Under Authority

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

UNDER AUTHORITY

1 Cor 11:3-10

3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head — it is just as though her head were shaved. 6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

NIV

There is just way too much within these verses that we have to spend more time pondering what this all means in our present time. We know that all scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. We also have considered that truth must be transcultural, which is as we study the Word of God, we find that it is true in every culture and at every time throughout history. If we say this portion was only for the Corinthian church in the culture and time they lived in, then we render this Word of God useless and void in our lives. Therefore, having considered the accountability man has to God which is the reason God gave the man the authority in the family, we need to camp out on this idea about glory as it concerns our head. We know this is not a popular teaching in our culture as well as in the church. What we must see is not about the actual hair issue, but what that represents. The style of hair has changed over the course of time, and it will continue to change, therefore, we think it goes beyond the style or the length of our hair. We do wonder just how much the influence of the world, which is ungodly and cares nothing for the things of God, has crept into the philosophy or traditions of the church. Without being or attempting to be biased, or sexist, we must look at this passage about the man being the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man. Was not too long ago the Catholic church insisted that women wear some covering on their heads in church. We also noticed that changed in the mid-eighties during the equality revolution in our culture. Even as to not too long ago, nuns were still required to cover their heads, while the priests were not. This too has changed which leads us to wonder how much influence the culture has on the church at large regarding these differences between men and women. We know that when a man and woman are joined together, they become one flesh, but if either that man or the woman remains single, and the man is still under the authority of Christ, it would make sense the woman must be under the authority of Christ, for there is no man to be responsible for her and accountable to God for her. Yet are not widows and orphans supposed to be under the protection and thus the authority of the church. Because Christ is accountable and under the authority of the Father, then if are in Christ, whether being a man or a woman, we are all accountable to Christ and therefore under His authority. If a man and a woman are married in the sight of God, and being of one flesh, then both, being one are accountable to Christ and under His authority. If, however, either are single, which we do wonder if is the plan of God, as Paul proclaims is best, that person still comes completely under the authority of Christ. The point here is that none of us have the authority in and for our own lives. We are not accountable to ourselves because that is how the sinful world has established its “do your own thing” philosophy. We are all accountable to Christ and we yield to His authority in our lives.