Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.
Bang! Today's culture runs headlong into Paul. And I feel caught in the middle. My comments must be based on my own experience. I have asked Betty to review this before publication.
Our marriage, 62 years, is based on a conviction that when God created man and woman, He created a new and unique being with responsibilities that can be met by a single being, not 2 or more. Gen 1:27-30, see also Gen 2:18-24.
That being is unique because it is formed by the joining of 2 separate and unique beings, each with their own set of life experiences, etc. that brought them to this point. The being that is formed at that point in time is one of the melded experiences charged with a single task.
“But in each case the headship is not one of authority and rule, but of the importation of resources of love, wisdom, and strength, without which the best cannot be realized.” (F.B. Meyer)
John does not think like Betty and vice versa. Our underachieved goal is to meet our responsibilities as a Betty&John It is only through that union that we can do this. And that union is sinned stained and broken. See Gen 3:1 The brokenness of that union is an underlying theme of the chapter.
Paul gives the uncovered vs covered heads as symbols of the separate functions of that being. Various commentators give different interpretations as to whether or not this direction was driven by the cultural status (chaste wife vs harlot) of women in Colossus. I'm not taking a position.
Readings:
Morning Psalm 131, Noon Psalm 119:145-152, Evening Psalm 81
