1 Corinthians 11:2-16, “Who’s in Charge?”

1 Corinthians 11:2-16 and the Question of Authority

You're eating 1st Corinthians chapter 11 from verse 2 to 16.

Hear the word of the Lord.

Now I commend you because you remember me and 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 covered 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.

For if a wife will not cover her head. Then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head. Let her cover her head for a man ought not to cover his head since he is the image and glory of God.

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 nevertheless in the Lord.

May woman is not independent of man nor man independent 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?

Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair is it is a disgrace for him? But if a woman has long hair it is her glory. For her hair is given to her for a covering if anyone is inclined to be contentious.

We have no such practice nor do the churches of God. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well, sometimes when I'm doing something on the computer that doesn't require my full attention I listen to stuff on YouTube maybe music maybe lectures.

A few weeks ago I decided to listen to something from Jordan Peterson a Canadian psychologist. Who's become a YouTube sensation for his rules for life and other such things? I saw that he was a speaker at the convocation at Liberty University just last spring.

I thought that would be interesting because he's not really evangelical Christian himself and See how he would what he would say in that context. It was set up as a panel discussion with Peterson and a few leaders from the university sitting on stage.

Discussing Peterson's ideas his beliefs in in truth in nature and in hierarchy. It's kind of an earned hierarchy that there are objective differences between male and female. That it's not just all social what they call social construct.

It's not just culture the need to overcome obstacles with struggle to face pain to tell the truth to be disciplined beginning with Make up your bed. Things like that. He's become especially popular Jordan Peterson has amazingly I think among young men as They were speaking a young man jumped up on the stage and rushed toward dr Peterson before security caught him and held it back as he cried out in an obvious distress.

Saying my name is David. I'm unwell. I need help. I just wanted to meet you a Sobbing as he collapsed to the ground. Dr. Peterson didn't appear at all alarmed. He was complete clearly compassionate toward that young man.

What has caused this strange Attraction, although it's really not so strange. I think if you think about it, but but a particularly of young men to a man who preaches discipline.

Authority.

Taking responsibility.

Objective truth.

Suffering.

Basically truth-telling. Stop lying. Stop lying to yourself above all. What's what's made him so popular particularly with young men, I think it is his what it is now unique as a unique for us in our day the combination of empathy and authority.

A Combination more and more lacking in our culture where authorities are commonly suspected of being Abusive or they're just rejected. They're told you just you just have to take false accusations. Where authorities are often just reflexively Doubted and rejected.

A combination of authority in that context and And for him of a compassion, but today in our day where compassion is confused with enabling. You know telling someone telling a lousy singer. Oh, you're a great singer.

But this enabling people and whatever whatever lifestyle they want to throw themselves into you go do it. Have at it enjoy it. A culture of flattery telling people what they want to hear. Encouraging their excuses.

That's our day. And here he comes along telling us stop lying. Stop lying to yourself. There is a hunger in our culture for authority this mixed with compassion, but some have called a a father.

Hunger.

Today we're told They're all the same mothers and fathers are all the same there's no real difference between male and female. This is why you know, you can choose to be either with which one you want to be no matter what biology says.

There's no hierarchies. There's no real authorities. Oh sure. There might be experts. There's people who have learned skills who have gained knowledge, but there aren't there aren't leaders.

So we can choose our role.

That's why modern people find the traditional. The traditional wedding vows. So offensive, you know. The word ones that contain from this I had is the Book of Common Prayer again a Thomas Cramer. But this is where we get our traditional wedding vows from.

I couldn't even find it in here. I think. Here here we go, yeah the bride to the bride. I take thee and it's all in the early 17th century English. I take thee to be my wedded husband on the 16th century English.

Excuse me to be my wedded husband. The spelling is all in Old English. So it's kind of it's. I'm used to that but it's weird-looking. To be my wedded husband to have and to hold from this day forward for better for worse for richer for poorer and sickness and in health to love cherish and to obey.

Till death do us part according to God's Holy ordinance and thereto I give thee my trough. Those are the old-fashioned vows. One word stick out in there by the way besides trough. We don't use that word.

I'm not talking about that one word really stick out as offensive in that.

To the bride.

Love honor and.

Obey.

We assume. Why should we obey? You know, maybe just because I'm female. Why should I have to obey. Many modern vows cut out the obey part and are identical for the bride and the groom? They just basically say the same thing and that's what strikes modern people is right after all they're both they're equal.

Which means the same? Our sex is really equal. Are they really the same and. That sounds great in theory. But as every military person or business person or really anyone who works with people in organizations knows someone has to make the decisions.

The the buck has to stop somewhere. It sounds great in the marriage to talk about equality and we do believe that sexes are equal in value. Equally made in the image of God. We see that we saw that in Sunday School from Genesis chapter 1 both male and female.

Made in the image of God from the beginning but then chapter 2 they're made for different purposes, aren't they? Yes, we believe the sexes are made equally are equal in value and they're equally in the image of God.

But what happens when a husband and wife disagree about a decision? Who gets to break the tie? You know, it's a tie. There's only two of you. So there's going to be a sometimes going to be a difference of opinion who breaks the tie.

Who's in charge? There's an enormous amount of confusion about the roles of men and women in the family and the church today. There's probably more much more confusion in our day I suspect than there was even in the days of Corinth in which Paul wrote and so what Paul writes here is far from being old-fashioned.

Irrelevant to us passé is more needed now than ever because you may read this all that stuff about of the head coverings one the World is this about this is ancient culture. It's not nothing to do with us.

But the fact is this strikes us right where there is so much confusion. We need this passage now more than ever and from this passage we can see three eternal truths. First the role of men. Second the role of women and third the goal of the roles.

The Role of Men Under the Headship of Christ

First the role of men. The main problem here was not that the men were. I don't think it didn't it didn't really appear that the women were doing something. They shouldn't at least not on the surface.

It appears that the custom on that day was for the women to wear a head covering of some kind. But there was a problem. Some women were coming to church meetings at Corinth hearing how they are. You're free in Christ.

Maybe what we just heard from Genesis 1 you've made equally in the image of God. They were free from the law that we don't have to keep customs and rigorous disciplines to earn God's favor. That were saved by God's grace as God accounted all our sins To Christ and accounted Christ's perfect life To us and so being seen by God as perfect as Christ was we're now free.

Free to be ourselves and all of that is true. Oh, that's a great truth. But they forgot that there were other great truths. They forgot that they were to use their freedom. With others in mind. It's the constant theme in first Corinthians, isn't it discern the body?

Think about the church think about others. They forgot in particular here. Who's in charge? That's the problem. Would it be mistake to think that the problem was solely with the women that the man had done nothing wrong?

They were certainly equally at fault now. I I doubt that they were wearing veils. You know I doubt it went into their church and the men were wearing veils and the women weren't. That somehow they just flipped it all around.

I don't think that's what's going on. I don't think the men were wearing some kind of head covering when they prayed and spoke. I don't think that they were adopting women's traditional signs of modesty and submission.

I don't think that's what he's referring to in verses 4 and 7 and 14 that the men were doing that he is using the men as an analogy saying it would be just as inappropriate for a man to cover his head when praying or Prophesying as it would be for a woman not to do so.

So the men weren't were not going at least an outward expression into a kind of gender blender.

But.

They were still getting the core of the problem. Just as wrong probably more wrong as the women were. They too did not know Who was in charge. What's the problem of the men in Corinth? Well, they thought they were under no one.

And they thought there were over no one. They're responsible to no one and they're responsible for no one. So Paul reminds them in verse 3 Your head is Christ He is in charge of you. That means that if the man does not perform his role.

If he does not lead if he does not be the head and he is not being subject to Christ. Because God calls him to lead and by him refusing to do so He obscures the glory of Christ which can shine from a well-led marriage and family and church.

I've spoken with men whose marriages are shambles. Whose family is falling apart? But they don't want to talk about that. Because they're afraid of trying to do anything about that. They want to talk about the Supreme Court politics.

The problems on a national scale. What some great, you know candidate out there is saying outrageous things.

Here.

They are unable to deal with the problems right in front of them. Now at least these men who I should say right in front of them marriages are shambles but they want to talk about National problems. They can't deal with the problems right in front of them.

I'm unable to do the dirty work of serving their families by leading but they want to deal with. No large-scale problems national problems. Why do we think it is that one of the requirements of a church leader?

Is that he lead his own family? Well. What is that? You know as long as he can speak. Well, if he can entertain us for you know, about a half an hour to 45 minutes on Sunday mornings. Why don't we care if he can't get his wife to support him and his kids are brats.

What's it have to do with me? Because how he handles authority. The authority he has as a husband and father whether he recognizes it or not. Says a lot about whether first he is a man under authority if he really submits to Christ his head.

Will he use his authority to help make us better? To give us what we need and to do it in a way that is as far as it is possible not unnecessarily.

Provocative or.

Exasperating or divisive.

Sometimes you're going to be provocative and exasperating and divisive but You know doesn't go out of his way to do it. Abusive like that or are what he spoil us like he does his kids. Otherwise, you just tell us this is what we want to hear.

Indulging Us he indulges his kids. He indulges. He's a pastor. He told us his church. He tells him what they want to hear. Keeps him happy. Or is he neglect them? Neglects his kids and neglects his church just you know.

Kind of throws together a sermon late on Saturday night because he spent all day watching football games on Saturday. Or is he enabling us like he enables his kids? Oh, they want they whatever sin they are into he enables their sin.

Whatever sin we're into he enables your sin. You have an affair. Oh, well try to keep it quiet. You know. Is there a connection between the the demise of discipline in the modern American Church and the demise of discipline in the modern American?

Family, is there of course there is. Or is he abusive abusive to his kids? He's abusive to his church. Or is he kind of all of the above at different times? Whatever is convenient to us the father of families like a king in his in his own house has been invested with authority to serve that family by by Leading and so the the glory of God shines from him if in their culture and customs if he covered his head.

He did something that said he is not in charge that he's under some other person's authority. He abdicates his God-given role and men often do that. Now we don't wear the hat thing anymore or whatever some head covering to show we're under authority we don't do that, but men today often abdicate their authority and they do it because.

It's so much easier.

Kidding man.

It's easy to do that. It's so much easier to give in. To do what those did. You should be leading to do what they want and what instead of what they need. It's often easier just to say yes, okay, whatever.

Whatever you want. I.

Know of a young man assumed after his wedding when his bride promised and those old-fashioned wedding vows to obey. They had a disagreement to buy some little thing and she wanted it and he didn't. He decided they didn't need it.

It wasn't a major purchase and it would have been so much easier for him to acquiesce. To give in to indulge her desire. And sometimes a good husband should and probably actually most of the time often he should.

But he he saw that this was a test. She vowed to obey. Would she do it? Once he had made his opinion clearly known. She didn't she kept at it. Again it would have been so much easier for him just to just give in let her have her wish.

Just buy the silly thing and told her make it make her happy with it. But he saw that it wasn't just a test of her keeping her wedding vows. It was a test of him. And whether he would lead. He could gain her approval so easily.

But lose his headship. And he passed the test eventually. So did she. He told her point-blank you said you would obey but you broke your word. She wept tears of repentance and they both remembered. Who was in charge?

Men today often let their marriages their families or elders of churches let their churches get destroyed because they cannot stand being Unpopular in some decision or suffering for a time the disapproval of not giving them what they want.

I Didn't plan on saying this but last year we faced a crisis caused by this very issue. Because a man who had been here. His wife put her foot down and said Basically, I'm not coming to church here anymore.

He faced a crisis was he going to lead or was he going to follow her? He decided to follow her. That's why we had to act and we excommunicated him for failing in his leadership. We had to do that.

Otherwise.

She that woman who puts her foot down and says things are going to be done my way. She comes in charge. You understand how vital this issue is? The problem here and the all-too-common problem of many today is their cowardly.

Unwillingness to lead to say, you know, maybe it's just a child. I'm not your friend. I'm your parent. To be the head connected but still above the body the most difficult part of being entrusted with leadership is to give up.

Pandering.

To sacrifice being liked at least for a short time. You hope it's a short time. To do what is best to tell someone who is telling you the flattery you most want to hear. Oh. You don't have to be crucified.

You don't have to suffer to tell them. Get behind me Satan. Because you know what they need most is not a conquering King. But a servant King.

Who's in charge.

If you are whether in your family or over your children or in a classroom or in church. Serve your people well by when being willing to lead to sacrifice for them even sacrifice that longing that we all have of being liked.

What's the role of the man in a marriage or the church? Well, it's to be in charge. It's not like an army now not like an army general. Who throws his weight around and barks out orders or like a boss of a company.

It can issue edicts and to a staff a gunfire for any reason, you know, the church is never compared to an army. One point the individual Christian is compared to a soldier to be disciplined like that.

But the church itself is never compared to an army. We're not structured like that. We don't relate like that. But the man is to be in charge as Christ is in charge. That's the model. That's how we relate and for Ephesians chapter 5 the Apostle Paul specifically said tells the man that that yes.

The wife has to submit that he is in charge. But he is if he is to be in charge has to love his wife as Christ loves the church. How did Christ love the church? How are we to love our wives? Perhaps when we hear those old-fashioned wedding vows, you know love honor and obey it sticks out that with the bride pledged to obey.

I Think that's biblical though. So I when I perform a wedding I've kept that the obey part. But looking at those vows which were identical except for that woman's pledging to obey. I thought that they were out of balance.

It's biblical for the woman to vow to obey, but something is lacking on the men's side. Our pastor in Chicago told the story of how he was preparing a couple for their wedding when the prospective bride Refused to say obey.

She's not gonna say obey and that's so old-fashioned. He taught the pastor did with with gentleness because he's a gentle man but with firmness why it was biblical and He finally resolved that if she was not going to agree to to say obey that he would not perform the wedding.

Thankfully, she finally was persuaded and agreed but looking at those vows. When I was performing wedding, I didn't think they were. I didn't think they were balanced. Something was missing on the men's side.

Yes, the woman has to submit that. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 tells us that the man is is called to give himself up for her. So I've added that phrase to the vows for the groom. So he pledges to Give myself up for you.

What's the role of a man in marriage? Yes, the woman has to submit but men. You have to die. Yes, the role of man is to be in charge is to be the head but not for himself. But for the good of the body over which he is ahead.

Matthew Henry the late Puritan put it this way the woman was made out of a rib of the side of Adam not out. Of the head to rule over him. Not of his feet to be trampled upon by him but out of his side.

To be equal with him under his arm to be protected and near his heart to be beloved. So then what's the role of the woman? On the surface this was the most obvious problem at Corinth. Women were removing their head covering in church and flaunting their freedom in Christ.

Never mind in their society only prostitutes went around without hit some kind of head covering. It was assigned the head covering was a sign of modesty a sign of submission. That they were someone's wife or daughter that they were under someone's roof protection Authority, but they were thought they were free of all that.

They only cared about expressing themselves not about how it made others feel or the effect it had on outsiders. And they were even taking an active part in the service of the church. Probably probably a more public role in the church service that we're used to in our services.

Here they were in the feet in the Corinthian church. They the women were praying and prophesying. Paul doesn't tell them not to do that. You know, he doesn't tell them to sit down and shut up. He doesn't do that does it in Fact the purpose of these instructions is to tell them how they can take part in the service.

How they are to pray and to prophesy to tell them about their role in the church first. They need to be aware that they are under authority that the leadership. The headship of the church and the family is with men in the church.

It is with the elders and the family is with the husbands their husbands and if they if they can speak respectfully under their headship. Then they can speak they could pray and prophesy in their day.

They demonstrated their respect for the authorities over them by wearing some kind of something on their head and now I don't believe that we need to To do that to have that particular expression because it doesn't carry that meaning in our culture.

Right woman comes in here wearing something in her head. We just think it's a fashion accessory. You don't think she's making some kind of spiritual statement. We don't need to do that to show that we believe in the principle, but the principle is still true.

That man is the head of woman as Christ is the head of man says so in verse 3. But we do need to somehow show that we believe that principle most importantly in our attitudes if Women can honor their heads at home in the church if they can show that they know who is in charge and it isn't them.

Then they can be allowed to speak publicly in a church service. Now think what this passage assumes. It just kind of assumes About the church about what it is. Some Christians today say they don't believe in the local church.

Oh, they believe in churches like other people believe in restaurants or gas stations. They believe in inspiration stations you go to to get your fix of spirituality. It's like if you're hungry you go to a restaurant you if you're wanting some spirituality you go to a church.

But you're not committed to it. You might you go to whatever? Inspiration station or whatever restaurant has a special on right now, right? That's many people's view today they don't believe in a covenanted body a Family that we are attached to a family with authorities that we show respect to and now if that's their view this passage Doesn't really make any sense does it?

Think of what's assumed here about the church about what it is about how it relates. But if you had this individualistic view of the church. This doesn't matter that these stations you go to to get the word you want the inspiration you want.

But if that's the case, why can't women be in charge of the inspiration station? Just like they can run a good restaurant. Women can communicate just as well as men. I believe women can give an inspiring sermon just as well as a man can do it.

So if it's about inspiring me. That's your view of the church. It's about inspiring me. It's about putting on a good show. It's about an entertaining speech. Then why not let the women do it.

Why not?

And put them in charge. Or if you're conservative your response some people's response today in our culture would be well. Maybe they can do it just as well. But the Bible says they they can't so that's it.

The Bible says it and that that settles it. But you don't know why the Bible says it. The people of that view you think the church is like a restaurant to. Same individualistic kind of it's just me and I'll go wherever I can want to get inspired.

You just think that only men should you know, you think the church is like a restaurant? You just think only the men should do the cooking. Why. Well God said so that sells it but you're not thinking why?

God says so. You're just as individualistic and really just as rebellious. Because you don't you're not thinking about who's in charge. But what this what this is this body part about women and praying and prophesying.

That just confusing because how how can they do that? How can they participate publicly in worship service like that speak?

I.

Thought they weren't supposed to do that. If you've got individualist individualistic consumeristic view of the church. They weren't supposed to do that because that's what it means to be in ministry.

Isn't it? Is it just a matter of. Speaking of our preaching we don't understand the role of women in ministry. Because we don't understand the role of men in ministry.

Who is in charge I.

Believe. This passage shows us that the ministry of women can flourish in a church where they where they know and they respect. Who is in charge?

Where they don't?

We're like in some places they sit back and they manipulate things. Secretly controlling the church they say in some churches. They're adamantly against women pastors because the women who in charge are the churches can't manipulate the women pastors as well as they can men.

Pastors.

Okay. Or maybe there's others eventually they try to usurp the place have been thinking that the fact that they are female. Some just like it's irrelevant thing like it's like the color of your hair. It's gonna mean anything about who you are that that shouldn't hold the back from any position or office or in the church or in the Family, if that's their view, then there is there's confusion and there's disgrace so that the angels in verse 10 are ashamed.

You don't want a church that the angels are ashamed to look at. What's the role of women? It's not necessarily to sit quietly and knit. Now it's fine. If that's what you really want to do sit quietly and knit.

But there are women who are gifted to teach and to sing to it to evangelize and they can do that. So long as they do it under authority and this is a principle that is true for all of us. Not just for women for that matter that to be in authority.

We have to be under authority for even for the man for a man who cannot control his desires can't control himself whether for sex or for food or for approval or for money or for luxury items who can't put himself and his desires and Submission to Christ authority such a man can't or at least shouldn't be in authority himself to be in authority.

We have to be under authority. The woman who cannot treat the leadership of the church with respect. Especially in public even if she doesn't understand such a woman has no role in the ministry of the church.

So it's not so simple that the role of women is to take care of the kids and provide for the food. Although we make some good food the first Sunday of every month. Those are great important things. I thank God for each of you who do those ministries, but a woman can confine herself To just those just those things.

Wearing conservative clothing from her chin to her soles of her feet or maybe even a bonnet with long hair and Still do it. With a disrespectful self-willed attitude on the other hand a woman can speak to us from Scripture.

Speak to us all and do so under authority. Joyfully submissive to her husband and the elders of the church and with that the angels and God himself. Would be pleased. It's the role of the woman. It's not to keep the men humble.

Okay, just to clear that up. I know a lot of women have this mission that they take it on to themselves. They're gonna keep their men humble. They think that's their ministry. That's their calling. May I use some sarcasm to make my point here?

I think sarcasm is especially useful here, man. So speaking for the men. We'd like to thank you our wives and other women our lives for going really you've gone above and beyond the call of duty after all.

Neither scripture nor your wedding vows require you to so diligently. Remind us of our failings to belittle us to keep us from getting too puffed up. I know you're wanting to keep us humble. You know, there isn't one requirement.

Anywhere that you take upon yourself this burden that you have burned yourself with of. Keeping us from being proud, but you know, you've you've done it. Anyway, I'm amazing. You've taken that responsibility anyway, but no, but but really.

You don't have to. Really you can take a break. Give yourself a rest from that. Don't worry anymore about all the extra effort. You've been putting in to keep us humble. I mean, we appreciate it really but you've done enough already.

Really you've done enough. Thanks. Thanks, though. I mean really thanks if you want to you want to you can just stick. Just stick to what the Bible says and leave the humbling to God. All right. That's the end of the sarcasm.

I think you'll find ladies that the most humbling thing you can do for your husband is not to tell him I told you so. Remind him his faults and nag and nag and nag and treat him like a child. But the most humbling thing you can do is be respectful be submissive.

Trusting him to do what's best to let him know that he's in charge. You have any idea of. How humbling it is to have in your hands the life of another person who trusts you so much that you realize. You cannot possibly live up to that trust.

That's.

Humbling finally, what's the goal of these roles? Are the roles necessary? Because one sex which will go nameless is just not as good as the other of which I happen to be a part. Seriously, many have accused Paul of being a male chauvinist.

He's just a primitive man of his time. And they didn't he's not as sophisticated as we are in our day, but because he must have believed women are inferior. Is that what's going on here? That's why he said man is the head of woman.

He's just a primitive guy. This is a caveman, you know carrying around a club. Wagon off women by the hair. Does their submissive role the women's submissive role mean then that you are as women by nature inferior?

Is that what it means? Is that why you have to submit because you're you're lesser. I mean you understand lesser people should respect greater people. Right, that's that's only right. So are women required to give a sign of have a sign of authority over them because there are they are inferior human beings.

Is that what's going on here? No, this passage gives us at least two reasons why that's not. So first notice that men are the head of women in verse 3 in the same way as the father is the head of Christ.

You know that the way the father and the son relate to each other in the Trinity and the incarnation when he when God himself Came in human flesh the son that is similar. He says is comparable To the way the woman and the man are to relate to each other in the family and in the church.

Now is the father superior to the son? If you think so, we need to have a Sunday school series on that is the father somehow more God than is the son. Is that what's going on? No, there is only one God father son and Holy Spirit are are all equally divine.

But each person of the Trinity plays a different role. You know the same gospel the gospel of John that tells us that the word Begins, you know the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the word was.