things together with that grandson.

You're doing it all the time they give you the little kit and It comes with these it's supposed to be simple assembly. I put together this little thing and it took me all afternoon. It's true. You know what?

I'm not much of a builder like some are. But they sent this little metal wrench thing and they sent me that all the tools and they sent me the pictures where one Equals this two equals this. Well, this is or is like little boy was just too knowledgeable to go with that.

So I simply sat down and thought I'm gonna put this whole thing together now. I didn't realize that that little package that I had off to one side that I thought somehow fit into the table some things afterwards.

Were the very building blocks or the very thing you used to put it all together and make it work. So before he gives us the truth, you know, he's going to give us. He's going to give us the tools to understand it with here's what they are.

The Divine Order of Headship

Here's the here's the tools but the instrumentation to understand the principle and the teaching of Hitchcock. And he gives them in verse 3 when he says this I Would have you know that the head of every man Is Christ not very hard to understand the head of the man?

It's Christ and that the head of the woman is the man and That the head of Christ Is God and that is vital? For us to grasp the truth of the vital Paralleled Significance of a sister's part in the statement of headship to a part of a brethren.

The head of Christ a God. Christ is God. As a matter of fact, did you ever wonder why it puts it this way? We would normally have said I would have started his robotim and said the head of the woman is the man.

The head of the man is Christ the head of Christ is God. Or I'd have gone the other way the head of Christ is God the head of the the man is Christ. The head of the woman is the man. You'd have worked at least following flowing one way or the other but why does he first of all put it all under Christ and Then put it under God.

You know the principle of Colossians. That he had put all things under him. And he had brought them to God. So first of all, he establishes a statement to the principle of headship. That is going to bring all Under the canopy of the head of Christ is God.

He brings all this to God. Whenever we look at the term head, let's just simply said I know there are others that look at this differently but they're not ministering this tonight I am and They would think that the head refers to This particular thing and it's her her own head and that head represents That the head of the church and I think the terms are very simple whenever let's look at this way whenever we think of the head of the man.

Automatically, we're going to think Christ. That's what we're told head of the man Christ. Whenever we think of the head and I'm talking about the literal head because it's symbolic here. It's ordinal.

We're going to think of a head of the woman literal head the man. It's very simple. So whenever we think of the woman's head the man. When we think of the man's head Christ, so there's our building blocks.

There's the tools we're going to use to look at this when it talks about the truth of Congregational expression that's a difficult word. But what I want to simply or endowment I simply want to bring this it is linked to the truth of creation.

It's not the thought of a sister or a wife it's a man and a woman and You know what? It simply is that a woman by nature is given a covering. Her head by nature is to be covered the man by nature has the sensitivity to What have that is not to have long hair and is to be uncovered?

That's by nature. And so when you see this couple walking down the streets who are going to obey the Word of God. Somebody at this point might be running to run to themselves. What do you mean by long hair?

I Might you know, there's an old saying you might as well be if you're going to be hung. You might as well be wrong for a herd of the heifer. I Might as well tell you exactly what I believe. I know that some aren't going to agree with it.

But I believe it and I can tell you why I believe it and I believe I can support it or I wouldn't believe It but a woman's hair Should not be cut not now if you're going to say well, yeah, but it's nourished.

It's the thought of Wholesome or healthy hair. Well, there's the contrast to that unhealthy Unwholesome hair because the man's perhaps the opposite. It's interesting the word for nourished is the same word for nurtured or brought to its fullest development.

To let it come to its fullest point or its fullest development. Interestingly enough it gives us two Ends of a spectrum it says if she is not going to respond to the truth of headship when it comes to the congregation.

Then she might as well not respond to when it comes to the truth of headship in creation and let her be shaved all of it Shorn any of it the word short. You're right simply means cut across. The word shaved is the word it simply means to take off.

It's a word more linked with removal. So it's the thought of whether she takes off her hair or cuts across her hair. It's linked together let her be one or the other as if they're one let me tell you something else and then let's just tell you what why I believe this and I Was spoken to one time after a meeting and I I was at heart of people.

Listen, I don't be hard on anybody. I Want to help the Lord's people? I am NOT Berating anybody. There are Christians here that are older and wiser than I have and I have much to learn. But I don't think this is one thing.

I Went to this company and after the meeting they asked me this question. They said Peter We want to know How long is long. I Was tempted to tell them what a brother told me one time when he was asked that question, you know what he said.

How tall should your mother be? Hey guys, what do you mean? How tall should your mother's tall as she grows? Okay, it'll do anyway. Yeah. They asked me how long is long. There were four there were five of them in fact.

One of them turned around who would a lovely Wholesome, but how long and shiny it looks is nothing to do with the veil or the covering. It's good to be wholesome. It's good for it to look clean. That's nice.

That's nice. That's a personal testimony. But that's not a symbolic figure it's the hair itself a covering and She said well, I believe that long is this long and she had hair down for about here another sister.

Who because her hair? Was of the type that wouldn't grow very long it tended to be very coily hair. She said well, I believe long hair is over your ears and another sister said to me. She said well, I believe long hair should go beyond the shoulders and the other one said I don't know.

That's why I'm asking you a hold of the minute brother. Let's let's just stop for a minute. Let's look at what we're saying here. You realize every one of those sisters were saying the same thing. We will give the standard for a long hair.

Long hair will be this long. Anybody that has hair shorter than that son of the mind of God Long hair will be this long. Anybody that has longer hair than that is going further than the scriptures teach.

Long hair will be this long. And if you couldn't happen to grow your hair that long if it wouldn't naturally grow that long too bad for you because that's what Long hair is. You see what happens right away.

You got three different standards but if we simply let the standard be this as Long as it grows. That is long hair. Now. Let me just look at having said that. Here is the woman with her hair now. Her hair is given to her.

It's looked at two things. It's looked at as a covering and You'll see I'll tell you why it's inappropriate for a covering in a congregation. It's also given unto her as a glory now. There are brethren say a sister got a haircut she left her glory on the barber floor that's very inappropriate because the word for a glory simply means it is given unto her as an honor or a distinction.

So it's something that has been given to her that is unique to her. And as God has given her a privilege in having that particular aspect of testimony He has given her a distinct uniqueness in Testimony a distinct feature.

So it is not only a covering it is a distinct feature or an honor that God has given her to bear it. It's an amazing thing. Do you know that in the creation itself? Generally speaking I say generally because there are exceptions like the black widow spider and the piranha.

Where the generally speaking the male is a far more handsome The Distinct Beautiful creature than the female. We'll take a look for example when you look at guppies. If you ever saw a guppy look at a male guppy look at the female.

She's she's ugly and he's got that lovely long veil and color. Look at the peacock who can remember seeing a female peacock. I can. But I can remember seeing the male. Yeah, you know why he's got that same as the male pheasant.

He's got that great display of beauty. He has got a unique Beauty in creation. Look at the male lion, but maybe you think of a lion. You don't think of something like an Elsa that's there the female lion.

Although she does do all the hunting all the stalking all the killing feeds the cubs. He's really quite a lazy critter. But you think of the male lion with his beautiful big name. You see he's been given a distinct feature of glory now if you look through creation.

You'll see it in salmon. You'll see it in trout. You'll see it in in every creature prisoner except for some of the like I said the black widow spider. The females more attractive than the male. She's got a red hourglass.

And she may kill the male and eat them. That's how she gets the name the black black widow. So I'm not going to use here tonight. But you see what I'm saying how that net generally speaking in creation.

God gave the male a Distinction apart from the female. You know seven scriptures. He has given her a glory. He's reversed that when it comes to man. She not only has a covering by nature that is used in connection with nature.

But she also has a glory or a distinction or a uniqueness. That is given to her that the male is not to have and so can I see this couple walking down the street? Her with her long hair. Him with a short hair, which is the figure of.

An uncovered head. Her long hair is a covering. His short hair is an uncovered head in figure. You know what you realize? Her head is covered. The head of a woman is the man. The woman's head is covered.

The man is not on display in creation. The man's head is uncovered. He doesn't have the glory the covering that is given to the woman and. So that couple as they walk down the uncovered head of a man tells us up the head of a man who's the head of the? man.

Christ Is on display. So you see what it's really saying two of them together. The woman is saying with her long hair for covering that no man is on display. The man is saying my head is Uncovered. Christ is on display of the two of them together make this statement in creation.

That Christ is the head of the creation. See, that's a statement of headships and it's to do with a man's short hair and the woman's long hair. It's symbolic. It's family. It's more than just how it looks.

Or the color of it or they the luster in it. It's the figure the symbol of us. It is as symbolic as bread and wine and Likelihood in all likelihood it is one of the ordinances. So let me go further then we have that woman because no flesh shall glory in his sight.

When they come into congregation she covers the distinction of glory that God has given her with a covering. That's where you get the other covering. She puts on a hat or a covering on her head. I Heard some people say well It should be a hat that's supposed to have a big brim because when you look down you shouldn't be able to see any hair.

Because the angels are looking on how do you know that I'll come from the side? You see it's not that at all. I do say it should be something that obviously gives the manifestation of a covering. And let me say to the sisters I do appreciate a nice hat.

I do and They look very attractive and look very nice. But never lose the sight of the fact when you come into that congregation when you put that covering on your head. That covering that God has given you by nature a glory is not on display your head is still covered by another covering the covering that you wear and Your head is covered so when you sit in that congregation as you're sitting here right now.

You are saying my head is covered. Who is the head of the woman the man? There's no man on display in this congregation tonight. No man that has the prominence of the preeminence. The woman's head is covered the man.

But the men sit here with uncovered heads. Their heads are uncovered. Their heads are in just on display. Who is the head of the man? Christ. So their head is uncovered. Christ is uncovered. Christ is on display in the congregation.

See how you need them both for example. If the woman comes with an uncovered head. Then she's saying my head is Uncovered and man is on display. Even though the man might have an uncovered head saying Christ is on display, but there's a competition or if the woman comes and her head is Covered that no man is on display and a man wore a head covering into a meeting.

He was saying that my head is not on display and there is no display of anything or anybody. But When this scriptural pattern is followed When the individual scripturally the woman covers her head in the congregation.

The man with his head uncovered they are together making this statement. Christ is the head of the congregation. Christ is on display that head chef and so it is vital. I Want to know me look at the truth of a Congregational expression.

That does sound like a word, but anyway, I want to look at the truth of A component equality, you know, it really goes down to it. For example, it says that the woman was made for the man and the woman was made from the man and A man could almost get a little proud about that and say You just remember this dear.

But you were not only taken from the man. You were made for the man, okay, so, you know what that means that's wonderful how the scripture balances, you know says but neither The man without the woman or the woman without the man.

For the woman for the man came from the woman. It's simply saying this, okay. Every man could say the truth that woman had her commencement from a man. But every man here tonight had his commencement from a woman we came from a woman.

More than that brother were sometimes we live under a little bit of a Victorian shadow. That kind of thinks that the sisters in our assemblies Are not significant or are not as significant as the brethren.

Can I tell you something that if you didn't have sisters? To make the statement of headship in a congregation. You couldn't have a congregation. You couldn't have an assembly. You couldn't have an assembly without sisters.

More than that the statement of headship couldn't be made. Without sisters. You need the two of them together to make it. And when God simply turns around and he says Neither the one man without the woman nor the woman without the man.

He's saying this they are both vital. One is needed as much as the other. Brother let's not lose sight of it. I'll tell you sometimes there's a thing and like I said It's like the Victorian or Elizabethan age where it's almost the thought that women are inferior.

The Bible doesn't teach that that is nothing short of chauvinism and It reeks the Bible doesn't teach inferiority of women or superiority of men the Bible teaches uniqueness of the sexes. And the Bible teaches the uniqueness of a sister's place and part in the testimony and a vital uniqueness without it there be no testimony and.

So when it comes to that and someone says yes, but it says the man is the head of the woman. So that means we're at the top of the scale and she's beneath us. Is that what it means? Okay, well then Christ is the head of God.

Does that mean that Christ is inferior to God? No, it doesn't. It's nothing to do with superiority or inferiority. It's to do with order order. And so that's the truth of the component equality that both are vital in making this statement sister.

It does matter. That you have long hair. Sister it does matter. That you are part of an assembly and assembly couldn't exist without you. Sister it does matter that covering of your head is so vital in making that statement as to the headship and uniqueness of Christ.

In the congregation, it's vital. The final thing I want to look at is continuous exhortation. You know, I heard a fellow say one time. I think it was a fellow. Well, I don't know if that's a good word.

I was a cap. He said that. But that passage where if any you have man I'll read it. But if any man seemed to be contentious we have no such custom. What he basically said was but if anybody doesn't agree with it, we don't like to cause problems.

So it's okay. Now that is absolutely. Sometimes I'm almost provoked to say baloney, but it's absolutely ridiculous. You know why I'll tell you why. Because why would God in a book and we were told that if the books were written concerning him that the libraries in this world couldn't hold them and God has given us one book and he spends half a chapter in The New Testament telling us about this truth and at the end of it.

He says but If you don't want to go along with it, that's okay. That's absolutely ridiculous. You know, this is this isn't a matter of your own personal convictions. This is a matter of Apostles doctrine.

It's the Apostles doctrine. It's the teaching of a New Testament Church now sisters when it comes to the truth Of things I have mentioned as far as the hair. And the head covering I mean my hair never looked very good.

I just was one of the I got more Parts of my hair. I'm not sure where they go. But I have seen my wife Go through what I call miserable concussions. Try to get a head of hair under control. And I know and I know.

It's not easy, but I want to tell you this I Would encourage every sister here to bow to that truth and go in for it. That's what the Bible teaches. That is one of the great statements one of the great figures that is used symbolically in headship.

That's the Apostles doctrine and when it comes to me saying that if any man seemed to be contentious We have no such custom. It simply means this. If anybody doesn't agree with this there is nothing else taught.

No, neither that all the churches of God. He didn't just teach this occurrence. He taught it everywhere. Everywhere. It isn't something uniquely for Corinthians who are blatantly abusing it. I don't believe they were it was a truth that was brought out there and Put in there that individuals might recognize that this truth is relevant to not every church during the time of the scriptures.

But every church today. Every scriptural gathering of a New Testament Church every congregation. He taught it everywhere, I know that sometimes when it it would be easier because of people you care a lot about and I Certainly hope I haven't preached this in such a way to hurt anybody's feelings or make them feel.

That I'm jumping on you because I'm not. I Don't know any other way to preach it and just take it from the scriptures. But I don't have any time. For individuals that would preach this truth some places and not preach it every place.

If it can be preached somewhere It should be preached everywhere. Because there is nothing else. This is the Word of God. That's headship. So headship is basically than this statement Christ is the head.

Man is not on display. Christ is the head. So, you know, it's kind of like when I was just a young fella. My dad was in the Navy. I used to be kind of proud of him really because He was Always a little bit of a scruffy naval officer, but he was he was an officer.

He was actually the commander of a ship the Terra Nova, which is a Canadian warship. He was the captain of it. And every once in a while we used to get to go on board with my dad. And I don't know how many strikes of those were or how many Braids they got on their arms is a three for a lieutenant commander and four for a full-fledged captain.

But anyway, my dad would go along and we'd get to go with him on my mom going to the boardroom and to eat on the ship. Boy as we were walking by he felt kind of To be then walking by to be talking. They see my father just stand there, you know, they were doing.

They weren't contesting his rank. They were acknowledging his rank. They were acknowledging it. They were responding to it. That's the whole principle behind Lordship. The Lordship is More than just a verbally stating that Jesus Christ Has the hat.

He's the head of the creation. He's the head of the congregation. It's living. It's dressing. It's moving in such a way that your response tells me this. But I recognize them as this and for that reason I respond to it that's Lordship.

Lordship as a Life of Submission

You know, I've heard individuals when they turn around they say this they say they go to 1st Samuel a lot of people like using 1st Samuel. Is it verse 16? I look. I'm glad when they do. I love it. And they say a God look upon the heart a Man look upon the outward and For that reason it really doesn't matter how you look or what you do or how you appear.

Because God is occupied with the heart. There's a lot of truth to that. But I just asked them two questions two very simple questions and the testaments are this. Who are we a testimony for? We're a testimony for God.