LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

I CORINTHIANS 11:2-6

 

PREPARATORY STATEMENTS:

 

HERMANEUTICAL HONESTY … THE WAY WE INTERPRET A TEXT

 

CULTURAL DISTANCE …

 

PAUL SHAPES THE CHURCH INTO CULTURAL PATTERNS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST …

 

THE TEXT WILL CHALLENGE OUR MODERN CULTURAL SENSIBILITIES …

 

MAIN IDEA: THE PROPER EXPRESSION OF MASCULINITY AND

FEMININITY HONORS GOD …

 

AN OPEN LETTER TO PAUL, RICHARD B HAYS

“DEAR PAUL, WE REMEMBER YOU FONDLY AND WISH THAT WE COULD SEE YOU AGAIN, SOME OF US ARE TRYING HARD TO KEEP THE TRADITIONS YOU TAUGHT US. SUCH AS THE TRADITION WE LEARNED AT OUR BAPTISM THAT IN CHRIST THERE IS NO LONGER ANY DISTINCTION BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE. YOU WOULD BE GLAD TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE COME TOGETHER FOR WORSHIP WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO PLAY A ROLE EQUAL TO MEN, PRAYING AND PROPHESYING IN THE ASSEMBLY UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF THE SPIRIT, JUST AS THEY DID WHEN YOU WERE HERE WITH US. BUT A DISPUTE HAS NOW RISEN AT ONE POINT. SOME OF THE WOMEN ACTING IN FREEDOM AND POWER OF THE SPIRIT HAVE BEGAN REMOVING THEIR HEAD COVERINGS AND LOOSE THEIR HAIR WHEN THEY PROPHESY AS A SIGN OF THEIR FREEDOM IN CHRIST, THEY LET THEIR HAIR DOWN. SOME OF THE MORE TIMID AND CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE OBJECTED TO THIS THINKING IT UNSEEMLY AND DISGRACEFUL FOR WOMEN TO LET THEIR HAIR DOWN IN PUBLIC. MOST OF US BELIEVE HOWEVER, THAT YOU WOULD SURELY APPROVE OF THIS PRACTICE FOR IT IS AN OUTWARD AND VISIBLE TRUTH OF THE TRADITION WE RECEIVED FROM YOU. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD COME AND DIRECT US ON THIS MATTER IN ORDER TO DISPEL ANY DOUBT ABOUT THIS POINT.

WE REMAIN YOUR DEVOTED FOLLOWERS, YOUR CHURCH IN CORINTH.”

 

THE TEXT:

 

AN ARGUMENT BASED ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE TRINITY, Vv.3-6

 

DEFINITION … “THE HEAD”

THE PHYSICAL HEAD … AUTHORITY OVER … SOURCE

 

DISTINCTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF IDENTITY

 

INDISCRIMINATELY PRAYING AND PROPHESYING

 

“PROPHESYING” … SPEAKING THE WORD OF GOD UNDER THE SPONTANEOUS POWER OF THE SPIRIT, THAT EDIFIES, STRENGTHENS, ENCOURAGES AND COMFORTS THE CHURCH.

 

THE DEAL ON COVERING AND UNCOVERING …

 

 

 

AN ARGUMENT FROM CREATION, Vv.7-12

 

AN EXPLANATION …

 

ANGELS …

 

AN ARGUMENT FROM NATURE, Vv.13-16

 

LIDS AND LONG HAIR …

 

APPLICATION: