1 Corinthians 9 -12

Setting in Order

Note: This covers yesterday and today's readings.

Paul continues his impassioned exhortation to the troubled Corinthian church. In chapter 9, he explains that he has voluntarily and willingly given up his rights to any remuneration for his service in the Gospel. Paul wants the Corinthians to know that he will not be a financial burden on them and more importantly, they cannot curry favor with him through money.

In chapter 10, he warns the church against idol worship and offensive practices.  He reiterates that food offered to idols is acceptable to eat, but warns that eating it may be offensive to some believers.  The point he makes is that the offense is worse than establishing one's right, i.e. that a Christian will forfeit his rights to not offend, a point he made personally in chapter 9.  Paul explains that his example is the correct example, that a Christian does not live to please themselves, but to please God.

Chapter 11 offers a great lesson using the idea of head covering for men and women.  He explains that God is the head of Christ and Christ is the head of man and man is the head of woman.  This is true in the natural and in the spiritual.  Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man, thus when a man prays, he is not to cover his head - in the natural. And spiritually, the application is the same.  When a man prays, he is not to cover his head, Christ. So a man prays with his head uncovered, i.e. he prays through Christ to God.  But when a woman prays her head should be covered with uncut hair (11:6 and 11:15).  In the spiritual application of this, since man is her head, the man should be "covered" so that the woman prays through Christ to God, just like the man!  The lesson is beautiful.

Chapter 11 also lays out the order of service for the Lord's Supper, commonly called Communion or the Eucharist  by many denominational churches.  The point is made that this is a ceremony that Christians should participate in and observe for two reasons: to remember the sacrifice of Jesus (11:24) and to be subjected to self-examination before the Lord (11:28).  While I believe that the bread and wine are symbolic and not the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ, I also believe it is critical that a Christian partake of the Lord's Supper on a regular and frequent basis.

NOTE TO READERS:

This is a great lesson in prayer and the symbolism of hair for women and cut hair for men.

In verse 3, Paul states, “…The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” (NLT, all Bible verses are NLT in this document).

Symbolically it would look like this:

God

  Christ

    Man

      Woman

In verse 4, Paul states, “A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying.”

1 Timothy 2:5, Paul states, “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.”

Thus a man prays to God through Christ:

Man → Christ → God

If a man covers his “head” then he is attempting to pray to God with the mediator Christ covered:  Man → Christ → God, which is an incorrect picture.

In verse 5, Paul states, “But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophecies without a covering on her head…”

Thus a woman “covers” her head (Man) to pray to God through Christ:

Woman → Man → Christ → God

If a woman did not cover her head, then she would be praying to God through her husband, then through Christ: Woman → Man → Christ → God, which is an incorrect picture.

This is why those of us who follow Br Branham’s teaching believe that men should have short hair and women should have uncut, long hair.  In 11:15 Paul states, “And isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? For it has been given to hear as a covering.”

May the Lord bless the reading of His Word.