Reading 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Doug Heidebrecht. Outline of Corinthians

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1 Reading 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Doug Heidebrecht Corinthian Context - My approach is to begin with listening to the text. We first need to understand the flow of Paul s argument and the meaning of key words within the context of 1 Corinthians. It is only after we have spent time in the text that we can ask how the cultural setting informs the meaning of what Paul was seeking to communicate. - Paul addresses the practice of divisive customs in worship in 11:2-16 at the start of his larger discussion regarding divisions within the Corinthian church when they gather together. 1 Outline of Corinthians Introduction to Letter 1:1-9 Argument Call for Unity 1:10-15:58 Thesis Statement 1:10 Present Situation 1:11-17 Advice for Maintaining Unity 1:18-15:57 Censure of Factionalism 1:18-4:21 Integrity of Community 5:1-11:1 Manifestations when Coming Together 11:2-14:40 Final Goal of Unity 15:1-57 Summary Appeal 15:58 Closing to Letter 16: The conclusion to this entire section is 14:40 where all things are to be done decently and in order. Decently has the connotation of living appropriately, particularly in front of outsiders (Rom. 13:13; 1 Thess. 4:12). Divisive Customs in Worship 11:2-16 Divisions at the Lord s Supper 11:17-34 Spiritual Gifts and Unity 12:1-14:40 Body of Christ 12:1-31a Gift of Love as Antidote 12:31b-14:1a Unity in Diversity of Language 14:1b-40 - Paul introduces the issue of divisive customs in worship and then presents four arguments to make his point. A. Praise for Maintaining Traditions 11:2 B. Defining the Issue 11:3-5a 1. Principle 11:3 1 Margaret M. Mitchell, Paul and the Rhetoric of Reconciliation: An Exegetical Investigation of the Language and Composition of 1 Corinthians (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991),

2 2. Practice in the Church 11:4-5a C. Arguments 11:5b Analogy of a Shaved Head 11:5b-6 2. Reflected Glory 11:7 3. Pattern of Creation 11: Analogy from Nature 11:13-15 D. Appeal to Common Practice 11:16 A. Praise for Maintaining Traditions 11:2 But I praise you because you remember me in all things and just as I handed to you, the traditions you keep - As we approach this section, we recognize quickly that Paul contrasts his response to the Corinthians in 11:2-16 with his instructions in 11: Paul praises the Corinthians for maintaining the traditions that Paul has handed down to them (11:2), thus setting a tone for his following instructions. In contrast, Paul has little to commend the Corinthians regarding their behavior during the Lord s Supper (11:17-18). - Paul praises the Corinthians because he is not attempting to correct an abuse but modify and existing practice that is essentially good and praiseworthy. B. Defining the Issue 11:3-5a 1. Principle 11:3 But I want you to understand that every man the head Christ is, but the head of woman, the man, but the head of Christ, God. - Paul begins by identifying three premises that provide the backdrop for his arguments. The first statement-- the head of every man is Christ begs the question: who is Paul referring to? Is Christ the head of every male or only every Christian male? Paul s reference to any man praying or prophesying (11:4) suggests his concern is with men in the church, however, on its own, the phrase is ambiguous. - Two parallel statements follow, which identify the man as the head of woman and God as the head of Christ. The use of head is metaphorical, which of course, feeds a continuing debate regarding the intended meaning of this image. As a metaphor, head presents an implicit comparison between a physical head and Christ, man, and God. Later references to head alternate between literal and metaphorical meanings, making a precise definition here difficult. While some argue that head refers to authority, the description of woman being created from man (11:8) and all things coming from God (11:12) strongly suggests source as the meaning of head. Wayne Grudem studied 2336 examples of head in Greek literature. In his opinion there are no examples of head 2

3 as source (i.e. head of a river). On the other hand, only 2% of the references refer to a person of superior authority or ruler. If this is the case, what does it mean to say that God is the authority over Christ? How is Christ the authority over every man? Are all men an authority over all women? - Marshall notes, I propose that the failure of some women to cover their physical heads was the catalyst that led to the application of the term head to describe the role of the husband in relation to the wife. 2 - More importantly, however, is the simple image created by the reference to head. This metaphorical use of head identifies a relationship, which suggests a comparison. A head of course does not exist on its own but is integrally connected to a body. This picture suggests that Christ s body is made up of every man, the woman is seen as the body in relation to the man, and Christ is viewed as the body in relation to God. While any explanation of what this would entail in concrete relationships may require some mental gymnastics, this perspective begins to dovetail better with the only other reference to Christ and man as a head (Eph. 5:22-24). Maybe the point is to identify the interdependence of the two pairs with this image rather than focusing on their separate functions. - The format of these three relationships does not reflect a hierarchical structure, since that would require starting with the relation between man and woman. The grammatical parallelism between the second two pairings, instead, suggests that they reflect an analogous and deductive relationship with the first image of Christ being the head of every man. If Christ is the head of every man, then these two statements appear to logically follow (see 15:27-28). See also 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 as a context for this phrase. 1 Corinthians 3: So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. - A further problem emerges when these pairs are compared to Ephesians 5:23. The Ephesian context requires a translation of man and woman as husband and wife. The ambiguity of these terms in 1 Corinthians 11:3 suggests this possibility but it is inconclusive from the context. 1 Corinthians 11:3 Ephesians 5:23 Christ Man God Husband Christ Every Man Woman Christ Wife Church 2 I. Howard Marshall, For the Husband Is Head of the Wife : Paul s Use of Head and Body Language, in The New Testament in Its First Century Setting, eds. P.J. Williams, Andrew D. Clarke, Peter M. Head & David Instone-Brewer (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004),

4 - The best option for sorting through the meaning of head is to read it in the context of 1 Corinthians. The only other place the term head appears in 1 Corinthians outside of this passage is in 12:21. Here head is contrasted to feet and is referred to as a honorable part of the body in contrast to dishonorable parts (feet). In this passage head refers to a believer as a part of the body of Christ. Both the recognition that the reference to head assumes its relation to the rest of the body (here feet) and the contrast between head as a place of honor in relation to a place of shame, reflect similar parallels with the use of head in 11: Corinthians 12: As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. - The term head appears six more times in 11:4-16. Four times head refers to the physical head of a person: 11:4, 5, 7, 10. Only two other times the word head is used in a metaphorical manner: 11:4, 5. This metaphorical usage suggests several possible meanings: 1. Head refers to the other half of the relationship. The head of every man is Christ and so it is Christ who is shamed when a man covers his head. The head of woman is man and so a man is shamed when a woman uncovers her head. 2. Head as the prominent/visible part of a person represents the whole person. If a man shames his head by covering his head, he shames himself. If a woman shames her head by uncovering her head, she shames herself. 3. Head refers to what is honorable. As a place of honor the head is contrasted with the possibility of being shamed. 2. Practice in the Church 11:4-5a Any man praying or prophesying having down the head shames his head, but any woman praying or prophesying uncovered to the head shames her head - After identifying the starting principle (11:3), Paul now describes the presenting issue in the Corinthian church. He addresses the practice of both men and women in parallel fashion. These are public roles in the gathered church. In prophecy, a person articulates the word of God to the congregation. In prayer, one articulates the word of the congregation to God (see 14:6, 26). These roles are exercised by both men and women. Paul s concern is an attempt to modify these shared practices by introducing a mark of difference. This is not to signify that it is inappropriate for women and men to be involved in these activities. Paul assumes that these practices will continue once they 4

5 follow his directions. Paul is concerned that both men s and women s voices be heard in the church. - The reference to men praying and prophesying having down the head deliberately indicates that the veil was not over the head but hanging down over the head ( the toga was drawn over the head and hung down the back ). 3 This practice shames his head, which may refer to either Christ as his metaphorical head or to his own head (self). The text allows for both. The close proximity to the identification of Christ as head of every man suggests the former while the later reference to long hair bringing dishonour to a man (11:14) suggests the latter. Why this is shameful or dishonouring is not identified in the text. - Roman practice involved the covering of the head by men during public devotional acts such as prayer, sacrifice, and prophecy. 4 This covering involved pulling part of one s garment or toga over the back of the head and then forward until it approached or covered the ears. 5 The covering of a man s head took place when they took an active part in sacrifices to the Roman gods. There are many statues and pictures of Augustus with his toga drawn over his head. Not every man had his head covered, only those who were in a significant role of prestige. 6 If a man in the church covered his head, it would signify that he thought of himself as one of the elite who was involved in worship in a way others could not. This drew attention to their status. The factions within the Corinthian church would reflect that this could cause further division. Covering their head would indicate inequality in the church. Rather Christ is the head of every man. To cover one s head is to dishonor Christ who shows no favoritism. Paul asks the men to adopt the bareheaded form of prayer used by the Jews. - The practice of women praying or prophesying more clearly suggests a reference to a covering over the head. Again, the absence of this covering shames her head, which may refer to either the man, or her own self. Within Roman/Greek society, a woman s veiled head was the symbol of the modesty and chastity expected of a married woman. 7 For a married woman to remove the veil in a public setting was a sign of her withdrawing herself from the marriage. 8 - The New Testament indicates that Greek women of high standing were attracted to the gospel through the preaching of Paul in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens (Acts 3 Bruce Winter, Roman Wives, Roman Widows: The Appearance of New Women and the Pauline Communities (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), Richard Oster, When Men Wore Veils to Worship: The Historical Context of 1 Corinthians 11.4 New Testament Studies 34 (1988): Ibid. 6 David W.J. Gill, The Importance of Roman Portraiture for Head-coverings in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Tyndale Bulletin 41.2 (1990): Winter, Roman Wives, Roman Widows, Ibid., 81. 5

6 16:14; 17:4, 12, 34). Phoebe, who reads Paul s letter to the Roman church (Rom. 16:1-2), is from Cenchreae, which is one of the two ports for the city of Corinth. 9 - The covering of a woman s head does not imply that men speak and women are silent. Neither does Paul say that women are not to pray and prophesy in the church. Rather men and women are inseparable together in the church and this complementarity is reflected in the shared practices. In the church men and women must hear the word of the Lord as articulated by both men and women. - The usual Greek term for veil is not used by Paul here (see its metaphorical use in 2 Cor. 4:3). - Both men and women pray and prophesy in the church. They are both doing the same public functions within the church. The critical difference is that the man s head must remain uncovered while the woman s head must be covered (the first reference to head in each instance is to their physical head). The results of covering a man s head and uncovering a woman s head are the same: shame. Shame is further described as disgraceful (11:6) and dishonour (11:14). B. Arguments 11:5b Analogy of a Shaved Head 11:5b-6 for it is also the same to be shaved. for if a woman will not be covered, let her also be shorn; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or to be shaved, let her be covered. - Paul compares a woman with her head uncovered with having her head shaved. He argues that if a woman does not cover her head, it is as if she has had her head shorn. This represents a disgrace for a woman (see 14:35). The center of the chiasm emphasizes this point. - What is disgraceful about a shaved head? Within Roman/Greek culture, it is clear that part of the punishment for adultery was cutting off the offender s hair Perhaps the shame Paul has in mind is physical nakedness. When her head is shaved, she loses the garment given her by nature to cover her head her long hair (see 11:15). - If it is disgraceful for a woman s head to be uncovered, then Paul argues that she should simply cover it. 9 Kenneth E. Bailey, The Women Prophets of Corinth: A Study of Aspects of I Cor 11:2-16, Theology Matters 6.1 (2000): Winter, Roman Wives, Roman Widows,

7 - Paul fears that the woman s appearance may obstruct the reception of her word through prayer or prophecy. The shame is a consequence of exposure to the male gaze. She is to cover her head in order to deflect the look that would otherwise undermine her ministry. How can there be proper attention to the content of what is said where there is improper attention to the person of the speaker? Reflected Glory 11:7 For on the one hand, a man ought not to have the head covered, being the image and glory of God; but on the other hand, the woman [ought to have the head covered] is the glory of man. - Paul now picks up the comparison between man and woman. Here he refers to the man s head being covered, which implies the use of a shawl in a similar manner as for women (see 11:6). - Paul identifies the reason a man is not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God. In contrast, the woman ought to have her head covered because she is the glory of man. - Genesis 1:27 clearly states that both man and woman reflect the image of God. Woman is not made in the image of man. In what way is man seen as the image of God, which cannot be applied to the woman as well? Why does Paul refer to man as the image and glory of God rather than Christ, since this would be consistent with the starting principle? - The allusion to Adam and Eve suggests that the husband/wife relationship may be part of the reflection here. - If man is seen here as the image or manifestation of God, does this provide the rationale for why the man must not be covered? Later on Paul states that for a man to have his head covered is a dishonor (11:14). If men are covering their head and so implying that they are in a position of prestige then this suggests that other men are not also created in the image of God. For all to be created in God s image means that no one is more elite than another. In light of the factionalism within the Corinthian church, this may very well be the situation Paul is addressing. - The relationship between man and woman would then reflect a different sense. Later Paul says that a woman s long hair is her glory (11:15). A woman s hair is her glory in that she takes pride and joy in her hair. Paul describes the Thessalonians as his glory and joy (1 Thess 2:20). Paul also condemns those in Philippi who glory in their shame (Phil. 3:19). Glory is the object of a person s joy, love and devotion. Man as the glory of God cannot cover himself because this glory is to be revealed as the image of God. Woman is the glory of man and as such is the object of his joy, love and devotion. 11 Francis Watson, The Authority of the Voice: A Theological Reading of 1 Cor , New Testament Studies 46 (2000):

8 3. Pattern of Creation 11:8-12 For, man is not from woman, but woman from man. for also man was not created because of the woman, but woman because of the man. Because of this a woman ought to have authority on the head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither woman apart from man nor man apart from woman in the Lord. For just as the woman from the man, so also the man through the woman; but all things from God. m w w m m w w m w m m w w m m w - Paul continues with his allusion to creation. This argument is structured in a chiasm, where references to man and woman on both sides of the chiasm provide a precise mirror image (see above). This suggests that the mirrored pattern provides parallel statements which interpret each other. - In the first pairing of the chiastic structure, woman was created from man, which is a clear reference to the creation narrative (Gen 2:22). The source for woman was the man, not vice versa. However, in the second pair of the chiasm, this situation is reversed. Now it is man that comes from woman through the birth process. - Most English versions have translated the four occurrences of the Greek preposition as either for in the first two instances or because in the second two. This has given the impression that women have been created for men. However, all four instances are the same case and should be read together. 12 To translate them all consistently as because of points out that it was Adam who was lonely (Gen 2:18) and Eve was created because of Adam s loneliness. This makes more sense in light of the opposite pair in the chiasm which talks about the interdependence of man and woman. - In the second half of the chiasm, Paul defines relationships between man and woman in relation to Christ. In the Lord, man and woman are interdependent. They cannot exist without one another. This is not a reference to marriage. In the Lord is a reference to the body of Christ that has been formed through the cleansing of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). Paul will later use the body as an illustration the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you (12:21). Relationships in the Lord are contrasted with the original creation account and point to a new creation perspective for the church. Woman created because of man is replaced with woman not apart from man. The experience of being alone in the first creation is rectified through the interdependent community of the church. In fact, Paul now also reverses his first point about woman coming from man at creation with his recognition that man now comes through woman (birth). In the Lord woman and man belong inseparably 12 Kenneth E. Bailey, The Women Prophets of Corinth: A Study of Aspects of I Cor 11:2-16, Theology Matters 6.1 (2000): 13. 8

9 together, and it is this belonging that is articulated in the shared practices of prayer and prophecy. In the church, men and women must hear the word of the Lord as articulated both by men and by women Paul further clarifies this interdependence by explaining that neither is really the ultimate origin of the other for all things come from God. God is the source of both man and woman. - The center of the chiasm is the point Paul seeks to make in this argument. Because woman has come from man, she must have authority on her head. Grammatically, this authority is her own and not a reference to another person s authority, which is unattested in Greek literature. Paul always employs the term to mean authority held by the subject: the individual s right and freedom to act, the individual s control over objects, persons, or situations, and by extension as a title of individuals who exercise such authority. 14 BeDuhn emphasizes the absolutely clear linguistic force of this term. 15 See references to the authority of both the wife and the husband in 1 Corinthians 7:4. The implication seems to be that by covering her head she now possesses the authority to pray and prophesy. The covering provides her with the authority to speak. - The reference to angels is ambiguous and the matter of much debate. While the other appearances of in 1 Corinthians refer to angels (4:9; 6:3; 13:1), Bruce Winter argues that this should be translated as messengers here, thus referring to those who would carry information back to the authorities regarding what went on in the Christian gatherings. 16 I m not sure we really know what to do with this reference. 4. Analogy from Nature 11:13-15 Judge among yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that on the one hand if a man long hair, it is a dishonor to him, on the other hand if a woman long hair, it is her glory? For the hair is given in the place of a shawl. - Paul s call to judge among yourselves reflects an unnecessary duplication which provides intensity to the statement. The implication is that, on reflection, it should be completely obvious to everyone why it is improper for the wife to do this Watson, The Authority of the Voice, Jason David BeDuhn, Because of the Angels : Unveiling Paul s Anthropology in 1 Corinthians 11, Journal of Biblical Literature : Ibid., Bruce Winter, After Paul Left Corinth, Winter, Roman Wives, Roman Widows, 93. 9

10 - Paul now calls for personal reflection in the Corinthian community. He states the precise question he is seeking to address through these arguments. Is it proper for a woman to pray or prophesy in the church with her head uncovered? The reference to what is proper refers to what was considered appropriate and acceptable within first century Corinth (see 1 Tim. 2:10). - Paul also returns to his earlier analogy or comparison between a covered head and a shaved head. Long hair provides a similar comparison. If the lack of the required head covering is analogous to a woman having her hair cut off, then nature also provides a covering for woman in the form of long hair. This natural covering is to confirm the appropriateness of the head covering that Paul seeks to impose on women. The uncovered female head is equivalent to hair cut off in that both are a source of shame. The covered head is equivalent to long hair, the garment nature has provided for women, because both are a source of glory. - Long hair on a man, in contrast, represents a dishonour. - A woman s hair is her pride and joy. See also 1 Thess 2:20 and Phil 3:19. Whose pride and joy is a woman? her husband s? She should cover her head so as to deflect the look from other men that would otherwise undermine her ministry. - Long hair does not replace the use of a shawl. Paul is not instructing the Corinthian women to cover their heads by letting their hair grow long. Rather he is asking that they wear some kind of garment like a shawl or a veil because this shawl represents the same kind of covering provided for by nature. - The significance of the veil for married women reflects modesty in marriage, while its removal in public signifies that a woman has withdrawn from her marriage. By removing the veil, all are allowed to see what only the husband should see. C. Appeal to Common Practice 11:16 But if anyone seems to be contentious we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. - The use of the term contentious suggests that people were deliberately doing something in front of the congregation to make a statement The issue that Paul is dealing with is a custom of the churches. - The application for the church today is in regards to propriety within the worship service. As men and women pray and prophesy, they must dress in such a way as to ward off inappropriate looks that would detract from the authority they have as they express God s word to the congregation or the congregation s word to God. 18 Ibid,

11 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 But I praise you because you remember me in all things and just as I handed to you, the traditions you keep But I want you to understand that every man the head Christ is, but the head of woman, the man, but the head of Christ, God. Any man praying or prophesying having down the head shames his head, but any woman praying or prophesying uncovered to the head shames her head for it is also the same to be shaved. for if a woman will not be covered, let her also be shorn; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or to be shaved, let her be covered. For on the one hand, a man ought not to have the head covered, being the image and glory of God; but on the other hand, the woman is the glory of man. For, man is not from woman, but woman from man. for also man was not created because of the woman, but woman because of the man. Because of this a woman ought to have authority on the head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither woman apart from man nor man apart from woman in the Lord. For just as the woman from the man, so also the man through the woman; but all things from God. Judge among yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that on the one hand if a man long hair, it is a dishonor to him, on the other hand if a woman long hair, it is her glory? For the hair is given in the place of a shawl. But if anyone seems to be contentious we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. 11

12 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 But I praise you because you remember me in all things and just as I handed to you, the traditions you keep But I want you to understand that every man the head Christ is, but the head of woman, the man, but the head of Christ, God. Any man praying or prophesying having down the head shames his head, but any woman praying or prophesying uncovered to the head shames her head for it is also the same to be shaved. for if a woman will not be covered, let her also be shorn; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or to be shaved, let her be covered. For on the one hand, a man ought not to have the head covered, being the image and glory of God; but on the other hand, the woman is the glory of man. For, man is not from woman, but woman from man. for also man was not created because of the woman, but woman because of the man. Because of this a woman ought to have authority on the head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither woman apart from man nor man apart from woman in the Lord. For just as the woman from the man, so also the man through the woman; but all things from God. Judge among yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that on the one hand if a man long hair, it is a dishonor to him, on the other hand if a woman long hair, it is her glory? For the hair is given in the place of a shawl. But if anyone seems to be contentious we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. 12

13 Outline of 1 Corinthians Introduction to Letter 1:1-9 Argument Call for Unity 1:10-15:58 Thesis Statement 1:10 Present Situation 1:11-17 Advice for Maintaining Unity 1:18-15:57 Censure of Factionalism 1:18-4:21 Integrity of Community 5:1-11:1 Manifestations when Coming Together 11:2-14:40 Divisive Customs in Worship 11:2-16 Praise for Maintaining Traditions 11:2 Defining the Issue 11:3-5a Principle 11:3 Practice in the Church 11:4-5a Arguments 11:5b-15 Analogy of a Shaved Head 11:5b-6 Reflected Glory 11:7 Pattern of Creation 11:8-12 Analogy from Nature 11:13-15 Appeal to Common Practice 11:16 Divisions at the Lord s Supper 11:17-34 Spiritual Gifts and Unity 12:1-14:40 Body of Christ 12:1-31a Gift of Love as Antidote 12:31b-14:1a Unity in Diversity of Language 14:1b-40 Final Goal of Unity 15:1-57 Summary Appeal 15:58 Closing to Letter 16:1-24 Source for general outline: Margaret M. Mitchell, Paul and the Rhetoric of Reconciliation: An Exegetical Investigation of the Language and Composition of 1 Corinthians (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991),